WORLD CARFREE NEWS >>>=20
____________________________________=20
Edition no. 4 - January 2004 - English version
.............................................................
Contents:
IN BRIEF
WORLD NEWS
- MAKE WAY FOR THE CAR: SHANGHAI BICYCLE BAN=20
- WORLD HEALTH ORG SAYS CLIMATE CHANGE KILLS 150,000 A YEAR
- FOOL CELLS
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
- WORLD SOCIAL FORUM IN MUMBAI, INDIA - JANUARY 16-21
- MUMBAI RESISTANCE IN MUMBAI - JANUARY 17-20
WORLD CARFREE NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS
- CAR BUSTERS MAGAZINE #19 SUBMISSIONS
- TOWARDS CARFREE CITIES IV, BERLIN - JULY 19-24
- EXPERIENCED FUNDRAISER SOUGHT
DISCLAIMER
__________________=20
IN BRIEF >>=20
__________________________=20
- Top handicapped cyclists Jiri Jezek and Jiri Chyba were physically=20
attacked by an aggressive driver after cycling back from practice in=20
Melnik, Czech Republic. Jezek, the Paralympic champion in Sydney,=20
sustained a concussion and neck injuries, while Chyba suffered a=20
knee injury. Both are taking the driver to court. The cyclists were=20
riding side by side on a road with little traffic, when the driver of an=20
off-road vehicle began overtaking them. He then drove into them,=20
according to Jezek, probably because he thought they were taking up=20
too much space on the road. The driver stopped the car, got out and=20
tried to catch Jezek, who has an amputated leg. Jezek succeeded in=20
avoiding the driver, but Chyba, who was slower, was punched by the=20
enraged driver. When Jezek returned to help his colleague, he was=20
also punched hard in the face. Finally, the cyclists succeeeded in=20
stopping a passing police car and the driver was arrested. But wait,=20
according to a police spokesperson, the driver has also appealled to=20
the court. The driver accuses the cylists of damaging his car!
=20
- Ken Livingstone's aides are drawing up plans for the controversial=20
imposition of suburban road tolls to ease London's chronic traffic=20
congestion. The Mayor of London believes the five-pound charge in=20
the centre of the capital has proved so successful that it should pave=20
the way for a system of levies covering much of Greater London,=20
according to his officials.
- China's capital of Beijing reported the sales of 407,649 automobiles=20
in 2003, a sharp increase of 56.6% over that in 2002. The city's auto=20
market registered a rise of 65.4% in new motor vehicle sales and=20
37.8% in second-hand sales. According to Xinhua Net, the stable=20
increase in income and the fall of car prices contributed to this=20
increase. See "related" news below.
_______________=20
WORLD NEWS >>=20
__________________=20
MAKE WAY FOR THE CAR: SHANGHAI BICYCLE BAN=20
SHANGHAI (AP) - Shanghai plans to ban bicycles from its major=20
roads next year, to make more room for cars, official newspapers=20
have said. Police will also raise fines tenfold for cycling infractions=20
such as running red lights, the Shanghai Daily reported.=20
Such measures aim to "control the number of bicycles on city=20
streets," it quoted police official Chen Yuangao as saying.
The proposed ban, which extends restrictions already in place on=20
some streets, has prompted protests by some city officials and=20
members of the city's large cycling population, the paper said.
"Bicycles are an environmentally friendly means of transportation=20
that should not be banned," Zhao Guotong, an official of the=20
Shanghai Economic Commission, told the newspaper.=20
Shanghai should instead "take firm control of the increasing=20
numbers of private cars," Zhao was quoted as saying.=20
Shanghai, with an urban population of about 20 million, has some 9=20
million bikes, the paper said. The number of new bicycles in the city=20
grew by 1 million this year.=20
Bicycles were long kings of the road in China, hailed by the=20
country's communist leaders as the perfect proletarian transport:=20
cheap, efficient and egalitarian.=20
WORLD HEALTH ORG SAYS CLIMATE CHANGE KILLS 150,000 A YEAR
[from
www.commondreams.org, Dec. 18, 2003]
In a book on health-climate links released during the United Nations'=20
Milan climate change meeting last month, the World Health=20
Organisation reported that global warming killed 150,000 people in=20
2000 and that the death toll could double again in the next 30 years if=20
current trends are not reversed.
Climate change, linked by scientists to human emissions of gases=20
such as carbon dioxide from cars and factories, is causing more=20
frequent floods and droughts and melting ice caps.
"The 1990s were the hottest decade on record and the upward=20
trend in the world's temperature does not look like it is abating," it=20
said. "In Europe this past summer, for example, an estimated 20,000=20
people died due to extremely hot temperatures."
"We see an approximate doubling in deaths and in the burden in=20
healthy life years lost" by 2030, said WHO scientist Diarmid=20
Campbell-Lendrum.
The book estimated climate change was to blame for 2.4% of=20
cases of diarrhoea because, Campbell-Lendrum said, the heat would=20
exacerbate bacterial contamination of food.
Not all scientists were convinced by the study. Paul Reiter, a=20
professor at Paris's Pasteur Institute, said, "Why don't we devote our=20
resources to tackling these diseases directly, instead of spending=20
billions in vain attempts to change the weather?"
The 180-nation conference in Milan tried to work out ways to slow=20
climate change, mainly via the United Nations' Kyoto Protocol which=20
aims to curb emissions of greenhouse gases.
