LGVN ARCHIVES SEPTEMBER 2000

SEPTEMBER 2000

• EUROPEAN FUEL CRISIS opinion from Veggieglobal
• USA FOREST FIRES update
• COMPUTERS CREATE THEIR OWN SPECIES

A Word from the Veggieglobal.com editor on the European Fuel Crisis

12th September 2000

Veggieglobal.com have spoken out against both government and public action in the UK towards the current fuel crisis. In a nationwide press release and statement to LGVN, John O'Donnell, editor of Veggieglobal writes:

"If the current fuel crisis does not raise the question of alternative energy resources for the future, then are we to assume the scenarios we are now witnessing will repeat themselves more periodically and perhaps in more violent ways in the future? Not just here in the UK, but globally.

We are fast reaching the end of the planet's oil supplies, and as usual, human complacency half ignores such situations until the obvious consequences slap us in the face with a not-so-oily rag. Not once during the last few days of this current crisis have the media considered the environmental question, and therefore promoted a positive alternative for the public's consideration

This seems like a perfect opportunity to encourage every able bodied individual to use their feet… and walk… or cycle!… oh yes…that's what legs were made for.

As I drove (umm..yes drove) across Southern England during the mid September fuel stoppage I could not believe the ant like mentality of panic drivers, queuing by their hundreds, for petrol… and not only that, but with their engines still running.

The government are milking fuel prices through excessive tax, but surely this situation must effectively switch on the light bulbs (or not) for many citizens; Modern society is totally dependant on oil. Very dangerous…. And a very powerful political correlation between government / energy suppliers who control the welfare of whole nations.

Unfortunately the public are more concerned about their immediate needs. The demand for a comforatable drive to work is greater than concern for the long term damage to societies structure, and of course the environment. The governments depend on this trait of "must have" consumer mentality to politically engineer a social structure which allows them full reign and manipulation over what we now consider life's essentials.

If, by now the government had forced more research and development into alternative clean energy, today's crisis would have had very little or no consequence… in fact it wouldn't have happened. But since the UK government are making such profits on taxing oil, they are certainly not going to risk loosing that revenue.

This crisis and similar scenarios, political, humanitarian or environmental, is just like living in the stories of many science fiction books written thirty years ago.

So predictable, and all of which could so easily have been avoided."

For discussion see GGL's at veggieglobal.com

USA Forest Fires update.

Figures compiled as from the beginning of this month show that forest fires have now destroyed 6.3 million acres in the West United States this year.

At this time of writing, there were 85 major fires burning on 1.64 million acres across the nation.

A nationwide drought has contributed to America's worst fire season in half a century.

It is hoped that rainier and more humid weather during September will begin to dampen the fires. As firefighters across the country endlessly struggle to save the remaining forests.

COMPUTERS CREATE THEIR OWN NEW "SPECIES"

By following the rules of evolution a computer has produced offspring for the first time. These very first experiments in effect marks the dawn of the first building blocks of a new species. The computer is autonomously designing and manufacturing very simple automations - small robots with minimal help from humans.

These first stages show the potential of computers one day becoming self sufficient, self replicating and possibly even with a level of sentient awareness.

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