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PBS Independent Lens-POWER PATHS.Nov 3, 2009.WS-PDTV.XviD.Ekolb

Category: Documentary
Description:
POWER PATHS November 3, 2009 on PBS POWER PATHS offers a unique glimpse into the global energy crisis from the perspective of a culture pledged to protect the planet, historically exploited by corporate interests and neglected by public policy makers. The film follows an intertribal coalition as they fight to transform their local economies by replacing coal mines and smog-belching power plants with renewable energy technologies. This transition would honor their heritage and support future generations by protecting their sacred land, providing electricity to their homes and creating jobs for their communities. Their story is a parable for our time, when the planet as a whole hungers for alternatives to fossil fuels. For environmental trailblazers, it’s proof that going green is not only possible—it’s the only choice we have. The POWER PATHS story begins in the 1960s, when two massive coal mines open on Navajo and Hopi reservations in Arizona. Between them, they produce enough coal to satisfy the unquenchable energy thirsts of Phoenix, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. They also comprise the single largest strip-mining complex in the world. For more than 30 years, the mines—and the Mohave Generating Station they supply—scar sacred native land, drain the natural aquifers and pollute the Southwestern skies. Meanwhile, beneath the high-tension power lines that carry electricity to the neon-saturated Vegas Strip, Native American reservation dwellers have no electricity or running water. Sickened by the economic disparity and the mounting toll on their land and health, some Navajo and Hopi tribe members begin pressuring their tribal governments not to renew the mining leases, but to no avail. As a result, a handful of grassroots organizers from both tribes join forces with The Sierra Club, the Grand Canyon Trust and the National Parks and Conservation Association to fight back. Calling themselves the Just Transition Coalition, they take on wealthy and entrenched adversaries from Peabody to Southern California Edison. They succeed in closing the power plant (and subsequently the mines) in 2005. But the ecological and moral victory comes at a cost: About half of the adults on the reservations had worked for the mines, and are now unemployed. Undeterred, the Just Transition Coalition shifts gears and heads for California, where they win a legal battle to use the shuttered Mohave plant’s cap-and-trade pollution credits to finance investment in solar panels and wind turbines for their reservations. In one scene, a Navajo mother screws a light bulb into a kitchen socket for the first time and sees it light up, enabling her children to stop depending on sunlight or dangerous kerosene lanterns in order to do their homework. She weeps in relief and gratitude. Today, more tribes are seeking investments and partnerships to create green-energy economies on the reservation, with hopes that one day, renewable energy will replace casinos as a primary means for economic development and tribal self-sufficiency. As the nation at large struggles to disengage itself from the chains of a fossil-fuel-based economy, POWER PATHS signals cause for hope that an alternative is not somewhere in the future, but possible right now. And Native Americans are leading the way. Update In June 2009, the 21st Navajo Nation Council voted 62 to 1 to establish a Navajo Green Economy Commission, according to the Sierra Club. The legislation, which is designed to take advantage of federal stimulus funds for green jobs, is intended to stimulate the economy by developing a sustainable energy infrastructure on the Navajo reservation. Format : AVI Length : 465 MiB for 56mn 32s 25ms Codec : XviD Source : PDTV Language : English Subtitles : None Genre : Documentary Video #0 : MPEG-4 Visual at 1 000 Kbps Aspect : 608 x 336 (1.810) at 29.970 fps Audio #0 : MPEG Audio at 135 Kbps Infos : 2 channels, 48.0 KHz Enjoy! Ekolb
Seeders: 0
Leeches: 0

