In a step towards building sustainable urban infrastructure, Toronto is set to become a North American leader in the development of Green Roofs. Green Roofs help to insulate buildings from the elements, provide a natural animal habitat in the middle of urban development and help reduce a city’s environmental footprint. The City of Toronto has approved “Making Green Roofs Happen,” an initiative to put pockets of nature on top of existing public buildings. Just in case lower heating bills and cleaner air aren’t enough of an incentive, the plan also recommends financial incentives for private Green Roofs.
A Small Victory Over AIDS
It’s hard to find good news about AIDS, especially AIDS in Africa. Former UN Special Envoy Stephen Lewis has gone so far as to call it a genocide. But, good news can surface in the most unlikely of places. Through changes in social behaviour and however slowly, Zimbabwe may be starting to turn the tide. Although other factors may be affecting the numbers, a slight increase in condom use seems to mark the first instance of declining HIV infection rates in Southern Africa. Small actions make a big difference.
You can help the fight against AIDS in Africa through The Stephen Lewis Foundation.
Bush America to Use Less Oil
Richard wrote:
“President Bush announced something called the Advanced Energy Initiative to ween America off of its dependence on foreign oil in his state of the union address… it’s for maybe the wrong reasons, but it’s at least a small step in the right direction, from an environmental standpoint.”
Details can be found on the NASDAQ website.
Thanks, Richard!
LAPD Launches New Technology in Hopes of Saving Lives
by Leo Postovoit
On average, there are 100,000 police pursuits a year in the United
States, 600 in the city of Los Angeles alone, many of which end
violently.
Today marks a special time, for the Los Angeles Police Department
announced the use of a new tracking device to follow fleeing motorists
and get officers out of the way of danger.
“It is an air-propelled miniature dart equipped with a global
positioning device. Once fired from a patrol car, it sticks to a
fleeing motorist’s vehicle and emits a radio signal to police,” says
Chief William J. Bratton.
“Instead of us pushing them doing 70 or 80 miles an hour … this device
allows us not to have to pursue after the car,” Bratton said. “It
allows us to start vectoring where the car is. Even if they bail out
of the car, we’ll have pretty much instantaneously information where
they are.”
U.S. Department of Justice officials, Bratton said, suggested that the
StarChase system, the product of a Virginia company, be tested in Los
Angeles. A number of patrol cars will be equipped with compressed air
launchers, which fire the miniature GPS receiver in a sticky compound
resembling a golf ball, for a four to six month trial.
Implementation of such technology is aimed at the end of violent
pursuits — Last year, an LAPD officer fatally shot a 13-year-old boy,
who was driving a stolen car, at the end of a pursuit, as well as
This week, another pursuit in the Los Angeles area ended with a
sheriff’s deputy firing at the passenger of the car in a controversial
incident.
Banking for Beggars
How do you break the vicious cycle of poverty?
The Grameen Bank in India is doing it by issuing microcredit loans to poor people who can then use the money to engage in entrepreneurial activities, like lime-making, garment sewing, and transport services. As of July 2004, the bank had 1267 branches and 3.7 million borrowers, 96 percent of whom were women. 94 percent of the bank is owned by borrowers. In late 2003, the bank established a new lending program specifically for beggars in Bangladesh.
Overall, the initiative has been wildly successful.