traffic fumes, medicated child, bikes, drugs, nukes, oil, natural health care

[angela bischoff]

Traffic fumes risk to unborn babies
January 08, 2008

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23020548-2702,00.html

PREGNANT women have been advised to reduce their exposure to traffic fumes
after Australian researchers found strong evidence that air pollution may
stunt the growth of unborn babies.

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The Medicated Child

Six million American children are taking psychiatric drugs, but most have
never been tested on children. Is this good medicine, or an uncontrolled
experiment?

PBS program Frontline aired a one hour documentary Jan. 8. Watch it here:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/medicatedchild/

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Bikes outsell cars in Australia; calls for more cycling infrastructure

Australian lobby groups are calling for more government funding for
cycling infrastructure, after the release of new figures showing the
industry sold more bikes than the car industry did vehicles for the eighth
consecutive year in 2007. The nation sold a record 1.47 million bicycles
in 2007, compared to 1.04 million cars, while the government is believed
to spend $7.5 billion on road related expenditure compared to the $100
million spent on cycling infrastructure.

Cycling has become the fourth most popular physical activity with more
than 1.6 million Australian adults cycling in 2006, an increase of 17%
from 2001.

Recently released Census figures show that many Australians have
rediscovered the bicycle as a great way to commute, with cycling trips to
work growing at an average 22% across Australian capital cities; with
Melbourne soaring 42% between 2001 and 2006.

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America's Love-Hate Relationship with Drugs

By Bruce E. Levine, AlterNet, January 9, 2008

While Americans are inundated with coverage of the Democrats' quibbling
over Barack Obama's use of marijuana and cocaine as a teenager, a truly
important drug story continues to be neglected: The hypocrisy of Big
Pharma, psychiatry officialdom, and justice institutions regarding
mood-altering (psychotropic) drugs -- specifically the denial of the
similarity between illegal and psychiatric drugs.

Read full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/72391/

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End the nuclear industry in Saskatchewan. Here's why:
- Nuclear energy is not green
- Nuclear radiation is forever
- Saskatchewan uranium used in weaponry
- Nuclear energy is non-renewable
- Nuclear energy is non-economical
- Nuclear energy job myth
Read the details here and sign the petition:
<http://www.PetitionOnline.com/nonuc1sk/petition.html>http://www.PetitionOnline.com/nonuc1sk/petition.html

For more info: nonukesregina at gmail.com
Citizens for a Nuclear-Free Society (Regina)

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Bill McKibbon rejects nuclear energy

As the author of the first major book on global warming, The End of Nature
(Random House, 1989), Bill McKibben is a well-respected voice in the
environmental movement. His recent book Deep Economy (Times Books, 2007)
challenges the ideal of unlimited growth and proposes a future in which we
return to localized economies and energy generation. McKibben has
considered, and largely rejected, nuclear power as a part of this future.

http://www.utne.com/2008-01-01/Environment/Fallout-Interview-with-Bill-McKibben.aspx?utm_campaign=Environment&utm_medium=email&utm_source=iPost&utm_content=Environment+1%2F9%2F08

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I just read a book that blew my mind:
It's the Crude, Dude: Greed, Gas, War and the American Way
by Canadian journalist Linda McQuaig

http://www.lindamcquaig.com/ItsTheCrudeDude/index.cfm

She points out that for decades Washington has been intensely focused on
gaining control of the oil reserves of the Middle East. That focus took on
new urgency under the Bush administration, with its close ties to Big Oil,
including a vice-president who's gotten rich going back and forth between
Big Oil and the top echelons of the U.S. government. The urgency was
driven by the fact that the vast oil reserves of Iraq – the last
unharvested oil bonanza left on earth – were in the process of being
parceled off to foreign competitors.

Iraq represented the alluring prospect of future energy security for the
United States, even as America's own oil reserves were dwindling. And,
with potential profits in the range of $100 billion a year, Iraq also
represented the future of the oil industry. In the words of Wall Street
oil analyst Fadel Gheit, Iraq "is the big dance. Everyone wants to be
there."

But the U.S. oil giants hadn't been invited to the big dance. Instead,
Saddam Hussein had been busy making deals with oil companies from other
nations, including America's arch-rivals: China, Russia and France.

All this was on the minds of top executives of the big U.S. oil companies
when they met, amid great secrecy, with Dick Cheney and his task force on
energy, which had been set up within days of the new administration taking
office. Although the administration has fought fiercely to prevent
information about the deliberations of the task force being released, task
force documents obtained under court order reveal an intense focus on Iraq
and the question of how to gain control of its massive reserves – even as
the administration was drawing up plans for toppling Saddam.

All this was underway, months before the attacks of September 11, 2001.

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Natural or Alternative Health Care

The natural approach to health care, which is also referred to as
'alternative' or 'complementary' health care, is gaining popularity in
Canada. With mainstream health care under pressure from spiralling
hospital and prescription drug costs, the natural health care paradigm is
touted as a new way of looking at health promotion, the treatment of
illness and prevention of disease.

Natural Health Practitioners of Canada (NHPC) Executive Director Colleen
MacDougall, says that "To meet their health care needs, consumers are
rightfully demanding more choice from the Canadian health care system.
They are starting to take responsibility for their own health and wellness
by accessing alternative therapies as part of their regular health care
regime."

To raise awareness of the health care benefits provided by Natural Health
Practitioners, clinics and practitioners across Canada will be holding
events that include free mini-massages, introductory Reiki, Shiatsu and
Craniosacral treatments and other demonstrations.

For more information visit www.nhpcanada.org

Or contact:
Natural Health Practitioners of Canada
Claire Ashton - 1.888.711.7701


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