Democracy NOW! Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Category: News & Current Affairs
Description:
Harry Reid: Senate Bill Will Include Public Option Plan Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has announced the Senate healthcare reform bill will include a public health insurance plan that states can choose to opt out of. Sen. Harry Reid: “As we’ve gone through this process, I’ve concluded—with the support of the White House, Senators Dodd and Baucus—that the best way to move forward is to include a public option with the opt-out provision for states. Under this concept, states will be able to determine whether the public option works well for them and will have the ability to opt out, if they so choose. I believe that a public option can achieve the goal of bringing meaningful reform to our broken system. It will protect consumers, keep insurers honest, and ensure competition. And that’s why we intend to include it in the bill that we submitted—that will be submitted to the Senate.” The Washington Post reports the opt-out provision was engineered by New York Senator Charles Schumer as a compromise between moderates who want a smaller government role and liberals who prefer a single-payer system. The Democratic leadership must now scramble to secure the sixty votes needed to pass the measure. While details of how states could opt out of the system are unclear, it likely means that millions of Americans may never have a chance to enroll in a government-run health insurance plan because of Republican opposition. A combined total of 154 million people, or 51 percent of the population, live in states where Republicans control the governor’s mansion or the state legislature. Massey Energy Begins Blasting Coal River Mountain In West Virginia, Massey Energy has begun blasting operations on Coal River Mountain despite deep opposition from environmental groups and critics of mountaintop removal mining. Coal River Mountain is the last intact mountain on the historic Coal River Mountain range. All of the other mountains have been blown up by coal companies. Jeff Biggers, author of the book The United States of Appalachia: “Residents in the Coal River Valley in West Virginia were shocked last Friday to hear the rattle of explosives and see plumes of smoke rise above Coal River Mountain. According to news reports on Monday, Massey Energy has clearcut the lush forest and blasted part of the historic ridge in the first leg of a 6,000-acre mountaintop removal mine. For advocates across Appalachia and citizens group across the nation, the impending mountaintop removal operation on Coal River Mountain amounts to a final showdown between out-of-state coal companies and the state of coalfield residents.” Activists had proposed to save the mountaintop and turn it into a wind farm, a proposal which was seen by many as a model for sustainable green economic development. Anti-mountaintop removal activists are now calling on President Obama to halt the mining operation and save Coal River Mountain. US Official Resigns over War in Afghanistan The former top American civilian working in the Zabul province of Afghanistan has resigned from the Foreign Service to protest the Afghan war. Matthew Hoh said he quit because he had come to believe the war was simply fueling the insurgency and that the United States is asking its troops to die for what is essentially a far-off civil war. In his resignation letter, Hoh wrote, “I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end.” Hoh is a thirty-six-year-old former Marine who fought in the Iraq war. He is the first US official known to resign in protest over the Afghan war. Monday Marked Deadliest Day for US in Afghanistan in Four Years Meanwhile, President Obama said Monday he will not rush his decision about whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, where fourteen Americans died yesterday in the deadliest day for US forces in more than four years. Ex-AIG CEO Is Back with New Insurance Venture The New York Times reports that former AIG CEO Maurice Greenberg is quietly building up a family of insurance companies that could compete with his former company. To fill the ranks of his venture, C.V. Starr & Company, Greenberg has been hiring some people he once employed. One insurance executive said, “Basically, he’s just starting ‘A.I.G. Two’ and raiding people out of ‘A.I.G. One.‘” People who work in the industry said Greenberg may soon be siphoning off AIG’s business and, therefore, its means to repay its debt to the government. AIG was the recipient of the biggest taxpayer bailout in history. Showdown in Chicago Continues Outside Bankers Meeting In other financial news, protests are continuing in Chicago outside the American Bankers Association convention. Sheila Bair, the chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, spoke to both the protesters and bankers on Monday. At a rally before thousands of activists, Bair voiced support for the creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Sheila Bair: “By regulating the non-bank shadow sector for the first time, this new agency can help prevent future abuses. I hope we see other measures taken that will create a more