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Wednesday, August 31
Confronting The Evidence - A Call to Reopen the 9/11 Investigation
by
Caroline Vernon
on Wed 31 Aug 2005 09:09 AM CDT
 Confronting the Evidence - A Call to Reopen the 9/11 Investigation
by Caroline Vernon
Excerpts from www.Reopen911.org
90% of CNN Viewers Believe in a 9/11 Cover-up:
On
Wednesday, November 10th, Anderson Cooper featured Kyle Hence and Jimmy
Walter regarding the latter's TV ad campaign to expose 9/11 truth on
WTC 7 and the Pentagon strike. An on-air poll showed close to 90% of
viewers believe there's been a cover-up of the true events of September
11...
9/11 LIST OF HARD EVIDENCE:
Based
on current research, this is a succinct list of the “hardest evidence”
available about the 9/11/01 attack on the World Trade Center and
Pentagon; this information directly contradicts the American
government’s version of events.
--The
hole in the Pentagon was too small to have been made by a 757 passenger
plane, as photos show. The impression made was approximately half the
size of the airplane.
--Larry
Silverstein, the World Trade Center’s leaseholder, is on tape saying
“…Pull it,” in regard to WTC building 7. This building fell suddenly
though it was not hit by a plane.
--The
Bush Administration misled Americans about the health affects of the
WTC attacks, stating "the air is safe to breathe," in order to reopen
Wall Street and surrounding areas.
--According
to eye witness testimony by several reporters and other citizens,
“explosions” occurred at the WTC on 9/11. News footage is available..
--WTC damage was inconsistent with fire (Fire Engineering Magazine); yet consistent with the use of explosives.
--Bush
blocked investigations into 9/11, then refused to testify under oath
before the '9/11 Commission.' The Bush Administration benefited
directly from the attacks in 'political capital.'
--Critical
evidence from the 9/11 attacks was destroyed; the government has only
released 25% of the documents requested by the 9/11 Commission, these
documents have large blacked-out areas.
--The
9/11 attacks were used as a pretext for the war in Iraq; this war,
based on ‘bad intelligence’ has resulted in the loss of more than
100,000 lives.
--Five
different air military training exercises were taking place on 9/11/01.
Was this done purposely to confuse American air defense?
--At least four of the '9/11 suicide hijackers' have turned up alive.
The identities of several more are in question. The FBI director
admitted not all of the hijackers are known, (New York Times,
Washington Post, BBC news).
--Assia Mortensen May, 6, 2005
Confronting the Evidence: A Call To Reopen the 9/11 Investigation - The Video is Mightier Than the Pen:
To date,
Reopen911.org has given away 200,000 copies of “Confronting the
Evidence: A Call to Reopen the 9/11 Investigation,” a new DVD exposing
critical evidence about the 9/11 attacks. “Confronting the Evidence”
includes footage of a “town hall meeting” held on September 11, 2004 in
New York City. Hosted by actor and activist Ed Begley Jr., the
groundbreaking event featured David Ray Griffin, David vonKleist, Barry
Zwicker, Webster Tarpley, Kristina Borjesson, Karl Schwartz, Jeff King,
Paul Thompson, Jenna Orkin, Christopher Scheer, Dr Robert Bowman,
Christopher Bollyn, and John Prados.
The DVD also includes special selections from Eric Hufschmid's DVD on 9/11, Painful Deceptions."
Reopen911.
org is sending a free DVD to every library, police department, fire
department, as well as thousands of other interested patriots across
the United States and abroad. For your own Free DVD, please go to
Reopen911.org.
This
video is approximately one hour long but incredibly compelling. I
recommend that you get yourself a cup of Jo, make yourself comfortable,
and use your own powers of discernment. As I often say, the truth
has never suffered from honest examination.
After watching the video, go to www.reopen911.org
and sign up for your free DVD of "Confronting the
Evidence". Arrange a house party to watch with friends and family
to help raise awareness on this vitally important issue. We must hold
our government accountable!
