I thought members of the group would find this article on the
transformation of Kiev interesting:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2007/11/23/AR2007112301297.html?sub=AR

Rick thought you would like this site.

http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/112607EA.shtml

ApplyRefer v2.3

http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/112607EA.shtml

=v= The mainstream media keeps fumbling their explanations about
peak oil to the public.  They write as if the oil is running
out, so whenever there's a new discovery (like the one in Brazil
earlier this month), pundits blather on about how this disproves
peak oil.

=v= The first article at the truthout link is good, because it
focuses on the rate of oil production, but I have to wonder how
many readers will pick up on that.

=v= The third article there botches things by describing Richard
Heinberg's vision as "apocalyptic," when in fact Heinberg has
devoted most of his effort towards dealing with the problem
sensibly.  I predict that pundits (probably the same pundits
as before) will respond to this article by calling us alarmists,
Chicken Littles, etc.
     <_Jym_>

Dear All,

For the next issue of Carbusters, we are going to focus on the theme
of street conversion and street design. This is a wide call-out for
any relevant news material, articles, books worthy to review, images
or anything else that you think would fit well with the theme. Also,
if you know of any streets or intersections or formerly car-dominated
spaces that have been converted to a more useful
pedestrian/non-motorized transport area, and whose mention should not
be omitted from the next issue, please also send this in. We will also
focus on PARKing examples.

Please send your submissions, comments and questions to
editors@.... We'd appreciate to hear from you before the
end of the year.

Thanks,

Justin for the CB editorial team

Rick thought you would like this site.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/112807T.shtml

ApplyRefer v2.3

In 2008, half of the Earth’s population will live in urban areas, marking for
the first time in history that humans are
an urban species. A new publication from the Worldwatch Institute, State of the
World 2007: Our Urban Future", explores
the many ways in which urbanisation is affecting our lives and the global
environment. It especially focuses on the
ideas that can make our cities environmentally sustainable and healthier places
to live.

ICLEI member city Malmö is mentioned in the publication as a model city for
building a green future. The case study of
Sweden’s third largest city shows how a densely populated city can be combined
with ambitious environmental targets and
sustainability. The study focuses, in particular, on the development into an
urban area of Västra Hamnen (the Western
harbour). Previously a harbour, shipyard and industrial area, now a new modern
city district, with housing, offices,
shops and local services is emerging. Västra Hamnen’s focus on biodiversity,
recycling, 100% locally renewable energy
sources and environmentally sound transport has made it into an international
leading example of a densely populated,
environmentally sound neighbourhood.

For more information on the development of Västra Hamnen:
http://www.malmo.se/servicemeny/cityofmalmo

***

The proceeding is from:

ICLEI in Europe News
November 2007

To download an electronic copy of this newsletter, go to:
http://www.iclei-europe.org/fileadmin/template/iclei/ICLEI_IS/files/Newsletter/I\
CLEI_in_Europe_News_November_2007.pdf



--
--------------------------------------------

Todd Edelman
Director
Green Idea Factory

Korunni 72
CZ-10100 Praha 10
Czech Republic

Skype: toddedelman
++420 605 915 970
++420 222 517 832

edelman@...
http://greenideafactory.blogspot.com/
www.flickr.com/photos/edelman

Green Idea Factory is a member of World Carfree Network
www.worldcarfree.net

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO ATTEND THE LAUNCH OF SUSTA-INFO

Global Knowledge for Local Sustainability

Parallel event to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, Bali
Indonesia

Susta-Info is an initiative that supports local authorities in attaining
sustainable development, by establishing a portal and web based database,
making knowledge on local sustainable development accessible to a large
group of targeted users. Susta-Info provides validated access to European
Commission funded projects on urban management, sustainable land use, water
treatment and management, and urban mobility. Additionally, it provides
access to urban research projects supported by UN-HABITAT and case studies
from the UN-HABITAT best practices database.

When: Tuesday December 11, 2007

8:30 - 9:30 Susta-Info Launch Breakfast

Host: Susta-Info Consortium; Venue: Grand Hyatt Bali Hotel - Courtyard

. Breakfast and Official launch on behalf of European Commission and
UN-HABITAT

. EU and UN-HABITAT representatives will be present

11:30 - 12:30 Added Value of Susta-Info

Host: Susta-Info Consortium; Venue: Grand Hyatt Bali Hotel - Room Singaraja
I

. Opening

. The relevance of research for sustainable development of cities: Mrs.
Marta Moreno Abat, EC

. The usefulness for Susta-Info in relation to Millennium Development
Goals/Climate change/ Local Agenda 21

. The need for easily accessible knowledge. Video Katholieke Universiteit
Leuven, Belgium

. The added value of Susta-info tool for local governments; Ewa Ciuk, ICLEI,
Toronto, Canada

. Susta-Info: validation, abstracts, Collexis search; Demonstration of the
system itself Vanessa Foo, GHK Consulting, London, England

. The Future of Susta-Info. Discussion on the future of Susta-info with Mrs.
Marta Moreno Abat, EC Mr. Marco Keiner, UN-HABITAT and others. Moderated by
Paul van Beek, Goudappel Coffeng, The Hague, The Netherlands

. Closing

12:30 - 13:00 How to use Susta-Info

Host: Susta-Info Consortium; Venue: Grand Hyatt Bali HotelSingaraja I

. Hands on demonstration of the Susta-Info system by Vanessa Foo, GHK
Consulting, London, England

  <http://www.susta-info.net> www.susta-info.net (accessible from December
11, 2007)





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi All,

Many of you may have experienced near-total failure of the
server at Carfree.com the past few days. Things appear to be
much better now that the server has been transplanted to a
new farm.

If you have a minute, please visit the site and click around
a little. If you have any trouble, please let me know OFF LIST.

Thanks,

Joel


-----                           ###                            -----
J.H. Crawford                                         Carfree Cities
mailbox@...                           http://www.carfree.com

I thought the following competition might be interesting to
members of both lists

Joel


MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;

Planum Newsletter - Special CIPPS International competition

CIPPS
International town-planning competition
PIAN SCAIROLO (LUGANO) - SWITZERLAND
http://www.pianscairolo.ch/index.php?id=9


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
----------------------------------------
english

> IDENTIFYING A TOWN-PLANNING STRATEGY FOR PIAN SCAIROLO, THE MAIN
> COMMERCIAL-INDUSTRIAL AREA OF THE URBAN CONGLOMERATION OF LUGANO WITH A
> VIEW TO DEVELOPING AN ATTRACTIVE MODERN BUSINESS LOOP

After the positive experiences of the international town-planning
competition for the Cornaredo district in 2004 (for a progress report on the
work carried out to date, please visit www.cornaredo.ch), the Town of Lugano
is launching a competition along with the Communes of Barbengo, Collina
d'Oro and Grancia and the regional spatial planning department (Dipartimento
del territorio) to replan the largest commercial-industrial urban area of
Canton Ticino, which currently provides over 5,000 jobs with a turnover of
more than one billion Swiss francs.

