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CAR BUSTERS BULLETIN >>>
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Edition no. 40 - November 2002 - English version
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This month's bulletin is brought to you by Aude Vidal, with the
essential support of the rest of the staff.
CONTENTS
World News
-BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER HIT BY CAR
-GREENPEACE SHUTS DOWN ESSO IN LUXEMBOURG
-RALLY FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE IN NEW DELHI
-UK ROADBUILDING: THE BATTLE IS JOINED
Car Busters Announcements
-TOWARDS CAR-FREE CITIES III CONFERENCE
-CAR BUSTERS OFFERS HONEST LIVING
-CAR BUSTERS SEEKS FULL-TIME EURO-STAFFER
Other Announcements
-CALL FOR PAPERS, VELO-CITY CONFERENCE
-PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND CAR SHARING WORKSHOP
-UITP CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION
-ONLY ONE NO-SHOPPING DAY UNTIL CHRISTMAS
-VOLUNTEER AT BIKES NOT BOMBS
Things to Read
-SAFE STREETS FOR CHILDREN
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WORLD NEWS >>
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BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER HIT BY CAR
[submitted by Bernard Delloye, in Brussels]
On Sunday, November 3, Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt was hit by a
car at a roundabout as he was biking. As this regrettable accident is
getting little public interest in Belgium, it will not be an occasion
for the authorities to consider the security of bike users.
GREENPEACE SHUTS DOWN ESSO IN LUXEMBOURG
[submitted by Randy Ghent, Car Busters]
In the largest Greenpeace action of the last eight years, 620
activists from 32 countries - including one anonymous Car Busters
staffer - shut down all 28 Esso petrol stations in Luxembourg on
October 25.
Wearing white chemical suits and bright yellow "Stop Esso" vests,
they unfurled banners, locked themselves to petrol pumps, and used
police tape to close off the stations' entrances and exits.
There were no arrests, and only one minor outbreak of violence by
a motorist. The shut down lasted from approximately 6 am to 7 pm.
Luxembourg is known as "the petrol pump of Europe," selling cheap
low-taxed fuel that draws trans-European truckers and motorists from
neighbouring countries.
The action took place as part of Greenpeace's global Esso
campaign, targeting parent company Exxon-Mobil for being "climate
criminal no. 1" - doing more than any other company to undermine the
Kyoto Protocol.
Esso donated US$1.3 million to George Bush's 2000 election
campaign; and once elected, Bush swiftly washed his hands of the
Kyoto treaty and introduced a "climate policy" that has Exxon-Mobil's
fingerprints all over it. Since the USA is responsible for 25 percent
of the world's greenhouse gases, the refusal from Bush to sign Kyoto
is compromising the whole process. Not only does Exxon-Mobil still
deny that oil contributes to climate change, the company doesn't
invest a penny developing alternative energy sources.
Great pictures of the action: <
www.greenpeace.org>.
RALLY FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE IN NEW DELHI
[from CorpWatch, <amit@???>]
More than 5,000 people marched for climate justice on Monday, October
28 in New Delhi, India. The demonstrators, from the India Climate
Justice Forum, highlighted the serious deficiencies in the UN COP 8
conference on climate change being held simultaneously in the same
city. The rally culminated with a colorful and spirited cultural
programme.
"The negotiations to solve the climate change crisis have been
hijacked by corporations and industrialised nations, especially the
US," said Medha Patkar, national coordinator of the National Alliance
of People's Movements. "These meetings resemble a trade meeting to
push globalisation over developing countries rather than a meeting to
address the genuine needs of people."
Following discussions at the Climate Justice Summit - a counter-
summit to COP 8 on October 26 and 27 - representatives of the poor
and the marginalised of the world, representing fishworkers, farmers,
indigenous peoples, Dalits and the youth, resolved to actively build
a movement from the communities that will address the issue of
climate change from a human rights, social justice and labour
perspective.
Just 122 corporations in the world account for over 80 percent of
all CO2 emissions.
UK ROADBUILDING: THE BATTLE IS JOINED
[from SchNews, <
www.schnews.co.uk>]
On October 22, workers on the Birmingham Northern Relief Road in the
UK were able to enjoy an unscheduled break when a dozen people
stormed the construction site of a bridge over a canal and disabled
diggers (bulldozers) and a crane. The protesters say it represents
the start of a new phase of the campaign against car culture and
climate change in the face of a renewed road building programme under
the Labour Government. The action happened one day before the start
of the British International Motor Show and the UN climate conference
in New Delhi, India (COP 8).
At the motor show in Birmingham, Europes largest, actions led by
Friends of the Earth and Rising Tide continued to highlight the car
industry's connection to climate change.
Car show actions: <
www.anticarshow.net>.
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CAR BUSTERS ANNOUNCEMENTS >>
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TOWARDS CAR-FREE CITIES III CONFERENCE
[March 17-21, 2003 - Hosted by Car Busters
Toulcuv Dvur Ecological Centre - Prague, Czech Republic
<
http://www.carbusters.org/conference> - <carbusters@???>]
Towards Car-Free Cities III will bring together 75 people from across
Europe and beyond who are promoting alternatives to car dependence
and car culture. We will focus on collaboration and exchange,
assisting the practical work of conference participants - whether it
be organising car-free days or building the car-free cities of the
future.
