MNN: Commander's crime should not be associated with Mohawks

CFB COMMANDER WILLIAMS' CRIMES SHOULD NOT BE ASSOCIATED WITH MOHAWKS

By Kahentintha Horn
Mohawk Nation News
http://www.mohawknationnews.com

The following story is dangeous b.s. meant to associate Mohawks with one of the most horrendous crimes in Canada. Who is this writer serving and what is the real story?

As an Indigenous person, I always look at "pat" stories with a critical eye. This story sounds like the kind of false propaganda that is always being put out about the Mohawks, that our women are prostitutes, are in the prison system, we are criminals, dealing in contraband, etc. These PR stories are put out about us to justify railroading us into jail for the rest of our lives and to demonize us. Often they don't have the right person or the facts. It's meant to scare us into towing the line.

Why is this writer trying to make us think they are native? Why is this writer connecting us with prostitutes being released into the streets of Kingston? Why is this writer trying to misrepresent the city of Belleville and the Mohawk women from Tyendinaga, as if we are displaying ourselves at the local bars to pick up soldiers? Is this association meant to look like this officer had a motive for picking up an indigenous looking person with dark skin and hair?

Something's seriously wrong here. This writer says that Indigenous are being released into the streets of Kingston. This is not true anymore. The Prison for Women was closed down about ten years ago [Arbour Inquiry Report]. A documentary was made and televised on it. Today Indigenous women are scattered throughout Canada and kept where they are arrested.

This story distorts the relationship between the Mohawks and the Trenton military establishment. There is no love between us. There is no overt underlying hatred between us either. We just don't like trespassers. We did stop that army convoy from going through our community a while ago. The impression being created is that a soldier was so racist that he might have picked her up because he thought she was native, killed her and left her body in the ditch in Tweed.

These kinds of rigged stories are meant to put our women in the position of victims and our men retaliate by terrorism.

Kahentinetha, MNN Mohawk Nation News kahentinetha2@yahoo.com www.mohawknationnews.com

MNN Commentary (above) on the following misleading story.
Subject: CLASSWAR: [eaglewatch] Trenton Military Commander Charged for Murders of Two Women: Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Another police/military goon serial killer... except this one got
hisself caught. Like his arrogant masters and other goons, he probably
started feeling invincible. The harder they come, eh?
I don't know when the working-class in North American will wake up to
the very real threat these organized killers pose to all of us -- and
not just to people in their colonies. But it won't be happening while
workers continue in their very mistaken support of the likes of the
NDP and Democratic Party, and various union and "community" dis-leaders
- -- who keep us in thrall to this class enemy and their murderous stooges.
Frankly, I hope they hang this guy. From the wing of one of his jet
fighters.
From: "Mrs. Stanley"
Date: Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:19:00 -0500
From the Eagle Watch #28
When we first heard about 27-year-old Jessica Lloyd gone missing in
Belleville, we suspected she was dead. We further speculated that it
was a soldier at Trenton who killed her. Someone replied that we were
just saying that cause we're so against the military. We objected that
our speculation is not based on blanket hostility toward military people
but on analysis and observation of the military mentality.

Belleville is a small city in southern Ontario with a high rate of
unemployment. Young women go to Belleville to sell their bodies just as
women desperate for livelihood have done for centuries during hard
times. It's the only way they see to survive. The market for
prostitutes in Belleville is huge with the Trenton Air Base just 20
minutes away.
Soldiers living away from home and family have "needs". They also have
some income to pay for such luxuries and indulgences. It doesn't stop
there.

Soldiers are trained to develop a dehumanizing attitude and to have
contempt for women who are viewed as weak and inferior. The military is
a fertile breeding ground for a chauvinistic outlook that glorifies self
and despises others. War is anti woman and anti life. It is
dehumanizing to the soldiers themselves.

On February 9, 2010, the commander at Trenton, 46-year-old Russell
Williams was arrested and charged for two murders, the missing Jessica
Lloyd whose body was found at Tweed, north of Trenton and another 36
year old woman who herself was a soldier at Trenton. He was charged in
two more cases of sexual assault involving home invasion. In the news
coverage, Williams was not shown shamed and in shackles but chatting
with Defence Minister Peter MacKay who himself looks like a perv.
That's just our opinion but as eagle-eyed grandmothers we read people
like open books. You can bet that Williams will get kid glove treatment
by his peers.

How did this man think he could get away with such horrific antisocial
behaviour? The simple fact is: rape, sexual assault and abuse of women
by military men goes on all the time. It is only when women are
reported missing and dead bodies start turning up that police and media
become involved.

This case is just the tip of the iceberg. How many of Williams'
subordinates admire him and emulate him? What kind of sexist and
racist jokes do they constantly utter, endorsing this dehumanizing
brutality toward women? What goes on at various parties and bars where
alcohol brings out the beast?

Police themselves also feel they can act with impunity in committing
crimes against women. Statistics indicate that both demographics of
military and police commit more domestic violence than the average.
While some foolish women find the uniform "romantic", those in uniform
hide behind its authority. Who can a woman turn to for help under such
circumstances?

Now, with more and more Canadian military people going to war theatres,
this cynical and cruel mentality is becoming ever more widespread. It's
the proverbial chickens coming home to roost. These men are sick and
unfit for normal society and family life. They consider themselves to
be better than everyone else. The matter is hidden from public view yet
it is a growing stinking cancer in society that cannot remain hidden.

There are solutions. It is extremely urgent that we speak out to stop
the growing militarization of society. Too many people are not even
paying attention. The expansion of the Trenton air base now underway,
will double the military population there. What will it take for people
to see what is happening? What magnitude of scale must be reached
before people wake up?

Southern Ontario is on its way to becoming a militarized zone where
only the military have jobs. Kingston, east of Trenton is an
historical military city with another base and the same scenario of
prostitution, strippers and careless young women being victimized.

We are NOT saying that Jessica Lloyd was a hooker. We don't know
anything about her except that she is dead and someone is mourning her
now.

The other long overdue solution is the legalization of the sex trade
workers into safe houses. Known as the "oldest profession",
prostitution is not going away, even in times of permissive sexual
mores where favours are given away. Why not dignify the job and make it
safer for the women and even the young men who choose this line of work?

Kingston is also the site of several prisons where Indigenous people
are released to the streets with nowhere to go. Indigenous women under
the double stigma of gender and race, are especially vulnerable and at
risk. We have to take care of our own. We have to teach our daughters
the truth about the dangers of careless sexual conduct. We must also
teach our sons to respect women. We need better opportunities for
education and livelihood for our children. The military life is not
the answer.