To Watch the Video, Click Here:
More on 911 Truth - CSPAN to Air TODAY:
Representative Cynthia McKinney organized a day-long briefing on July 22 to address the 9/11 Commission's Final Report one year later. The event included leading victims' family members, former government and intelligence workers, academics and authors speaking on the flaws and
weaknesses of the 9/11 Commission's investigation, assumptions, omissions, conclusions and recommendations. It was filmed in entirety by C-SPAN.
C-SPAN has now set some times and dates for airing the event.
They will air on C-SPAN from 8:00 pm to 11:30 pm on Wednesday, August 31
And on Friday, September 2 from 8:00 pm to 1:00 am. It is broken into two parts.
WATCH IT TONIGHT!
Sunday, August 28
IOWA'S NEW BOHEMIA SOLAR PROJECT
by
Molly Regan
on Sun 28 Aug 2005 11:00 AM CDT
 Iowa's New Bohemia Solar Project
by Cliff Day
A group of enthusiastic volunteers recently completed installation of
the LARGEST PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAY EVER CONSTRUCTED IN IOWA (7,200 Watt) in
the New Bohemia neighborhood of Cedar Rapids (3rd Street and 10th
Avenue SE). This project was made possible by collaboration between the
Iowa Renewable Energy Association (I-RENEW), Alliant Energy, The City
of Cedar Rapids, the Thorland Company, Plan B, and the Iowa Department
of Natural Resources. Funding was provided by the U.S. Department of
Energy. This new photovoltaic array will provide power to Alliant
Energy's Second Nature renewable energy program customers and serve as
an educational resource on renewable energy for the community.
The New Bohemia Solar Project in Cedar Rapids. (Look at the
chem trails criss-crossing the sky in the background!)
The New Bohemia Solar Project was completed under the technical
guidance of Dennis Pottratz of Go Solar. Mr. Pottratz is one of Iowa's
foremost experts on installation of solar and wind energy equipment.
The project manager is Rich Dana of Plan B. Mr. Dana is a renewable
energy consultant who is currently serving as the Iowa renewable energy
outreach coordinator for the Union of Concerned Scientists. The project
was organized as two three-day workshops that provided the volunteers
both classroom instruction on photovoltaic design and actual hands-on
installation experience. For more information on the project, you may
contact Mr. Dana at: (319) 530-6051 or by e-mail at rich@gotoplanb.net.
The project will be formally dedicated on Friday, September 9, by Peter
Dreyfuss, Director of the Chicago Region of the U.S. Department of
Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency andRenewable Energy. On
Saturday, September 10, Mr. Dreyfus will be keynote speaker at
I-RENEW's Energy Expo 2005 at the Prairiewoods Franciscan Center in
Hiawatha, Iowa just north of Cedar Rapids. Mr. Pottratz will also be hosting introductory
photovoltaic workshops at Energy Expo 2005.
The following links provide more information on the New Bohemia Solar Project and Energy Expo 2005:
Plan B (Rich Dana): http://www.gotoplanb.net/
New Bohemia Solar Project photos: http://www.gotoplanb.net/solarpix/
Go Solar (Dennis Pottratz): gosolar@oneota.net
I-RENEW: http://www.irenew.org
I-RENEW Energy Expo 2005 Speakers and Workshops (Sep 10 & 11): http://www.irenew.org/expo.html
Wednesday, August 24
9 States Plan to Cut Emissions by Power Plants
by
Caroline Vernon
on Wed 24 Aug 2005 02:20 PM CDT
 9 States in Plan to Cut Emissions by Power Plants
By ANTHONY DePALMA, NY Times
Officials in New York and eight other Northeastern states have come to
a preliminary agreement to freeze power plant emissions at their
current levels and then reduce them by 10 percent by 2020, according to
a confidential draft proposal.
