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WORLD CARFREE NEWS >>>
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Edition no. 44 - June 2007 - English version
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Contents:
QUOTATION OF THE MONTH
IN THE NEWS
WORLD CARFREE NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS
- BECOME A MEMBER OF WORLD CARFREE NETWORK
- TOWARDS CARFREE CITIES VII, AUGUST 27-31, ISTANBUL
- 2ND ANNUAL STREET CONVERSION DESIGN CONTEST
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
- SEEKING CHILDREN'S DRAWINGS/STORIES/POEMS
- FRIENDS OF THE EARTH: JOBS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
- GTZ PHOTO GALLERY
- TELL THE EU TO MAKE CARS MORE FUEL-EFFICIENT
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QUOTATION OF THE MONTH >>
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"I'm 6 feet 4 inches and I weigh 250 pounds, so for me, it's [an SUV]
a comfort thing. I have a son who is 4 and a daughter who is 16, and
we use the SUV to haul
kids around, take them to parties. We use it to go to the mountains
and we pull a water-skiing boat behind it...[but] it would be nice if
they could get this fuel thing
together. As a citizen of the United States, I'm concerned about
global warming. It's not that I don't consider those things. We try
not to drive that far."
- Dr. Reginald Fulford, who recently bought a Ford Expedition,
<wwww.sfgate.com>.
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IN THE NEWS >>
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- Iran wants to make woman's bicycles that would comply with Islamic
Law. It means designing a bicycle that would hide the movements of
the woman's body [<
http://www.worldnewsaustralia.com.au>].
- A UK Lexus ad that claimed "High performance. Low emissions. Zero
guilt" has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority [<
http://environment.guardian.co.uk>].
- Norway would like to be "carbon-neutral" by the year 2050. "The
price tags on products will have to reflect the distance they have
travelled," said Helge Drange,
a scientist at the Nansen environmental research centre. "Roses from
Africa and the Netherlands will be less affordable."
- On the CO2 market, Norway could make itself "carbon-neutral" by
spending EUR 1 billion on CO2 carbon credits [Agence France Presse].
- A London Court of Appeal ruled that any organiser of Critical Mass
bike rides must notify the Police at least six days before the ride,
the route, date, and name of
organiser. It is up to the police to prove that a person actually
organised the ride. Thus, it is not a crime to ride in a Critical
Mass, just a crime to organise it [Friends
of the Earth Rights and Justice Centre].
- For the first time in 26 years Americans are driving less. Seventy
percent of people polled in a USA Today/Gallop Poll say they have
taken steps to reduce driving
[<
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-05-17-gas-prices_N.htm>].
- A San Francisco driver waited 90 minutes at a gas station to save
US$4 on filling up her car [
www.sfgate.com ].
- In the Netherlands, 16 of 24 new road projects are on hold because
of fears of pollution. Since the government has already set aside the
EUR4 billion to fund
these projects, Elco Brinkman of the Dutch construction industry
lobby group, suggests going ahead and building the roads, but not
letting people drive on them until
fears of climate change have subsided [ Dutchnews.nl].
- Caltrans, the California Transportation Department, has decided to
close a portion of a Southern California highway, which is being
upgraded, in order to protect
construction workers from road rage. One motorist threatened to climb
a water tower and shoot workers with a rifle, said Terri Kasinga, a
Caltrans spokeswoman [
Latimes.com].
- Car burnings are on the rise in Berlin and no one knows who is
doing it. A website tracks the date, location, and make of car that
went up in flames: <
http://www.brennende-autos.de/>.
- According to Jerry Schneider of Innovative Transportation
Technologies, the prestigious carfree district in Abu Dhabi reported
on in last month's news bulletin will
have light rail lines and a Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) network.
- More than 250,000 cyclists participated in the Berlin "Sternfahrt"
bike ride on Sunday, June 3. Eighteen groups of cyclists came from
all over Berlin and Germany,
via Germany's autobahns, and converged at Brandenburg Gate for the
annual Eco festival ("Umweltfestival"). Photographs can be found here: <
http://gallery.radzeit.de/v/Sternfahrt/2007/> and here
<
http://gallery.radzeit.de/v/Sternfahrt/2007/Brandenburg+an+der+Havel/P1020112.JPG.html
>.