Wells Fargo 'Just says No' to Sheriff Arpaio

Puente Press Release/Contact: Salvador Reza 602 446-9928 http://www.puenteaz.org/
Date: February 10, 2010, Phoenix, AZ

Wells Fargo serves Sheriff Arpaio notice of eviction

“If Well Fargo lets Joe Stay, We will be here everyday”
Chant sung everyday by daily protesters at Wells Fargo Bank
Press Conference
Date: February 9, 2010
Time: 12:00 noon
Location: Corner of 1st Ave and Washington
In Front of Downtown Wells Fargo Bank

After one year and a half of daily demonstrations Wells Fargo sent letter to Maricopa County evicting Sheriff Joe Arpaio from Wells Fargo Property on the 18th and 19th floor. This is the culmination of continuous daily pressure by PUENTE Movement Organizers.
“This is a great victory for the Puente Movement which was responsible for evicting Sheriff Joe Arpaio from Pruitts Furniture Store two years ago.” said Salvador Reza.
The Phoenix New Times reported that Wells Fargo Bank Vice President Leo Bauman sent a letter to Dennis Lindsey, Maricopa County Real Estate Manager, stating that the bank “needs the space for its own use … but Bauman says the bank will waive the contract penalty fee of 12 months’ worth of rent for early termination.”
Rob McElwain who has been demonstrating daily in front of Wells Fargo said, “This is only the beginning. We will continue demonstrating until we evict Sheriff Joe and Andrew Thomas out of Maricopa County Government where they can no longer abuse their power or intimidate Maricopa County residents.” County Attorney Andrew Thomas also occupies two floors in the same building.
The Puente movement had asked the Wells Fargo Bank not to renew Sheriff Joe’s contract but they refused to heed our advice. Now Sheriff Joe is a symbol of repression and intolerance and an embarrassment to Maricopa County and to Law Enforcement Nationwide. Wells Fargo seems to finally have seen the light. However County Attorney Andrew Thomas is equally guilty of abusing our community and should also leave the Wells Fargo Building before we stop targeting Wells Fargo Bank.

Bolivia Peoples Climate Summit: Restoring the Balance

Evo Morales' Peoples Climate Summit: Restoring the Balance
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2010/02/bolivia-peoples-climate-summit.html
Narcosphere
By Brenda Norrell

COCHABAMBA, Bolivia -- Bolivian President Evo Morales, announcing the objectives of the upcoming Peoples Climate Summit, made it clear that the so-called developed countries of the world have usurped the bounties of Mother Earth at the expense of the poorest people in the world.

Cautioning mankind of the suffering and displacement which leads to forced migration, Morales called for The Peoples World Conference on Climate Change and Mother Earth's Rights, in Cochabamba, Bolivia, April 19-22 2010.

Stressing the need to reestablish harmony with nature and establish the rights of Mother Earth, Morales welcomed those willing to work for the good of all mankind, and those governments willing to work for the best interests of their people.

Morales said climate change represents a real threat to the existence of humanity, of living being and Mother Earth. The danger is serious for the islands, coastal areas, glaciers in the Himalayas, the Andes, mountains of the world, poles of the Earth, warm regions like Africa, water sources, populations affected by increasing natural disasters, plants, animals and ecosystems, he said.

"Those most affected by climate change will be the poorest in the world who will see their homes and their sources of survival destroyed, and who will be forced to migrate and seek refuge."

He pointed out that 75 percent of historical emissions of greenhouse gases originated in "the countries of the North that followed a path of irrational industrialization."

"Climate change is a product of the capitalist system," Morales said. While citing regret at the failure of the Copenhagen Climate Conference, he said the so-called developed countries failed to recognize their climate debt to developing countries, future generations and Mother Earth.

The purpose of the conference in Cochabamba is to discuss and agree on the Universal Declaration of Mother Earth Rights. It seeks an agreement on proposals for new commitments to the Kyoto Protocol and a COP Decision under the United Nations Framework for Climate Change.

Morales welcomed a broad range of people to the summit. "The Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia calls on the peoples of the world, social movements and Mother Earth's defenders, and invites scientists, academics, lawyers and governments that want to work with their citizens."

Earthcycles, http://www.earthcycles.net/, and Censored News, http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/, will be streaming live from the summit, with on-air Indigenous cohosts.

Meanwhile, the Parliamentarians of the European United Left, and the Nordic United Left proposed a Resolution, in relation to the outcome of the Copenhagen summit on Climate Change, that "welcomes the initiative" taken by President Evo Morales "to convoke the Peoples' World Conference on Climate change and Mother Earth's Rights from the 19th to the 22nd of April 2010 in the city of Cochabamba; urges the Commission, the Member states, the European Parliament and the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly to send representatives to this important event."

Registration is free and available in Spanish and English: info@cmpcc.org
Updates will be available at Censored News http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
The objectives are:
1) To analyze the structural and systemic causes that drive climate change and to propose radical measures to ensure the well-being of all humanity in harmony with nature
2) To discuss and agree on the project of a Universal Declaration of Mother Earth Rights
3) To agree on proposals for new commitments to the Kyoto Protocol and projects for a COP Decision under the United Nations Framework for Climate Change that will guide future actions in those countries that are engaged with life during climate change negotiations and in all United Nations scenarios, related to:
- Climate debt
- Climate change migrants-refugees
- Emission reductions
- Adaptation
- Technology transfer
- Finance
- Forest and Climate Change
- Shared Vision
- Indigenous Peoples, and
- Others
4) To work on the organization of the Peoples' World Referendum on Climate Change
5) To analyze and develop an action plan to advance the establishment of a Climate Justice Tribunal
6) To define strategies for action and mobilization to defend life from Climate Change and to defend Mother Earth's Rights.
The statement was made by Evo Morales Ayma, President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, on Jan. 5. info@cmpcc.org
Working Groups
1. Structural causes
2. Harmony with Nature
3. Mother Earth Rights
4. Referendum
5. Climate Justice Tribunal
6. Climate Migrants
7. Indigenous Peoples
8. Climate Debt
9. Shared Vision
10. Kyoto Protocol
11. Adaptation
12. Financing
13. Technology Transfer
14. Forest
15. Dangers of Carbon Market
16. Action Strategies
Objetivos
La Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos sobre el Cambio Climático y los Derechos de la Madre Tierra tiene por objetivos:
1. Analizar las causas estructurales y sistémicas que provocan el cambio climático y proponer medidas de fondo que posibiliten el bienestar de toda la humanidad en armonía con la naturaleza. 2. Discutir y acordar el proyecto de Declaración Universal de Derechos de la Madre Tierra.
3. Acordar las propuestas de nuevos compromisos para el Protocolo de Kioto, y para proyectos de Decisiones de la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre Cambio Climático que guiarán el accionar de los gobiernos comprometidos con la vida en las negociaciones de cambio climático y en todos los escenarios de Naciones Unidas.
4. Trabajar en la organización del Referéndum Mundial de los Pueblos sobre el cambio climático.
5. Analizar y trazar un plan de acción para avanzar en la constitución de un Tribunal de Justicia Climática;
6. Definir las estrategias de acción y movilización en defensa de la vida frente al Cambio Climático y por los Derechos de la Madre Tierra.