Those interested in the conference are encouraged to join the
<carfree_conf3@???> listserve (subscribe with an e-mail
to <carfree_conf3-subscribe@???>), where ideas for the
conference will be discussed and decisions regarding the programme
will be made. The listserve was just launched October 21, and, once
subscribed, you can read the postings you missed on the Yahoogroups
website.
More information and a registration form can be found at
<
http://www.carbusters.org/conference>, to which a draft programme
and more will soon be added. Questions?: <carbusters@???>.
CAR BUSTERS OFFERS HONEST LIVING
Car Busters is looking for two "core" staff members to provide long-
term organisational stability by joining the collective for two years
or more. If you have a good number (but not necessarily all) of the
following attributes, then you could be among the finalists: strong
English writing and editing skills, a sense of humour, publication
layout skills, web design ability, an activist perspective,
communications/media skills, campaigning experience, attention to
detail, extensive knowledge of transport(ation) issues, fundraising
experience, self-motivation/initiative, and a desire to pull these
all together to stir things up at the international level. Please
send us your resume (CV) and a cover letter describing yourself and
your relevant skills and experience. The first test of your personal
initiative will be to find our address.
CAR BUSTERS SEEKS FULL-TIME EURO-STAFFER
Car Busters has an immediate and unexpected opening for a European
citizen under 26 (funder's requirements) to join us as a full-time
collective member from now (meaning as soon as possible) through
September 2003. Opportunities for a longer stay may be possible. You
receive an intern-level wage appropriate for the Czech Republic (at
least 5,000 CZK plus accommodation). For desired skills/experience
and application instructions, see the previous announcement above.
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OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS >>
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CALL FOR PAPERS, VELO-CITY CONFERENCE
[Paris, France, September 2003]
It's still a long time until the worlds largest cycling conference
begins, but the deadline for submissions of abstracts is November 15.
Papers are welcomed on five (badly translated) themes: "Established
facts: bicycle-use today?," "The future, the vision, the aim: a more
friendly city," "Integrating the bicycle in comprehensive policies,"
"Strategies: methods, alliances," and "Conditions for efficient
implementation."
Get in touch with <velocity2003@???> or Velo-City,
Mairie de Paris, DVD, 40 rue du Louvre, 75001 Paris, France.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND CAR SHARING WORKSHOP
[Bremen, Germany, December 4-5]
Organised by the UITP (International Association of Public
Transport), the workshop addresses the effects, practicality and
implementation of car-sharing: the impact on mobility patterns, the
use of organisational models, electronic ticketing, and so on.
More information from UITP, rue Sainte-Marie 6, B-1080 Brussels,
Belgium, or <
www.moses-europe.org>.
UITP CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION
[Shanghai, China, November 18-20]
The International Metropolitan Railways Conference, the third UITP
Asia-Pacific Congress and a Mobility and City transport exhibition
are all taking place simultaneously in Shanghai.
More info: <
www.uitp.com>.
ONLY ONE NO-SHOPPING DAY UNTIL CHRISTMAS
[submitted by Matthew Sasaki, Adbusters]
November 29 marks the 11th annual celebration of "Buy Nothing Day," a
24-hour opportunity to take a break from excessive consumerism. Buy
Nothing Day is both a challenge and a golden opportunity to stop
and smell the roses. Think. Hang out with friends. Give the wallet
a rest. You may decide to never go back to gorging again.
More info: <
www.adbusters.org>.
VOLUNTEER AT BIKES NOT BOMBS
[submitted by Rick Jarvis, Bikes Not Bombs]
This is for you, if you happen to live in the Boston (USA) region...
Bikes Not Bombs simply couldn't function without our tremendous
volunteer support! Volunteers earn credit by the hour, which can be
cashed in for used parts, frames, or even whole bikes.
Join our volunteer e-mail list and we'll keep you updated with the
numerous opportunities as they roll around!
Contact Arik Grier: +1(617)442-0004; <arik@???>.
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THINGS TO READ >>
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SAFE STREETS FOR CHILDREN
[submitted by Catherine Elliott]
The British Institute for Public Policy Research published a report
on the
links between social inequality and road accidents. The report found
that
child pedestrians from lower socio-economic groups are far more
likely to be
killed than their wealthier counterparts. It calls for a universal 30
km/h speed
restriction in residential areas as in Holland, as an attempt to
remove the
traffic from the children, rather than removing the children from the
traffic.
See <
www.ippr.org.uk> for the full report.
[end]
____________________________________________
CAR BUSTERS
Kratka 26, 100 00 Praha 10, Czech Republic
tel: +(420) 2-7481-0849 - fax: +(420) 2-7481-6727
<carbusters@???> - <
http://www.carbusters.org>
____________________________________________
Car Busters Worldwide Contact Directory
Register your group on-line now:
<
http://www.carbusters.org/directory>
Towards Car-Free Cities III Conference
Hosted by Car Busters - March 17-21, 2003
<
http://www.carbusters.org/conference>
