[Sust-mar] [world-carfree-news_eng] WORLD CARFREE NEWS #38 - DECEMBER 2006

[Paul Falvo]

Dear Readers,
Carbusters is the quarterly magazine of the global carfree movement. 
Tower Books/Records, one of our biggest distributors, is going out of 
business. Add to that smaller but important shops and Carbusters' 
presence on newsstand shelves is rapidly diminishing. To keep the 
magazine going, we're going to rely more and more on subscribers. So! If 
you care about reducing automobile use and would like to receive a 
quarterly magazine full of news, analysis, and inspiring art and ideas 
in support of the carfree concept, please consider subscribing to 
Carbusters today: <http://www.carbusters.org/subscribe>.
   Carbusters makes a great New Year's present for anyone resolved to 
drive less in 2007.


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WORLD CARFREE NEWS >>>
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Edition no. 38 - December 2006 - English version
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Contents:

QUOTATION OF THE MONTH

IN THE NEWS
- GUANGZHOU, LONDON, NEW DELHI, JAPAN...

WORLD CARFREE NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS
- CARBUSTERS CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
- AUTOHOLICS ANONYMOUS GIFT MEMBERSHIPS
- TOWARDS CARFREE CITIES VII AND VIII
- DESIGN A WORLD CARFREE NETWORK T-SHIRT
- ECOTOURISM IN POLAND

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
- VIENNA ROAD BUILDING: VICTORY FOR ACTIVISTS


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QUOTATION OF THE MONTH >>
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"The many rules [of the road] strip us of the most important thing: the 
ability to be considerate. We're losing our capacity for socially 
responsible behaviour. The greater the number of rules, the more 
people's sense of personal responsibility dwindles."  
   - Hans Monderman, co-founder of a project that made the Dutch town, 
Makkinga (population 1,000), free of traffic signs


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IN THE NEWS >>
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- Only three of the 20 European car brands are on track to meet CO2 
emissions targets of 140 g/km by 2008. In 1998, the European Automobile 
Manufacturers Association committed to reaching this figure in all new 
cars. According to Transport & Environment, Toyota, who touts itself as 
a leader in " environmental responsibility," ranked only seventh among 
car brands. 

- Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, is proposing emissions-based 
charging in addition to the current congestion charge. If a Londoner 
plans on driving into the city in her new Ford Galaxy she would pay GBP 
25, instead of the current GBP 8 [City of London].

- In the last 10 years, the number of diesel cars on Indian roads has 
increased by 425%. These cars can emit up to three times more NOx than 
gasoline-powered cars, and have contributed to a rapid increase in 
pollution on New Delhi streets. Although cars and two- wheelers of all 
varieties take up 90% of Delhi's road space, these options meet only 20% 
of travel demand [Oneworld.net].

- Twelve Californian female environmentalists posed in a calendar called 
Ecobabes to raise money for a climate protection campaign. "We say that 
people who protect the climate are very, very cool because climate 
protection is not a job for the weak," says Ann Hancock, the campaign's 
executive director. "Ecobabes takes that even a step further. We say 
that people who protect the climate are very, very sexy" [Sfgate.com].

- Carbonfund.org will buy your guilt by "offsetting" your lifetime 
carbon dioxide emissions for US$4,000 [Seattle Post-Intelligencer].

- On November 4, 30,000 people gathered in London for demonstrations as 
part of the Campaign against Climate Change in the run up to climate 
talks in Nairobi [Globalclimatechange.org].

- On December 2, Oxford and Regent streets in London were cleared of 
cars to make way for VIP (Very Important Pedestrians) Shopping Day. 
[24dash.com].

- The city of Guangzhou has banned battery-powered bicycles to make more 
room for the 870,000 cars on the streets. This will negatively affect 
the almost 100,000 residents who drive these bicycles, but will make 
space for automobiles, which are appearing on Guangzhou's streets at a 
rate of 150,000 per year [Reuters].

- China will officially celebrate World Carfree Day in 2007 [Shanghai 
Daily].