Larry Kibby: Religious freedom and preservation

'A Small Viewpoint' by Larry Kibby
Reznews
Good Evening Ladies & Gentlemen,

On this Superbowl day, I visited my Reznews Radio Video station earlier this morning to discuss briefly my viewpoint on the American Indian Freedom of Religion Act of 1978, a dialogue that had a little to do with the Sweat Lodge incident in Sedona, Arizona back in October of 2009, a tragic incident that took the lives of three Human Beings and sent 18 other folks to the hospital with serious and maybe even critical long term health problems, an incident that should not have happened but did.

Of course that video was done around 5:30 am this morning and since then I've been thinking and asking myself, "Why do we have a federal law that grants us religious freedom?" Aren't our religious rights protected by the U.S. Constitution?

Back in 1978, so much activity was going on, so many activists proclaiming, advocating and promoting a lot. From the Treaty Right Movement, Red Power Groups and the American Indian Movement, groups and organizations staging protests, demonstrations and sit-ins, debating the Civil Rights, Freedoms and Injustices of the American Indian.

Anyway, I was wondering, how it was that there was such a demand by folks that our Religious Rights be recognized, when there was on some occasions that some of us had been told by our elders, medicine people and holy ones, that we shouldn't argue, fight or get angry over matters we have no control over, because there are some things that can be put away or will go away and sadly, somethings that can come back around in a way we may not like or understand.

I wonder if people even really care to know or understand, that when something is abused or misused, something that has a strength, power or is very sacred, what would happen to them, their family or even to their tribe? And what about the non-Indians who abuse or misuse these matters, how does that impact our respects?

In this day and age, throughout this society, there are a huge number of Religious Belief's available for people to grasp a hold of, religions that provide Faith and Hope and as well, there are a great number of New Age theories and belief's available for people to practice, yet with such a huge amount of devout groups and organizations in America, what has bought all this attention and focus on the Religious Freedoms of the American Indian?

Of course it is ever so easy to state that money is the greatest reason, get rich quick schemes for the most part, however, not everyone is looking for wealth, some folks are serious about their search for Faith and Hope. Could it be that Americans have fallen away from their own Religious Convictions? Have Americans lost their respect for their pastors, priest and preachers? Why is it that Americans have strayed from their own devout beliefs? Does politics have a lot to do with Americans losing Hope?

America grew far too fast, what with all walks of mankind coming through the doors of immigration, some searching for a New Life, while others were searching and hoping to find the Great American Dream, a Dream that was thrashed when 9/11 occurred.

The Nations of Mankind came to America, bringing with them their country's cultural and religious values and principles, with some setting up their own communities, while others slipped into mainstream society and America became the Land of Opportunity for so many.

Do you know, not one of those immigrants, none of those people coming from throughout the world made any effort to understand who the original occupants of America were or if those Native people had their own way of life, their own culture or beliefs? And when it finally came to an understanding, the multitudes had already been brainwashed, the wheels of propaganda spewed out false and misleading information about the American Indian, an American History full of untruths, a history that was incomplete.

At one point in time our people loudly proclaimed that our land was not for sell, so how was it that from such a statement that a few Indians and non-Indians decided that it was ideal to sell the ceremonies, medicines, languages and other sacred regalia?

At what point in time did the elders, medicine folks and the holy ones express that it was ideal to change, add and distort the traditional values and principles? How was it that the ceremonies, medicines and so much else became so distorted, destroyed and desecrated? And why was such political corruption, cultural and sacrilege terrorism allowed to go on and on?

I'll never understand why some of our people turned their backs, minds, souls and hearts on the culture and beliefs, but I think now, we must make some serious effort to preserve and protect what we can of that in which our ancestors handed-down to us to safe-guard for our generations.
I can only hope that my children and my grandchildren and future generations will be able to have the culture and beliefs that so many of us have respected and held close to our hearts, because anymore, so much is being changed, so much is being restructured, so much is so wrong, yet it being advocated as authentic, only it doesn't come from hearts of truth. Hopefully that in which I believe will sincerely take care of that in which has become so wrong.
Composed & Posted by:
Larry Kibby - l.kibby@frontier.com
Reznews Radio Video
http://ubroadcast.com/channel/reznews

Western Shoshone ask court to enforce ruling to halt gold mining on Mount Tenabo

Western Shoshone and allies ask court to enforce ruling to halt gold mining on Mount Tenabo

Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/

Western Shoshone and their allies have asked a federal court to enforce a ruling that would protect sacred Mount Tenabo from the destruction of Barrick Gold's open pit gold mine, which would core out the sacred mountain where ceremonies are conducted.

A motion was filed Friday, February 5, in U.S. District Court in Reno for enforcement of an injunctive order recently issued by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. It is part of the 14-month long lawsuit brought against the BLM and Barrick Gold of Canada to stop expanded gold mining on Mount Tenabo.

The lawsuit was filed by the South Fork Band Council of Western Shoshone, the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone, the Timbisha Tribe of Western Shoshone, the Western Shoshone Defense Project, and Great Basin Resource Watch. BLM approved Barrick’s proposal in November of 2008 and the Indian Nations immediately filed a request that the project not be allowed to continue until BLM complied with federal law.

The District Court in Reno denied the Indian Nations' injunction request at which point the Indian Nations appealed to the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. After considering the evidence and conducting a hearing in San Francisco, the Ninth Circuit, on December 3, 2009, in a unanimous 3-judge ruling, published its decision agreeing with the Indian Nations. The Ninth Circuit ordered the District Court to issue the injunction.

The Ninth Circuit agreed with the Indian Nations that BLM had likely violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), finding that BLM failed to adequately consider the significant impacts from the Cortez Hills Project on Mount Tenabo on air and water quality.

The Ninth Circuit’s decision took effect January 25, 2010. On that date, Barrick filed a motion with the District Court in Reno to limit the Ninth Circuit’s ruling, asking the court to instead enjoin only a very limited subset of activities at the mine site.

Discussing the Indian Nations' Motion, John Hadder, director of Great Basin Resource Watch stated, “Barrick’s hollow offer in their motion was too vague and incomplete to assure that the irreparable harm to the Tribes and the environment will not occur while the deficiencies in the EIS are addressed. The law is very clear that the purpose of an EIS is to develop a full picture of all the impacts enabling a balanced evaluation of the mine and whether impact mitigation plans are adequate. The Ninth Circuit clearly found that BLM violated these fundamental legal requirements.”

