Sunday, August 10, 2003

Information and the Interactive Society Joël de Rosnay writes: Information, too, is energy, a particular kind of energy that releases and controls power. The close relationship between energy and information came to light when it was understood that energy had to be spent in order to acquire information and information had to be used in order to collect energy and put it to use. Every bit of information has to be paid for in energy, and every increase in energy must be paid for in information. Information would have remained a qualitative concept of little interest if it had not become possible to measure precisely the amount of information contained in a message passing through a transmission line. This ability to measure information, achieved in the late 1940s, led to a veritable revolution in mathematics, physics, and electronics. Its impact has been particularly marked in cybernetics, data processing, and telecommunications. One of the most profitable ways to understand the concept of information and the consequences of the revolution it fostered is to take (as we did for energy) a position that enables us to observe "through the macroscope" the role that information and communications play in society. This leads first to a review of several important points concerning communications, the measurement of information, and the relationship between information and entropy. Then, following a brief history of communications, we shall come to a discussion of the conditions and possible consequences of the appearance of an interactive and participative society founded on telecommunications and what I call "society in real time." (08/10/03) Listening to the People William Greider writes: Since McDonald's is a global icon of cultural imperialism and the target for numerous other social complaints, it's a little awkward to celebrate the world's largest fast-food corporation for a progressive political breakthrough. Nevertheless, McDonald's has taken on what American politics lacks the nerve to confront: the dangerous practices of agribusiness in producing chicken, beef and pork--that is, the food McDonald's sells to families. The company formally acknowledged in late June that the heavy use of growth-stimulating antibiotics by the meat industry threatens human health. It advised its poultry suppliers to phase out the practice or face the prospect of losing the business of America's largest buyer of meat products. The warning is less firm for hogs and cattle, but those suppliers know they are on notice too. Mickey D is listening to his customers. "We would love to be a catalyst for change industrywide," McDonald's director for social responsibility affirmed. Let's hear it also for the galaxy of civic-action groups, from the Union of Concerned Scientists to Environmental Defense, from the Humane Society to the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, who made this happen. A coalition of thirteen organizations put aside cultural and political differences to educate the McDonald's management. Some, like the Sierra Club, delivered the message by direct action, picketing Golden Arches outlets with signs like Get Food Off Drugs. Others, like Environmental Defense, pursued a lawyerly inside track, negotiating in "partnership" with the company's proclaimed commitment to social responsibility. The victory at McDonald's is but one small piece in a much larger subject--the politics of food--but it demonstrates that people are not powerless against corporate behemoths, even the market leaders, if they find the right points of leverage. In an era when politics is paralyzed, unable or unwilling to advance government regulation of food and agriculture, some Americans have figured out how to achieve the next best thing--consumer power that changes industry behavior, not by one purchase at a time but on a grand scale by targeting large brands in the middleman position. We'll see a lot more of this consumer jujitsu, because it works. (08/10/03) Afghan Wheat Harvest Will Be Best in 20 Years Environmental News Service -- Afghani farmers have produced their largest wheat harvest in recent memory, according to Serge Verniau, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) representative in Kabul. In a July 24 statement, Verniau said, "This is a very encouraging development considering that the country suffered greatly from armed conflicts and a four year drought. We are expecting that the harvest will amount to more than four million tonnes. The country will still need to import an estimated one million tonnes. I would say that FAO's emergency activities, such as the delivery of seeds, fertilizers and tools and the successful control of potentially damaging locust outbreaks in the North, contributed to this success." ...  Around 85 percent of the Afghani people depend on agriculture. Chronic undernutrition and micronutrient deficiency disorders continue to be a major problem in Afghanistan, according to the FAO spokesman. Particularly hard hit are small children, women, refugees and people in remote mountain areas. "The diets of many people are unbalanced," Verniau said. "They lack energy, but most often variety. The diets are poor in micronutrients such as vitamin A, iron and iodine. There are also pockets of scurvy due to vitamin C deficiency affecting people in the northern mountains during winter months." Poverty is still widespread in the country and people have no access to a nutritious diet, or cannot afford it. They often live just on bread and tea, small quantities of milk and yogurt and some legumes. The intake of fruits, vegetables and meat is still very low. People are not starving, but diets are not rich enough for children to grow and to develop mentally and for adults to be productive, Verniau said. (08/10/03) Enter the 'Governator' Mother Jones -- Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Austrian-born body builder turned actor (who once championed a Mr. Universe contest) is relinquishing his barbells and cheesy one-liners for... arguably even cheesier one-liners. But this time his scripted punch-lines are not about tumors or robots who have taken over the earth -- this time, Ah-nold's talking politics. And no matter how amusing his delivery, he has managed to scare some Democrats into breaking rank with embattled Governor Gray Davis. ... Schwarzenegger's announcement last Wednesday that he would join the recall mania put the first cracks in Davis' united front. His colleagues, fearing Schwarzenegger's popularity and media attention would make him a dangerous contender, finally broke out and put their names on the ballot. Two prominent Democrats, Cruz Bustamante, California's lieutenant governor, and John Garamendi, the state insurance commissionerand, are among the first in their party to step forward and defy Davis. The San Francisco Chronicle's Robert Salladay points out that Schwarzenegger may have considerable clout among alienated voters, which may put him ahead of his Democratic contenders:  "Schwarzenegger, freed from the bonds of conservative Republicans who control their party's primaries, can now use all available media to fashion a campaign that appeals to the disaffected, who don't vote and don't care about politics. Oddly, it could take a Republican married to a Kennedy cousin to give the recall election the look of a populist revolt. (08/10/03) 7:24:43 AM

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