The
cooperative action, the first of its kind in the nation, came after the
Bush administration decided not to regulate the greenhouse gases that
contribute to global warming. Once a final agreement is reached, the
legislatures of the nine states will have to enact it, which is
considered likely....
California,
Washington and Oregon are in the early stages of exploring a regional
agreement similar to the Northeastern plan. The nine states in the
Northeastern agreement are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. They
were brought together in 2003 by a Republican governor, George E.
Pataki of New York, who broke sharply and openly with the Bush
administration over the handling of greenhouse gases and Washington's
refusal to join more than 150 countries in signing the Kyoto Protocols,
the agreement to reduce emissions that went into effect earlier this
year.
In recent years, New York and other Northeastern states have aggressively tried to reduce power plant emissions. Several
have joined together to sue coal-fired power plants in Midwestern
states that produce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide that drift across
state borders and cause acid rain in the Northeast.
To read the rest of the article, click here:
Monday, August 22
LOUISE HARRISON COMES BACK TO IOWA
by
Molly Regan
on Mon 22 Aug 2005 07:08 AM CDT
 LOUISE HARRISON COMES BACK TO IOWA
Ten days ago LOUISE HARRISON, sister of GEORGE HARRISON (above), one of THE
BEATLES, was back in Scott County. She is manager of a great
group called LIVERPOOL LEDGENDS. These 4 young men look, dress,
and SOUND like The Beatles.
Ms. Harrison helps bring their sound and her brother George's message of tolerance and peace to others. She is a gracious, soft
spoken woman with stories of George's evolution from being a 20 year
old who was tossed into near-instant fame to the peace-loving man of
later years.
I first met Louise during the recent presidential
campaign. She was an avid Dean supporter and came to Davenport on a
cold Sunday in January, 2004, to hear GOVERNOR HOWARD DEAN
speak at West High
School. (The photo on the right was taken of Louise (right) and
me on August 12, 2005, at Kernan's Restaurant in Princeton, Iowa.)
In 1992, Louise created a non-profit environmental organization called
DROP IN (as opposed to the "drop out" suggestions of the 1970's era).
Lou made 170 GOOD EARTH-KEEPING TIPS. These public service
announcements were heard around the country on nearly 9,200 radio
stations. Someone here locally is looking into obtaining
the use of them on radio again. Would be a great thing if it
happens.
For more information on the Liverpool Legends go to
www.liverpoollegends.com They will be coming back to Davenport
Saturday, October 29th, at the Col Ballroom on 4th Street. Come
see and experience them. It will be Halloween weekend, so dress
up.
That is the day before the next QC Progressive Action for the Common
Good (PAGC) Summit II at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL.
Our speaker for the Sunday, October 30th, event will be (one of my
favorite people) DAVID OSTERBERG. David is the founder of the
IOWA POLICY PROJECT. Plan to come to the Quad Cities for both
events. Will be great fun.
Don't forget…CPR: CONSERVE/PARTICIPATE/RECYCLE
Thursday, August 18
Weak Meat Inspection Program
by
Caroline Vernon
on Thu 18 Aug 2005 03:45 PM CDT
 Weak Meat Inspection Program
Public Citizen
Evidence of Weak Meat Inspection Program Found in Nearly a Thousand Violations of Mad Cow Rules at Slaughter Plants
Aug. 18, 2005
Noncompliance Records Show Plants Failed to Follow Regulations
WASHINGTON,
D.C. - In stark contrast to the public relations message touted by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the beef industry that the
U.S. regulatory system is adequate to prevent the spread of mad cow
disease, an analysis released today by the consumer group Public
Citizen found significant lapses in the industry’s compliance with
federal rules.
The
analysis stems from a December 2004 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
request from Public Citizen to the USDA for all "noncompliance records"
(NRs) related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Public Citizen
received copies of 829 records on Aug. 15. (Read the analysis.)
