REALLY BAD NEWS

 *IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON JUNGLE, ANNUAL FOREST LOSS ROSE FROM LESS THAN 3 MILLION ACRES IN 1991, TO AN AVERAGE OF 4.8 MILLION ACRES DURING EACH OF THE PAST THREE YEARS. THIS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF SEVEN FOOTBALL FIELDS PER MINUTE. IN 1995 ALONE, MORE THAN 7 MILLION ACRES WERE DESTROYED. FOREST FRAGMENTATION ALTERS THE COMPLEX ARCHITECTURE WITHIN THE FOREST, THEREFORE MAKING IT VULNERABLE TO A HOST OF PROBLEMS. ISOLATING FRAGMENTS OF FOREST CAN CAUSE ENTIRE PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES TO BECOME EXTINCT FOREVER.

 *THE BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT HAS SLASHED FUNDS TOWARD A $250 MILLION PILOT PROJECT BACKED BY SEVEN LEADING INDUSTRIAL NATIONS THAT IS THE CENTERPIECE OF BRAZIL’S EFFORTS TO SAVE THE AMAZON RAINFOREST.

 *AN ENORMOUS GLACIER LARGER THAN THE SIZE OF DELAWARE HAS BROKEN OFF THE RONNE ICE SHELF IN ANTARCTICA. THE A-38 GLACIER IS 92 MILES LONG AND 30 MILES WIDE, WITH A COMBINED AREA OF 2,751 SQUARE MILES.

 *THE MUCH SMALLER WORDIE ICE SHELF DISAPPEARED IN THE LATE 1980’S AND CRACKS HAVE FORMED IN THE LARSEN-B SHELF-NOW THE NORTHERNMOST SHELF ON THE CONTINENT-AND EXPERTS SUSPECT IT COULD BREAK UP AT ANY TIME.

 *THE ROSS ICE SHELF MAKES UP A SUBSTANTIAL PERCENTAGE OF THE ANTARCTIC ICE MASS. IT IS THEORIZED THAT IF THE ROSS ICE SHELF BROKE FREE AND SLID INTO THE OCEAN, SEA LEVELS WORLDWIDE COULD RISE AN ESTIMATED 265+ FEET, OR ABOUT UP TO THE STATUE OF LIBERTY’S ARMPITS [THE WEST ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET (WAIS) IS THE SIZE OF MEXICO AND CONTAINS ENOUGH WATER TO RAISE WORLD SEA LEVELS BY 18 FEET].

 *NEW VOLCANIC ACTIVITY WHICH BEGAN UNDER THE ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET SOME MONTHS AGO IS CAUSING CONCERN AMONG SOME SCIENTISTS. IF THE ANTARCTIC CONTINENT WERE TO BECOME INCREASINGLY ACTIVE GEOPHYSICALLY, THIS COULD SPELL DISASTER FOR THE ANCIENT ICE ESTABLISHMENT (AND THE HUMANS THAT HAPPEN TO SHARE THE PLANET). THE SUBSEQUENT WARMING OF THE ANTARCTIC REGION COULD FURTHER COMPLICATE AN ALREADY PERILOUS SITUATION.

 *GLACIER NATIONAL PARK IN THE NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAINS OF MONTANA MAY SOON BE WITHOUT ANY GLACIERS.

 *THE SANTA CLARA CITY COUNCIL HAS CLEARED THE WAY FOR KAISER PERMANENTE TO PLOW OVER AND DEVELOP ONE OF THE LAST REMAINING ORCHARDS IN THE SANTA CLARA VALLEY AT LAWRENCE EXPRESSWAY AND HOMESTEAD ROAD, EVEN THOUGH IT BORDERS A CREEK AND LAND ALLEDGEDLY POLLUTED LONG AGO BY THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY, AND DESPITE PROTEST FROM THE ADJACENT COMMUNITY (PART OF WHICH IS IN SUNNYVALE) AGAINST THE PROJECT AND THE TRAFFIC IT WILL CREATE. THE SITE IS LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO CALABAZAS CREEK, WHICH DESPITE NEW ALTERATIONS ALLOWING INCREASED VOLUMES OF WATER, STILL HAS THE POTENTIAL TO OVERFLOW ITS’ BANKS IN THE FUTURE.

 *THE HIGH TECH INDUSTRY DECLINED TO COOPERATE WITH THE EPA IN STUDYING TOXIC CHEMICALS IN THE WORKPLACE.