The urban conglomeration of Lugano is among the largest economic urban
centres in Switzerland. With this competition it aims to identify an
innovative concept for what is to become a hub of economic development in
the Ticino region.

The competition procedure involves a preselection process: applications will
be processed, and up to fifteen groups will be invited to the main stage of
the anonymous competition.
The prize money amounts to SFr.200,000 (approx. EUR125,000).
Applicants must submit a dossier by the entry deadline of 21 January 2008.
The competition itself will begin on 17 March 2008 and will close upon
delivery of the work at the end of May 2008.
The procedure involves the participation of international interdisciplinary
teams, and applicants must be willing to accept additional mandates from the
party inviting tenders.

PANEL OF EXTERNAL EXPERTS

Rico Maggi Economist (Switzerland, chairman)
Willi Hüsler Transport specialist (Switzerland)
Andreas Kipar Landscape architect (Germany)
Paolo La Greca Architect & town planner (Italy)
Henk Hartzema Architect & town planner (The Netherlands)
Enzo Lucibello Entrepreneur (Switzerland)

Information and registration form on the home page:
http://www.pianscairolo.ch/index.php?id=9

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
----------------------------------------
italian

> Il Dipartimento del territorio della Repubblica e Cantone del Ticino e i
> Municipi dei Comuni di Barbengo - Collina d'Oro - Grancia - Lugano
> annunciano l'avvio della procedura per lo svolgimento di un

CONCORSO INTERNAZIONALE DI IDEE DI URBANISTICA PER LO SVILUPPO DEL COMPARTO
COMMERCIALE-INDUSTRIALE DEL POLO URBANO DI LUGANO
Quale strategia di sviluppo urbanistico per il Pian Scairolo, principale
area commerciale-industriale dell'agglomerato urbano di Lugano, nel contesto
dello sviluppo di un circuito commerciale ("business loop") moderno ed
attrattivo ?

Informazioni e registrazione alla home page:
http://www.pianscairolo.ch/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
----------------------------------------
french

> Le Département du territoire de la République et Canton du Tessin, et les
> Communes de Barbengo, Collina d'Oro, Grancia et Lugano annoncent l'ouverture
> d'un

CONCOURS INTERNATIONAL D'IDEES POUR L'AMENAGEMENT DU SECTEUR COMMERCIAL ET
INDUSTRIEL DU POLE URBAIN DE LUGANO
Quelle stratégie d'aménagement urbain pour Pian Scairolo, principale zone
commerciale et industrielle de l'agglomération urbaine de Lugano, dans le
cadre du développement d'un circuit commercial ("business loop") moderne et
attractif ?

Informations et formulaire d'inscription sur la home page :
http://www.pianscairolo.ch/index.php?id=8

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
----------------------------------------
german

> Das Bau-und Umweltdepartement der Republik und Kanton Tessin und die
> Gemeinden Barbengo - Collina d'Oro - Grancia - Lugano kündigen die
> Eröffnung des Verfahrens für einen

INTERNATIONALEN STÄDTEBAULICHEN IDEENWETTBEWERB
Welche Entwicklungsstrategie für Pian Scairolo, das Hauptgewerbe- und
Industriegebiet der Agglomeration Lugano, im Rahmen der Entwicklung eines
modernen und attraktiven "business loop" ?

Informationen und Anmeldeformular auf der Homepage:
http://www.pianscairolo.ch/index.php?id=7

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
----------------------------------------

Planum - The European Journal of Planning Online
http://www.planum.net/menu.php - ISSN 1723-0993
European Community project funded by Ten Telecom in the year 2000

Contact staff@... if you wish:
- to publish articles, essays, reports about urban policies, master plans,
urban planning project management
- to send your announcement about upcoming events, projects, workshops
- to become a Planum partner for dissemination in E.U. funded project

If you are looking for a window in this newsletter, through which to promote
your special event or your firm, become a Planum guest and reach more than
22.000 planners around the world!
http://www.planum.net/services/services.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
----------------------------------------------------------------

If you want to cancel your subscription to the Planum Newsletter go to
http://www.planum.net/cgi-bin/newsletter?action=unsubscribe&email=postmaster@car\
free.com



-----                           ###                            -----
J.H. Crawford                                         Carfree Cities
mailbox@...                           http://www.carfree.com