resilient, transparent and better regulated financial system, including an end to the ‘too big to fail’ doctrine. Yes, no more bailouts. No more bailouts." UN Urges US Engagement in Climate Change Deal During a stop in Seattle, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the US Senate to pass a bill limiting carbon emissions. Moon said such a bill will encourage other nations to act to fight climate change. Janos Pasztor, the director of the Secretary-General’s Climate Change Support Team: “There are reports of a new poll in the United States that indicates that interest and support for action on climate change may actually be declining. The Secretary-General sees US engagement as vital for a climate change deal, a point he made in an op-ed today and in interviews since Seattle. He stated that we cannot afford another period where the US stands on the sidelines.” Canadian Climate Activists Disrupt House of Commons In Canada, about 200 young people staged a protest inside the House of Commons Monday forcing lawmakers to shut down the question period. The activists were calling on the Canadian Parliament to pass a bill setting out deep cuts in carbon emissions. Six people were reportedly detained, and the police beat at least one protester. Amnesty: Israel Denies Palestinians Access to Water Amnesty International has accused the Israeli government of preventing Palestinians from receiving enough water in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel controls much of the West Bank’s water supplies, pumping from an aquifer that bridges Israel and the territory. Amnesty International’s Donatella Rovera called on Israel to distribute the region’s water resources in a fair manner. Donatella Rovera: “Palestinians are having access to four times less water than Israelis, and for some Palestinian communities it’s ten times less water for the Palestinians than the Israelis. To put an end to the situation where Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories, which are unlawful under international law, have swimming pools and green lawns and irrigated fields, and the Palestinians do not have enough water even for drinking and for basic domestic needs.” US Officials to Travel to Honduras Senior US officials will travel to Honduras this week to press ousted President Manuel Zelaya and the country’s coup leaders to break a stalemate in a four-month-old political crisis. This marks the first time since the coup that the Obama administration has taken a leading role in pressuring the leaders of the de facto government to restore democratic order in Honduras. On Friday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke with both Zelaya and Honduras’s de facto leader, Roberto Micheletti. Officials said Clinton told the two leaders that there was “increasing frustration” over the deteriorating situation in Honduras. Clinton is said to have reserved her toughest comments for Micheletti, because the United States believes he has been “the most difficult.” Fidel Castro’s Sister Admits She Spied for CIA In other news from the region, Fidel and Raul Castro’s sister has admitted she spied on her brothers for the CIA in the 1960s. Juanita Castro disclosed her role as a spy in a new memoir. Juanita initially hailed the Cuban revolution but later became disillusioned by the actions of her brothers. Chamber of Commerce Sues Yes Men for Prank The US Chamber of Commerce has sued the Yes Men, after the political pranksters impersonated the organization. The Yes Men staged a fake press conference at the National Press Club last week to announce that the Chamber was changing its stance on climate change and supporting capping greenhouse gas emissions. Several news outlets, including Reuters, CNBC and Fox Business Channel, reported the policy change as fact before issuing corrections. The Chamber is suing the Yes Men for misappropriating its logo and violating a host of related copyrights. Activists Protest Mercenary Trade Association Meeting And the International Peace Operations Association is holding its annual conference in Washington this week. The trade association represents mercenary groups and private military contractors, including DynCorp and Triple Canopy. A coalition of activist groups, including CODEPINK, Africa Action and the Hip Hop Caucus, are planning to hold a protest and forum today to counter the mercenary conference. Independent journalist Jeremy Scahill: “While these merchants of death are meeting in Washington, DC, human rights activists and other concerned people are going to be gathering to protest these mercenaries. And we’re not only going to be addressing the use of mercenaries in Afghanistan and Iraq, which we know well is continuing unabated, but also the use of mercenary forces on the African continent, which is a story that basically never makes it into the corporate media. There are mercenaries that, once again, are operating in the Congo, in Somalia, in the conflict in Ethiopia and Eritrea. And so, we’re gathering to try to shut down this whole privatized war apparatus and to raise awareness of this Bush administration policy that the Obama administration is continuing and escalating.”
Seeders: 84
Leeches: 16