More
than half the violations (460) occurred because slaughter plants did
not have an adequate plan for dealing with BSE in their plant’s food
safety plan, as required by the USDA, the analysis shows. Of those 460
violations, 60 percent described plans that contained no mention of BSE
at all.
"The fact that 60 percent of the violations were due to a failure to
even mention BSE or risk materials such as brains and spinal cords is
significant," said Patty Lovera, deputy director of Public Citizen’s
food program. "If officials running a meat plant cannot be bothered to
recognize the risk of BSE when writing their safety plan, how much of a
priority is it in daily operations and training of staff?"
Click here to read the complete article.
Public
Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization based
in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.citizen.org.
Sunday, August 14
BUY FRESH, BUY LOCAL
by
Molly Regan
on Sun 14 Aug 2005 11:00 AM CDT
 BUY FRESH, BUY LOCAL
Had a good PEACH lately that wasn't laced with pesticides? How
about a free-range egg? Or, well… you know… a free-range
chicken? Actually, peaches happen to be one of the fruits with
the most pesticides in them.
"There are many good reasons to buy locally grown food. YOU'LL
GET EXCEPTIONAL TASTE AND FRESHNESS. Local food is fresher and
tastes better than food shipped long distances from other states or
countries. Local farmers can offer produce varieties bred for
taste and freshness rather than for shipping and long shelf life.
"YOU'LL STRENGTHEN YOUR LOCAL ECONOMY. Buying local food keeps
your dollars circulating in your community. Getting to know the
farmers who grow your food builds relationships based on understanding
and trust, the foundation of strong communities.
"YOU'LL SUPPORT ENDANGERED FAMILY FARMS. There's never been a more
critical time to support your farming neighbors. With each local
food purchase, you ensure that more of your money spent on food goes to
the farmer.
"YOU'LL SAFEGUARD YOUR FAMILY'S HEALTH. Knowing where your food
comes from and how it is grown or raised enables you to choose safe
food from farmers who avoid or reduce their use of chemicals,
pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or genetically modified seed in
their operations. Buy food from local farmers you trust.
"YOU'LL PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT. LOCAL FOOD DOESN'T' HAVE TO
TRAVEL FAR. This reduces carbon dioxide emissions and packing
materials. Buying local food also helps to make farming more
profitable and selling farmland for development less attractive.
When you buy local food, you vote with your food dollar. This
ensures that family farms in your community will continue to thrive and
that healthy, flavorful, plentiful food will be available for future
generations."
Many local producers here in east central IOWA as well as others in
western Illinois are part of the BUY FRESH BUY LOCAL campaign.
The group creates a directory of local farmers markets. Also in
the directory are individuals who supply produce which U-Pick like
flowers and eggs from MISS EFFIE'S COUNTRY FLOWERS & GARDEN STUFF
by Donahue, IOWA, here in Scott County.
Listed also are NOSTALGIA FARMS by Walcott, IOWA, that provides
tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, chickens, and other items as well as "no
hormones or routine antibiotics beef" from Sawyer Beef by Princeton,
IOWA, both in Scott County.
So check out www.farmpaths.org to find a place close by so you can BUY
FRESH BUY LOCAL. If you are not close to those areas mentioned,
your county extension office may help you out. It's a good step
to take.
Always remember to CPR: CONSERVE/PARTICIPATE/RECYCLE
Saturday, August 13
Monsanto's Big Deal
by
Caroline Vernon
on Sat 13 Aug 2005 04:00 AM CDT
 Monsanto's Big Deal
by Karl Beitel and Nick Parker, Food First
This
serves as a reminder of where we are heading. As you know, Iowa has
already passed the Terminator Gene Bill. In my opinion, not only is
this a crime against nature, but serves as an example of the
irresponsible decisions that are being made in our government on behalf
of the highest bidder. He with the most gold makes the rules... and
evidently, now the seeds! As a mother, do you think I should be
concerned about what I feed my children?