At 2007-12-06 06:47, you wrote:
>[]
>
>NEW BOOK
>Editorial Reviews
>Book Description
>Have you ever wondered why the Guggenheim is always covered in scaffolding? Why
the random slashes on the exterior of Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Museum, supposed
to represent Berlin locations where pre-war Jews flourished, reappear, for no
apparent reason, on his Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto? Or why Frank Gehry's
Strata Center, designed for MIT's top-secret Cryptography Unit, has transparent
glass walls? Not to mention why, for $442 per square foot, it doesn't keep out
the rain? You're not alone.
>
>In Architecture of the Absurd, John Silber dares to peek behind the curtain of
"genius" architects and expose their willful disdain for their clients, their
budgets, and the people who live or work inside their creations. Absurdism in a
painting or sculpture is one thing­if it's not to your taste, you don't have to
look­but absurdism in buildings represents a blatant disregard for the needs of
the building, whether it be a student center, music hall, or corporate
headquarters.
>
>Silber admires the precise engineering of Calatrava, the imaginative shapes of
Gaudi, and the sleek beauty of Mies van der Rohe. But he refuses to kowtow to
the egos of those "geniuses" who lack such respect for the craft. Absurdist
architects have been sheltered by the academy, encouraged by critics, and
commissioned by CEOs and trustees. They stamp the world with meaningless
monstrosities, justify them with fanciful theories, and command outrageous
"genius fees" for their trouble.
>
>As a young man, Silber learned to draw blueprints and read elevations from his
architect father. In twenty-five years as president of Boston University, Silber
oversaw a building program totaling 13 million square feet. Here, Silber uses
his experience as a builder, a client, and a noted philosopher to construct an
unflinchingly intelligent illustrated critique of contemporary architecture.
>
>Le Corbusier's megalomaniacal 1930s plan for Algiers, which called for the
demolition of the entire city, was mercifully never built. But his blatant
disregard for context and community lives on. In Boston, Jose Lluis Sert's
unprotected northeast-facing entrance to the B.U. library flooded the first
floor with snow and ice every New England winter. In Los Angeles, sunlight
glinting off the sharply angled steel curves of Gehry's Walt Disney Music Hall
raises the temperature of neighbors' houses by 15 degrees. And of course,
Libeskind's World Trade Center plan, with its spindly 1776-foot tower and
quarter-mile-high gardens, proved so impractical it had to be re-designed, in an
exasperating negotiation hardly worthy of the complex tragedy of the site.
>
>Dr. Silber, an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects, asks
all the questions that critics dare not. He challenges architects to derive
creative satisfaction from meeting their clients' practical needs. He appeals to
the reasonable public to stop supporting overpriced architecture. And most of
all, he calls for responsible clients to tell the emperors of our skylines that
their pretensions cannot hide the naked absurdity of their designs. 103 color
illustrations.
>
>About the Author
>John Silber was president of Boston University for twenty-five years and is an
internationally recognized authority on ethics, the philosophy of law, and the
philosophy of Kant. His works include Human Action and the Language of Volition
and Straight Shooting: What's Wrong with America and How to Fix It. He has been
the recipient of Fulbright, Guggenheim, and ACLS fellowships. In 2002 he was
named an honorary member of the AIA. He lives in Boston.
>
>
>----------
>Tigran Haas, BArch/MArch | M.Sc. | PhD. (SAR/MSA, APA, CNU)
>Assistant Professor of Urban Planning and Design + Director
>of Urban Planning & Design Program: http://www.infra.kth.se/sp/upd
>KTH - Royal Institute of Technology | Tel:  +46 (0) 8 790 8504
>School of Architecture+Built Environment | KTH
>Drottning Kristinas Vag 30, Plan 1 (L-Building, Room 4083)
>Fax: +46 (0) 8 790 6761 | Cell: +46 (0) 70 918 9699
>S - 114 28 Stockholm, Sweden | mailto:tigran.haas@...
>
>----------
>
>
>

   ----------



-----                           ###                            -----
J.H. Crawford                                         Carfree Cities
mailbox@...                           http://www.carfree.com


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

| Why the random slashes on the exterior of Daniel Libeskind's
| Jewish Museum, supposed to represent Berlin locations where
| pre-war Jews flourished, reappear, for no apparent reason,
| on his Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto?

=v= Here's a recent Libeskind "Eyesore of the Month" from
James Howard Kunstler:

http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore_200611.html

But I think my friend took a better photo of it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paytonc/322033520/

| ... the sleek beauty of Mies van der Rohe.

=v= I'm not a fan.  The Miesian "building as machine" approach
was influential in promoting the idea of a building meant to
be enjoyed from a distance rather than in person.  Ideal for
driving past, say, but pedestrian street life doesn't blend in.
(The "sleek" lines often create a wind-tunnel effect, so even
if you did set up something human like chairs and a table, you
wouldn't enjoy it.)
     <_Jym_>

Sustrans are in the running to win £50m in lottery funding, the bid
includes match funding that will bump it up to a possible £140million.

This contest is decided by a public vote this weekend, phone 0870 24
24 602 to have your vote counted - 10p! 3 votes each by the way -
mobile, landline and for free @ www.thepeoples50million.org!

Please please please do it now and let me know!

Your help is much appreciated!

lines open till miday monday!

This page was sent to you by: rickrise@....

BUSINESS / WORLD BUSINESS | December 9, 2007
Oil-Rich Nations Use More Energy, Cutting Exports
By CLIFFORD KRAUSS
Several nations that are currently large suppliers may start importing oil
within a decade, adding strains to the global market.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/business/worldbusiness/09oil.html?ex=119778120\
0&en=9c63e219ede9a1d4&ei=5070&emc=eta1




----------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This
Article service.  For general information about NYTimes.com, write to
help@....

NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello All--

I've thrown down a little photo-essay on arty bike racks in Los
Angeles, part of our effort not only to encourage transportational
cycling, but also to improve our currently pathetic street
furniture.  I'll leave it up to you to say whether these efforts
succeed, only represent merely a good start on a difficult project.

http://bicyclefixation.com/pe_artracksla.html

Cheers,

Rick

--
Richard Risemberg
Bicycle Fixation
http://www.bicyclefixation.com

Rick Risemberg saw this story on the BBC News website and thought you
should see it.



** India's techies take to cycling **
Sumana Mukherjee on how commuters are taking to cycling to work in the city of
Bangalore.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7130418.stm >


** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/email >


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written
in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please
note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more
about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked
questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

This story was sent to you by: Richard Risemberg

--------------------
EU threatens to boycott US-led climate talks
--------------------

From the Associated Press

December 13 2007, 6:34 AM PST

BALI, Indonesia — Nobel laureate Al Gore accused the United States today
of blocking progress at the U.N. climate conference, and European nations
threatened to boycott U.S.-led climate talks next month unless Washington
compromises on emissions reductions.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-boycott13dec13,0,3934831.sto\
ry?coll=la-home-center

Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Szanowni Pa´nstwo,

Doamnelor si Domnilor,

Welcome to SUTECA – the new web-based forum for information on
Sustainable Urban Transport in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.



In follow up of the workshops on sustainable urban transport in Plock
(2006, 2007) and Tallinn (2007), UNITAR and GTZ SUTP are happy to
introduce this newsgroup and webpage as focal point for professionals
and decision-makers in the ECA-region in order to facilitate and to
enhance the dialogue on sustainable urban transport.

The web page www.sutp.org/suteca <http://www.sutp.org/suteca>  offers
ample space for your contributions, news and information from the region
and updates on on-going activites related to sustainable urban
transport.

The SUTECA-newsgroup is open for all parties interested in sharing
opinions, questions and concerns on sustainable urban transport. It is
your forum! It allows you to contact about 100 professionals working in
local authorities in the ECA region. As subscriber, just send your email
to SUTECA@... <mailto:SUTECA@...>  to get in
contact! And: Feel free to invite colleagues and to spread the news!



***

Witamy w SUTECA - nowym forum internetowym dotyczacym
Zrównowazonego Transportu Miejskiego w Europie Wschodniej i Azji
Centralnej (ECA).