TVO - Big Ideas - October 10, 2009: Lawrence Krauss on dark matter, dark energy and the end of the universe

Category: Talks, Debates, Interviews
Description:
TVO - Big Ideas - October 10, 2009: Lawrence Krauss on dark matter, dark energy and the end of the universe Lawrence Krauss is a professor in the Department of Physics at Arizona State University. His lecture entitled Life, the Universe and Nothing deals with dark matter, dark energy and the end of the universe as we know it. It was recorded at the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto on March 27th, 2009. For more information on this episode, including information on the guests and various other resources and links, visit the episode webpage ----- Note: This is an iPod video podcast that is available for free download from the website. Quality is good. Audio podcast (mp3 format) is also available for free download. Type: m4v file Size: 174MB Runtime: 00:53:56 Video: MPEG4 Video (H264) 320x240 Audio: AAC 32000Hz mono 48Kbps Download this episode using the attached torrent file or download it directly using this link: http://feeds.tvo.org/~r/tvobigideasVideo/~...20x240_404k.m4v You can also watch a flash video of this lecture through your web-browser here: http://www.tvo.org/TVO/WebObjects/TVO.woa?..._834130_LKrauss ----- Resources and links to related material 1) PBS NOVA - The Elegant Universe (torrent for this documentary to be uploaded soon) 2) Channel 4 - What We Still Don't Know with Martin Rees (torrent for this documentary to be uploaded soon) 3) TVO - Big Ideas - May 3, 2008: Neil Turok on The Big Bang (torrent for this program to be uploaded soon) ----- TVO - Big Ideas TELEVISION FOR PASSIONATE THINKERS [quote]I had never seen your program before, in fact I had never even heard of it. I was fortunate enough to tune in today ... Nothing is quite as nourishing as food for thought. -Brian, Big Ideas viewer[/quote] [quote]I have been off and on social assistance for several years. When I watch your show, I really am in university (a place I badly miss) and I don't feel so poor. -Gillian, Big Ideas viewer[/quote] [quote]... Were it not for Big Ideas to bring this to our attention we would be clueless. You are doing important work and those of us that are fortunate enough to catch your program, greatly appreciate your efforts. -Gary, Big Ideas viewer[/quote] BIG IDEAS, now in its eighth season, has an increasingly loyal following, exemplified by viewers such as Brian, Gillian and Gary. The program started in a late, late-night time slot with - among other offerings - the literary lectures by Robert Adams. It is now an established part of our weekend schedule, airing at 4pm on Saturday, with a repeat broadcast on Sunday, also at 4:00 pm. As TVO's educational mandate grew, so did the concept for BIG IDEAS, explains producer Wodek Szemberg: "We have recognized from the passionate viewer response that there was a real niche for this kind of unapologetically intellectual programming." BIG IDEAS podcasts are among the most popular TVO web offerings. "BIG IDEAS is a showcase of ideas that shape our public debates. At their best the lectures featured on the program expose us to the differing ways of defining what matters and how that affects our understanding of the world as it is and as it is likely to be," adds Szemberg. "Each age has a set of questions by which it defines itself. If, 50 years from now, someone came across a list of BIG IDEAS shows, they would have a pretty good idea of what people thought about and debated in the early 2000s." By nature of its lecture format, pacing and inquisitive approach, it is the antithesis of the prevailing sound-bite television norm. Engaging, articulate speakers stand behind lecterns across the province addressing audiences - a stark, on-air aesthetic running counter to fast edits and whizzy sound effects. The simple, bold concept, a victory of substance over style, has found an appreciative following. The success of this public television offering is testimony to our viewers need for nothing but intelligent discussion with perhaps a dash of personality and humour. At a time when much television programming induces in many viewers feelings of guilt, BIG IDEAS is as guilt-free television experience as it is possible to imagine. BIG IDEAS offers a variety of thought-provoking topics which range across politics, culture, economics, art history, science.... The program has introduced Ontario viewers to the impressive brainpower of people like Niall Ferguson on American empire, Daniel Libeskind on architecture, Robert Fisk on the Middle East, George Steiner on the demise of literacy, Camille Paglia on aesthetic education, Tariq Ramadan on being a Western Muslim, Noam Chomsky on U.S. politics, Leon Kass on dying, Janice Stein on accountability and governance. The public face of the program is Andrew Moodie, who assumed the hosting duties for BIG IDEAS on January 7, 2006. You may recognize him as one of the three jurors who helped us to come up with the 10 finalists in 2005's Best Lecturer Competition, or you may know him as a gifted actor and playwright. TVO's Big Ideas website: http://www.tvo.org/TVOsites/WebObjects/TvoMicrosite.woa?bigideas
Seeders: 10
Leeches: 2

Africa - America's New Oil Target (2005) (Repost)

Category: Documentary
Description:
Africa - America's New Oil Target (2005) (Repost) As world oil reserves decline, the US and other world powers are competing for African oil. US energy and foreign policies have now merged: they militarize choke points and oil-producing countries that can be loyal to the US. Currently 14% of US oil comes from Africa, while experts predict that America's own national oil supply will run out in eight years. Thus securing an energy supply is a top strategic priority in an oil-hungry world, which explains the sudden interest from America, Europe, China and Japan for Africa. Under the guise of the wars against terrorism America has now established a full military command devoted to Africa.
Seeders: 13
Leeches: 15