In requesting the district court to limit the Ninth Circuit’s ruling by issuing only an extremely limited injunction, Barrick stresses the economic benefits from the project and potential temporary layoffs that might occur if the project is enjoined.

Hadder said, “Barrick chose to proceed with the project while the injunction request was being litigated and nonetheless hired workers. Thus, the potential economic losses stated by Barrick are losses of Barrick’s own making.” Hadder added, “Had Barrick decided to be cautious in light of the litigation, there would not be this economic situation, but a manageable trajectory of employment and economy.”

“Barrick knew very well that there was a risk in proceeding with the development of the Cortez Hills mine in the shadow of litigation. Unfortunately, Barrick’s gamble is played out on the backs of the workers and contractors. We hope that Barrick will behave as a better employer at this point and seek to relocate those employees slated to be laid off,” said Larson Bill, Council Member for the South Fork Band. Bill is also the Te-Moak Tribe and community planner for the plaintiff Western Shoshone Defense Project.

Construction of the mine is nearly complete with large-scale impact to the lands and some removal of water from Mount Tenabo. Barrick proposed to reduce some groundwater pumping and some other minor changes to the project, but declined halting full-scale blasting and excavation of the 2,000 foot deep mine pit, as well as beginning the cyanide-leach processing of the gold ore.

Julie Cavanaugh-Bill, legal counsel for the Western Shoshone Defense Project, said, “It is surprising that given the contentions surrounding mining at Mount Tenabo that more care was not taken in developing the EIS. This is especially poignant in terms of the enormous impacts of the Mine, which desecrates Mount Tenabo, a place held sacred by many Western Shoshone for countless generations.”

The Tribes’ Motion was filed by Roger Flynn, attorney with the Western Mining Action Project, a non-profit law firm which represents the Indian Nations in the case.

Cochabama: Peoples World Conference on Climate Change and Mother Earth's Rights

Cochabama: Peoples World Conference on Climate Change and Mother Earth's Rights
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
Agenda and registration http://pwccc.wordpress.com/
(Espanol) http://cmpcc.org/guia-informativa

COCHABAMBA, Bolivia -- Bolivian President Evo Morales announced the objectives of the “Peoples World Conference on Climate Change and Mother Earth's Rights,” to be held in Cochabamba, Bolivia, April 19-22 2010.
President Morales stated his call for the conference.
"Considering that climate change represents a real threat to the existence of humanity, of living beings and our Mother Earth as we know it today; Noting the serious danger that exists to islands, coastal areas, glaciers in the Himalayas, the Andes and mountains of the world, poles of the Earth, warm regions like Africa, water sources, populations affected by increasing natural disasters, plants and animals, and ecosystems in general;
Making clear that those most affected by climate change will be the poorest in the world who will see their homes and their sources of survival destroyed, and who will be forced to migrate and seek refuge;
Confirming that 75% of historical emissions of greenhouse gases originated in the countries of the North that followed a path of irrational industrialization;
Noting that climate change is a product of the capitalist system;
Regretting the failure of the Copenhagen Conference caused by countries called “developed”, that fail to recognize the climate debt they have with developing countries, future generations and Mother Earth;
Affirming that in order to ensure the full fulfillment of human rights in the twenty-first century, it is necessary to recognize and respect Mother Earth’s rights;
Reaffirming the need to fight for climate justice;
Recognizing the need to take urgent actions to avoid further damage and suffering to humanity, Mother Earth and to restore harmony with nature;
Confident that the peoples of the world, guided by the principles of solidarity, justice and respect for life, will be able to save humanity and Mother Earth, and
Celebrating the International Day of Mother Earth,
The Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia calls on the peoples of the world, social movements and Mother Earth’s defenders, and invites scientists, academics, lawyers and governments that want to work with their citizens to the Peoples’ World Conference on Climate Change and Mother Earth’s Rights to be held from 20th to 22nd April 2010 in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
The Peoples’ World Conference on Climate Change and Mother Earth’s Rights has as objectives:
1) To analyze the structural and systemic causes that drive climate change and to propose radical measures to ensure the well-being of all humanity in harmony with nature
2) To discuss and agree on the project of a Universal Declaration of Mother Earth Rights
3) To agree on proposals for new commitments to the Kyoto Protocol and projects for a COP Decision under the United Nations Framework for Climate Change that will guide future actions in those countries that are engaged with life during climate change negotiations and in all United Nations scenarios, related to:
- Climate debt
- Climate change migrants-refugees
- Emission reductions
- Adaptation
- Technology transfer
- Finance
- Forest and Climate Change
- Shared Vision
- Indigenous Peoples, and
- Others
4) To work on the organization of the Peoples’ World Referendum on Climate Change
5) To analyze and develop an action plan to advance the establishment of a Climate Justice Tribunal
6) To define strategies for action and mobilization to defend life from Climate Change and to defend Mother Earth’s Rights.
The statement was made by Evo Morales Ayma, President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, on Jan. 5. info@cmpcc.org
Meanwhile, the Parliamentarians of the European United Left, and the Nordic United Left have proposed a Resolution in relation to the outcome of the Copenhagen summit on Climate Change that ”welcomes the initiative taken by M. Evo Morales, President of Bolivia, to convoke the Peoples’ World Conference on Climate change and Mother Earth’s Rights from the 19th to the 22nd of April 2010 in the city of Cochabamba; urges the Commission, the Member states, the European Parliament and the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly to send representatives to this important event”.
Working Groups
1. Structural causes
2. Harmony with Nature
3. Mother Earth Rights
4. Referendum
5. Climate Justice Tribunal
6. Climate Migrants
7. Indigenous Peoples
8. Climate Debt
9. Shared Vision
10. Kyoto Protocol
11. Adaptation
12. Financing
13. Technology Transfer
14. Forest
15. Dangers of Carbon Market
16. Action Strategies
Objetivos
La Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos sobre el Cambio Climático y los Derechos de la Madre Tierra tiene por objetivos:
1. Analizar las causas estructurales y sistémicas que provocan el cambio climático y proponer medidas de fondo que posibiliten el bienestar de toda la humanidad en armonía con la naturaleza. 2. Discutir y acordar el proyecto de Declaración Universal de Derechos de la Madre Tierra.
3. Acordar las propuestas de nuevos compromisos para el Protocolo de Kioto, y para proyectos de Decisiones de la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre Cambio Climático que guiarán el accionar de los gobiernos comprometidos con la vida en las negociaciones de cambio climático y en todos los escenarios de Naciones Unidas.
4. Trabajar en la organización del Referéndum Mundial de los Pueblos sobre el cambio climático.
5. Analizar y trazar un plan de acción para avanzar en la constitución de un Tribunal de Justicia Climática;
6. Definir las estrategias de acción y movilización en defensa de la vida frente al Cambio Climático y por los Derechos de la Madre Tierra.

