Dear Readers,
To start the new year, the network has many projects that you can get
involved in, ranging from the annual Ecotopia Biketour to the Carfree
Area Pilot Project now under development. See the list of projects at
www.worldcarfree.net/projects/ and contact one of the project
coordinators. As written under the European Voluntary Service project
description, the network is always seeking motivated young people (EU
citizens aged 18-30) to join the network's Prague-based team for a
12-month internship. (See announcement below.)
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WORLD CARFREE NEWS >>>
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Edition no. 39 - January 2007 - English version
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Contents:
QUOTATION OF THE MONTH
IN THE NEWS
WORLD CARFREE NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS
- URGENT: INTERNSHIP AVAILABLE
- CARBUSTERS #29 OUT
- JOIN US: BECOME A MEMBER
- NEW "CUT MY CAR USE" DISCUSSION LIST
- YOUTH EXCHANGE IN ISTANBUL - SEPT. 2-8
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
- APPEAR ON MY TV SHOW
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QUOTATION OF THE MONTH >>
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"I personally think these things are a bit impractical actually to
expect people to do that [reduce their air travel]. You know, I'm still
waiting for the first politician who's actually running for office who's
going to come out and say it - and they're not. It's like telling people
you shouldn't drive anywhere."
- Tony Blair, January 9, stating that he has no intention of abandoning
long-haul holiday flights to reduce his carbon footprint
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IN THE NEWS >>
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- Spoleto, Italy, to become carfree?: The details are a bit sketchy but
it appears that through a plan costing EUR 59 million, the town will be
pedestrianised, aside from three peripheral car parks with a total of
1,000 parking spaces [La Repubblica.it, via Susanna Iraci]. In Italian,
see
<
http://www.repubblica.it/2007/01/motori/gennaio-07/spoleto-senza-auto/spoleto-senza-auto.html>.
- After singing about cars for 25 years, including songs used in
Chevrolet truck and SUV advertisements, Bob Seeger is now singing about
global warming [NPR, via Andy Singer].
- Dutch police have banned the use of Segways on roads, sidewalks and
bike paths as of January 1. As the Segway is a motor vehicle, according
to Dutch law, it needs a proper braking system, which it does not have
[Streets in Review].
- Between 1998 and 2005, ExxonMobil was busy funneling around US $16
million to 43 different advocacy organizations that try to play down
the effects of climate change, according to a report by the Union of
Concerned Scientists. The report shows how the company "used its access
to the Bush administration to block federal policies and shape
government communications on global warming."
- Due to rising temperatures, a giant ice shelf the size of 11,000
football fields broke free in the Canadian Arctic, floated for about 50
kilometres, but then froze again into the sea ice. There are dangers,
however, that in Spring, the ice shelf could again break free and get
in the way of important oil and gas developments [CNN.com].
- Dutch police have banned the use of Segways on roads, sidewalks and
bike paths as of January 1. As the Segway is a motor vehicle, according
to Dutch law, it needs a proper braking system, which it does not have
[Streets in Review].
- In the UK village of South Milford, residents are leading a campaign
to clear out the excessive number of traffic signs. In one 800-metre
stretch, there are 45 road signs. "If you had to look at everything,
you would not be concentrating on the road itself," says Edward French,
the campaign organiser [BBC.co.uk].
- In December, groups of cyclists from the Firefly Brigades distributed
bags of rice, canned goods, and food to the homeless on Manila's
streets.
- In 2006, Critical Mass bike rides finally started in Vienna, Austria.
- The US Federal Highway Administration estimates that US $800 billion
will be needed over the next 16 years just to fix existing bridges and
roads. Much of this work will be outsourced to private multi-national
companies, which will use tax-payer supported grants to fund the
projects [Utne.com].
- The Mayor of Tuscon, Arizona, USA, has signed an agreement, along with
other US mayors, that his city will do its part to combat global
warming. On December 14, the city celebrated the beginning of a $200
million road-widening project [submitted by Leon Mellon].
- Salt Lake City, Utah, US, is proposing a law making it mandatory for
cyclists of all ages to wear helmets [submitted by Louis Melini].
- While sunbathing on a California beach, a woman was run over and
killed by police officers patrolling the beach in their SUV. They did
not realise they ran her over and continued driving [Associated Press].
- Trams are running again in the metropolitan Paris area, for the first
time since the city's tram network was shut down before the start of
World War II [BBC.co.uk].
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WORLD CARFREE NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS >>
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URGENT: INTERNSHIP AVAILABLE
We're looking for a young volunteer to work in the networks Prague
office from May 1, 2007 to April 31, 2008 through the European
Voluntary Service (EVS) programme (and less urgently, later in the year
as well). This is a great opportunity for the volunteer to develop new
skills and assist the network, while living in the Czech Republic. The
EVS programme pays all expenses and living costs. See
<
http://ec.europa.eu/youth/program/sos/index_en.html> for a list of
eligible countries and more information.
The network is looking for someone passionate about improving our human
habitats in terms of transport and urban design, and ideally active in
a network member organisation. Skills particularly in demand (but not
required) are website management, campaigning, media skills, journalism
and graphic design. The volunteer would need to find an official EVS
sending organisation in his/her country.
If you are interested, please send your CV and motivation letter,
including all contact details, by January 20 to Kamila Blazkova at
kamila -at- worldcarfree -dot- net.
JOIN US: BECOME A MEMBER
Please support our work in 2007 by joining World Carfree Network as an
individual member. Each of the four membership levels includes a
subscription to Carbusters magazine, and most offer other gifts as
well. For details and to join online, see
<
www.worldcarfree.net/join/individuals.php>.
NEW "CUT MY CAR USE" DISCUSSION LIST
This new e-group is designed to help people along on their path to a
less car-dependent life. List members can share information and seek
advice on ways to cut your car use or live without owning a car. The
list members will be used by those in the U.K. joining our Autoholics
Anonymous programme (
www.autoholics.org), but we'd like to open it up
to everyone who could benefit from it.
We're also seeking 'experts' people with long-term experience living
carfree or car-lite - to join the list and offer occasional advice to
list members.
To join: <
http://groups.google.com/group/cut-my-car-use?hl=en>.
YOUTH EXCHANGE IN ISTANBUL - SEPT. 2-8
[application deadline: March 1]
Following the Towards Carfree Cities VII conference, World Carfree
Network will be holding a week-long international youth exchange in
Istanbul, Turkey, with the goal of facilitating youth participation and
leadership in local decision-making and adapting the urban environment
to promote social inclusion of young people across cultural boundaries.
We are now seeking 23 participants for the exchange. Each must be
between the ages of 15 and 30 and a resident of one of the following
countries: Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Russia, Serbia and Sweden. If
interested, please send a letter of motivation, full name, date of
birth, and postal address to rghent -at- worldcarfree -dot- net.
Deadline: March 1, 2007.
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GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS >>
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APPEAR ON MY TV SHOW
[submitted by Oprah Winfrey]
Are you worried about global warming? Have you and your family made
changes around your household to save energy and cut carbon emissions?
Do you use public transportation to help reduce your fuel consumption?
What are your specific ideas to reduce global warming in your home?
Tell us what they are. The Oprah Winfrey Show is looking for families
who are making a difference in reducing global warming that can share
their stories and creative ideas. Please only respond if you are
willing to be on television.
More info:
<
https://www.oprah.com/plugger/templates/BeOnTheShow.jhtml?action=respond&plugId=240000001>.
...
Bulletin #39 by Steven Logan
<se_logan -at- worldcarfree -dot- net>
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