Sugar: The Bitter Truth 2009 07 27 UCTV

Category: Documentary
Description:
Sugar: The Bitter Truth 2009 07 27 UCTV 413mb /89mns/XVID Obese? A 'poisoned' food supply may be to blame, UCSF expert says Feeling fat? It might not be your fault. Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin The obesity epidemic is caused by a "poisoned" food supply that is altering people's biochemistry and driving them to eat more and move less, according to a hypothesis proposed by a UCSF doctor who culled results from thousands of studies on obesity. Lustig zeroes in on the heavy reliance on high fructose corn syrup, especially concentrated in soft drinks and used in large quantities in many processed foods. HFCS was introduced in the American food supply in the late 1970s. He calls fructose a food toxin but government agencies do not regulate food or food products that cause chronic, health damage. Lustig also deals with the nutritional affinity of alcohol and fructose and the extensive, metabolic damage both do to the liver along with association with heart disease and high blood pressure. It is unfair and unhelpful to blame personal behaviors, especially a lack of self-control, for the country's rising obesity rates, says Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatrician and nationally renowned obesity expert. The processed food that is most readily available to Americans -- from potato chips and cookies to yogurt and white bread -- is loaded with fructose that cause the body to believe that it is hungry, which makes people feel compelled to consume more calories and conserve energy, he said. Fructose makes the body produce more insulin, which blocks hormones that would normally tell the brain to stop eating, he said. Breaking the pattern of sugar consumption -- a pattern that Lustig compares to nicotine addiction -- is more than just a matter of willpower. It will take a grassroots effort of doctors, community leaders and consumers to force the government and the food industry to get those sugary foods out of mainstream American diets, he said. "Everyone's assuming you have a choice, but when your brain is starving, you don't have a choice," Lustig said. "When you look at it that way, all of a sudden Big Food looks like the perpetrator, and the patient becomes the victim. Congress says you can't sue McDonald's for obesity because it's your fault. Except the thing is, when you don't have a choice, it's not your fault." Source:http://www.uctv.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=16717 (Video Stream Other shunster posts/cap at:http://www.bt-chat.com/browse.php?category=11
Seeders: 22
Leeches: 5

The End of Suburbia (2004) (Repost)

Category: Documentary
Description:
The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream Since World War II North Americans have invested much of their newfound wealth in suburbia. It has promised a sense of space, affordability, family life and upward mobility. As the population of suburban sprawl has exploded in the past 50 years, so too has the suburban way of life become embedded in the American consciousness. Suburbia, and all it promises, has become the American Dream. But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge about the sustainability of this way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now, some scientists and policy makers argue in this documentary. The consequences of inaction in the face of this global crisis are enormous. What does Oil Peak mean for North America? As energy prices skyrocket in the coming years, how will the populations of suburbia react to the collapse of their dream? Are today's suburbs destined to become the slums of tomorrow? And what can be done NOW, individually and collectively, to avoid The End of Suburbia? Hosted by Barrie Zwicker. Featuring James Howard Kunstler, Peter Calthorpe, Michael Klare, Richard Heinberg, Matthew Simmons, Michael C. Ruppert, Julian Darley, Colin Campbell, Kenneth Deffeyes, Ali Samsam Bakhtiari and Steve Andrews. Directed by Gregory Greene. Produced by Barry Silverthorn.
Seeders: 0
Leeches: 0