          W ramach kontynuacji warsztatów na temat
Zrównowazonego Transportu Miejskiego, które odbyly
sie w Plocku (2006, 2007) i w Tallinie (2007), UNITAR i GTZ
SUTP maja zaszczyt przedstawi´c niniejsza liste
mailingowa oraz strone internetowa,  jako centralny punkt
spotka´n fachowców i decydentów  w rejonie ECA, który
ulatwi i usprawni dialog na temat zrównowazonego transportu
miejskiego.

          Strona internetowa www.sutp.org/suteca
<http://www.sutp.org/suteca>  oferuje wiele miejsca dla Waszych
pomyslów, wiadomo´sci i informacji z regionu oraz dostarcza
najnowszych informacji o realizowanych dzialaniach zwiazanych
ze Zrównowazonym Transportem Miejskim.

          Lista mailingowa SUTECA jest otwarta dla wszystkich
zainteresowanych wymiana opinii, pyta´n i problemów
zwiazanych ze Zrównowazonym Transportem Miejskim. To jest
Wasze forum! Pozwala Wam kontaktowa´c sie z okolo 100
fachowcami pracujacymi w lokalnych organach wladzy w miastach
regionu ECA. Jako abonent po prostu wy´slij swój e-mail na adres
SUTECA@... <mailto:SUTECA@...>  aby
nawiaza´c kontakt. Nie wahaj sie zaprosi´c do tej
inicjatywy swoich wspólpracowników  oraz przekaza´c
informacje wszystkim zainteresowanym!

***

Bine ati venit la SUTECA – noul forum de pe internet despre
Transportul Urban Nepoluant din Europa de Est si Asia
Centrala.



Ca urmare a conferintelor din Plock (2006, 2007) si Talin
(2007) cu privire la transportul urban nepoluant, UNITAR si GTZ
SUTP au placerea de a va prezenta acest forum (newsgroup)
si aceasta  pagina de internet ca punct principal de
interes pentru profesionisti si pentru persoanele cu drept de
decizie din Europa de Est si Asia Centrala. Acest site are
scopul de a facilita si încuraja dialogurile pe tema
transportului urban nepoluant.



Pagina de internet www.sutp.org/suteca <http://www.sutp.org/suteca>
ofera un spatiu amplu destinat contributiilor dv.,
stirilor si informatiilor din diferite regiuni, cât
si actualizari cu privire la activitatile în
desfasurare, legate de transportul urban nepoluant.

Forumul SUTECA este disponibil tuturor celor care sunt interesati
în a-si expune punctele de vedere, în a pune
întrebari si probleme. Este forumul dumneavoastra!
Acesta va permite sa intrati în legatura cu
aproximativ 100 de profesionisti care lucreaza în
institutii locale din Europa de Est si Asia Centrala.
Pentru a intra în legatura cu noi si pentru a deveni
membru, trebuie doar sa trimiteti un e-mail la adresa
SUTECA@... <mailto:SUTECA@...> ! Si
înca ceva: Nu ezitati sa invitati si alti
colegi si sa spuneti si altora despre acest forum!


Asteptam cu nerabdare raspunsul dumneavoastra.
Cu deosebita stima,
Oczekujac na Pa´nstwa odpowied´z, Pozostajemy z szacunkiem
We are looking forward to your response, Best regards

Dr. Cornelia Alter
Armin Wagner

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Best regards,

Armin Wagner

*****************************
Transport Policy Advisor
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH
(German Technical Cooperation)
Division 44 - Environment and Infrastructure
Transport and Mobility
P.O. Box 5180
65726 Eschborn, Germany
Tel.: + 49 6196 79- 6467
Fax: + 49 6196 79-80 6467
E-Mail: Armin.Wagner@...
Skype: wagnerarmin
http://www.gtz.de/transport <http://www.gtz.de/transport>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Call for rethink in obesity fight
Obesity cannot be tackled by just encouraging healthier eating and more
exercise, health experts say.

Story from BBC NEWS:
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7142176.stm>
**

The experts, led by a London-based academic, say governments should
adopt more sophisticated approaches.

Work conditions, food subsidies, town planning and advert restrictions
are all key, the experts wrote in the British Medical Journal.

The UK's Association of Directors of Public Health said change was
happening but further improvements were needed.

Latest statistics show that a quarter of adults are obese in the UK, but
the percentage is predicted to rise to over 50% if current trends continue.

The findings mirror the conclusions of the recent government-backed
Foresight report in the UK, which said societal issues were also to
blame for rising obesity levels.

These experts, led by a University College London academic, agreed,
saying tackling obesity was far more complex than just encouraging
healthy eating and more exercise.

They said large supermarket chains had displaced small, family-run
stores and encouraged bulk purchases, convenience foods and super-sized
portions.

They also criticised the impact of food advertising which they said
encouraged children in particular to desire foods "high in saturated
fats, sugars and salt".

And they said urban planning and design could play a key role in
encouraging people to walk around towns rather than rely on cars.

These factors were particularly important for people from deprived areas
as they were often more constrained by such barriers, they said.

* 'Dynamic' *

The authors pointed to the example set by Norway, which has used a
combination of food subsidies, price manipulation and clear nutrition
labelling to steer people away from unhealthy food.

UCL expert Sharon Friel said a "dynamic" response was needed that
included joined-up action at global, national and local levels.

"Missing in most obesity prevention strategies is the recognition that
obesity - and its unequal distribution - is the consequence of a complex
system that is shaped by how society organises its affairs."

Dr Tim Crayford, president of the Association of Directors of Public
Health, said it was well-known that obesity was caused by multi-factoral
problems.

"There has been a lack of co-ordination over this and the response has
therefore been slow."

And he added: "There are signs that is now changing, but we are battling
against the desire in western societies for more affluence which means
more cars and richer food."


Published: 2007/12/14 01:13:26 GMT

--
--------------------------------------------

Todd Edelman
Director
Green Idea Factory

Korunni 72
CZ-10100 Praha 10
Czech Republic

Skype: toddedelman
++420 605 915 970
++420 222 517 832

edelman@...
http://greenideafactory.blogspot.com/
www.flickr.com/photos/edelman

Green Idea Factory is a member of World Carfree Network
www.worldcarfree.net

Hi Bicycle Fixation, Carfree Cities,
Your friend, Rick Risemberg, has recommended this article entitled 'Ciclovia:
Bogotá, Colombia' to you.

Here is his/her remarks:
Beautiful example of the joy of carfree streets!