 *SANTA CLARA COUNTY HAS MORE SUPERFUND CLEANUP SITES THAN ANY OTHER COUNTY IN AMERICA. SCIENTISTS KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE 70,000 CHEMICALS IN USE TODAY, WHICH INCLUDE XYLENE, TCE, TCA AND 111-TCA.

 *THE BERKELEY CITY COUNCIL HAS REFUSED TO SEEK FEDERAL SUPERFUND STATUS FOR THE LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY (LBNL) OUTRAGING ACTIVISTS WHO CLAIM THE LAB’S RELEASE OF RADIOACTIVE TRITIUM FAR EXCEEDS FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND THREATENS AREA RESIDENTS WITH EXPOSURE TO DANGEROUS TOXIC POLLUTION.

 *SCIENTISTS HAVE RECENTLY FOUND STRONG EVIDENCE THAT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN RURAL REGIONS THAT ARE CHRONICALLY EXPOSED TO HERBICIDES AND PESTICIDES ARE MORE AT RISK FOR PARKINSON’S DISEASE.

 *EVERY SPRING, FARMERS THROUGHOUT THE MIDWEST APPLY 150 MILLION POUNDS OF HERBICIDES TO SOYBEAN AND CORN. RAINS WASH LARGE PORTIONS INTO THE DRINKING WATER OF 11.7 MILLION RESIDENTS. DURING THE SPRING RUNOFF OF 1993, THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY NOTED THAT UP TO 16,000 POUNDS OF HERBICIDES WERE MOVING DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER EACH DAY. AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS CAUSE ABOUT HALF OF ALL WATER POLLUTION.

 *THE U.S. HAS 6 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S AGRICULTURAL LAND, YET USES 50 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S PESTICIDES (2.2 BILLION POUNDS IN 1993).

 *POWER POLITICS AND POLITICAL CLIQUES HAVE ALLEDGEDLY DEVELOPED AT SUNNYVALE CITY HALL. APPARENTLY, SOME INDIVIDUAL POLITICAL FUTURES HAVE BECOME A BIGGER CONCERN THAN THE RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF CITIZENS.

 *SUNNYVALE CITY OFFICIALS RECENTLY SETTLED A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN AUGUST AFTER ADMITTING BEING UNAWARE OF CHANGES IN A LAW THAT LED THE CITY TO IMPOUND CARS LONGER THAN WAS LEGAL. COST TO TAXPAYERS: $67,000.

 *DRASTICALLY INCREASING POPULATION RATES IN MANY CITIES ARE RENDERING MANY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OBSOLETE IN THEIR CURRENT FORMS. IN MANY CASES THERE EXIST ENORMOUS INADEQUACIES TO EFFECTIVELY RESPOND TO AN EVER-INCREASING CONSTITUENCY BASE. WHAT WORKS IN A TOWN WITH A POPULATION OF 4,000, DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK IN LARGER CITIES OF 100,000+. WHILE SOME CITIES SUCH AS CUPERTINO ARE SHINING EXAMPLES OF RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENT (PROGRESSIVE TRAFFIC ABATEMENT METHODS, ETC) OTHERS ARE NOT, AND NEED TO SERIOUSLY RE-EXAMINE MANY ACCEPTED POLICIES. CONSTITUENTS CAN COMPENSATE BY INCREASING THEIR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT TO HAVE A LARGER INFLUENCE WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE SOLUTION DOES NOT LIE WITHIN EXPANDED GOVERNMENT, THE PROBLEM IS THAT CONSTITUENTS ARE IN FACT THE SOLUTION.

 *THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK REGION IS ONE OF THE FASTEST DEVELOPING AREAS IN THE WEST, AND THIS IS CREATING A PROBLEM FOR THE GRIZZLY BEAR POPULATION. HOMES AND SUBDIVISIONS ARE RAPIDLY FILLING MUCH OF THE PRIVATE LAND, AND OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION PRESENTS ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS THREATS AS THE FOREST SERVICE PLANS TO LEASE SEVERAL MILLION ACRES IN NATIONAL FORESTS IN THE YELLOWSTONE REGION FOR THIS PURPOSE. ADDING TO THIS, THE SHITHEAD GOVERNOR OF WYOMING WANTS TO START A SEASON TO HUNT THE GRIZZLY.

 *OVERFISHING IN U.S. WATERS HAS PRODUCED AN ESTIMATED $8 BILLION LOSS IN ANNUAL REVENUES AND COST US 300,000 JOBS THAT WOULD STILL BE HERE HAD WE MANAGED OUR FISHERIES WISELY.