Democracy Now! Friday, September 25, 2009

Category: News & Current Affairs
Description:
# Report: US-Initiated WTO Rules Could Undermine Regulatory Overhaul of Global Finance As the G-20 meets in Pittsburgh, a new report from Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch warns that the World Trade Organization has long advanced extreme financial deregulation under the guise of trade agreements and could undermine the current push for increasing regulation. We speak to Lori Wallach, the director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch division. [includes rush transcript] # Pitts-web-play G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh Highlights Economic Decline of Former Steel Capital Leaders and delegates for the G-20 arrived in Pittsburgh Thursday evening under the shadow of a police crackdown on protesters. The city is no stranger to protests and has a long history of labor uprisings. We speak to longtime Pittsburgh resident, historian, and labor organizer, Charles McCollester, on the changing face of this former steel capital. [includes rush transcript] # Wangari-play-web2 Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai: If US Moves Forward on Climate Change, Rest of World Will Follow A new overview of research on global warming has found climate change is happening faster and on a broader scale than scientists projected in 2007. The new findings come in a week where the issue of global warming is at the fore with a one-day UN summit on climate change and the G-20 in Pittsburgh. We speak with the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai, who was chosen to speak on behalf of international civil society at the UN summit. [includes rush transcript] # Nuclear-web-play At Historic Summit, Security Council Passes Resolution to Limit Nuclear Proliferation The UN Security Council has unanimously passed a US-drafted resolution aimed at shoring up the international commitment to limiting the spread of nuclear weapons. But critics say it failed to include mandatory provisions that would have required nuclear states to take concrete disarmament steps. We speak to John Burroughs, executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee on Nuclear Policy. He recently met with several UN missions of Security Council members regarding the nuclear vote. [includes rush transcript] Today's Headlines * Iran Admits Existence of New Uranium Enrichment Plant * UN Security Council OKs Nuclear Proliferation Measure * 5 US Troops Killed in Afghanistan * US Strike Kills 4 in Pakistan * Senate Finance Panel Rejects Curbs on Drug Costs * Jailed Suspect Charged in Terror Plot * Zelaya Rules Out Coup Regime Talks * White House Retracts Promise to Block Israel War Crimes Prosecution * Chavez Criticizes US-Colombia Base Deal * US Opens Burma Junta Talks * Study Warns of Global Temperature Rise * Patrick Appoints Interim Kennedy Successor * Thousands Protest Budget Cuts, Tuition Hikes at California Schools Iran Admits Existence of New Uranium Enrichment Plant The New York Times is reporting the US is preparing to accuse Iran of building a secret underground facility to produce nuclear fuel. President Obama will reportedly make the announcement at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh later today. The alleged site is not yet operational. The Obama administration says it decided to make the allegations public after discovering Iran was aware Western intelligence agencies had monitored the site. Earlier today, European officials said Iran notified the International Atomic Energy Agency of a previously undisclosed uranium enrichment plant earlier this week. UN Security Council OKs Nuclear Proliferation Measure The UN Security Council has unanimously passed a resolution to limit nuclear proliferation. The US-drafted measure calls for further efforts to achieve “a world without nuclear weapons.” But critics say it fails to include mandatory provisions that would have required nuclear states to take concrete disarmament steps. The resolution also lacks any call on states to halt production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons. President Obama became the first US president to chair a UN Security Council summit, which also marked the fifth summit-level meeting of the council in its sixty-three years of existence. President Obama: “In the six-plus decades that this Security Council has been in existence, only four other meetings of this nature have been convened. I called for this one so that we may address, at the highest level, a fundamental threat to the security of all peoples and all nations: the spread and use of nuclear weapons.” 5 US Troops Killed in Afghanistan In Afghanistan, five US troops were killed Thursday in two southern provinces. Thirty-four US troops have been killed in Afghanistan this month. Last month was the deadliest month for the US, with fifty-one soldiers killed. US Strike Kills 4 in Pakistan In Pakistan, at least four people were killed Thursday in a suspected US air strike. The attack reportedly struck a town in the North Waziristan tribal region. It comes as the US Senate has approved a measure that would triple Pakistan aid to $7.5 billion over five years. Senate Finance Panel Rejects Curbs on Drug Costs The Senate Finance Committee has rejected a proposal that would have forced pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices for elderly Americans under Medicare. The measure would have saved Medicare beneficiaries more than $100 billion over ten years. The