Ciclovia: Bogotá, Colombia
Posted By Clarence Eckerson, Jr. On 1st December 2007 @ 01:23 In Best Practices,
Peñalosa,  Bogotá, Colombia,  Quality of Life,  Public Health,  Bicycling, 
Car-free Parks/Streets,  streetfilms

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel with comrades Karla Quintero
(Transportation Alternatives) and Aaron Naparstek (Streetsblog) to Bogotá,
Colombia to document some of the amazing advances going on in the livable
streets movement there.

On Sunday we spent the entire day - from 5 AM 'til nearly 5 PM - riding bicycles
around the city courtesy of the Ciclovia, a weekly event in which over 70 miles
of city streets are closed to traffic where residents come out to walk, bike,
run, skate, recreate, picnic, and talk with family, neighbors &
strangers...it is simply one of the most moving ...
Article taken from StreetFilms - http://www.streetfilms.org
URL to article: http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/ciclovia/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Long way home: The global view
Looking beyond gridlock
by Christopher Hume, Urban Issues Columnist

Whatever the appeal of the car may be, mobility has little to do with it.
...

http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/285524

This was pretty heartening: a tourism group that promotes carfree
visits to Santa Barbara!  Pretty nice...I got a code worth 20% off
Amtrak fares to any station in SB county, and they promote local
carfree travel as well.

http://www.santabarbaracarfree.org/default.htm

Rick

--
Richard Risemberg
http://www.bicyclefixation.com
http://www.newcolonist.com
http://www.rickrise.com

Our old friend Colin Leath posted this on the Carfree Network
list and I thought this list would also like to see it:

Lists,

Sitting in on a San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) meeting
about approval of a Regional Transportation Plan in which fear was
expressed about being sued by the California Attorney General over GHG
emissions was eye-opening. (some background:
http://www.planetizen.com/node/24990 ). A fear-based, GHG-focused
argument is having an effect on Southern California urban planning. (I
wish quality-of-life-based reasoning were sufficient.)


I've been half-wondering in the back of my mind where this GHG focus
would take us if people followed it completely.

As usual, George Monbiot is ahead of the game:

(1) Leave the carbon in the ground:
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2007/12/11/rigged/

(2) Run everything off renewable power. The only thing he figures
could not be are airplanes--I believe he discusses this in detail in
his book _Heat_ :
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2007/06/30/heat-is-now-out-in-paperback/

"""The diplomats who started talks in Bali yesterday should be
discussing *the complete decarbonisation of the global economy*.

It is not impossible. In a previous article I showed how by switching
the whole economy over to the use of electricity and by deploying the
latest thinking on regional supergrids, grid balancing and energy
storage, you could run almost the entire energy system on renewable
power(14). The major exception is flying (don't expect to see
battery-powered jetliners [what about liquid H? - see below]) which
suggests that we should be closing rather than opening runways."""

http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2007/12/04/what-is-progress/

[Monbiot] urges his readers "to remember that these privations affect
a tiny proportion of the world's people. The reason they seem so harsh
is that this tiny proportion almost certainly includes you."
http://www.alternet.org/environment/46318?page=entire

-------------------------------------------------

Monbiot also discusses the need for carbon capture. An Australian says
this can be done on a massive scale, cheaply, by improved plowing
techniques which create deep humus:
http://www.yeomansconcepts.com.au/
(using his plow design, --but other plows do the same. Note he also
advocates nuclear power, and leaving fossil fuel fossil). I learned
about Yeomans from Darren Doherty ( http://permaculture.biz/ ) at
Quail Springs.

-------------------------------------------


Also: Some in the US say the GHG emissions in China and India are a
main part of the problem. But the perceptive see those are our
emissions exported to them (as they produce what we import):
http://www.planetizen.com/node/22369

Schwarzenegger, too, communicates this:
http://www.digitalnpq.org/archive/2007_summer/19_schwarzenegger.html



Also, I've been wondering in the back of my mind:

What will people do when/if they look at being carbon-neutral on an
individual level?

What will people do when/if they apply all the radical measures some
advocate for national economies to personal economies?

I agree, with Gore, that personal life changes are not enough, but it
is fun to consider.

(there is a movement to make it easier and more mainstream to work
less, consume less:
http://www.preservenet.com/studies/WorkTimeGlobalWarming.html
http://www.timeday.org/  )

Why _is_ anyone working full time, if not to sequester carbon?? (the
purpose of our lives now?)

The greatest work is the design and implementation of carbon-neutral
or sequestering systems? (including the supporting legal and political
frameworks)

Lawton's "MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY and permaculture" thread seems
not-too-offtopic at this point.
http://forums.permaculture.org.au/ftopic4261.php


Peace,
Colin

--------------------------

And for no other reason than not to lose track,

Diana DeRubertis writes on living in a failed new urban development in
San Diego's Mission Valley:
http://www.planetizen.com/node/22133 "Pedestrians Lost In The New Suburbia"
Her planetizen blog posts: http://www.planetizen.com/user/10382

And here's a new development planned for Mission Valley that is trying
to be greener:
http://www.quarryfalls.com/page/content/concept/

--------
Here's links on H-powered aircraft:

http://www.smartfish.ch/index.cfm/fuseaction/show/path/1-59-123.htm
http://www.physorg.com/news101391900.html
http://forum.physorg.com/index.php?showtopic=15717
http://planetforlife.com/h2/h2vehicle.html
http://ec.europa.eu/research/growth/gcc/projects/in-action-cryoplane.html



-----                           ###                            -----
J.H. Crawford                                         Carfree Cities
mailbox@...                           http://www.carfree.com

Dear Carfree Cities,


Rick Risemberg wants you to read the article

High Speed Rail Could Be Good for State Transportation

at Los Angeles Business Journal Online

http://labusinessjournal.com/article.asp?aid=82374842.8800578.1566318.7747859.81\
07553.979


Comments:


Thes Los Angeles Business Journal just published my editorial supporting HSR in
California.  I wrote it as a rebuttal to an earlier diatribe by a Reason
Foundation pitbull.

Rick


If you do not know Rick Risemberg, please ignore this message or report it to
webmaster@...


Copyright 2007, Los Angeles Business Journal.  All rights reserved.

The California case is one where the higher level of government is
simply trying to kick responsibility downstairs. For example,
Proposition 13 is a very unfair and irresponsible law at the state
level that needs to be repealed, but no one will touch it. It encourages
sprawl because cities have an incentive to zone out children and zone
in Walmarts and car dealers. Also, the state government just cut operating
support to PT by $1.3 Billion annually.

