Thursday, April 10, 2003

A Centering Vision Duane Elgin writes: In 1992, over 1600 scientists, including a majority of the living Nobel laureates in the sciences, signed a Warning to Humanity. Together they warned that "human beings and the natural world are on a collision course" and said that, "A great change in our stewardship of the earth and the life on it is required, if vast human misery is to be avoided and our global home on this planet is not to be irretrievably mutilated." An unyielding ecological challenge confronts humanity with a deeper challenge--that of building a future together that is: sustainable--in harmony with the Earth's physical ecology; satisfying--in harmony with others or the social ecology; and soulful--in harmony with the spiritual ecology. Where can we look for guidance in imagining such a pathway into the future? Are there deep "design principles" built into the universe? Is evolution "going somewhere?" Is there a "central project" that can mobilize the cooperation and creativity of the human family? Are these the "right" questions? For example, should our concern be with a "centering process" instead of "central project?" An arbitrary or artificially constructed central project will not have the power to draw us together as a species. Therefore, we need to explore the depths of nature's wisdom if we are to discover our most authentic direction and aligning purpose for moving into the future. Our challenge is to not fight against the natural world, but to look at nature with an open mind to discover the evolutionary pathway that is most in accord with nature's preexisting intentions. If we fight against nature, we will ultimately be struggling against ourselves--and our evolutionary journey will be one of frustration, stalemate, and alienation. If we cooperate with nature, we will be serving our deepest essence and character--and our journey will be one of joyful flow and rewarding experience. (04/10/03) The Reason Why George McGovern writes: George W. Bush has set the nation on a course for one-man rule. He treads carelessly on the Bill of Rights, the United Nations and international law while creating a costly but largely useless new federal bureaucracy loosely called "Homeland Security." Meanwhile, such fundamental building blocks of national security as full employment and a strong labor movement are of no concern. The nearly $1.5 trillion tax giveaway, largely for the further enrichment of those already rich, will have to be made up by cutting government services and shifting a larger share of the tax burden to workers and the elderly. This President and his advisers know well how to get us involved in imperial crusades abroad while pillaging the ordinary American at home. The same families who are exploited by a rich man's government find their sons and daughters being called to war, as they were in Vietnam--but not the sons of the rich and well connected. ... The invasion of Iraq and other costly wars now being planned in secret are fattening the ever-growing military-industrial complex of which President Eisenhower warned in his great farewell address. War profits are booming, as is the case in all wars. While young Americans die, profits go up. But our economy is not booming, and our stock market is not booming. Our wages and incomes are not booming. While waging a war against Iraq, the Bush Administration is waging another war against the well-being of America. (04/10/03) Test developed to detect SARS New Scientist -- Doctors in Hong Kong have developed a simple diagnostic test for the virus responsible for the global outbreak of "super-pneumonia". The test, validated on eight patients so far, was made possible after scientists succeeded in growing the virus in the laboratory. That breakthrough will also be crucial in helping researchers precisely identify the pathogen, as well as assess potential drug treatments. ... The so-called "antibody-binding test" was developed by Malik Peiris and colleagues at the University of Hong Kong. The team have shown that the test can detect antibodies to the virus found in SARS patients, and could therefore be used to diagnose the condition from blood samples. (04/10/03) Bacterium used to Fight Cancer New Scientist -- A humble and harmless soil bacterium is the latest recruit in the war on cancer. The bug is known to grow only inside tumours when it infects humans and has now been given a lethal new trick. Researchers genetically engineered Clostridium bacteria so they were able to convert a harmless chemical into a potent toxin. Injecting the chemical into the patient's bloodstream should therefore destroy tumours from the inside, while leaving healthy tissues unharmed. ... The idea that bacteria could be used as a cancer therapy originated over 100 years ago, when physician William Coley noticed some of his patients with bacterial infections were able to fight off cancer. Later work showed that Clostridium bacteria grew happily in cancerous tissue because they thrive in low oxygen conditions. The tightly packed cells and poor blood supply of a tumour make it ideal. (04/10/03) Too Much Flouride Cripples 10,000 BBC Science -- People with paralysing bone diseases, stooped backs, crooked hands and legs, deformed teeth, blindness and other handicaps are a common sight. The most shocking and sad image of this suffering is Ramaswamy. At 18-years of age, when other youths are full of enthusiasm for life, Ramaswamy looks to be hardly five-years-old, with a physique completely devastated by the effects of fluoride. He is so weak that he cannot walk and weighs barely 15 kilogrammes (less than 34 lbs). He is blind and mentally challenged. ... This is a story of a land where excess fluoride has turned the ground water into a slow poison, crippling at least 10,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousand of others in constant misery. (04/10/03) Nuclear Fusion: A Viable Alternative? BBC Science -- Fusion promises relatively cheap energy - the fuel is seawater - with far fewer pollution problems compared with conventional nuclear power. But the path to this technology has been long and expensive, with no commercial generation in sight. Now, US scientists have created a hot, dense plasma that produces thermonuclear neutrons - a step, they say, towards harnessing nuclear fusion energy they say. (04/10/03) The Chiru, a Tibetan antelope faces Extinction BBC Science -- Indian officials have made what is thought to be the largest-ever seizure of wool from the highly endangered Tibetan antelope. They confiscated 215 kilograms of pure shahtoosh wool, used to make luxury shawls for the international market. Conservationists say the haul means about 3,000 animals must have been killed. They believe only about 50,000 Tibetan antelopes, known locally as chiru, survive in the wild. The wool was seized in the last few days by the Delhi state wildlife department. The shawls woven from shahtoosh sell for up to £11,000 each: the wool is so fine the shawl can be passed through a wedding ring. (04/10/03) Corporations agree to Environment Clean Up New York Times: Environment -- Alcoa and Archer Daniels Midland have agreed to settle federal air pollution complaints by upgrading smelters and other factories at a cost the government estimates at $700 million, one of the companies and people familiar with the case said today. Alcoa, one of the largest emitters outside of power plants of sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain, said it had agreed to reduce its sulfur dioxide emissions at its aluminum smelting plant in Rockdale, Tex., by at least 95 percent, or more than 52,000 tons a year. It will also reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, which contribute to smog, by 90 percent, or 17,000 tons a year. Alcoa has 12 months to make the reductions. Alcoa will pay $1.5 million in fines and contribute $2.5 million to funds that support habitat conservation and reducing school bus exhaust emissions. Archer Daniels Midland agreed to eliminate more than 60,000 tons of emissions of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, organic volatile chemicals and other pollutants from 42 plants in 17 states at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, people familiar with the case said. In addition, the company will pay $4.5 million in penalties and more than $6 million to support environmental projects. (04/10/03) 7:26:28 AM

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