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LGVN ARCHIVES
SEPTEMBER 2000
SEPTEMBER
2000
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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and VeggieGlobal News Copyright.
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