Eric Bruun

Quoting "J.H. Crawford" <mailbox@...>:

>
> Our old friend Colin Leath posted this on the Carfree Network
> list and I thought this list would also like to see it:
>
> Lists,
>
> Sitting in on a San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) meeting
> about approval of a Regional Transportation Plan in which fear was
> expressed about being sued by the California Attorney General over GHG
> emissions was eye-opening. (some background:
> http://www.planetizen.com/node/24990 ). A fear-based, GHG-focused
> argument is having an effect on Southern California urban planning. (I
> wish quality-of-life-based reasoning were sufficient.)
>
>
> I've been half-wondering in the back of my mind where this GHG focus
> would take us if people followed it completely.
>
> As usual, George Monbiot is ahead of the game:
>
> (1) Leave the carbon in the ground:
> http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2007/12/11/rigged/
>
> (2) Run everything off renewable power. The only thing he figures
> could not be are airplanes--I believe he discusses this in detail in
> his book _Heat_ :
> http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2007/06/30/heat-is-now-out-in-paperback/
>
> """The diplomats who started talks in Bali yesterday should be
> discussing *the complete decarbonisation of the global economy*.
>
> It is not impossible. In a previous article I showed how by switching
> the whole economy over to the use of electricity and by deploying the
> latest thinking on regional supergrids, grid balancing and energy
> storage, you could run almost the entire energy system on renewable
> power(14). The major exception is flying (don't expect to see
> battery-powered jetliners [what about liquid H? - see below]) which
> suggests that we should be closing rather than opening runways."""
>
> http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2007/12/04/what-is-progress/
>
> [Monbiot] urges his readers "to remember that these privations affect
> a tiny proportion of the world's people. The reason they seem so harsh
> is that this tiny proportion almost certainly includes you."
> http://www.alternet.org/environment/46318?page=entire
>
> -------------------------------------------------
>
> Monbiot also discusses the need for carbon capture. An Australian says
> this can be done on a massive scale, cheaply, by improved plowing
> techniques which create deep humus:
> http://www.yeomansconcepts.com.au/
> (using his plow design, --but other plows do the same. Note he also
> advocates nuclear power, and leaving fossil fuel fossil). I learned
> about Yeomans from Darren Doherty ( http://permaculture.biz/ ) at
> Quail Springs.
>
> -------------------------------------------
>
>
> Also: Some in the US say the GHG emissions in China and India are a
> main part of the problem. But the perceptive see those are our
> emissions exported to them (as they produce what we import):
> http://www.planetizen.com/node/22369
>
> Schwarzenegger, too, communicates this:
> http://www.digitalnpq.org/archive/2007_summer/19_schwarzenegger.html
>
>
>
> Also, I've been wondering in the back of my mind:
>
> What will people do when/if they look at being carbon-neutral on an
> individual level?
>
> What will people do when/if they apply all the radical measures some
> advocate for national economies to personal economies?
>
> I agree, with Gore, that personal life changes are not enough, but it
> is fun to consider.
>
> (there is a movement to make it easier and more mainstream to work
> less, consume less:
> http://www.preservenet.com/studies/WorkTimeGlobalWarming.html
> http://www.timeday.org/  )
>
> Why _is_ anyone working full time, if not to sequester carbon?? (the
> purpose of our lives now?)
>
> The greatest work is the design and implementation of carbon-neutral
> or sequestering systems? (including the supporting legal and political
> frameworks)
>
> Lawton's "MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY and permaculture" thread seems
> not-too-offtopic at this point.
> http://forums.permaculture.org.au/ftopic4261.php
>
>
> Peace,
> Colin
>
> --------------------------
>
> And for no other reason than not to lose track,
>
> Diana DeRubertis writes on living in a failed new urban development in
> San Diego's Mission Valley:
> http://www.planetizen.com/node/22133 "Pedestrians Lost In The New Suburbia"
> Her planetizen blog posts: http://www.planetizen.com/user/10382
>
> And here's a new development planned for Mission Valley that is trying
> to be greener:
> http://www.quarryfalls.com/page/content/concept/
>
> --------
> Here's links on H-powered aircraft:
>
> http://www.smartfish.ch/index.cfm/fuseaction/show/path/1-59-123.htm
> http://www.physorg.com/news101391900.html
> http://forum.physorg.com/index.php?showtopic=15717
> http://planetforlife.com/h2/h2vehicle.html
> http://ec.europa.eu/research/growth/gcc/projects/in-action-cryoplane.html
>
>
>
> -----                           ###                            -----
> J.H. Crawford                                         Carfree Cities
> mailbox@...                           http://www.carfree.com
>
>

From Express News:

JEFFERSON, Iowa - Because of rising demand for ethanol, American farmers are
growing more corn than at any time since the Depression. And sea life in the
Gulf of Mexico is paying the price.

The nation's corn crop is fertilized with millions of pounds of nitrogen-based
fertilizer. And when that nitrogen runs off fields in Corn Belt states, it makes
its way to the Mississippi River and eventually pours into the Gulf, where it
contributes to a growing "dead zone" - a 7,900-square-mile patch so depleted of
oxygen that fish, crabs and shrimp suffocate.

The dead zone was discovered in 1985 and has grown fairly steadily since then,
forcing fishermen to venture farther and farther out to sea to find their catch.
For decades, fertilizer has been considered the prime cause of the lifeless
spot.

With demand for corn booming, some researchers fear the dead zone will expand
rapidly, with devastating consequences.

"We might be coming close to a tipping point," said Matt Rota, director of the
water resources program for the New Orleans-based Gulf Restoration Network, an
environmental group. "The ecosystem might change or collapse as opposed to being
just impacted."

Environmentalists had hoped to cut nitrogen runoff by encouraging farmers to
apply less fertilizer and establish buffers along waterways. But the demand for
the corn-based fuel additive ethanol has driven up the price for the crop, which
is selling for about $4 per bushel, up from a little more than $2 in 2002.

That enticed American farmers - mostly in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, North
Dakota and South Dakota - to plant more than 93 million acres of corn in 2007,
the most since 1933. They substituted corn for other crops, or made use of land
not previously in cultivation.

Corn is more "leaky" than crops such as soybean and alfalfa - that is, it
absorbs less nitrogen per acre. The prime reasons are the drainage systems used
in corn fields and the timing of when the fertilizer is applied.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that up to 210 million pounds of
nitrogen fertilizer enter the Gulf of Mexico each year. Scientists had no
immediate estimate for 2007, but said they expect the amount of fertilizer going
into streams to increase with more acres of corn planted.

