Month: December 2008

World’s Friendliest Countries

- Adam Clare

Forbes has the result of an international survey that set out to find the friendliest countries. From the full article:

Canada is the most welcoming; almost 95% of respondents to HSBC Bank International’s Expat Exploreer Survey, released today, said they have made friends with locals. In Germany, 92% were so lucky and in Australia 91% befriended those living there. The United Arab Emirates was found to be the most difficult for expats; only 54% of those surveyed said they’d made friends with locals.

Ten Victories the Environment had in 2008

- Adam Clare

Planet Save has their top ten victories for the environmental movement in 2008. Their list is very much centered on the USA, but a victory for the environment anywhere is a victory for everyone everywhere.

5. Greenpeace Activists Acquitted in the UK

A jury in the UK acquitted six Greenpeace activists of criminal damage charges after they trespassed, scaled, and vandalized a 650-foot smokestack at the Kingsnorth coal plant in Kent. The defense argued that they were acting in defense of the planet and that the damage done by the coal plant’s daily 20,000 tons of carbon emissions will result in damage from climate change much worse than any graffiti. Unfortunate side-note: activists tried the same argument in the United States recently without success.

Coal Mine Now Mined for Heat

- Adam Clare


This is pretty neat for what it is and the symbolism behind it. An old coal mine has been transformed into a geothermal plant. Renovating an old-school mine that burnt up non-renewable natural resources and turning it into a place of renewable non-polluting energy is pretty awesome.

The area supplied by the Minewater is a relatively new development and includes a supermarket and a brand new cultural center and library as well as many homes and businesses. While the cost of the heating and cooling is not much different than before, customers can be assured of stable prices in the future compared to the cost they could incur by using fossil fuels.

The Netherlands, which is also experimenting with energy generation from chicken manure, is just one of the test sites for this new technology. Other test sites for the Minewater Project include Aachen, Germany and Lorraine, France. Much of the technology for this project is being developed as needed, since there is no precedent for this type of geothermal energy project. At the beginning of October the Minewater Conference was held in Heerlen to discuss the technology and hold workshops and meetings to improve the project. The attendees produced a very interesting video on their work and progress.

Human Rights Turn 60

- Adam Clare

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed sixty years ago today!

Here’s the overview of the actual document:

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the full text of which appears in the following pages. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.”
PREAMBLE

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Parks Are Green, Healthy, and Fun

- Adam Clare

Kids love playing in parks, in fact, I still enjoy playing in a park. Some new research points out that neighbourhoods that have parks are more likely to have healthier residents than neighbourhoods without parks. The moral of this story is that parks should be common in more places because parks are healthy for us.

Exposure to grassy areas has also been linked to less stress and a lower body mass index among adults. And an analysis of 3,000 Tokyo residents associated walkable green spaces with greater longevity among senior citizens. Glass cautions that most studies don’t necessarily prove a causal link between greenness and health, but they’re nonetheless helping spur action. In September the U.S. House of Representatives approved the delightfully named No Child Left Inside Act to encourage public initiatives aimed at exposing kids to the outdoors.

Finding green space is, of course, not always easy, and you may have to work a bit to get your family a little grass and trees. If you live in a suburb or a city with good parks, take advantage of what’s there. Your children in particular will love it — and their bodies and minds will thank you

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