LA Times: Protesters amass ahead of Olympics

"An array of groups with individual agendas will descend on Vancouver, much as they have during other high-profile events like World Trade Organization and G-20 meetings: North American aboriginal groups that say the games are being hosted on unceded 'stolen land.' Conservationists alarmed at the construction of the 62-mile Sea to Sky Highway connecting the city to the skiing venues at Whistler. Opponents of tar sands oil development in northern Canada. Anti-poverty activists who say the Olympics have further marginalized Vancouver's poorest residents. They will join under the umbrella of the Olympic Resistance Network, which has been organizing the effort through its website, http://www.olympicresistance.net/ "
Read article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-olympics-protest6-2010feb06,0,7406930.story

Uranium Mining in the Black Hills

Uranium Mining In The Black Hills
by Debra White Plume, Lakota on Pine Ridge, S.D.
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
Maps from Powertech website

The planned uranium mine site in the southern Black Hills can impact four aquifers. Powertech, Inc. USA plans to begin uranium extraction in 2011 and operate for 15 years in the permit area of 10,580 acres located in Dewey and Burdock Counties, north of Edgemont, SD. PT plans to drill 4000-8000 wells to a depth of 400-800 feet underground to extract 1 million pounds uranium per year, initially using 4000 gallons of water per minute. As well as the four aquifers in this area, the site includes the surface water of Beaver Creek and Pass Creek, which empty into the Cheyenne River downstream from the mine site. To permanently store the mining waste of radioactive water and sludge, PT plans to use several evaporation ponds and deep disposal wells. Thirty-eight people currently live within a 6 mile radius of the proposed mine, with a cattle ranch nearby that raises beef for sale as food. PT plans to locate its’ processing plant in the Burdock area. Once this area is mined out sometime around the year 2026, PT plans to continue to use the area as a yellow cake processing site for uranium extracted from its mines in Wyoming and Colorado, according to PT’s Environmental Protection Agency Aquifer Exemption Application.
Who Is Powertech, Inc. USA?
Powertech, Inc. (PT) is a recently formed, foreign-owned uranium exploration corporation from Vancouver, BC, Canada with an office in Denver, CO and Hot Springs, SD. (PT’s parent company is Suez, the giant French-owned multinational corporation.) PT also has ISL mining plans for Wyoming and currently is in the permitting process for ISL uranium mines in both South Dakota and Colorado. PT has completed exploratory drilling in the Dewey-Burdock uranium mine permit areas, which straddles Fall River and Custer counties 12 miles northwest of Edgemont. PT utilized several thousand drill holes made by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) 20-30 years ago when TVA explored and mined the area. From 1951 to 1964, TVA produced 1,500,025 pounds of yellow cake from this uranium deposit. TVA left many uranium drill holes uncapped and abandoned when they left the Black Hills. TVA sold their claims when the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant approached a melt-down, and the horror of Chernobyl happened. PT acquired the property in the Edgemont area in 2005. PT is also preparing to mine uranium southeast of Edgemont in the Plum Creek area.
How Will the Miners Get the Uranium Out of the Ground?
ISL Mining is a method used to extract uranium ore from underground, using water to inject solutions deep into the uranium ore body through injection wells, then the ‘production well’ pulls up the injected solution with the uranium ore attached. The piping is placed in drill holes which puncture the aquifers. From these pipes, the uranium ore enters the production plant, the solution and dirt debris is shaken off, and the remaining uranium ore is dried to turn the it into a fine powder called “yellow cake”. It is necessary to drill thousands of holes deep in the ground to conduct ISL mining. Arsenic, Radium 226 & 228, Thorium 230 and other contaminants are stirred up during the extraction process and can enter groundwater through leaks in the thousands of pipes used to ISL mine. Such leaks can allow the radioactive water to seep out of the pipe and back into the groundwater, which has happened at ISL mines all over the world. (for info see www.wise-uranium.com ). Water that is used to extract the uranium ore out of the ground is re-used to repeat the extraction process, some of this water is then stored in evaporation ponds, along with the sludge of the contaminants, some is stored permanently underground in disposal wells. The sludge is shipped out as radioactive waste. No corporation has ever been able to clean up the aquifers of an ISL uranium mine site, rather, the state or EPA will relax its water standards.
Water Pollution A Major Concern In SD
Environmental and conservation groups, including the Sierra Club of SD, warn that water pollution will be a major concern if the mining company Powertech is given a permit to mine for uranium. Shirley Frederick, with the Sierra Club's Black Hills Group, says there's a high likelihood that aquifers will become polluted if an injection-well recovery system is used to mine the ore. "It's a huge potential for contamination of groundwater."
Powertech Inc USA has submitted its uranium mining application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and it can be viewed at the NRC website. The NRC has announced a time period for interested individuals to voice their concerns regarding the uranium mine’s impacts to the environment. This proposed uranium mine will be the first time folks can be heard under the new GEIS.

Bill Quigley: Haiti Still Starving 23 Days Later

Published on Friday, February 5, 2010
by CommonDreams.org

Haiti - Still Starving 23 Days Later
by Bill Quigley

You can walk down many of the streets of Port au Prince and see absolutely no evidence that the world community has helped Haiti.

Twenty-three days after the earthquake jolted Haiti and killed over 200,000 people, as many as a million people have still not received any international food assistance.

On February 4, the UN World Food Program reported they had given at least some food, mostly 55 pound bags of rice, to over a million people. The UN acknowledges that it still needs to reach another one million people. The 55 pounds of rice are expected to provide a two week food ration for a family. Beans and cooking oil are scheduled to come later.

The Associated Press reported that people in Haiti at small protests were holding up banners reading “Help us, we’re starving.” Over a million people are displaced. About 10,000 families are in tents, the rest are living under sheets, blankets and tarps.

One of the people living under a sheet is a brand new mother with her one-day-old baby. The New York Times reports that Rosalie Antoine, 33, and her one day old baby were living in a neighbor’s yard with puppies and chickens under a sheet in the Bel-Air neighborhood of Port au Prince.

Haiti and the United Nations estimate 250,000 children under the age of 7 are living in temporary housing. Most need vaccinations.

Flavia Cherry, of the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action, this week witnessed a pregnant double amputee give birth on the ground in one of the tent camps without any medical assistance at all. “This poor mother had nothing, no milk, no clothing for the baby, nothing!”