The
world's food system is quickly consolidating. Five corporations control
90 percent of the global grain market while five supermarket chains
control most of the global retail trade. Monsanto knows that
consolidation of the global food system in the hands of a small number
of corporations is likely to continue. Wall Street analysts believe
Monsanto's future is dependent on the success of GE seed development.
Increasing its share of the proprietary seed market will allow Monsanto
to exercise significant control over the food we grow and eat. They
already control most of the biotech soy and corn markets. Now they've
extended that reach to the global seed market.
Monsanto's
announcement of their plans to purchase Seminis, the largest fruit and
vegetable seed producer in the world, was quickly followed by a
statement that Monsanto does not intend to apply biotech to develop
these seeds-at least not yet. This is a curious assertion from a
dominant biotech company.
Biotech
crops and food remain unpopular throughout much of the world. In the
United States, biotech corporations successfully fought labeling and
slipped the foods into grocery stores, knowing that these products
would likely have been rejected if consumers had a choice.
Europeans
actively oppose genetically engineered (GE) foods to the point that
major grocery chains in the European Union have vowed to remove GE
ingredients from their name-brand products. Subsequently, biotech
corporations have increasingly turned to the developing world to find
additional markets for GE foods. Even there resistance builds.
The
biotech industry promotes GE foods by claiming these technologies will
help break the cycle of hunger and increase food production. These
claims are not supported by available scientific evidence. Tests run by
the University of Nebraska, and in Australia and Argentina, discovered
significant drops in production associated with the switch to biotech
crops on the order of 10 to 30 percent.
But what if production increases are not the only reason biotech companies invest in GE foods?
Many
have argued that the real motive driving the development of GE seeds is
expanding control over the food system. Biotech crops are not only a
profitable patented product in and of themselves, they are also a
vehicle to sell other products. Monsanto sells "Roundup Ready" soybeans
as a proprietary package in which GE seeds are conveniently mated to
their Roundup pesticide. Farmers, who traditionally save seeds each
year, are prohibited from doing so with these GE seeds, which must be
purchased anew each growing season.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Friday, August 12
Worst Midwest Drought in Years
by
Caroline Vernon
on Fri 12 Aug 2005 04:00 PM CDT
 Worst Midwest Drought in Years
By Scott Kilman, Wall Street Journal
We're getting to the point where the plants don't have much flowers left. It's not good news." – Agronomist Bill Wiebold
The
worst drought across the east-central United States since 1988 is
shrinking potential harvests of corn and soybeans, and slowing
commercial shipping on some rivers.
The dry
spell, now in its fifth month, is blistering productive farmland and
draining tributaries that feed the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.
Those are crucial pathways for hauling commodities such as salt,
petroleum products and cement-making materials to Midwest cities....
So far,
the economic fallout from the prolonged drought isn't as broad as the
impact of the 1988 dry spell, which shrank the U.S. corn harvest by 31
percent and sped the consolidation of American farms. The swath of
affected land this time is much narrower than it was 17 years ago.
Moreover,
the economic damage from the drought is being partly offset by a marked
easing of a drought across the northern Plains that baked farms and
ranches for more than five years. Most economists, for example, expect
the rate of overall food inflation to cool this year, largely because
of weakening cattle prices.
The
Midwest state hardest hit by the drought has been Illinois, typically
the nation's biggest producer of soybeans and the second-largest
producer of corn, behind Iowa.
According
to state authorities, tens of thousands of Illinois farmers already
have lost one-third of their potential crops, which is worrying
merchants in farm towns across the state. A survey by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture found that 55 percent of the Illinois corn
crop was in very poor or poor condition last week, as well as 34
percent of the soybean crop and 74 percent of Illinois pastures....
Production
of corn nationwide should fall 16 percent this year, to 9.9 billion
bushels from last year's record harvest of 11.8 billion bushels, mostly
because of drought damage in Illinois, eastern Iowa and Missouri, said
Dan Basse, president of AgResource Co., a commodity forecasting concern
in Chicago.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
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