Taxes Don’t Need to be Taxing

Taxes stink, right?

Not according to a new Finnish organization: the Happy Taxpayers’ Association. The purpose of the organization is to help taxpayers to focus on all the good that their dollars are doing, rather than the obvious negatives. This doesn’t mean that they’re blithe about it; in an interview on CBC Radio, the founder stated that the group strives to be “happy and critical, rather than happy and stupid.”

Remember, taxes pay for things like roads, health care, public art, and my salary. Do you like these things? I think you do.

China to Build a New Earth

The Beijing-based International Society for Digital Earth has been founded to compile data from all sorts of digital earth models in order to make the most realistic computer simulation of the planet as possible.

Research will focus on climate change and other global issues. The project will help us analyze a lot of data about this planet we live on and hopefully find some solutions to environmental problems. What’s more “the society is expected to recruit members from developing countries, particularly Africa and Latin America, to raise their awareness of the opportunities the project offers.”

Africa Freedom Day

Today, May 25th, is Africa Freedom day!

One World Africa has nice article written about the Africa Freedom day. Since Africa Freedom day started good progress as been made on the continent, the article looks at both the good and the bad developments in the last 40 years. Let’s hope that the spirit that Africa Freedom day represents is never forgotten.

“Africa Freedom day which falls on 25th May, is a day in which as Africans we observe the creation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and pay tribute to the Heads of State, who through a common vision of unity, decided to seek a joint African solution to the dichotomy facing Africa in the 1960s.

Forty-one years ago, leaders of the African Continent decided to establish the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Driven by a common aspiration towards de-colonisation, liberation, equality, justice and progress, an inter-African organisation of independent states was founded. “

China Looking for Green Medal at Olympics

Most countries compete for the gold medal, well China’s competing for one extra one that is green. We all know that China is building a green city and now they are trying to build a green olympics. China is implementing new technologies to try to get the coming 2008 Beijing olympics environmentally friendly. From the World Watch Institute:

“In mid-April, Beijing’s National Olympic Stadium signed a 10 million RMB (US$1.25 million) contract with domestic solar company Suntech Power to install a 130-kilowatt photovoltaic system at 12 stadium entrances. The installation will supplement the venue’s conventional power supply and make the stadium—also known as the “Bird’s Nest” because of its appearance—the world’s most environmentally friendly sporting arena. “The Bird’s Nest Stadium solar energy project demonstrates China’s commitment to clean, renewable energy and a green Olympics,” said Zhengrong Shi, Suntech’s chairman and CEO.”

Helping out Darfur

Canada’s Prime Minister announced that we’re gonna step in and help the troubled Darfur region of Sudan with $40-million in foreign aid.

“First, working through the United Nations, the lead organization on the ground, we will help to provide urgently needed necessities like food and water, deliver medical care to the afflicted and the suffering and build desperately-needed sanitation services,” Stephen Harper said on May 23, 2006.

Humanitarian needs, such as food, water and sanitation are of the highest importance here, but steps will also be taken to implement the Darfur peace agreement. The suffering people of Darfur will finally get some much needed help! The UN has also decided to step in with a peacekeeping force.