car sales up; solar; ritalin; SPP

Sun Jul 22 23:54:48 EDT 2007

Planet Gets a Lemon as Global Car Industry Revs Up

World vehicle production topped 67 million vehicles in 2006.

The world's auto manufacturers produced a record 67 million vehicles in
2006, putting more cars on the road than ever before, according to a new
Vital Signs Update from the Worldwatch Institute. While global production
grew 4 percent last year, China increased its production by nearly 30
percent, overtaking Germany to become the third largest producer.
"America's car addiction is becoming a global phenomenon with no sign of
reversing," says Worldwatch Senior Researcher Michael Renner, who authored
the update.

<http://www.worldwatch.org/click/5197/20070718>Read the latest Vital Signs
Update.

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Some good news for a change, from Alberta no less.

Suburbia goes solar

PATRICK WHITE
Globe and Mail
July 13, 2007

OKOTOKS, ALTA. — It's not so strange for an eco-conscious person such as
Jennie Willings to collect rainwater in barrels or own a home heated by
solar power - or have a statue of the Earth goddess Gaia in her backyard.

What's a little odd is the location of her little slice of ecological
utopia: suburbia.

Fulll article continued here: 
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070713.wxlsolar13/BNStory/lifeHouseHome/home

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Ritalin may change brain chemistry in young children: study
Friday, July 20, 2007
CBC News

Young children taking Ritalin for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
may experience chemical changes in their brains, say U.S. researchers who
expressed concern about long-term prescriptions.

In one of the few studies to probe the effects of Ritalin on the
neurochemistry of the developing brain, scientists found changes in areas
linked to "higher executive functioning, addiction and appetite, social
relationships and stress," the study's senior author Dr. Teresa Milner, a
neuroscientist at New York's Weill Cornell Medical College, said in a
release.

The findings, published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggest
doctors must be careful in their diagnosis of ADHD before prescribing
Ritalin. That's because the brain changes noted in the study might be
helpful in battling the disorder but harmful to youngsters with healthy
brain chemistry, said Dr. Milner.

Ritalin, a stimulant similar to amphetamine and cocaine, remains one of
the most prescribed drugs for the behavioural disorder. <snip>

Full article continued here:
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/07/20/ritalin.html

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Security and Prosperity Partnership and the North American Union

-- Canada integrating with the U.S.A.

As some of you may know, Canada is in the process of
aligning its policies with those of the USA. Very quietly.
Without public debate. It is all part of the Security and
Prosperity Partnership (SPP) signed in Waco, Texas, 2005.
This is not a left-right issue -- Martin signed the accord,
Harper is ardently continuing it. This seems to be a
corporate-driven venture.

What does SPP mean for Canadians?

We are adopting US immigration, security and foreign
policy. Commits Canada to supporting US-lead wars on
terror and increased military spending. Our military is now
led by USA's Northcom. We now have no-fly lists. We are
likely to have to accept fingerprinting and other biometrics.
We will be required to treat immigrants and refugees
differently.

Our resources will be proportionally shared. Huge areas
of the US are short of water. Our government is currently
moving toward bulk exporting of water. Oil export will
increase (now 63%) due to 'proportional sharing'.

Lowered environmental and health protection. NAFTA
already allows corporations to sue our federal governments
when their regulations stand in the way of profit. SPP
allows corporations to sue provincial and municipal
governments -- which is where many safety standards rest.

Loss of democracy -- it is intended that Canada, USA and
Mexico will merge into a North American Union (NAU),
having one currency, the Amero. The Union will be
overseen by 10 non-elected corporate CEOs from each
country.

Accelerating privatisation of health care and other public
services.

President Bush is arriving in Montebello, Quebec this
Summer -- August 19-21st -- meeting with Calderon,
Harper and the 30 CEOs for the next stage in this
integration. If this matters to you, join the demonstrations
in your city (1:00 pm at City Hall, Ottawa, Sunday 19th
August) or at Montebello 19-21st.

We need to consider these events, and their effects for
future generations.

If this is all new, you might be thinking, "How can this
be?!" If you think this is a 'conspiracy theory', go to
the 2006 budget listed on CBC news
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/budget2006/docs/budget06/bp/bpc3de.htm>http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/budget2006/docs/budget06/bp/bpc3de.htm
Scroll around 40% down to the SPP section. If this is all
conspiracy theory, the government has already spent a few
hundred million dollars on a 'conspiracy.'

