Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Buy Nothing Day
That's right - Friday, November 28 is Buy Nothing Day. Traditionally the "busiest shopping day of the year," Adbusters has reclaimed the day in an effort to make people ponder the mindless consumption of consumer goods. It's an opportunity to opt out of the consumerism mindset and do something more constructive with your day. Try it, you'll like it.
posted by chris at 11:09 PM
Alaska, one way or another
The Bush administration intends to open 8.8 million acres of Alaska's North Slope to development of oil and gas, including areas considered environmentally sensitive.
The Interior Department was to announce the oil and gas leasing plan Friday, the day the Senate was taking a critical vote on a massive energy bill endorsed by President Bush but denying him his top energy priority, opening an Alaskan wildlife refuge to drilling.
None of the 8.8 million acres are in the wildlife refuge, but they do include some sensitive areas in Alaska that are important for the protection of migratory birds, whales and wildlife.
Geologists believe the 22.5 million acres in the government's National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska may contain 6 billion to 13 billion barrels of oil. But it is widely scattered and costlier to develop than in the wildlife refuge.
More.
posted by chris at 10:36 PM
What price, life?
The US military has paid out $1.5m (£907,000) to Iraqi civilians in response to a wave of negligence and wrongful death claims filed against American soldiers, the Guardian has learned.
Families have come forward with accounts of how American soldiers shot dead or seriously wounded unarmed Iraqi civilians with no apparent cause. In many cases their stories are confirmed by Iraqi police investigations.
Yesterday the US military in Baghdad admitted a total of $1,540,050 has been paid out up to November 12 for personal injury, death or damage to property. A total of 10,402 claims had been filed, the military said in a brief statement to the Guardian. There were no figures given for how many claims had been accepted.
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Beyond the initial payments there is little recourse for the families of the dead. No American soldier has been prosecuted for illegally killing an Iraqi civilian and commanders refuse even to count the number of civilians killed or injured by their soldiers.
Story.
posted by chris at 10:29 PM
Making a list, checking it twice
American civil liberties groups yesterday denounced the FBI for using new counter-terrorist powers to spy on anti-war demonstrations.
FBI officials said the surveillance of the anti-war movement was necessary to prevent protests being used as a cover by "extremist elements" or by terrorist organisations to mount an attack.
But the critics have pointed to an FBI memorandum on anti-war demonstrations distributed last month to local police forces which suggests that federal agents have also been monitoring legal organising techniques used by opponents of the war in Iraq.
Flashback to the 60s.
posted by chris at 10:24 PM
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