Obama: Spike energy costs to make people go ‘green’

JOHNSTON, Iowa – In a recently publicized video from the Democratic primaries, Sen. Barack Obama said the government should drive energy bills up though “price signals” in order to force Americans into more environmentally friendly choices. Read more

Obama to Declare Carbon Dioxide Dangerous Pollutant

Oct. 16 (Bloomberg) — Barack Obama will classify carbon dioxide as a dangerous pollutant that can be regulated should he win the presidential election on Nov. 4, opening the way for new rules on greenhouse gas emissions. Read more

Traditional lightbulbs banned by EU

The high energy filament bulbs are being phased out in order to improve energy efficiency and meet climate change targets. Read more

Meat must be rationed to four portions a week, says report on climate change

People will have to be rationed to four modest portions of meat and one litre of milk a week if the world is to avoid run-away climate change, a major new report warns.

The report, by the Food Climate Research Network, based at the University of Surrey, also says total food consumption should be reduced, especially “low nutritional value” treats such as alcohol, sweets and chocolates. Read more

New Yorkers able to buy driver’s licenses w/ a radio chip allowing them travel btwn U.S. and Canada or Mexico without passport

Chipping away at border wait
New York hopes new Enhanced Drivers License appeals to travelers

ALBANY — Starting Tuesday, New Yorkers will be able to buy new driver’s licenses containing a radio chip that will let them travel between the U.S. and Canada or Mexico without a passport.

The new Enhanced Drivers License, which will cost an additional $30 on top of the standard $50 license fee, also will allow those on boats or ships to travel to Bermuda and Caribbean nations without a passport.

Starting in June, federal law will dictate that passports or other proof of citizenship — or an enhanced license — will be needed to visit neighboring countries, including Canada and Mexico.

“This is an opportunity for individuals, at their option, to get through the borders more quickly,” said Ken Brown, a spokesman for the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

The new licenses are expected to draw the most immediate interest in border regions such as Buffalo and Plattsburgh. DMV Commissioner David Swarts is planning to unveil the new licenses Tuesday in the Buffalo area.

“Some of the clerks are anticipating a big crowd,” Rensselaer County Clerk Frank Merola said, although he doesn’t expect a rush of applications at his Troy office.

In 2006, New Yorkers made 1.7 million visits to Canada, according to state records.

The enhanced license will be the first state-issued form of identification containing a radio chip, which has civil libertarians concerned about some aspects of the plan.

The chips emit a radio frequency that can be detected by customs and border patrol agents as a driver approaches the border, Brown said.

The frequencies are encoded so they don’t reveal the identity of the license holder — and only authorized agents can enter a secure database that will match the driver with the frequency.

While they cited no specific dangers, the state Civil Liberties Union has said it has questions about how well the identities of license holders are protected, and they wonder what might happen if individuals with radio tracking devices were to start searching for the chip signals.

“We’re concerned that it’s a technology that could potentially expose users to tracking or monitoring,” said Udi Ofer, a lawyer with the NYCLU.

Ofer also said his group wants the state of offer details and assurances about how it will prevent unauthorized people from linking the radio signals to specific motorists.

He is also worried that surveillance technology is becoming more widespread.

Radio emissions from the licenses, however, can be blocked by storing the licenses in a metallic sleeve similar to the foil-like bags that motorists can use to disable their E-ZPass toll sensors, Merola said.

Times Union | RICK KARLIN | Saturday, September 13, 2008

Next US terror attack ‘could be by white Americans or Europeans’

US intelligence officials increasingly fear that the next terror attack on the United States will be carried out by white Americans or Europeans.

As Barack Obama and John McCain head to New York’s Ground Zero seven years after 19 Middle-Eastern hijackers brought devastation to the US mainland, counter-terrorism experts believe that any future attack will be made by terrorists with an “American face”.

They point to reports of white faces in terrorism training camps in Pakistan - the so-called “white men of Waziristan”, a reference to the remote tribal area where both al-Qaeda and the Taliban have bases.

Experts believe that dozens of westerners have undergone such training as their leaders try to recruit non-Middle Eastern Asians, particularly ethnic Caucasians, who are less likely to attract the attention of security and law enforcement agencies.

