It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Ambrose Lies, Should Resign
Sun Parliament Hill columnist Greg Weston, in his latest column, outlines another lie from our MIA Environment Minister Rona Ambrose, unabashedly presented as fact in front of the parliamentary Environment Committee last week.
In what has become an all too predictable process when she is caught without facts Ambrose doesn't just make them up as she goes but in a true Hegelian fashion turns facts on their head. She fudges facts and outright lies. But that is not an offense under the Conservatives new Accountability Act.
Her other lie in front of the committee was deliberately misquoting from an American pro-environmental document.
And as usual true to form our MIA Environment Minister was not available today for media interviews. Despite the PM announcing that she would have an announcement next week.
These are just two more reasons, in a six month litany of deliberate falsification and lies about facts by Ambrose. Whose first lie was to say she represents Edmonton Spruce Grove when she lives in Edmonton Strathcona. The woman is a compulsive liar.
I am still waiting for someone to set up a on line petition for her to resign that we can all sign.
As it is let your MP and the Opposition parties know we expect them to call for her resignation next week.
Its the least we can do to help cure her of her moral turpitude.
Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Canada, Conservatives, Government, parliament, politics, Ambrose, Environment, Minister, resign, activism,
MP's, Ottawa, Kyoto, green, green=plan, Vancouver, B.C., smong, air-pollution, Mulroney, acid-rain, greenhousegas
Ending Child Labour Means Child Exploitation
Child Labour laws need to be enforcable, such as being able to offer children an alternative to work, that is having families able to support themselves without using their children, a living wage, and public education.
Which is not occuring in India. Instead this is another example of the State passing legislation that is useless except as a PR effort. Thus what is good for Alberta should be good for India, when it comes to the domesitic industry.
Flip-side to the child labour ban
New Delhi: The Labour Ministry notification banning employing children below 14 years as domestic helps or at eateries came into force on Tuesday even as the children had little to cheer about in the absence of a comprehensive rehabilitation package.
The fresh notification prohibits employment of children as domestic help or as servants in dhabas, restaurants, teashops, resorts, spas and recreational centres. But does this notification take into account the problem of rehabilitation of the millions of child workers in India?
“I work from 10 to 3 during the day and then from 6:30 till 11 in the night,” says Child Labourer, Arjun working in a small restaurant in Mumbai.
What exactly is the child labour law? |
The Child Labour Act prohibits employment of children below the age of 14 years. According to Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986, those found violating it could face a jail term of up to two-years and a maximum fine of Rs 20,000. |
His everyday work includes sweeping the floor, cleaning and serving food in the hotel. “There is no money at home, that is why I am here,” says the 15-year-old who had come to Mumbai to earn a living to support his family. He will be just one amongst many children who have nowhere to go after the implementation of the SC ban.
“There are children from Kolkata and South India, Karnatka and Mdaras who work here. Where will they go if they don work?” the hotel manager says.
Though the ban makes sense, very little thought seems to have gone into the future of the children most of whom are breadwinners for their families.
See:
Child Labour In Alberta
Child Labour Returns to Alberta
Kielburger Wins Nobel
Kids Are Commodities
Wal Mart Exploits Child Labour
Big Brother Wal Mart
CPP Funds Wal Mart
Private Property=Child Labour
Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
India, child-labour, children, exploitation, labour, labour-laws, labor, labor-laws,
Truckin
Change the speed limit and you reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced by commercial trucking. And you don't need a new clean air act to do it. Just the will to do it.
Trucking Alliance Leader says "Canada could do better"
Vehicle Emissions Canada Transportation Act Review Panel
The trucking industry is a large and growing contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, currently accounting for about 27% of total emissions from the transport sector.
Canada's Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990 - 1999
GHGs from Transport, driven by increases in trucking activity and the number of private Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and vans on the road, rose by 24%. Emissions from light duty trucks, which include pick-up trucks, SUVs and vans, have increased by 57% since 1990, while emissions from cars have actually decreased 7%. The Canadian vehicle fleet is growing and shifting towards more light duty trucks that, on average, emit 40% more GHGs per kilometer than cars.