Even people who can afford to purchase food are having a difficult time. A 55-pound bag of rice costs 40 percent more today than it did before the earthquake. Dr. Louise Ivers, a Partners in Health physician in Port au Prince, reports a 25 kg (55 pounds) bag of rice that sold for $30 US dollars (1,207 Haitian Gourdes) before the quake, now costs $42 US dollars (1,690 Haitian Gourdes).

The World Food Program reports prices are still rising and people outside the earthquake zone are having difficulty meeting their basic food needs.

Twenty-three days after the quake.

Bill just returned from Haiti. He is Legal Director at the Center for Constitutional Rights. His email is Quigley77@gmail.com

Navajo Council's New Green Economy Commissioners

IGR committee confirms Navajo Green Economy Commissioners
By Navajo Nation Council
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. -- Hon. Lawrence T. Morgan is proud to announce the formation of the first Navajo Green Economy Commission. The five commissioners who have been selected and confirmed by the Intergovernmental Relations Committee include Wahleah Johns, Samuel Woods, Keith Betsuie, Anna Rondon, and LeVon Thomas.
"Each of the Commissioners is highly qualified to carry out the intended goal of creating green jobs on the Navajo Nation," said Speaker Morgan. "Today, there are more opportunities than ever before to move towards the development of a green economy and the creation of green jobs. These Commissioners are passionate about bringing green opportunities to the Nation, and I look forward to the work they will accomplish on behalf of our people."
The Navajo Nation Council became the first American Indian tribe to pass legislation supporting green jobs on tribal lands: Legislation No. 0179-09, enacting the Navajo Nation Green Economy Commission (NGEC) Act of 2009, and Legislation No. 0180-09, enacting the Navajo Green Economy Fund Act of 2009. Both were passed during the summer session of 2009.
"On the same day we were confirmed, President Obama declared that clean energy will be the driver of our economy for the long-term. With enormous solar and wind resources, our Diné can benefit from and lead the way towards this clean energy future," said Johns.
The five Commissioners are tasked with seeking appropriate federal, state, and other funding for the Navajo Nation Green Economy Fund, and networking with local, state, national and international groups to advocate and build Navajo Nation green economy strategies. They will also be working with Navajo Nation divisions and entities to coordinate these efforts and help bring green funding to the programs. The Commission will focus will be on small-scale, community development projects for economic development to empower local communities.
"In the years to come, and as we begin to transition toward more alternative renewable energy forms as a Nation, it is my vision that chapters will be able to sustain their own local green projects, and the Commission will become tasked with coordinating large scale green projects throughout the Navajo Nation," said Speaker Morgan.
The passage of the Navajo Green Economy Commission and the Navajo Green Economy Fund
started with a shared vision. Partnerships with various non-governmental organizations were
instrumental in moving the vision of a green economy forward. The Navajo Green Economy Coalition, which consists of various non-profit organization representatives, garnered 23 Navajo Nation chapter resolutions and two agency resolutions in support of the Navajo Green Economy Legislation and Navajo Green Economy Fund, ultimately helping to turn ideas into legislative action at the Navajo Nation Council level.
"The input, guidance, and expertise from non-governmental organizations will continue to be of incredible worth as we move forward in our planning for a sustainable green economy," said Speaker Morgan. "I want to thank them again for sharing this vision with me."
The Navajo Green Economy Commission has received numerous inquiries since its passage and will begin its work immediately.
"Serving on this commission is a tremendous opportunity to lead the Navajo people to a greener and cleaner energy future," said Thomas. Thomas will serve as the youth representative on the Commission.
"I'm humbled to have been selected to this commission, and I look forward to seeing community-based green economies growing in the near future," said Rondon.
Speaker Morgan believes the concept of 'going green' is not a foreign concept to the Navajo people.
"Our livelihood has always depended on our intrinsic relationship with the land," said Speaker Morgan. "By moving towards a green economy, we will be re-shifting into a way of life that has always reflected our core values as Navajo people."

Rodriguez: 'We wanted a Nelson Mandela, We got a Clarence Thomas'

We Wanted a Nelson Mandela; We got a Clarence Thomas



By Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez
Photo: Roberto Rodriquez walking for migrants who died in the Sonoran Desert/Photo Brenda Norrell


President Barack Obama is an enigma. No one quite seems to know what
he actually stands for.

Most progressives saw in the election of Obama, a Nelson Mandela
figure. Based on his first year in office, many are understandably
disillusioned.

Conversely, much of the right wing of this country demonize(d) him as
a Joseph Stalin figure, this in a “right-center” country

The context of the 2008 election is important in making sense of these
views; it was a landslide. Obama garnered 54% of the electorate
compared to 46% for McCain (Apparently, someone forgot to tell the
electorate that we live in a “right-center” country).

Understanding this, the 2010 analyses of McCain/Palin and their
supporters matter little because it is their views that were
thoroughly repudiated in the 2008 elections. And their hostile
opinions of the president have not actually changed. If anything,
they’ve been emboldened by now having 41 votes in the senate –
compared to 59 for the Democrats (Apparently neither party can count
as Bush never needed 59 votes to govern forcefully, albeit for the
wrong causes). They would be quite happy with a Torquemada figure,
someone who governs from a place of fear, with an iron fist, who is
not afraid to employ torture.

The Obama enigma has more to do with the expectations of those who
swept him into office. In truth, those who thought they had gotten
Mandela – a liberator – were few because most understood that Obama
was elected head of an empire, not head of the UN Human Rights
Commission. Many more Democrats and Independents thought they had
elected a Martin Luther King figure – someone who would fight for the
rights and dignity of all human beings. Unquestionably, Obama indeed
can speak like MLK, but his actions, especially on matters of war and
peace and human rights, have been much closer to Supreme Court Justice
Clarence Thomas.

The Obama/Biden administration is clearly different than a
McCain/Palin administration would have been. Obama has set a different
tone worldwide, but he has not substantively altered the Bush-Cheney
doctrine. And rather than investigate former administration officials
for their roles in carrying out an illegal war, Obama unilaterally has
given them “get-out-of-jail free” cards. Worse, he’s embraced most of
Bush’s extra-legal policies in court. The only substantive difference
has come in relation to Guantanamo. For conservatives, Guantanamo is
Nirvana – a place outside the jurisdiction of U.S. courts. While he
has moved swiftly to close it down, he has not repudiated its most
reprehensible feature: indefinite detention of suspects without
charges.

The context of the 2008 election was a clear repudiation of all things
Bush-Cheney. Bush argued that September 11, 2001 had given him the
right to ignore the U.S. Constitution, Congress and the U.S. Supreme
Court, and international law. Beyond that, he crafted a circular
argument for his assertion and exercise of dictatorial powers; we were
a nation at war. That assertion depended upon a condition of permanent
worldwide war.