Al-Qaeda’s recent decision to put out videos in English and a similar change on extremist “jihadi” websites have also been cited of evidence of a new strategy to find recruits who are less likely to attract the attention of security and law enforcement agencies.

Such concerns were sharpened last week after the arrest of three Germans over an alleged plot to destroy a club used by US servicemen.

Two of the three were white, ethnic Germans and all had allegedly been trained in camps in Waziristan.

“There is no bigger worry for the US counter-terrorism community than young Caucasian men who have turned to al-Qaeda,” Roger Cressey, a former National Security Council official in the Clinton and Bush administrations, told the US news network MSNBC.

Terrorism experts say such a threat has been known about even before the arrest of Richard Reid, the British shoe bomber. However, it was not until three weeks ago that a US official explicitly admitted that the government knew of such people being trained in significant numbers.

In a little reported speech, Ted Gistaro, the US national intelligence officer for transnational threats, said that al-Qaeda was training and “positioning” its operatives for attacks in the West, probably including the US.

He added: “These operatives include North American and European citizens, and legal residents with passports that allow them to travel to the United States without a US visa.”

Mr Cressey, the council’s director for transnational threats at the time of 9/11, said that President Bush last month hosted a joint meeting of the NSC and the Homeland Security Council to discuss current threats.

The training of the type of people identified by Mr Gistaro was “the single biggest concern” at the meeting because “they can’t be tracked and they’re not in anyone’s database,” said Mr Cressey.

Prof Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at Georgetown University, said that the Western al-Qaeda recruits probably “run into the dozens” and did not need to be white to be useful to the terrorist group.

“Europe provides a potentially large pool from which al-Qaeda can draw. It’s hard to put a figure on them but it’s certainly beyond the ones and twos,” he said.

“The group’s having to find new ways to penetrate our defences. So, in a sense, this is a consequence of our own success.”

Last month, the Homeland Security Department announced a plan to require visitors from 27 friendly countries, including Britain, to register online at least three days before flying to the US to allow more time for terrorism checks.

In Manhattan today, Mr McCain and Mr Obama have agreed to help keep the focus on remembering 9/11 rather than the election when they attend the ceremonial reading of victims’ names.

Detailed designs for a 47,500-sq ft pavilion for a Sept 11 museum at the World Trade Centre site were unveiled yesterday. The three-storey glass and steel building was inspired by the Twin Towers.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, Michael Bloomberg, New York’s mayor, said there should be “no more excuses, no more delays” on completing a memorial by the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

Progress on redeveloping the WTC site had been “frustratingly slow”, in large part because of administrative bureaucracy, he said.

Telegraph | Tom Leonard | Thursday, September 11, 2008

EU wants to ban ’sexist’ TV commercials

MEPs want TV regulators in the EU to set guidelines which would see the end of anything deemed to portray women as sex objects or reinforce gender stereotypes.

This could potentially mean an end to attractive women advertising perfume, housewives in the kitchen or men doing DIY.

Such classic adverts as the Diet Coke commercial featuring the bare-chested builder, or Wonderbra’s “Hello Boys” featuring model Eva Herzigova would have been banned.

The new rules come in a report by the EU’s women’s rights committee.

Swedish MEP Eva-Britt Svensson urged Britain and other members to use existing equality, sexism and discrimination laws to control advertising.

She wants regulatory bodies set up to monitor ads and introduce a “zero-tolerance” policy against “sexist insults or degrading images”.

Ms Svensson said: “Gender stereotyping in advertising straitjackets women, men, girls and boys by restricting individuals to predetermined and artificial roles that are often degrading, humiliating and dumbed down for both sexes.”

She added: “Gender stereotyping in advertising is one of several factors that have a big influence in efforts to make society more gender equal.

“When women and men are portrayed in a stereotypical way the consequence may be that it becomes difficult in other contexts to see women and men’s resources and abilities.”

The Advertising Standards Authority however had said there are already checks in place to prevent “discriminatory or harmful” material.

A spokesman said: “Although the ASA supports the overall objectives of the report… the approach suggested is inflexible and impractical.”

Telegraph | Chris Irvin | Friday, September 5, 2008

NYC Transit Plans Anti-Groping Campaign

NEW YORK (CBS) - For years countless women have had to put up with sexual harassment on the subway, from lewd comments to groping on a crowded train.

