soapbox

Turkey — Just two days after the arrest of 37 activists from Greenpeace and Global Action Group protesting against nuclear energy in Turkey, there has been a victory. For months, the Energy Ministry of Turkey has been intent on selecting a supplier for its first nuclear energy plant. The plant would have been the first of a number the Turkish government says it wants to build. Instead, plans have been stopped dead in their tracks. It turns out energy companies just aren’t that interested in the risk of a new nuclear energy plant. . . .NOTE :NEWS ITEM COURTESY GREENPEACE.SEPT- 25-2008

The Detroit 3 are pushing hard for $50 billion in low interest loans to keep factories running, build new ones and create alternative powertrains. Presidential candidate Barak Obama has already endorsed $50 billion in loans and Republican nominee John McCain has signed on for $25 billion in loans already guaranteed in the 2007 energy bill. If Ralph Nader were elected to office (won't happen), he would be against such a loan. Nader told a group of supporters in the Detroit area that "tax payers should not be played for a sucker," and that decades of bad decisions by automakers means that no such government assistance is deserved. . . . . .I WOULD VOTE FOR RALPH NADER IF I COULD . . . . .GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR UNSUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIES THAT PRODUCE PRODUCTS THAT DESTROY THE ENVIRONMENT IS TRULY UNDESERVED. . . .I WOULD RATHER SEE THE $50 BILLION INVESTED IN "GREEN COLLAR" JOBS THAT PRESERVES THE ENVIRONMENT NOT "BLUE COLLAR" JOBS THAT DO THE OPPOSITE.

. . ..ACCORDING TO THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR THE FIRST CARBON OFFSET AUCTION IS TAKING PLACE IN THE USA TODAY.THE AUCTION IS A PROCESS WHERE COMPANIES CAN BUY PERMITS IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO POLLUTE.. . . .THE ABOVE PHOTO IS FROM A NEW ENGLAND POWER PLANT.

SUNDAY,SEPTEMBER 21-2008 The city joins Paris, Barcelona, and Lyon with the installation of its own public bike system, named Bixi, making 2,400 bicycles available to the public at more than 300 locations across six Montreal boroughs. Starting next spring, residents will be able to borrow bicycles from one station and drop them off at another. "You grab it, you ride it, you bring it back," Montreal's mayor Gerald Tremblay told The Canadian Press. "It will become an emblem for Montreal." Bixi may be a more health-friendly means of transportation, but it's also environmentally friendly. The bikes, which were made in Quebec, are composed entirely of recycled aluminum and the parking stations run on solar power. The entire operation cost $15 million and was paid for by Stationnement de Montreal, a company that manages the city's on-street parking. The organization hopes that membership fees will pay for the programs start-up and operating costs. Memberships

On Sept. 22, the City Hall and civic groups will hold campaigns to encourage the use of public transportation. To encourage people’s participation in car-free day, buses and subways will be free during the morning commute hours. Only buses will be allowed on Jongno while Cheonggyechonro will be closed off to all traffic. . . . . . .HAPPY . . .CAR . . FREE . . .DAY . . .SOEUL.

. . . . . . . .IN SOEUL,SOUTH KOREA,TODAY . . . .STREETS THAT ARE NORMALLY BOTTLENECKED WITH TRAFFIC WERE EMPTY,THE AIR WAS CLEANER AND BREATHABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . WHY ? BECAUSE IT WAS WORLD CAR FREE DAY , , , ,CELEBRATED IN HUNDREDS OF CITIES AROUND THE WORLD .

Car-Free Day: It's more than just symbolism, city officials say Downtown closed tomorrow. Wide participation in annual street party can demonstrate demand for better transit MICHELLE LALONDE, The Gazette Published: 16 hours ago Tomorrow is Car-Free Day and for the sixth year in a row, Montreal's downtown core will be closed to automobile traffic for much of the day. The perimeter remains the same as most previous years, but a long list of official and unofficial events promises to add to the festive atmosphere that has been building from year to year at this event. Car-Free Day seeks to promote the use of public transit and pollution-free forms of transportation. . . . .HAPPY..CAR..FREE..DAY..MO..REAL.(MONDAY SEPT 22-2008)

Free rides on Peterborough Transit Monday for Car-Free Day Posted By ANDREA HOUSTON/Examiner Staff Writer Posted 22 hours ago To mark the third annual Car-Free Day in Peterborough, the city is waiving all transit fees and Peterborough Green-Up is planning a party on the street. “Transit is free for the entire day throughout the city,” said Peterborough Green-Up's Donald Fraser. “Anyone in the community can go from point A to point B to point C to point Z all day long for free.” There will also be a parking spot party on Water Street between Charlotte and Simcoe streets, across the street from Galaxy Cinemas, he said. “We are taking over a bunch of parking spots on Water Street,” Fraser said. “In those metered spots we will have several events going on for anyone who is downtown commuting or shopping car-free.” The Peterborough Community Bike Shop will be offering bike maintenance lessons, there will be a corn roast, live music, cake and presentations from Green-Up, he said. “It w