FOOL CELLS
[from Carfree Times #33, <
www.carfree.com/cft/i033.html>]
Word is starting to get around regarding the nearly insurmountable=20
difficulties that face auto-makers in using fuel cells to power cars.=20
The cost at present is far too high, and not a great deal of progress=20
has been made in commercialising this technology, which was first=20
applied in the US space program during the 1960s.=20
Donald R. Sadoway, professor of materials engineering at MIT=20
said, "As far as I know, no one who is technically literate is an=20
enthusiastic supporter of fuel-cell powered vehicles."=20
According to an EE Times article, "for fuel cells to reach production=20
automobiles by 2020... scientists need a Nobel Prize-winning=20
breakthrough to cut the cost of the technology by a hundredfold or=20
more."
The problems are the precious-metal catalysts and the special=20
membranes (cost US$100/square foot) required. There are also=20
longevity issues.=20
Bush & Co. didn't want to do anything that might harm the US auto=20
industry, so they pulled the rug out from under the Japanese, who=20
had actually developed successful hybrid systems that are very clean=20
and quite fuel efficient. The American manufacturers were threatened=20
by California's proposal to require the sale of very low-emission=20
vehicles, so the chimera of the fuel cell was held up, along with the=20
promise of huge subsidies for US manufacturers to attempt to=20
develop the fuel cell, a prospect that is comfortably far - for the=20
manufacturers - in the future. In the meantime, they'll happily take the=20
money to run a fool's errand.=20
___________________=20
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS >>=20
__________________________________=20
WORLD SOCIAL FORUM IN MUMBAI, INDIA - JANUARY 16-21
The World Social Forum is not an organisation, but an open meeting=20
place for reflective thinking, democratic debate of ideas, formulation=20
of proposals, free exchange of experiences and inter-linking for=20
effective action, by groups and movements of civil society that are=20
opposed to neo-liberalism, according to the World Social Forum's=20
Charter of Principles. The forum is committed to building a society=20
centred on the human person.
Hopefully, Indian transport planners will bet there to learn=20
something about the human-centred society, as Mumbai has the=20
highest road accident rate in the world. Pedestrians form 95% of=20
accident victims.
For more information on the gathering, visit <
www.wsfindia.org>.
MUMBAI RESISTANCE IN MUMBAI, INDIA - JANUARY 17-20
If debate and proposal formulation is making you restless, head over=20
to this event being run independent of and parallel to the World=20
Social Forum.=20
"Part of the process of building a strong worldwide anti-imperialist=20
movement going beyond the limits of WSF towards organised=20
resistance in continuation of the militant traditions of the recent anti-
globalisation and anti-war movements," explains the event=20
organisers.
For more information, visit <
www.mumbairesistance.org>.
________________________=20
WORLD CARFREE NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS >>=20
__________________________________________=20
CAR BUSTERS MAGAZINE #19 SUBMISSIONS
The editors of Car Busters are suiting up and entering=20
Decompression Chamber #19 in the hopes that they will emerge with=20
a grab bag full of ideas for the upcoming magazine. As ususal, we=20
aim for a range of voices, so your ideas are welcome. The deadline=20
for submissions - letters, articles, news items, announcements - is=20
January 31. These can be sent to <info@???>.
TOWARDS CARFREE CITIES IV, BERLIN - JULY 19-24
Towards Carfree Cities IV has been confirmed for July 19-24, 2004,=20
taking place at the Berlin Technical University and John Lennon=20
School, Berlin, Germany. A pre-registration form can be found at=20
www.worldcarfree.net/conference, along with a draft conference=20
programme and other information. Please fill out the pre-registration=20
form by January 31 to ensure that we can shape the conference=20
programme to suit your needs, suggestions and interests. Full=20
registration with credit card payment will begin February 1.
The conference is being organised by World Carfree Network in=20
partnership with BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany), Green City,=20
Autofrei Wohnen, Autofrei Leben!, ITDP Europe, and UMKEHR.
EXPERIENCED FUNDRAISER SOUGHT
World Carfree Network is (still) seeking an experienced fundraiser=20
with a proven track record to join our Prague-based team full- or half-
time as soon as possible, for a year or more. Should be familiar with=20
the funding programmes of the European Commission, Council of=20
Europe and private foundations in Europe and abroad. Commission-
based wage (10-15% of funds raised, based on experience), plus=20
start-up wage negotiable. Flexible hours and six weeks holiday.=20
Applicants should send a CV (resume) and letter of=20
motivation/experience to <info@???>.
_____________________
DISCLAIMER >>=20
_____________________________
Here in Prague the snow is falling and the ice is forming on windows,=20
sidewalks and tips of fingers. Early morning drivers scratch ice off=20
their windshields with bare reddened hands as the cars belch=20
themselves awake. I am glad that I can sit on the tram and daydream=20
and watch the cute girl rub her eyes. This bulletin goes out to the=20
collective daydreamers of the early morning buses and trams.
- SL
[end]
-----------
Unsubscribe information can be found at=20
<
http://www.worldcarfree.net/bulletin>.
________________________________________________
WORLD CARFREE NETWORK
Kratka 26, 100 00 Prague 10, Czech Republic
tel: +(420) 274-810-849 - fax: +(420) 274-816-727
<info@???> - <
http://www.worldcarfree.net>
________________________________________________
"La bicicletta =E8 il veicolo pi=F9 rapido nella via della delinquenza;=
perch=E8
la passione del pedale trascina al furto, alla truffa, alla grassazione!"
-Cesare Lombroso-