Now the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is about to launch a new campaign to crack down on the problem.

A packed train can be a nightmare for women.

“If guys get too close and start rubbing up against you it’s just gross,” subway rider Nicole Saulter said.

“You’ll feel them pushing up on you with their lower part of the body and they’ll stay there,” Ivy Soto added.

The agency expects to distribute 2,000 posters throughout the subway system that tell people who are sexually harassed on trains to report it to an employee or police officer.

A study by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer last year found 63 percent of women surveyed reported being sexually harassed while on subways and another 10 percent said they were sexually assaulted.

The study also found that 69 percent of the women surveyed reported they had felt the threat of sexual assault or harassment while on the city subway system.

So starting next month, riders will see posters on the trains that say “Sexual Harassment is a Crime in the subway, too,” and to report it to an MTA employee or police officer. The MTA is even considering putting the ads on the back of every MetroCards. Self-defense expert Jen Sung said the problem is that most women are so shocked they do nothing.

“They just ignore it or they whisper very quietly,’ Don’t do that.’ Or they won’t look at the person and look down,” Sung said.

Sung said it’s time for women to take control.

“You look them straight in the face. You let them know that you’re not afraid and be loud. Say, ‘Listen, you’re way too close. Back off,’” Sung said.

If that doesn’t work and you feel threatened, she said give them a sharp nudge in the stomach with your elbow. If you’re facing them, plant one foot in front of the other for balance, and shove their shoulders back.

“And push with your entire might,” Sung added.

While it’s good to know the moves, Sung said self defense is only 10 percent physical and 90 percent awareness.

Sung said a lot of women feel if they’re quiet, looking down and not bothering anyone, they won’t be targeted. She said the opposite is true, so it’s important to be confident on the train. Stand up straight, make eye contact with people and don’t be distracted by headphones, cell phones or keeping your nose buried in a book.

The MTA campaign kicks off in September. It’s similar to one started in Boston that has more than doubled the number of sexual harassment reports.

CBS | Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Fall fashions at Banana Republic, Gap and H&M feature ‘distinctly Depression-era trend’

The duds say it all - and it’s depressing.

Taking a cue from the grim economy, this fall’s fashions at Banana Republic, Gap and H&M are featuring a distinctly Depression-era trend of cloche hats, pencil skirts, conductor caps and baggy, vintage-style dresses.

One of the most popular styles appears to hark back to the impish, newsboy getup of the 1930s: baggy trousers, caps, pinstriped vests, oxford lace-up shoes and utilitarian handbags.

“We associate the newsboy look with urban poverty - street kids of the 1930s,” said Daniel James Cole, a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

“Given that we’re in an unstable economy and an uncertain political landscape, it’s possible that a retro style has come back as a way to connect with our heritage.”

Fashion historian Heather Vaughan of the Western Region Costume Society of America said the new look may make economic sense, too.

“Even though we’re in a recession, people still want interesting clothing,” she said. “They’re looking for more classic styles and subdued tones that will last a few seasons instead of one.”

One newsboy-style outfit from The Gap drew mixed reviews from Wall Streeters last week.

“It looks manly,” said Philipp Sielfeld, 29, of Goldman Sachs. “It reminds me of the little guys selling the newspapers during the Great Depression.”

Adrien Vanderlinden, 41, loved the look-as-social-commentary.

“It’s totally appropriate given the pessimistic mood of the economy,” the Upper West Side project manager said. “The vest references the three-piece Wall Street suit, the loose pants are like the dropped hemlines of the late ’30s, and there’s no bling.”

Al Thompson, 40, a senior employee at a recruiting company, hates the look - it covers far too much for his taste. He also predicts it won’t last.

“Everything in fashion and economics is cyclical,” he said. “This fashion has returned just as we’re hitting a point in our economy much like what we faced in the ’30s.”

“Everything goes away and comes back.”

NY Post | Rebecca Rosenberg | Monday, July 28, 2008

Global warming could increase terrorism, official says

* Story Highlights
* Climate change could destabilize “weak” states, intelligence chair says
* Global warming could spark mass migrations, classified report finds
* U.S. food production could increase with climate change, report suggests
* But it says U.S. coasts could be threatened by larger storm surges

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Global warming could destabilize “struggling and poor” countries around the world, prompting mass migrations and creating breeding grounds for terrorists, the chairman of the National Intelligence Council told Congress on Wednesday.