AN ABUNDANCE OF GREEN COLLAR JOBS ARE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE IN ONTARIO . . . .THERE IS A GREAT NEED FOR PEOPLE IN ALL KINDS OF ECO-FRIENDLY TRADES..IN CONSTRUCTION,MANUFACTURING (BIKE FACTORIES- -WHY NOT ?) IN RETAIL SHOPS WITH ECOLOGY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES,IN MEDICAL PROFESSIONS TO WEAN AWAY THE UN HEALTHY AND DESTRUCTIVE LIFESTYLE OF OUR PRESENT GENERATION AND MOST IMPORTANT IN A NEW EDUCATION SYSTEM TO PRIORITIZE THE PRESERVATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ALL ITS RAMIFICATIONS . . . . .THE EMPHASIS ON SO CALLED BLUE COLLAR JOBS MUST CHANGE AS MOST OF THE PRESENT MANUFACTURING JOBS ARE UN SUSTAINABLE AND THEIR "PRODUCTS" ARE DEPENDANT ON DEPLETING RESOURCES AND ARE ALSO VERY DESTRUCTIVE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OF PLANET EARTH.........IF YOU AGREE WITH THE ABOVE ANALYSIS PLEASE MAKE IT A PRIORITY ISSUE IN THE PRESENT ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN BOTH THE USA AND CANADA ...THESE ARE THE IMPORTANT ISSUES OF OUR TIMES.

. . . .ONE PICTURE IS WORTH 1000 WORDS.......REMINDER: SEPT 22 IS WORLD CAR FREE DAY

Emily Says: +0September 15th, 2007 at 11:04 am I AM ONLY 12 YEARS OLD, AND I HATE TAKING THE CAR, WHY IS THE WORLD SO LAZY, I WISH THAT THEY WOULD TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THEMSELVES. THEY ALL SAY THAT THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING, POLLUTION ECT, THEY ALL THINK THERE NOT THE ONES WITH THE CARBON PROBLEM BUT I THINK THEY SHOULD CHECK AGAIN. REMEBER WHEN YOU LEFT THE COMPUTOR ON STANDBY FOR AND HOUR, DO YOU REMEBER TAKING THE CAR TO SCHOOL WHEN ITS 5 MINUETS AWAY. THINK ABOUT IT, DO YOU REALLY FEEL THAT STRONGLY TO GLOBAL WARMING OR IS THAT JUST AND ACT, TO MAKE YOUR SELF FEEL GOOD. DO YOU WANT TO PROVIDE A GOOD FUTURE TO CHILDREN LIKE ME, REALLY. I THINK PERSONLY THAT NO CARS SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN TOWN CENTRES IT WOULD REDUCE CARBON ENERGY , IT WOULD SAVE LIVES , IT WOULD HELP THE FUTURE, IT WOULD ENCORAGE MORE TO CYCLE DUE TO IT BEING MORE SAFE. THE ONLY CARS AROUND SHOULD BE EMERGENCY VECHILES AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT. I ALSO THINK THAT CYCLING PATHS SHOULD BE BIGGER.THE EXPECT YOU

Tell them what you want, what you really really want! by Ian Hanington - 16 hours agoCanada's manufacturing industry is going through a rough time. So what ideas have the politicians who are courting your votes come up with? More money. But, more money for what? Well, there's $80 million here to keep American car companies building gas guzzlers in our country, $100 million there to train people to manufacture more of ... what, exactly? Instead of putting tax dollars into struggling industries so that they can keep people working to produce more of the same, can't we use a little imagination? Sure, give the car makers money if they use it to develop energy-efficient vehicles. But think also of what we could accomplish if we were to invest in transforming our manufacturing sector to develop and produce renewable-energy technologies, to create environmentally sound and sustainable products and industries. Why not invest in more research to find better ways to do things? Yes, i

The theme, "humanized street", points to the trend in city renovations, of city roads in particular, in recent years. On that day from 7 in the morning until 7 in the evening, cities are encouraged to set aside a particular section of a street or road and make it open only to pedestrians, public buses, taxis and cyclists. If possible, some cities may keep all their streets or roads during the 12 hours closed to cars. This activity is meant to let residents feel how nice a street can be without the flow of speeding cars. Even those who drive cars will get to know how long queues of motor vehicles make urban streets an unwelcome space for urban dwellers. Thirty years back when the country was nicknamed the "kingdom of bicycles", almost all streets or roads had lanes for cyclists. They were flanked by trees on both sides, which would protect cyclists from the scorching sun in the summer and keep them safe from the possibility of being knocked down by motor