If this is new to you, you might consider educating yourself
-- and your friends and family. Canadians have a right to
know what has been is planned for them.

You could start with
<http://www.canadians.org/integratethis/>http://www.canadians.org/integratethis/
-- many facets
of SPP are outlined in these pages.

There are a few videos you can sit back and watch on line.
John Foster spoke in Ottawa last month
<http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-2095139876737913891>http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-2095139876737913891
B.C.'s Connie Fogal's talk is comprehensive
<http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-1355300745194023737>http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-1355300745194023737
CNN Lou Dobbs' perspectives
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzOcW2Q-ZvM&eurl=>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzOcW2Q-ZvM&eurl=

If you are still curious, Google "North American Union"
and wade through some of the 114,000,000 hits...
<http://www.google.com/search?q=%22north+american+union%22>http://www.google.com/search?q=%22north+american+union%22

Educate yourself.

Send this e-mail on to your friends and family.

(from awarecanadians(at)kaia.ca)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[GoodWork Editor adds -- topical resources:

SPP -- the "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America"
<http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Security+and+Prosperity+Partnership+of+North+America%22>http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Security+and+Prosperity+Partnership+of+North+America%22
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:North_American_Union>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:North_American_Union
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_and_Prosperity_Partnership_of_North_America>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_and_Prosperity_Partnership_of_North_America

Canadian Sovereignty vs. Deep Integration
<http://www.canadians.org/DI/>http://www.canadians.org/DI/
<http://www.vivelecanada.ca/?topic=sovereignty>http://www.vivelecanada.ca/?topic=sovereignty
<http://www.notacolony.ca/>http://www.notacolony.ca/
<http://directory.google.com/Top/Regional/North_America/Canada/Society_and_Culture/Politics/Issues/Canadian_Sovereignty/>http://directory.google.com/Top/Regional/North_America/Canada/Society_and_Culture/Politics/Issues/Canadian_Sovereignty/

THIS Magazine -- July 2007 Edition -- now on newsstands
<http://www.thismagazine.ca/issues/2007/07/>http://www.thismagazine.ca/issues/2007/07/

Questioning "Free" Trade & Corporate Power
<http://www.planetfriendly.net/trade.html>http://www.planetfriendly.net/trade.html
<http://www.planetfriendly.net/business.html>http://www.planetfriendly.net/business.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This message will also be posted at one or more of:
GoodWork Canada <http://www.GoodWorkCanada.ca>http://www.GoodWorkCanada.ca
Planet Volunteer
<http://www.PlanetVolunteer.net>http://www.PlanetVolunteer.net
The Calendar
<http://Planetfriendly.net/calendar/>http://Planetfriendly.net/calendar/
Any changes or corrections will appear there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following three events are organized by the Council of Canadians in
response to the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP). Prime Minister
Stephen Harper will be meeting in Montebello, Quebec with U.S. President
George Bush and Mexican President Felipe Calderón August 20th and 21st.

Also visit the Council of Canadians SPP summit website:
<http://www.canadians.org/integratethis/summit/index.html>http://www.canadians.org/integratethis/summit/index.html

SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 7:00 p.m. — PUBLIC FORUM
The Council of Canadians is working with other labour and social justice
groups to organize a public forum near Montebello. This event will feature
Canadian, U.S. and Mexican speakers, focusing on how the SPP affects
energy security, water, the environment, security policy, and other key
issues. More details to come.

MONDAY, AUGUST 20 — NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION
The Council of Canadians will be organizing a National Day of Action
Against the SPP on August 20. This will allow people across Canada to
“plug in” to the resistance at the Montebello summit. Council of
Canadians’ chapters will be organizing public forums and community
picnics, lobbying of Members of Parliament, distributing handbills, and
speaking to the media. We will be posting information about events across
the country at IntegrateThis.ca, as details develop.

MONDAY, AUGUST 20 — PROTEST IN MONTEBELLO
The Council of Canadians will be joining with other groups from across
Ontario and Quebec to protest at the summit site in Montebello. More
details to come.

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