Newspapers

Climate and the automotive industry scandal

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Automotive industry pollutionOn the edge for a new climate conference (Paris, from 30th November), governments of the world continue to be more concerned about their short term economy than the impact on global health and long term economy.

The automotive industry scandal on toxic emissions should open their eyes about what their are letting happen to the world. It is not only about fines, but it is mainly about decreasing the usage of individual pollution generator vehicles.

The best solution for this has been drawn in multiple studies:

  • promote local employment, local economy, decrease commuting distances
  • promote active forms of transport, walk + bicycle to work and shopping
  • develop public transport for tourism and leisure usage, simplify transport of luggage, sports equipment and people from towns to leisure places
  • reduce the urban sprawl, bring back live to centers and community

I could also write about the noise pollution, which is to me another scandal from the same industry and for which authorities keep low profile.

Why I do not live in Portugal – reason whatever

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This is the front web page from one of the “reference” newspapers in Portugal. The title says: “Obama kisses the daughter of Luis Amado [Portuguese Foreign Affairs Minister]”.
Living in Portugal would be, for me, like being in a TV reality show in permanence. Fortunately I got banned from the country long ago and now I go there just to enjoy what remains good: family, food and sun.


Seeing the americanization of the society (I believe it was in the US that all this lack of sensibility started, pushed by the capitalism and populism) makes me feel sad that there is no one with power to stop it. At least in the country where I was born.

And I do not want to comment about the ad-hoc “holiday” given by the Portuguese government for the people working in Lisbon due to the NATO meetings…

Façam amor em vez de ir ver as lojas

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No momento em que Genebra se prepara para votar sobre o alargamento dos horarios das lojas, a juventude socialista e verde juntaram-se para oferecer preservativos com este argumento.

Actualmente as lojas podem abrir ate as 19:00 de segunda a quarta, ate as 21h as quintas, ate as 19:30 as sextas e ate as 18h nos sabados.

A lei em votacao propoe que as lojas possam abrir ate as 20h de segunda a sexta, ate as 19h aos sabados e quatro domingos do ano ate as 17h.

Espero que o amor ganhe. 🙂
Link: http://www.tdg.ch/geneve/actu-geneve/faites-amour-magasins-cri-jeunes-verts-socialistes-2010-10-28

Modo de vida Suiço

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O Conselho Federal (ou seja, o governo) Suiço respondeu a uma questao do deputado Verde:
http://www.parlament.ch/f/Suche/Pages/geschaefte.aspx?gesch_id=20101027

Ter um modo de vida Suiço e, entre outros:

  • possuir uma conta bancaria;
  • ter uma mobilidade autonoma (ou seja, nao ter carro, usar apenas os transportes publicos);
  • pertencer a uma associacao local;
  • conhecer bem a sua regiao.

No caso da mobilidade autonoma, fique-se a saber que 45% das familias da capital Suica ou de Zurique nao teem carro. No total da Suica ha 20% das familias sem carro, das quais um terco o fazem voluntariamente.
http://worldradio.ch/wrs/news/switzerland/one-million-swiss-eschew-cars.shtml

The price of a tree

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Today the last page of the newspaper was about the price of a tree. Switzerland is changing the way it calculates the price that, for instance, a insurance has to pay when a car damages a tree. Usually is the price of replacing with a similar tree, including the removal of the damaged tree, buying a new one, transport it (sometimes by helicopter!) and plant it.

Seems that in some cities in the US they calculate the price also based on the CO2 it saves and the theoretical improvement on the peoples lives and health and the savings the city does buy having trees.

This to say that a price of a tree can sometimes be in the order of 20 thousand swiss francs (13’000 euros).

Lugar do morto – place du mort II

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Last year I remember in Germany there was an accident in which, during a funeral parade, a truck driver had a heart attack and killed several people that were in the parade. It was a real question “where is the dead person?”

Today I see a second part with a similar history:

— Taken from Tribune de Genève – 11 November 2008
Brésil: tuée par le cercueil de son mari
Un malheureux accident entre un corbillard et un autre véhicule a envoyé la veuve ad patres.
ats/Reuters | 11.11.2008 | 15:05
Une femme de 67 ans qui accompagnait son défunt mari dans un cimetière brésilien a été tuée par la chute du cercueil. Celui-ci lui a fracassé le crâne lors d’un accident de la route. Selon le quotidien de Sao Paulo «Folha», la veuve était assise sur le siège passager avant lorsque le corbillard a été heurté à l’arrière par un autre véhicule. La bière de son mari, décédé la veille au soir d’une crise cardiaque lors d’une soirée dansante, lui a fracassé le crâne. Le drame s’est déroulé à une centaine de km au sud de Porto Alegre, dans le Rio Grande do Sul.
—

Le Temps – 30 October

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To inspect:

  • – www.easyswap.org

To see:

  • Movies: Home, 7h58 ce samedi-là
  • Expo: VersionBeta (CIC, jusqu’au 14 Décembre)
  • Théatre: Le jeu de l’amour et du hasard (Carouge, jusqu’à 27 Nov)

Terrace heater

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Les spécialistes de l’énergie sont très clairs en ce qui concerne les chaufferettes à gaz. Olivier Ouzilou dirige le Service genevois de l’énergie: «Elles utilisent une énergie non renouvelable, et leur rendement est très médiocre. 10 à 12 kilowatts, tout ça pour chauffer les moineaux. C’est une aberration énergétique.»

Le Temps, 18 Fevrier 2008