"Corn agriculture practices release a lot of nitrogen," said Donald Scavia, a
University of Michigan professor who has studied corn fertilizer's effect on the
dead zone. "More corn equals more nitrogen pollution."

Farmers realize the connection between their crop and problems downstream, but
with the price of corn soaring, it doesn't make sense to grow anything else. And
growing corn isn't profitable without nitrogen-based fertilizer.

"I think you have to try to be a good steward of the land," said Jerry Peckumn,
who farms corn and soybeans on about 2,000 acres he owns or leases near the Iowa
community of Jefferson. "But on the other hand, you can't ignore the price of
corn."

Peckumn grows alfalfa and natural grass on the 220 or so acres he owns, but said
he cannot afford to experiment on the land he rents.

The dead zone typically begins in the spring and persists into the summer. Its
size and location vary each year because of currents, weather and other factors,
but it is generally near the mouth of the Mississippi.

This year, it is the third-biggest on record. It was larger in 2002 and 2001,
when it covered 8,500 and 8,006 square miles respectively.

Soil erosion, sewage and industrial pollution also contribute to the dead zone,
but fertilizer is believed to be the chief factor.

Fertilizer causes explosive growth of algae, which then dies and sinks to the
bottom, where it sucks up oxygen as it decays. This creates a deep layer of
oxygen-depleted ocean where creatures either escape or die.

Bottom-dwelling species such as crabs and oysters are most at risk, said
Michelle Perez, an analyst with the Washington-based Environmental Working
Group. "They struggle to survive," Perez said. "They can't swim away."

Crabbers complained at a meeting in Louisiana earlier this year that they pulled
up bucket upon bucket of dead crabs.

Rota warned that if the corn boom continues, the Gulf of Mexico could see an
"ecological regime change." The fear is that the zone will grow so big that most
sea life won't be able to escape it, leading to an even bigger die-off.

"People's livelihood depends on the shrimp, fish and crabs in these waters," he
said. "Already, some of these shrimpers are traveling longer and longer
distances to catch anything."

Given the market pressure to grow corn, the Natural Resources Defense Council
and others argue that the nation needs a comprehensive, federal approach to the
problem.

Among the ideas floated: rules to force farmers to use fertilizers with more
care, and the establishment of buffer zones to contain runoff.



By HENRY C. JACKSON     Associated Press Writer


-----                           ###                            -----
J.H. Crawford                                         Carfree Cities
mailbox@...                           http://www.carfree.com

NEAL PEIRCE COLUMN
   For Release Sunday, December 16, 2007

    © 2007 Washington Post Writers Group

   WALKABILITY = LIVABILITY = BILLIONS

   By Neal Peirce

         WASHINGTON - Could it possibly be that Washington, for years bashed by
poliicians, its population shrinking and at one point almost bankrupt, has
become a model of how the entire nation might smartly develop in the 21st
century?
         I never thought I’d see the day.  But Christopher Leinberger, one of
America’s top real estate analysts and now Brookings Institution fellow, makes a
startling case for it in his just-published book, The Option of Urbanism -
Investing in a New American Dream (Island Press).
         Leinberger’s case isn’t about Washington’s radically improved politics
and city management. Rather, it’s about walkability. It’s about dramatic
reinvestment -- some $8.2 billion worth -- pouring in the city’s downtown since
1997.  Complementing monumental Washington, there’s been a rush of new cinemas,
theaters, quality restaurants and trendy retail stores and a wildly popular
sports arena, all helped along by a downtown business district providing special
security, marketing and planning.
         But the success story’s not exclusively a downtown one -- the entire
Washington citistate of 5.3 million people is now booming.  And it’s starring
especially in what  Leinberger calls “walkable urbanism” -- places with the mix
of destinations people want, from shops and parks and schools to pubs and
entertainment, all accessible on foot.
         In a sense walkable urbanism is nothing new; it was the way towns and
cities were organized from the first urban settlements some 5,500 years ago into
the 20th century.
         But after World War II, with Americans’ rush to thousands of new
suburban locations, a never-before-seen norm appeared. Leinberger calls it
“drivable sub-urbanism.” And what a market smash it proved, offering Americans a
sense of freedom, mobility, privacy, their own piece of turf and a yard for the
kids to play.  Plus plenty of jobs and profits, from autos to oil to real estate
to fast food.  The new form became virtually synonymous with the American Dream.
Two generations of Americans knew practically nothing else.
         But in the 1990s the model began to lose some of its luster. Suburbia’s
big parking lots and low-density zoning meant an auto for every trip.  Walking
and transit were impractical. Older suburbs began to decline, inducing families
to drive farther and farther to new suburban rings.  Thousands of malls and
shopping strips were abandoned.   Traffic congestion -- and Washington’s no
exception -- became so severe many families were obliged to build their lives
around it.  Kids had to be driven everywhere. Vehicle miles driven in America
shot up a stunning 226 percent from 1983 to 2001, while population increased
just 22 percent.
         So by the mid-1990s a significant number of Americans -- and not just
the poor and minorities long-consigned to inner cities -- began to ask: Isn’t
there a better way?  Popular media began to shift its images of the city from
crime and violence to the exciting, hip, place to be (such television shows as
Seinfeld, Friends, and Sex in the City).
         Urban crime rates took a deep dive. Most downtowns began a surprising
revitalization, with more offices, entertainment, restaurants, and a leading
edge of middle-class people (often youth and empty nesters) returning.  And the
ideas of walkable town and city life, spread with fervor by the architects and
planners of the New Urbanism movement, gnawed at the decades-old supremacy of
the suburban ideal.
         None of this, Leinberger insists, means “drivable sub-urbia” will
disappear any time soon: a huge weight of custom, continued consumer choice,
zoning and the sheer vastness of today’s spread-out suburbia assure it will
remain dominant for years to come. Nor will cities’ problems, from poverty to
schools, disappear soon.
         But walkable urbanism has demographics going for it.  The share of U.S.
families with children at home has been declining sharply; the largest household
growth in the decades ahead will be empty nesters, never-nesters and singles,
many likely to look to cities and their excitement.  And cities, competing, will
likely keep heeding advice to lure creative young professionals; in fact those
that don’t offer true walkable urbanism, Leinberger suggests, are “probably
destined” to lose out economically.
           In the 1980s the Washington region had two highly walkable places--
Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria. Today, Leinberger calculates, it has 17
highly walkable, beckoning urban centers, with at least five more emerging --
the most of any U.S. metropolis.
         Significantly, 16 of Washington’s walkable centers have subway stops;
the modern Metro system, begin in the 1970s, has transformed the region as
communities -- Arlington County, Va. is the star -- have consciously planned
dense, multi-use development around the stops.
         But Washington started its Metro when generous federal aid still flowed.
Denver’s doing it the harder way, with a $4.7 billion light rail system that’s
80 percent financed by local taxpayers.  But the Denver region will end up with
119 miles of track, many walkable centers, and a burnished reputation. In the
process it, too, is setting a national model.