 *CHINA HAS ORDERED POLICE TO ARREST PEOPLE POSTING ANTI-GOVERNMENT REMARKS ON COMPUTER NETWORKS. AMONG OTHER GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWNS, A POPULAR INTERNET BULLETIN BOARD CALLED ‘EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN’ WAS SHUT DOWN BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. AUTHORITIES COULD NOT TOLERATE THE BOLD NATURE OF COMMUNICATION.

 *AN OUTSPOKEN NAVAL JOURNALIST WHO EXPOSED THE RUSSIAN NAVY’S DUMPING OF NUCLEAR WASTE IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN WAS PUT ON TRIAL FOR TREASON IN A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED ATTEMPT TO SILENCE HIM.

 *FIVE ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS WERE ARRESTED AND HELD ON $1 MILLION DOLLARS BAIL AFTER A PROTEST AT THE CONGRESS OF THE WORLD ENERGY COUNCIL IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE BAIL AMOUNT IS 10 TIMES GREATER THAN THE AVERAGE BAIL FOR HOMICIDE SUSPECTS IN HARRIS COUNTY. RATHER THAN BEING PROSECTUED FOR ANY PARTICULAR CRIME, THEY ARE INSTEAD BEING PERSECUTED SOLEY FOR HAVING THE GUTS TO TAKE ON THE OIL INDUSTRY.

 *A BRITISH GOVERNMENT REPORT ON THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF GROWING GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS HAS BEEN SUPPRESSED BECAUSE OF ITS CONTROVERSIAL WARNING OF SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS.

 *THE FORMER MAYOR OF ISTANBUL, TURKEY IS SERVING A 10 MONTH PRISON TERM FOR COMMITTING POETRY.

 *AS A WAY TO CONTROL THE FREE SPEECH AND EXPRESSION OF CONSTITUENTS, AS OF JANUARY 1ST 1999, ANY E-MAIL MESSAGE SENT TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT THAT IS CONSIDERED THREATENING COULD BE A FEDERAL OFFENSE.

 *THE PENTAGON HAS DEMANDED AN ADVANCE COPY OF A BOOK BY FORMER U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR SCOTT RITTER.

 *THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT APPEARS TO HAVE JOINED IN A WIDESCALE ATTEMPT TO INTIMIDATE RITTER INTO SILENCE.

 *THE NATIONAL RECONNAISANCE OFFICE (NRO) IS A SECRET GOVERNMENT AGENCY WITH A BUDGET BIGGER THAN THE CIA’S. THE NRO SPENDS FAR MORE THAN ANY OF THE GOVERNMENT’S 13 PRIMARY ‘INTELLIGENCE’ AGENCIES, AND HAS SOME 15 ORBITAL SATELLITES PHOTOGRAPHING AND EAVESDROPPING ON UNSUSPECTING VICTIMS WORLDWIDE.

 *IN 1996, THE NRO QUIETLY ADMITTED THAT IT CANNOT ACCOUNT FOR AN ESTIMATED $4 BILLION IN MISSING FUNDS.

 *WHILE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GOES ABOUT ACCIDENTALLY SLAUGHTERING INNOCENT CITIZENS IN IRAQ, THE STATE LEVEL SOMEHOW MAKES A RIGHT OUT OF TWO WRONGS WITH THE DEATH PENALTY, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ALLOW POLICE TO RECEIVE VACATIONS AFTER SHOOTING INNOCENT, UNARMED PEOPLE, U.S. CITIZENS (OR CHATTLE) IN SOME STATES CAN RECEIVE THE DEATH PENALTY FOR STEALING A PIZZA, OR LIFE IN PRISON FOR MERELY E-MAILING THE PRESIDENT.

 *A MAJOR RESTAURANT CHAIN HAS REPORTED A WIDESPREAD MOIST TOWELETTE SHORTAGE THAT COULD THREATEN CLEANSING BY CAUSING AN INDECENT IMPOSITION OF HIGHLY CONTEMPTIBLE FILTH UPON MANY INGESTING INDIVIDUALS.

REFERENCE SOURCES: BAM MAGAZINE, THE CONNECTION MAGAZINE, GEORGE MAGAZINE, METRO, NATURAL HISTORY, THE PET COMPANION, ROBOTMAN, SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, SF BAY GUARDIAN, SF WEEKLY, SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER/CHRONICLE, SIERRA CLUB, VH1, ROB BREZNY, JIM MEDDICK, FRANCES ROWE, ROB WILDER AND LIK ROPER.

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