Obama administration had opposed the proposal because it would have undercut a secretive deal with pharmaceutical companies to back healthcare reform. Three Democratic senators-–Max Baucus of Montana, Thomas Carper of Delaware and Robert Menendez of New Jersey—joined with the finance panel’s Republican members to defeat the amendment by a 13-to-10 vote. Committee members meanwhile have put off debate on a public insurance option until next week. Jailed Suspect Charged in Terror Plot A Colorado man jailed since last week has been charged with conspiring to launch a bomb attack inside the United States. Twenty-four-year-old Najibullah Zazi is accused of acquiring and preparing explosive materials similar to those used in the 2005 London transit bombings. Prosecutors say Zazi bought chemicals from beauty supply stores and experimented with preparing deadly explosives. It’s unclear if authorities believe Zazi intended to attack a specific target. Zazi was initially arrested along with his father and a New York imam on allegations of lying to federal agents. On Thursday, both the father and the imam were freed on bail. The imam, Ahmad Wais Afzali, denied the allegations against him. Ahmad Wais Afzali: “As imam, it’s against Islamic law to hurt anybody, period. I am very much against this myself, very much against this. And the last time I saw Zazi was God knows how many years ago. That’s about it.” Zelaya Rules Out Coup Regime Talks In Honduras, the ousted President Manuel Zelaya says preliminary talks with the coup regime have gone nowhere. On Thursday, Zelaya said there is no chance of reaching an agreement with coup leaders and vowed to continue his attempt to return to office. Zelaya remains holed up inside the Brazilian embassy, surrounded by armed Honduran forces. In a separate interview, Zelaya accused the Honduran military of subjecting him and his supporters to toxic gases and radiation. White House Retracts Promise to Block Israel War Crimes Prosecution The White House is disavowing a top official’s promise to block a recent UN inquiry’s call that alleged Israeli war crimes be potentially referred to the International Criminal Court. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported this week a top White House official had made the promise in an off-the-record conversation with Jewish leaders. The official apparently said the administration would not allow the report’s recommendations to go beyond the UN Human Rights Council. A White House spokesperson later said the official had “misspoke.” Chavez Criticizes US-Colombia Base Deal Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was among the world leaders speaking Thursday at the UN General Assembly. Chavez invoked his 2006 speech in which he called former President George W. Bush a “devil” and said he now senses hope with President Obama in office. But Chavez criticized what he called the continued dominance of the Pentagon. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez: “The Pentagon, that is the imperialists’ cave. The Pentagon does not want Obama. They don’t want him. They don’t want change. They want world dominance with their military bases, their threats, their bombs, their invading soldiers.” Chavez went on to criticize Obama’s recent UN address, saying plans for US military bases in Colombia contradict Obama’s stated commitment to peace. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez: “He thinks of finding peace, his second pillar, with seven military bases in Colombia? Those seven bases are a threat to a possible peace in Colombia, if not peace in South America. We, the governments of South America, have reason to have expressed, in each our own way and intensity, our great worry over the installation of these seven American military bases on Colombian territory.” US Opens Burma Junta Talks The Obama administration has announced it’s begun direct engagement with the Burmese military junta in a push for democratic reforms. The US isn’t lifting sanctions, but says it will increase dialogue with junta members. The approach has drawn backing from leading Burmese democracy advocates, including the jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Study Warns of Global Temperature Rise A new study says global warming is increasing at a higher rate than previously thought. The United Nations Environment Program says researchers now predict the planet’s temperature will rise 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century even if the most ambitious proposals to address climate change are enacted. The temperature rise is two times higher than what scientists have previously identified as the maximum humans can afford to avert a climate disaster. Patrick Appoints Interim Kennedy Successor Back in the United States, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has named former Democratic National Committee chair Paul Kirk to the Senate seat vacated by the death of the late Senator Edward Kennedy. Kirk was said to be the pick of Kennedy’s family. He will fill the seat until Massachusetts holds a special election in January. Thousands Protest Budget Cuts, Tuition Hikes at California Schools And in California, thousands of professors, students and workers at all ten University of California campuses staged a protest Thursday against tuition hikes and cuts to education funding. Student tuition is set to rise as much as 32 percent over the next year. The statewide action came as most of the schools held their first day of classes.
Seeders: 68
Leeches: 12