-----                           ###                            -----
J.H. Crawford                                         Carfree Cities
mailbox@...                           http://www.carfree.com

Hi All,

Uli Nehls and Rick Risemberg both sent this to me, independently
of one another. I though everyone should get it.

The film is only 10 minutes long, and rally worth watching

Best,

Joel

Uli said:

I guess you have seen this already, but if not I think it is a must:

http://local.theoildrum.com/node/3333#more

Great Film, and someone who participated in Bogota described that Ciclovia day
"simply one of the most moving experiences I have had in my entire life."

Rick's message said:

Beautiful example of the joy of carfree streets!

Ciclovia: Bogotá, Colombia
Posted By Clarence Eckerson, Jr. On 1st December 2007 @ 01:23 In Best Practices,
Peñalosa, Bogotá, Colombia, Quality of Life, Public Health, Bicycling,
Car-free Parks/Streets, streetfilms

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel with comrades Karla Quintero
(Transportation Alternatives) and Aaron Naparstek (Streetsblog) to Bogotá,
Colombia to document some of the amazing advances going on in the livable
streets movement there.

On Sunday we spent the entire day - from 5 AM 'til nearly 5 PM - riding bicycles
around the city courtesy of the Ciclovia, a weekly event in which over 70 miles
of city streets are closed to traffic where residents come out to walk, bike,
run, skate, recreate, picnic, and talk with family, neighbors &
strangers...it is simply one of the most moving ...
Article taken from StreetFilms -
<http://www.streetfilms.org>http://www.streetfilms.org
URL to article:
<http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/ciclovia/>http://www.streetfilms.org/archiv\
es/ciclovia/

[I think most of Rick's message is quoting someone else.]



-----                           ###                            -----
J.H. Crawford                                         Carfree Cities
mailbox@...                           http://www.carfree.com

Begin forwarded message:

From: Claude Willey <claudewilley@...>

Subject: ETC Group: Peak Spoils: Fueling Corporate Alliances
Reply-To: etc@..., etcgroup@...

ETC Group
Communiqué
November / December 2007
Issue #96
www.etcgroup.org


Go here to view the full 14-page report: http://www.etcgroup.org/en/
materials/publications.html?pub_id=668

Peak Soil + Peak Oil = Peak Spoils

In the name of moving “beyond petroleum,” Big Oil, Gene Giants,
governments, start-ups and others are forming partnerships that will
extend corporate control over more resources in every part of the
globe – while keeping the root causes of climate change intact. With
grudging recognition that first-generation agrofuels are neither
economical nor ecological, investors turn to other life-based
technologies, including synthetic biology, for the next alternative
fuel fix.

Issue: In OECD countries, massive government incentives and subsidies
– estimated to be as high as US$15 billion/year – are stoking the
agrofuels boom and spurring unprecedented alliances that extend
corporate power over a larger share of the world’s resources. Big
Oil, Big Ag, Big Brains (and more) are teaming up to reap the only
certain benefit of agrofuels – increased profits. In this Communiqué,
ETC Group maps the new corporate alliances propelled by (and
propelling) the scramble for bio-based fuels. We also include a new
wave of corporate investors who are betting that synthetic biologists
can turn microbes into fuel-producing factories.

Impact: With the agrofuels boom, the South’s land and labor is once
again being exploited to perpetuate unjust and unsustainable
consumption patterns in the North. Fuel crops are competing with food
crops – and small farmers and poor consumers are losing out. Because
huge amounts of energy are required to grow these crops, first
generation agrofuels (from crops like maize and rapeseed/canola) may
actually accelerate, rather than arrest, climate change. The
2007/2008 UN Development Programme’s Human Development Report warns
that the consequences of climate change could be “apocalyptic” for
some of the world’s poorest people. In the face of catastrophic
impacts from climate change, it is unacceptable to impose the added
risks and burdens of agrofuels on the global South. The last thing
the South needs is pressure to grow energy crops instead of food
crops. Since agrofuels are neither ecologically nor economically
efficient, biotech proponents are promoting a new generation of
feedstocks and techniques to accelerate fuel production, including
genetically engineered trees. These alternatives will present a slew
of problems.

Financial Stakes: Energy crops are the fastest growing segment of the
world agriculture market. According to industry estimates, the
potential global market for liquid biofuels could expand from 11
billion gallons per annum in 2006 to 87 billion gallons in 2020. The
global agrofuels market was $20.5 billion in 2006, projected to grow
to $80.9 billion in a decade. In OECD countries, start-ups and
multinationals are divvying up the annual ~$15 billion in government
incentives for alternative fuels.

Policy/Action: Across the globe, civil society organizations (CSOs)
are demanding an end to the agrofuel boom. In the US and Europe, CSOs
are calling for a moratorium on incentives for agrofuels, including
the suspension of all targets, subsidies and financing through carbon
trading mechanisms. The moratorium should be adopted by all
governments. Entrenched structures that encourage unsustainable
transport of commodities, people and products must be challenged.
Governments failed to anticipate the negative social, economic and
environmental impacts of first-generation agrofuels. Governments
meeting in Rome at FAO’s High-Level Conference on World Food Security
and the Challenges of Bioenergy and Climate Change, 3-5 June 2008,
should reject first-generation agrofuels and prevent the negative
impacts of next-generation alternatives.


_______________________________________________
ETC Group mailing list
http://lists.etcgroup.org/mailman/listinfo/etcgroup


--
Richard Risemberg
http://www.bicyclefixation.com
http://www.newcolonist.com
http://www.rickrise.com

Intelligent plan for rail development in Pittsburgh:

http://tinyurl.com/3caxd7

Rick

--
Richard Risemberg
http://www.bicyclefixation.com
http://www.newcolonist.com
http://www.rickrise.com

Rick Risemberg saw this story on the BBC News website and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
Another quarter-step forward!

** German ire at EU fine on car CO2 **
Germany's Angela Merkel denounces EU plans to fine carmakers that do not meet
carbon dioxide emission caps.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/business/7151862.stm >


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