That’s why people had hoped for an MLK figure. That instead we got a
Clarence Thomas is not hyperbole. Time and again, the Obama
administration has upheld virtually every Bush war policy in and out
of court, including the notion of an all-powerful unitary executive,
the right to permanent worldwide war, the right to hold prisoners
indefinitely without charges and to rendition them and to illegally
spy on Americans.

At home, Obama has bungled his electoral mandate, especially on health
care, the economy and immigration. Rather than govern with a clear
moral authority, he has instead governed weakly from “the middle,” as
a naïve politician, appeasing the same right wing opponents that
detest his every move. Ironically, Bush did not receive a decisive
electoral mandate, yet he governed decisively. Contrarily, Obama was
given a massive electoral mandate, only to govern timidly as though he
owes his victory to the sore losers Tea Party Movement.

There are several precedents for governing from the middle. One came
in the early 20th century in Mexico after the ouster of dictator
Porfirio Diaz. The naïve new president, Francisco Madero, thought he
could reconcile the nation by ignoring his own supporters while
appeasing Diaz’s allies. He left them in power where they soon deposed
him.

Hopefully Obama will not suffer the same fate. However, unless and
until he begins to act upon his stated convictions, he will continue
to find himself proverbially in the middle of the political highway as
roadkill. He doesn’t have to be Mandela; the 2008 Obama will suffice.

Rodriguez, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona, can be
reached at: XColumn@gmail.com

Onodonga Leaders Speak on Treaties and the Environment

Onondaga Nation leaders to talk of land rights, treaties, the environment in yearlong lecture series in Syracuse
By Mike McAndrew / The Post-Standard
February 02, 2010, 12:17PM
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/onondaga_nation_leaders_will_t.html
Syracuse, NY - “Onondaga Land Rights & Our Common Future II” will begin Feb. 8 with Tadodaho Sid Hill, Clan Mother Audrey Shenandoah, and other Onondaga leaders talking about treaty commitments. The series of free lectures is being organized by Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation, an organization affiliated with the Syracuse Peace Council.

Leonard Peltier: Alive and Kicking in the Iron House

From Leonard Peltier

Greetings from the Iron House. It has come to my attention that a rumor has been circulating about my death. Sorry to disappoint the Trimbachs, Ed Wood, and all the other vermin, but I am still alive and kicking. I continue to struggle for the truth about my case-much of it hidden in the 6,000 documents they are afraid to release-to see the light of day.

I have been monitoring the case with the Crow Creek tribe’s land issues, and have been asked my opinion. As in nearly all things, I come down on the side of the tribe. Sovereignty and self determination are the lynch pins to Indian freedom. I want the people of Crow Creek to know they have my fullest support in their endeavors. This case affects all Indians, and should matter to all people of conscience. Everyone should monitor this case to its fullest conclusion, and know it is yet another example of Indian people’s daily reality. The Indian wars are not over; they just are fought more in the courtrooms and the boardrooms these days. But the issues are mostly the same-the land, resources, and freedom. Freedom to think. Freedom to live as we wish. Freedom to be who we are. Don’t for a second allow yourself to think that the conspirators aren’t working. They’re out there, and as always they’re plotting ways to dispossess and marginalize Indian people at every opportunity.

We were all sad to learn of the passing this past week, of Howard Zinn. A brilliant author, researcher, activist, not to mention a fine human being and a friend to my cause, his loss is a blow to all of us who struggle against oppression. Please send up prayers for his family and loved ones, and that his spirit has a good journey.

As always, a big thank you to my family and everyone else helping out at the office, and all my supporters’ world wide. Through your efforts, one day we’ll win my freedom.

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,
Leonard Peltier
--------------------

Ian Zabarte: The end of Yucca Mountain Nuclear Dump

From: Ian Zabarte

BREAKING NEWS…This is the real truth on the end of the Yucca Mountain high level nuclear waste project:
DOE intends to submit a Motion to Stay the proceedings in a conference call earlier today. This Motion will specifically state that it intends to submit a Motion to Withdraw its License Application with prejudice within 30 days. The Motion to Stay will except the required filings, per the Board’s request last week, regarding the LSN and the 80 million documents currently available there. The Board has specifically requested that DOE address its plans with regard to their document collection, which accounts for 99% of the LSN collection, and all parties will be allowed to respond to DOE’s filing with any concerns.
I have been involved with this matter for 25 years and this is as close and real as it gets!
FYI – Presidential Memo below.
From Department of Energy Website, Nuclear Waste Blue Ribbon Commission Empanelled.
January 29, 2010
Secretary Chu Announces Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future
The Commission, led by Lee Hamilton and Brent Scowcroft, will provide recommendations on managing used fuel and nuclear waste