National Geographic - Six Degrees That Could Change The World

Category: Documentary
Description:
National Geographic - Six Degrees That Could Change The World By the year 2100, many scientists believe that the Earth's average temperature could rise by as much as six degrees Celsius. In a compelling investigation, National Geographic leads a degree-by-degree journey to explore what each rising—and critical—degree could mean for the future of our people and planet. Through powerful filmmaking and intimate profiles, this special illustrates how global warming has already affected the reefs of Australia, the ice fields of Greenland, and the Amazonian rain forest. With a sobering look at the effects of our world's insatiable appetite for energy, Six Degrees Could Change the World explains what's real, what's still controversial, and how existing technologies and remedies could help dial back the global thermometer.
Seeders: 0
Leeches: 0

Garbage Warrior

Category: Documentary
Description:
Mike has created sustainable communities worldwide. He started in Taos New Mexico and the world will soon change. Using recycled materials, solar/wind power, passive heat gained through sunlight, water harvesting, tropical gardens to recycle waste; these earthships take pressure off people and the planet. No power/sewer lines in or out of these structures. Mike's works are intense, but incredible adobe homes. A modern cave. If you have your own shelter, power, heat, food, with no mortgage, then you are absolutely free .. A life without bills .. What do beer cans, car tires and water bottles have in common? Not much unless you're renegade architect Michael Reynolds, in which case they are tools of choice for producing thermal mass and energy-independent housing. For 30 years New Mexico-based Reynolds and his green disciples have devoted their time to advancing the art of "earthship biotecture" by building self-sufficient, off-the-grid communities where design and function converge in eco-harmony. Shot over three years and in four different countries, Garbage Warrior is a timely portrait of a determined visionary, a hero of the 21st century. BTW check out his website. Many resources on display for all climates. PS - Afer this completes, please seed. I would like to upload some other files, but I need seeder support. enjoy !
Seeders: 0
Leeches: 1

Iran and the West (2009)

Category: Documentary
Description:
Iran and the West 1. The Man who Changed the World (Episode 1 of 3 ) Militant Islam enjoyed its first modern triumph with the arrival in power of Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran in 1979. In this series of three programmes, key figures tell the inside story. Former US president Jimmy Carter talks on television for the first time about the episode that, more than any other, led American voters to eject him from the presidency. Iran's seizure of the US embassy in Tehran and the holding of its staff for 444 days took more and more of Carter's time and energy. His final days in office were dominated by desperate attempts to secure the release of the embassy hostages. Those who sat in the White House with him, planning how to rescue the hostages, how to negotiate their release and, finally, wondering whether anything could be rescued from the disaster, all tell their part in the story. Other contributors include former vice president Walter Mondale, ex-deputy secretary of state Warren Christopher and former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski. The other side of the story is told by top Iranians: Ayatollah Khomeini's close adviser, Grand Ayatollah Montazeri; his first foreign minister, Ebrahim Yazdi; his negotiator with the US, Sadeq Tabatabai; and the founder of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Mohsen Rafiqdoust. Credits Participant Jimmy Carter Participant Walter Mondale Participant Warren Christopher Participant Mohsen Rafiqdoust Director Dai Richards Producer Dai Richards Producer Norma Percy 2. The Pariah State (Episode 2 of 3) Second episode in the documentary series marking the 30th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. Inside stories are told by two ex-presidents of Iran, Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami, by two founders of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, and by leading westerners including Secretaries of State George Shultz, Warren Christopher and Madeleine Albright. Credits Participant Hashemi Rafsanjani Participant Mohammad Khatami Participant George Shultz Participant Warren Christopher Participant Madeleine Albright Director Delphine Jaudeau Producer Delphine Jaudeau Producer Norma Percy 3. Nuclear Confrontation (Episode 3 of 3) In part three of this landmark series from Norma Percy and the team that made the multi-award winning documentaries The Death of Yugoslavia and Elusive Peace: Israel and the Arabs, contributors including Iran's President Khatami tell the inside story of the West's continuing nuclear confrontation with Iran. The film also shows a rare moment when they worked together. US State Department insiders tell how, after 9/11, Iran played a key role in helping America to topple the Taliban in Afghanistan - only for President Bush to put Iran into his 'axis of evil' immediately afterwards. Jack Straw, then foreign secretary, and President Khatami describe how Iran offered to help the US and its allies in their war against Saddam Hussein - help that, given Iran's powerful contacts in Iraq and the West's subsequent difficulties there, might have made a crucial difference. Jack Straw, his successor Margaret Beckett, and Joschka Fischer of Germany describe how they struggled to find a compromise between Iran and President Bush's hardliners over Iran's nuclear programme. John Sawers at the UN reveals an extraordinary secret deal that Iran proposed a few years later. Credits Participant Mohammad Khatami Participant Vladimir Putin Participant Jack Straw Director Paul Mitchell Producer Paul Mitchell Producer Norma Percy
Seeders: 5
Leeches: 1