From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2005 08:01:27 -0700 (PDT)
List-Subscribe:
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
eng>
________________________
WORLD CARFREE NEWS >>>
____________________________________
Edition no. 21 - June 2005 - English version
...........................................................
Contents:
QUOTATION OF THE MONTH
IN BRIEF
WORLD NEWS
- EU EXPANSION BAD FOR RAIL
- GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS SHUT DOWN RANGE ROVER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- REGISTRATION FOR TOWARDS CARFREE CITIES V
- ECOTOPIA GATHERING, AUGUST, MOLDOVA
- ECOTOPIA BIKETOUR
- CARFREE DAYS IN SUMMER - GERMANY
- CARFREE DAYS IN SUMMER - PITTSBURGH, USA
- BIKE & TRANSIT EXPO, NEW YORK
- BIKE ZINE AVAILABLE
DISCLAIMER
__________________
QUOTATION OF THE MONTH >>
__________________________
"The car has become the carapace, the protective and aggressive
shell, of urban and suburban man."
- Marshall McLuhan, social critic
__________________
IN BRIEF >>
__________________________
- On May 25, the Energy Committee of the United States Senate voted
to require US ethanol production to reach at least 8 billion gallons
a year by 2012, double the current output of this gasoline additive.
Proponents of the bill say it will help the U.S. be less dependent on
foreign oil. Opponents claim it will make gasoline more expensive. A
week earlier, the same committee rejected a plan to require sport
utility vehicles and minivans to become more fuel efficient and
achieve the same gasoline mileage as passenger cars in six years
- France is also moving to increase the production of alternative
fuels on May 19, granting tax rebates to produce an extra 700,000
tonnes of biodiesel and 250,000 tonnes of ethanol per year. Current
annual production stands at 200,000 tonnes of ethanol and 500,000
tonnes of biodiesel.
_______________
WORLD NEWS >>
__________________
EU EXPANSION BAD FOR RAIL
One year after nine contries of Central and Eastern Europe joined the
European Union, the German rail alliance "Allianz pro Schiene" has
released a report saying that railways have been one of the big
losers of EU expansion. Truck transport is exploding, while train
tracks are rotting away. Although the group focusses on Germany ("If
Germany doesn't massively speed up expansion of train connections to
Poland, it will negatively influence not only the environment, but
also economic development," says Allianz pro Schiene's Dirk Flege),
"transit countries" such as Austria and the Czech Republic have felt
the full impact of the new open borders.
Allianz for Schiene's specific demands include modernising at least
the most important train connections between Poland and Germany. A
comparison: there are eight train connections but 21 road connections
(including four brand-new motorways) between the two countries. "This
doesn't give the imporession that transport policy is serious about
transferring more traffic onto rail," says Flege.
The figures for personal transport don't look too promising,
either. Today, some 900,000 people travel from Germany to Poland by
train every year. This is expected to climb to
1.7 million by 2015. In comparison, personal automobile traffic is in
the same period expected to climb from 38.5 to 62 million people.
GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS SHUT DOWN RANGE ROVER
On May 16, 35 members of Greenpeace UK shut down an assembly line in
Great Britain that was making Range Rover SUVs. The volunteers cut
power to the assembly line and handcuffed themselves to unfinished
vehicles along the 500-foot-long assembly line. Using yellow "crime
scene" tape, they labelled the area a "climate crime scene."
According to Greenpeace, this is the first time anywhere in the world
that protesters have shut down a factory making Sports Utility
Vehicles.
The activists did not shut down production of the Land Rover
Defender, which they consider a vehicle for legitimate agricultural
and industrial purposes. The point was to call attention to the
wasteful nature of "off-road" cars built mainly for on-road personal
transport and which have a fuel efficiency of just 12 miles per
gallon. The new Range Rover Sport, says Greenpeace, has fewer miles
to the gallon than the Model T Ford built 80 years ago.
___________________
ANNOUNCEMENTS >>
______________________________
REGISTRATION FOR TOWARDS CARFREE CITIES V: JULY 18-21
Registration is open for the Towards Carfree Cities V conference,
which will take place July 18-21 in Budapest, Hungary. The World
Carfree Network annual meeting will take place afterward on July 22.
You can register on-line or download a registration form at
<www.worldcarfree.net/conference/>. The conference programme and
accommodation information can be found there as well.
ECOTOPIA GATHERING, AUGUST, MOLDOVA
You are invited to Ecotopia 2005, taking place in the Saharna nature
reserve, in the Republic of Moldova from August 1 to 14. This year's
theme is Alternative Technologies, but as always the program will be
created by the participants.
Topics discussed will include renewable energy, solar power, waste
management and recycling, green building and eco-housing, organic
food production, windmills, green economy, green design and
architecture, and green-everything. The focus will also be on
east-west issues in Europe, planning local and global actions and
developing ideas for new projects and campaigns on the European level.
The special thing about Ecotopia is that the program is made by
participants. You are invited to give workshops yourself, if you like.
Applications at are due by July 10. People applying for travel
reimbursement should apply not later than June 20. For more
information on registering and fees, visit
<www.eyfa.org/ecotopia2005.html>.
ECOTOPIA BIKETOUR
Want to visit the Ecotopia Conference and have a great experience on
the way? The Ecotopia Biketour leaves Banja Luka, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, on June 17. This is your last chance to register -
applications are due by June 4. More info at <www.thebiketour.net>.
CARFREE DAYS IN SUMMER - GERMANY, JUNE 19+21
"Mobil ohne Auto" 2005 celebrates its 25th anniversary this year,
with a carfree Sunday on June 19, followed by the Carfee School Day
on June 21. Events take place all over Germany - more information at
<www.mobilohneauto.de>.
CARFREE DAYS IN SUMMER - PITTSBURGH, USA, JULY 23
Carfree Pittsburgh is planning a family-oriented street fair where
the community can celebrate the improved local air quality from
reduced emissions and traffic while obtaining information relating to
healthy, environmentally-conscious lifestyles and environmental
issues. <www.carfreepittsburgh.org>
BIKE & TRANSIT EXPO, NEW YORK, JUNE 24-JULY 4
A whole week of workshops, exhibits, and other events promoting and
celebrating alternative transportation. Critical Mass bike ride, bike
repair workshops, meeting of "Auto-Free New York", bicycle law,
grassroots activism and more. Info at <www.www.lightwheels.com>
BIKE ZINE AVAILABLE
World Carfree Network member Go By Bicycle is offering reprints of
the "Go By Bicycle" zine, available for US$5 for all three issues or
US$3 for just one issue (International orders please add US$1). Check
them out at <www.gobybicycle.com/goodstuff.htm>.
___________________
DISCLAIMER >>
__________________
Observant readers may have noticed that the monthly quote is from
someone who has been dead for 25 years. Those of you who feel
uncomfortable with our communicating with the dead are encouraged to
send us car-related quotes from living people at
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>.
[end]
_______________________________________________
Biofuel mailing list
Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org
Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
Search the full Biofuel list archives (46,000 messages):
http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/
Search the Biofuels-biz list archives:
http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuels-biz/
