Archive for June, 2006

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  Blair’s Britain

  
  
  
  The impact of new laws aimed at preventing terrorism on the civil liberties of ordinary citizens is a topic of hot debate, and has been since 9/11. For an astonishing insight into just how far-reaching (and unnoticed) this impact has been in the UK, check out this article by Vanity Fair editor Henry Porter, reproduced [...] read more
  June 30, 2006 10:23 am - 7 Comments
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  Another court defeat for Bush administration

  
  
  
  This time the Supreme Court has ruled that the military tribunals being used to try Guantanamo Bay prisoners are illegal under US and international law. The decision won’t have any immediate effect on detainees, but long term it adds yet another string to the bow of those campaigning for the detention centre’s closure. No Right Turn [...] read more
  June 30, 2006 9:24 am - 2 Comments
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  Fast Food Nation – the movie

  
  
  
  Eric Schlosser’s best-selling polemic Fast Food Nation, which examines the global effects of the fast food industry in the United States, has been made into a movie which premiered at Cannes last month. Interestingly, the filmmakers have chosen to make it a “fictionalised” thriller, rather than a documentary, which would perhaps seem the most logical [...] read more
  June 29, 2006 10:06 am - 1 Comment
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  Landmark case in US

  
  
  
  In one of the most environmentally significant court decisions for decades, the US Supreme Court has agreed that it is within its jurisdiction to decide whether or not the federal government is legally required to control carbon dioxide emissions. The states of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, as well as 3 cities and 12 environmental [...] read more
  June 27, 2006 11:39 am - 3 Comments
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  Waiting for Parker

  
  
  
  Apparently, an announcement is due this week on what the Government is going to do in lieu of the scrapped carbon tax. A carbon charge on power generation seems likely; in Minister David Parker’s words, “Having a price or risk of carbon cost to investors in generation is an important consideration for climate change policy.” Too [...] read more
  June 27, 2006 9:30 am - 17 Comments
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  Lilypad back in action

  
  
  
  Apologies for the long gap between posts – which I see has prompted some discussion by our old friend Phil. I can assure him that the quietness of the lilypad isn’t due to fear or censorship, just a few external circumstances which aren’t worth going into. Anyway, as Phil rightly pointed out, a number of significant [...] read more
  June 26, 2006 9:13 am - 35 Comments
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  Governments away from home

  
  
  
  Governments away from home sometimes forget what their people want as soon as they get on the plane. Yesterday the Danish government voted in favour of restarting commercial whaling, tipping the IWC over towards this new stance. Not only is this a conservation disaster, whale numbers have only just started to recover from [...] read more
  June 20, 2006 3:32 pm - 47 Comments
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  Bad news for whales

  
  
  
  It’s not the worst possible outcome from the IWC, but it’s pretty bad… delegates today voted 33 – 32 to support a non-binding resolution criticising the moratorium on commercial whaling. More here, here, and here’s Metiria’s release in response. [Update: Here's the Government's press release too] read more
  June 19, 2006 12:19 pm - 7 Comments
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  News from Parliament

  
  
  
  Well, the big announcement today has been the news that there will be free-to-air digital TV from next year. It’s good news – opening lots of exciting possibilities for content, new channels, public service broadcasting and interactive content – but, as this release of Sue K’s points out, unless it is accompanied by significant funding [...] read more
  June 15, 2006 12:59 pm - 39 Comments
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  Even Bush’s high-ranking appointees are too Green for the American right

  
  
  
  President Bush’s selection for the position of Treasury Secretary, Henry Paulson, has been a big-shot Wall Street banker and chairman of Goldman Sachs – so he should appeal to the conservative right, right? Wrong. Apparently Bush’s guy too Green. In an interesting aside to the ongoing debate about Blue/Green politics, right-wing think tanks are decrying the [...] read more
  June 14, 2006 12:02 pm - 10 Comments