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to restarting America’s nuclear industry, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced the formation of a Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future to provide recommendations for developing a safe, long-term solution to managing the Nation’s used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste. The Commission is being co-chaired by former Congressman Lee Hamilton and former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft.
In light of the Administration’s decision not to proceed with the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, President Obama has directed Secretary Chu to establish the Commission to conduct a comprehensive review of policies for managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle. The Commission will provide advice and make recommendations on issues including alternatives for the storage, processing, and disposal of civilian and defense spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste. “Nuclear energy provides clean, safe, reliable power and has an important role to play as we build a low-carbon future. The Administration is committed to promoting nuclear power in the United States and developing a safe, long-term solution for the management of used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste. The work of the Blue Ribbon Commission will be invaluable to this process. I want to thank Congressman Hamilton and General Scowcroft for leading the Commission and I look forward to receiving their recommendations,” said Secretary Chu.
“As the world moves to tackle climate change and diversify our national energy portfolio, nuclear energy will play a vital role,” said Carol Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change. “Today, the Obama Administration has taken an important step. With the creation of the Blue Ribbon Commission, we are bringing together leading experts from around the country to ensure a safe and sustainable nuclear energy future.”
"Finding an acceptable long-term solution to our used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste storage needs is vital to the economic, environmental and security interests of the United States," said Congressman Hamilton. "This will be a thorough, comprehensive review based on the best available science. I'm looking forward to working with the many distinguished experts on this panel to achieve a consensus on the best path forward."
“As the United States responds to climate change and moves forward with a long overdue expansion of nuclear energy, we also need to work together to find a responsible, long-term strategy to deal with the leftover fuel and nuclear waste," said General Scowcroft. "I'm pleased to be part of that effort along with Congressman Hamilton and such an impressive group of scientific and industry experts."
The Commission is made up of 15 members who have a range of expertise and experience in nuclear issues, including scientists, industry representatives, and respected former elected officials. The Commission’s co-chairs have a record of tackling tough challenges in a thoughtful, comprehensive manner and building consensus among an array of interests.
The Commission will produce an interim report within 18 months and a final report within 24 months.
The members of the Blue Ribbon Commission are:
Lee Hamilton, Co-Chair
Lee Hamilton represented Indiana's 9th congressional district from January 1965-January 1999. During his time in Congress, Hamilton served as the ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and chaired the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He is currently president and director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and director of The Center on Congress at Indiana University.
He is a member of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board and the President's Homeland Security Advisory Council. Previously, Hamilton served as Vice Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the 9/11 Commission).
Brent Scowcroft, Co-Chair
Brent Scowcroft is President of The Scowcroft Group, an international business advisory firm. He has served as the National Security Advisor to both Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush. From 1982 to 1989, he was Vice Chairman of Kissinger Associates, Inc., an international consulting firm.
Scowcroft served in the military for 29 years, and concluded at the rank of Lieutenant General following service as the Deputy National Security Advisor. Out of uniform, he continued in a public policy capacity by serving on the President's Advisory Committee on Arms Control, the Commission on Strategic Forces, and the President's Special Review Board, also known as the Tower Commission.
Mark Ayers, President, Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO
Vicky Bailey, Former Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Former IN PUC Commissioner; Former Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs
Albert Carnesale, Chancellor Emeritus and Professor, UCLA
Pete V. Domenici, Senior Fellow, Bipartisan Policy Center; former U.S. Senator (R-NM)
Susan Eisenhower, President, Eisenhower Group, Inc.
Chuck Hagel, Former U.S. Senator (R-NE)
Jonathan Lash, President, World Resources Institute
Allison Macfarlane, Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University
Richard A. Meserve, President, Carnegie Institution for Science, and former Chairman, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Ernie Moniz, Professor of Physics and Cecil & Ida Green Distinguished Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Per Peterson, Professor and Chair, Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California - Berkeley
John Rowe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Exelon Corporation
Phil Sharp, President, Resources for the Future
Presidential Memorandum on the Blue Ribbon Commission (pdf - 10k)
Media contact(s):
(202) 586-4940
Mr. Ian Zabarte, Environmental Coordinator
Department of Environmental Protection
Moapa Band of Paiutes
http://www.moapapaiutes.com/
Office: (702) 865-2077
Cell: (702) 423-2952
"Every Day is Earth Day to Native Americans"

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
January 29, 2010
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY SUBJECT:
Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future Expanding our Nation's capacity to generate clean nuclear energy is crucial to our ability to combat climate change, enhance energy security, and increase economic prosperity. My Administration is undertaking substantial steps to expand the safe, secure, and responsible use of nuclear energy. These efforts are critical to accomplishing many of my Administration's most significant goals. An important part of a sound, comprehensive, and long-term domestic nuclear energy strategy is a well-considered policy for managing used nuclear fuel and other aspects of the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle. Yet the Nation's approach, developed more than 20 years ago, to managing materials derived from nuclear activities, including nuclear fuel and nuclear waste, has not proven effective. Fortunately, over the past two decades scientists and engineers in our country and abroad have learned a great deal about effective strategies for managing nuclear material. My Administration is committed to using this advanced knowledge to meet the Government's obligation to dispose of our Nation's used nuclear material. Accordingly, I request that you establish a Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future (Commission) and appoint its members. Those members should include recognized representatives and experts from a range of disciplines and with a range of perspectives, and may include participation of appropriate Federal officials. The Commission's business should be conducted in an open and transparent manner. The Commission should conduct a comprehensive review of policies for managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle, including all alternatives for the storage, processing, and disposal of civilian and defense used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste. This review should include an evaluation of advanced fuel cycle technologies that would optimize energy recovery, resource utilization, and the minimization of materials derived from nuclear activities in a manner consistent with U.S. nonproliferation goals.
In performing its functions, the Commission should consider a broad range of technological and policy alternatives, and should analyze the scientific, environmental, budgetary, economic, financial, and management issues, among others, surrounding each alternative it considers. Where appropriate, the Commission may also identify potential statutory changes. The Commission should provide an interim report to you within 18 months of the date of this memorandum, and that report should be made available for public comment. The Commission should provide a final report to you within 24 months of the date of this memorandum. The Department of Energy shall provide funding and administrative support for the Commission, as you determine appropriate, so that it can complete its functions within these time periods. Additionally, all executive departments and agencies shall provide such information and assistance to the Commission as you or the Commission may request for purposes of carrying out the Commission's functions, to the extent permitted by law. Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to require the disclosure of classified, proprietary, law enforcement sensitive, or other information protected under governing law. This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. You are hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register. BARACK OBAMA

Spooks and Apartheid Maker Team Up in Haiti

Spooks and Apartheid Contractors Team Up in Haiti
Posted by Brenda Norrell - January 31, 2010 at 8:49 am
Narcosphere

Evergreen and Elbit are flying surveillance over Haiti orphanages
By Brenda Norrell

Photo: Elbit drone

CIA contractor Evergreen International Aviation, Inc., and the Israeli border spy contractor Elbit Systems, have teamed up to fly surveillance drones over Haiti orphanages in the remote mountains of Haiti.
As Danske Bank divested in Elbit investments because of Elbit's ethics violations, Evergreen publicly announced it has teamed up with Elbit for air surveillance of Haiti orphanages.
Elbit, the Israeli defense contractor, built surveillance equipment on the Palestine border. Elbit was subcontracted by Boeing to construct spy technology on the Arizona border.
Evergreen, with long standing ties to the CIA, is based in McMinnville, Oregon.
In Haiti, Evergreen announced it has flown "missions to survey rural orphanages in Haiti employing Elbit Systems' Skylark® I LE Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The team flew missions from the mountains of Haiti at 5,200 feet in the vicinity of Port-au-Prince."
"Evergreen Unmanned Systems was supported by Elbit Systems of Israel, using its Skylark® I LE System, to fly into these areas searching for signs of life. Evergreen Helicopters donated airlift support to position both teams into the region," Evergreen said in a statement, calling it a "pioneering effort" between Evergreen and Elbit.
The use of drones in Haiti follows the protest in November at Fort Huachuca Army Intelligence Center in Arizona. Human rights activists demanded a halt to US torture and the use of drones, unmanned aircraft, by the US military for rogue assassinations which are also killing civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
More:
Danske divested of Elbit, because of surveillance provided at the wall between Israel and the West Bank, and Africa Israel investments:
http://www.cphpost.dk/component/content/48048.html?task=view
Evergreen press statement on teaming up with Elbit:
http://www.evergreenaviation.com/p_releases/012810.html

Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/