- When Bulgaria joined the European Union at the start of 2007, it
also meant the removal of import taxes on EU goods. In the first
three months of the year,
60,000 used cars were imported, doubling last year's numbers. The
Union of Importers of Automobiles in Bulgaria expects 320,000 used
cars to enter the country
this year. Car ownership in Bulgaria is among the lowest in the EU
[Transitions Online].
- It is costing GBP 21 million (EUR 31 million) per mile to widen the
M1 motorway. The price of the total project has risen from GBP 3.7
billion to GBP 5.1 billion
[Observer.guardian.co.uk ].
- If drivers on an Indian highway do not give an aging elephant food,
he refuses to let them pass
[
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/147119.php/Pay-road-tax-to-an-elephant-on-Orissa-highway
].
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WORLD CARFREE NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS >>
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BECOME A MEMBER OF WORLD CARFREE NETWORK
World Carfree Network depends on the financial support of people
around the world who value our work, particularly now as we seek to
become more financially
stable. By joining us as a member, you help us promote carfree
thinking and carry out our projects more effectively (and if you
like, as a member you can also get
involved more actively in the network). We have four membership
levels, each including a subscription to Carbusters magazine and some
extra gifts to thank you for
your generosity. There is even a student/limited income level. Go to
<
http://www.worldcarfree.net/join/individuals.php> and become a member now!
TOWARDS CARFREE CITIES VII, AUGUST 27-31, ISTANBUL
We are still accepting proposals for presentations, workshops and
other programme content. See <
www.worldcarfree.net/conference/proposals.php> for details.
To ensure that your proposal can be included in the programme, please
send it by the end of June.
Conference registration is open, and participants should already
book their accommodation. Two suggested options are Sebnem Hotel
(www.sebnemhotel.net)
and Sultan Hostel ( www.sultanhostel.com).
Please see the conference website
(www.worldcarfree.net/conference) for further information.
We hope to see you in August and welcome you to Istanbul.
2ND ANNUAL STREET CONVERSION DESIGN CONTEST
Due to the popularity of last year's competition and the importance
of continuing to promote alternative and creative uses of public
space, the Street Conversion
Design Contest returns in 2007.
Again there are three submission categories: a parking space, a
block-long segment of street, and an intersection with the adjoining streets.
The contest is open to all. The details and guidelines
are posted at < www.worldcarfree.net/contest/>. The deadline for
submissions will be August 15, and the
judging will take place at the Towards Carfree Cities VII conference
in Istanbul. Please circulate widely.
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GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS >>
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SEEKING CHILDREN'S DRAWINGS/STORIES/POEMS
The Sustainable Transport Book project is putting together a book
written entirely by children and young people. The project would like
to know: how do you get
to school? How long does it take? Do you enjoy the journey? Do you
face any challenges on the way? How does your trip affect the
environment? These questions
can be answered in the form of drawings, stores, poems, articles, or
photos. More information at <
www.peacechild.org/transport> or write
Anna Kitteringham at
transport(at)peacechild.org. The closing date is June 30.
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH: JOBS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Frequently, road building and car manufacturing are justified on the
grounds that they will create jobs. In order to counter this myth
that sustainable projects means
less jobs, Friends of the Earth UK has put together a database of
arguments and examples about job creation on environmentally
sustainable projects. For
information and access to the database visit <
http://community.foe.co.uk/campaigns/economics/jobs>.
GTZ PHOTO GALLERY
As part of its Sustainable Urban Transport project, GTZ offers a
wealth photos from Asia and Africa. Have a look at <
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_zoom&Itemid=51&lang=en> and
if you are interested in using the pictures for your project, contact
sutp(at)sutp.org
for more information.
TELL THE EU TO MAKE CARS MORE FUEL-EFFICIENT
As car manufacturers are unable to meet their own voluntary CO2
emission reductions, the EU would like to make 120gCO2/km targets
mandatory by 2012.
"Please tell the EU to take tough action to improve car fuel
efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions from new cars," writes Friends of
the Earth. The deadline for
responses is June 30 <
http://www.foeeurope.org/cyberaction>.
...
Bulletin #44 by Steven Logan
<selogan(at)worldcarfree.net>
[end]