Climate change “will aggravate existing problems such as poverty, social tensions, environmental degradation, ineffectual leadership and weak political institutions,” Thomas Fingar said. “All of this threatens the domestic stability of a number of African, Asian, Central American and Central Asian countries.”

People are likely to flee destabilized countries, and some may turn to terrorism, he said.

“The conditions exacerbated by the effects of climate change could increase the pool of potential recruits into terrorist activity,” he said.

“Economic refugees will perceive additional reasons to flee their homes because of harsher climates,” Fingar predicted. That will put pressure on countries receiving refugees, many of which “will have neither the resources nor interest to host these climate migrants,” he said in testimony to the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

Reactions to the report broke down along partisan lines, with Democrats generally praising it and Republicans expressing doubts. Committee members had concerns about the report’s secrecy, reliability and use of intelligence resources.

Global warming may have a slight positive effect on the United States, since it is likely to produce larger farming yields, Fingar said

But it is also likely to result in storm surges that could affect nuclear facilities and oil refineries near coasts, water shortages in the Southwest and longer summers with more wildfires, the study found.

International migration may also help spread disease, Fingar added, and climate change could put stress on international trade in essential commodities.

“The United States depends on a smooth-functioning international system ensuring the flow of trade and market access to critical raw materials, such as oil and gas, and security for its allies and partners. Climate change and climate change policies could affect all of these,” he warned, “with significant geopolitical consequences.”

The report was the conclusion of the most comprehensive government analysis the U.S. intelligence community has ever conducted on climate change. Fingar emphasized that it could make no hard and fast predictions, saying that the operative word in his assessment was “may.”

Wealthy countries will be able to handle the situation better than poorer ones, he said.

“We assess that no country will be immune to the effects of climate change, but some will be able to cope more effectively than others,” he said. “Most of the struggling and poor states that will suffer adverse impacts to their potential and economic security are in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Southeast Asia.

“However, the spillover — from potentially increased migration and water-related disputes — could have a harmful global impact,” he added.

Fingar painted a mixed picture of the effects of climate change on the United States itself.

“Most studies suggest the United States as a whole will enjoy modest economic benefits over the next few decades, largely due to the increased crop yields,” he said.

“Costs begin to mount thereafter, however, and some parts of the United States — particularly built-up coastal areas — will be at greater risk of extreme weather events and potentially high costs related to losses in complex infrastructure.”

The impact of fighting and preparing for climate change may be greater than the effect of global warming itself, Fingar said.

“Government, business and public efforts to develop mitigation and adaptation strategies to deal with climate change — from policies to reduce greenhouse gases to plans to reduce exposure to climate change or capitalize on potential impacts — may affect U.S. national security interests even more than the physical impacts of climate change itself,” he said.

The report, the “National Intelligence Assessment on the National Security Implications of Global Climate Change to 2030,” relied on U.S. government, military, academic and United Nations studies of climate change.

The report itself is classified, which some members of the House committee objected to.

“I am disappointed it is classified,” said Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-California. Secrecy “prevents this report from being released and discussed in public domain.”

Committee Chairman Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said he would ask the administration to declassify it.

Markey opened the hearing by saying “human beings all over the planet face death or damage or injury if we do not act.”

He blasted the White House stance on climate change, saying, “The Bush administration continues to limit what their experts know. The president doesn’t want America to know the real risk of global warming.”

Republicans on the committee criticized the report as wasteful, with Rep. Darrell Issa of California calling it a “dangerous diversion of intelligence resources.”

Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Michigan, said that the report was unreliable and that its authors admitted as much.

“We have a lot of information where we are incapable of assessing it,” Fingar conceded.

Hoekstra also questioned the committee’s priorities.

“There are a lot more pressing issues out there for the intelligence community to be focused on right now that would help keep America safe,” he said.

The assessment “was a waste of time, a waste of resources for the intelligence community to be focused on this issue versus other folks in the government that could have done this job and have a responsibility for doing it.”

Fingar said the intelligence community had relied on the science of others because it did not itself monitor climate change. He said the assessment was based on midrange predictions of global warming.

CNN | Wednesday, June 25, 2008

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