WHAT'S WRONG WITH TTC ? WITH CAR FREE DAY COMING IN 10 DAYS TIME STILL NO HINT OF FREE BUS AND SUBWAY SERVICE IN CONJUNCTION WITH WORLD CAR FREE DAY 9-22. .YOU WOULD THINK THAT A PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM IN CANADA'S LARGEST CITY WOULD WELCOME AN OPPORTUNITY SUCH AS THIS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE TRANSIT AND SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT..COULD IT BE THAT OVER HALF OF THE BUS DRIVERS DRIVE GAS GUZZLING SUVS AND LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY ? .JUST ASKING . .THERE MUST BE A VALID REASON...ALTHOUGH ..I..CAN'T THINK OF ANY.

..........this event shows the amount of creativity and enjoyment that can be had on car free day(auto frierer)..it took place on sept 22-2007 in Vienna,Austria.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .LOOK........NO...SMOG..!!..WORLD CAR FREE DAY SEPT..22..JOIN THE CELEBRATION.,AND ENJOY A NEW,GREEN LIFESTYLE...WITHOUT...CARS..AT LEAST FOR ONE DAY AND MAYBE FOREVER... HOPEFULLY.

. . . . . . .SINCE THERE IS AN ELECTION IN BOTH CANADA AND THE USA THIS FALL (2008) I THINK ITS TIMELY TO INCLUDE A LOGO ON THIS BLOG THAT TACKLES A MUTUAL PROBLEM IN NORTH AMERICA

Hi, my name is Jane and I'm an autoholic." Welcome. We are glad you have made it here. You or a loved one has succumbed to the seemingly warm embrace of the automobile, only to find that you cannot live without it. It's okay. The signs were slow in coming. First, you drove to work. Then you took the kids to school instead of putting them on the school bus. Do you drive to the gym? You are a car addict. But you are not alone. We offer the support of other 'recovering autoholics' to guide you on your path to finding your two feet again. No, responsibility for our current mess - noise and pollution, death and injury, auto-blight and urban sprawl - does not rest chiefly on the shoulders of you, the individual driver. You are the victim of a powerful and self-serving transport industry that has taken advantage of our natural desire to sit. Take back your feet, put one in front of the other and turn your back on the peddlers of the automotive drug. Join us. Become happie

The Car Free Days Pledge Every mile you drive your car releases one pound of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere increasing global warming. North America, with almost one car per driving age citizen, releases the most greenhouse gas of any nation. The good news is that you can do something about it. By stopping driving or driving less, you reduce the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. And a change in your driving habits influences others. You lead by example. Please pledge four or more car free days per month, or as many days per month as you can. For those of us living in urban areas with public transportation and destinations in walking or biking distance, this is relatively easy. For those in remote areas, it can be more challenging. . . . .JUST . .DO . . .IT . . . . . . .. . . . . . .EVERY YEAR . . .ON SEPT 22 .. . . PEOPLE IN CITIES ALL OVER THE WORLD CELEBRATE CAR FREE DAY IN THEIR COMMUNITY . . . . .WHY . .NOT . . .JOIN . .IN . . .THE . . . CELEBRATION ?

There has been no work at the Tata factory since Friday due to the indefinite siege led by the Trinamool Congress, which is demanding the return of 400 acres taken for the project from farmers 'unwilling' to part with their holdings. . . . . . .LARGE AREAS OF TREES ARE BEING BULLDOZED TO MAKE WAY FOR A BIGGER CAR FACTORY IN INDIA.

SEATTLE - The city's second "car-free Sunday" - this time in the Rainier Valley - went a lot more smoothly than the debut event a week ago. Last week's event didn't go quite as planned. Dozens of local drivers were ticketed and towed - and the city ended up paying the towing fees and turning the tickets into warnings. But this time, the city made phone calls, beforehand, to people who live and work along Rainier Avenue South - warning them to clear the roads. So by the time the city shut down the street to traffic, between Orcas and Alaska streets, there was only one car on the road - a toy one being driven by an enthusiastic youngster. No one gave him a ticket. The car-free day is part of Mayor Greg Nickels' campaign, to "give your car the summer off." City leaders are trying to encourage people to get out and walk, ride their bikes or use other ways of getting around. This Sunday, along Rainier Avenue South, local businesses and families saw the cl