Report to Parliament Under the Energy Efficiency Act 2004-2005
Chapter 6 – Transportation
Total transportation energy use increased by 25.7 percent (483 petajoules) over 1990 to 2003 freight transportation energy use increased by 40.1 percent (271 petajoules).
The transportation sector accounts for 27.9 percent (2361 petajoules) of secondary energy use and 33.6 percent (169 megatonnes) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. From 1990 to 2003, transportation energy use increased by 25.7 percent, and GHG emissions increased by 25.0 percent. The change in GHG intensity of transportation energy use was negligible.
And it appears some in the industry are willing to go with a reduced speed limit. Typical of Canadian environment policy when it comes to commercial trucking our policy is made in the USA using NAFTA as the excuse to not create a made in Canada policy around road speed reduction. Ironically as the American trucking industry lobbies for such a reduction it uses the Ontario Trucking Association lobbying for exactly this as an example....
Carriers join special interest group in petitioning for made-in-America speed limiter rule
Bill Graves, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, has submitted a letter of support for this measure to the FMCSA. The petition will be available for public comment as soon as it is docketed for rulemaking by the federal agency. |
Last year, the Ontario Trucking Association was the first trucking lobby group to propose speed limiters on trucks. The group pledged at the time it would export its idea across North America. Since then, the OTA -- which has argued speed limit set at 105 km/h would reduce accidents, save fuel, and cut emissions -- has been successful in getting the endorsements of other provincial trucking associations and continues to market the idea nation wide under the banner of the Canadian Trucking Alliance. |
The fear that Independent operators have is that this will mean longer trips, more time on the road and the incease possibilty of accidents and burnout from long shifts. So coincidental with lowering the speed, new hours of work regulations need to be applied in the NAFTA transportation corridor.
Th industry lobby wants to reduce road speeds to 70 mph. When in reality 55-65 miles per hours would produce even greater reductions in emmissions as we learned in the 70's.
See
Kyoto
Ambrose
Green Plan
Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Canada, Conservatives, Government, parliament, politics, Ambrose, Environment, Minister, resign, activism,
MP's, Ottawa, Kyoto, green, green=plan, Vancouver, B.C., smong, air-pollution, Mulroney, acid-rain, greenhousegas
trucking, road-speeds, NAFTA, speed-limits, speed-dreduction, commercial=trucking, logistics, transportation,
Tories Announce Announcement
Harper presses forward with Clean Air Act despite opposition
See
Kyoto
Ambrose
Green Plan
Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Canada, Conservatives, Government, parliament, politics, Ambrose, Environment, Minister, resign, activism,
MP's, Ottawa, Kyoto, green, green=plan, Vancouver, B.C., smong, air-pollution, Mulroney, acid-rain, greenhousegas
Vancouver Is Green This Time of Year
See:
Ambrose
Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Canada, Conservatives, Government, parliament, politics, Ambrose, Environment, Minister, resign, activism,
MP's, Ottawa, Kyoto, green, green=plan, Vancouver, B.C., smong, air-pollution, Mulroney, acid-rain, greenhousegas
North Korea Discovers TNT
Was it really a nuclear blast? The actual explosive material has been claimed to be less than 1 kl.tonne and no more than 4 kl.tonnes. Which can be created with conventional TNT. So like their failed missle test was this another fient? A conventional explosion made to appear as a nuclear blast?! To get the US to the bargaining table? That was the case in 2004.
Success, failure or bluff? Scientists pore over data
US intelligence says detected 'sub-kilotonne' blast in North Korea
Success, failure or bluff? Scientists pore over data
Low Yield Of Blast Surprises Analysts
Experts question North Korea's test claim
N Korea N-test more fizz than pop: US agencies
Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
North-Korea, crisis, Kim-Jong, -il, nukes, USA, Japan, China, Korea,