- The town of Bhomte, Germany has 13,500 inhabitants, and when it 
refurbishes its roads next year, the mayor wants to get rid of the 
division between cars and pedestrians. "The sidewalks are going to go, 
and the asphalt too. Everything will be covered in cobblestones," says 
mayor Klaus Goedejohann [Spiegel Online].

- Swedish people trust Volvo and Saab more than the church, according to 
a poll by the business weekly, Daagens. However, people trust the church 
more than Coca-Cola [Spiegel Online].

- November 19 was World Day of Remembrance for Traffic Victims. On 
average, 3,450 people die on the world's roads everyday [RoadPeace].

- In Illinois, USA, a 19-year-old motorist was downloading ring tones to 
her mobile phone when she hit and killed a cyclist. She will be charged 
with improper lane use, which carries a maximum US$1,000 fine and a trip 
to traffic safety school [Streets in Review].

- The Hokkaido Railway Company in Japan has designed a hybrid vehicle, 
which can run on both train tracks and paved roads [Japanrail News].

- In 2005, the average American drove almost 22,000 km, 87 km less than 
in 2004. For the first time in 25 years this figure has dropped [Reuters].

- When the US Army tested a signal that would be used for communication 
in the case of a terrorist crisis, the remote control garage door 
openers of hundreds of households ceased to work. The signal works on 
the same frequencies of the 50 million garage door openers US-wide 
[Times Online]. 


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WORLD CARFREE NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS >>
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CARBUSTERS CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Carbusters is seeking submissions related to car- and jet-free travel 
for its spring issue. Travel writing and photo essays, profiles of 
carfree places, and book/product reviews are welcome. Send submissions 
to <editors at carbusters.org>.
Deadline: January 20, 2007
Guidelines: www.carbusters.org/submissions


AUTOHOLICS ANONYMOUS GIFT MEMBERSHIPS

Car-addicted Britons can now join Autoholics Anonymous online via 
<www.autoholics.org> and follow our 12-month, 12-step programme 
throughout 2007. You can also order annual AA gift memberships for 
friends or family members. In the membership pack, they'll receive an 
easy-to-follow programme with weekly activities and monthly milestones, 
to make the process as rewarding as possible. Don't delay, sign up today!


TOWARDS CARFREE CITIES VII AND VIII

After a successful conference in Bogota, Colombia, the series moves on 
to Istanbul, Turkey. The confirmed dates are August 27- 31, 2007. The 
network is now seeking proposals - with a deadline of December 15 - for 
hosting the 2008 conference, preferably in North America. See 
www.worldcarfree.net/conference/ for details.


RESOURCE CENTRE SEEKS T-SHIRT DESIGNS

The World Carfree Network Resource Centre is looking for new t- shirts 
designs. If you have an idea for a design that you would like to see on 
t-shirts, which will be worn worldwide, send it to us at 
<info at worldcarfree.net>. If we choose your design, you will receive a 
free subscription to Carbusters magazine.


ECOTOURISM IN POLAND

Already thinking about your first spring holiday? The Civil Affairs 
Institute, a nonprofit organisation and a member of World Carfree 
Network, offers eco-tourism holidays in Poland with minimal impact on 
the land and natural resources, and maximum contact with local culture, 
history, tradition and customs. There are hiking tours in the Beskidy 
Mountains and a canoe/hiking trip in north-eastern Poland. All income 
from the organised expeditions is put towards nature protection 
campaigns in Poland. For more information see <www.ecotourism.org.pl>.


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GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS >>
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VIENNA ROAD BUILDING
[submitted by Jan Bargen, Vienna]

After years of frustrating campaigning against motorways in eastern 
Austria, The Lobau protest camp has reason to celebrate. The city 
government may cancel completion of the northern half of Vienna's ring 
road because the tunnel under the Danube and the Lobau National Park is 
looking less and less feasible. The city wanted to start drilling test 
holes in the park on November 1; this was the first day of the protest 
camp, and as of yet, drilling has not started. Vienna's mayor doubts the 
financial practicability of the project, and several voices claim that 
the company responsible for the work will not start drilling as long as 
the protest camp is there. And they are there to stay. For more 
information see <www.lobau.at>.

...

Bulletin #38 by Steven Logan
<se_logan at worldcarfree.net>

[end]


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