NYMHM: Net neutrality, Afghan civilians, "hedonics" calm Bogota

Wed Jun 27 17:18:00 PDT 2007

=============================================================================
 NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED * June 27, 2007 * Vol. 6, No. 26

 Important but overlooked news from around the world.
 NYMHM is a free service of Newsdesk.org.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 - Online this week: http://www.newsdesk.org/archives/004310.html
 - RSS: http://newsdesk.org/news/atom.xml
 - Donations: http://artsandmedia.net/contribute/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

QUOTED: 

   "We think the procedures that we have in place are good. They 
   work, they help us minimize the effects [on civilians]."

   -- Brig. Gen. Joseph Votel says the accidental killing of Afghan
   civilians by NATO forces does not require any rule changes (see
   "Afghanistan," below). 

CONTENTS:

   *Top Stories*
     "Hedonics leaves Bogota happy
     Charlotte's shelters operate in secret
     The Great Lakes' new enemy: ballast water

   *Media*
     Net Neutrality tempers flare, and cross borders

   *Women*
     Polygamy bans proliferate, but doubts persist

   *Afghanistan*
     Doubts assail NATO in Afghanistan and beyond    

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOP STORIES
.............................................................................

 > "Hedonics" Leaves Bogota Happy

   Bogotans thank Enrique Penalosa for building parks, schools, and
   bike routes instead of freeways during his tenure as mayor in 
   the late 1990s. 

   At the time the city's streets were "a living hell," the Toronto
   Globe & Mail reports. Penalosa increased gas taxes, added buses 
   and banned cars from driving at rush hour more than three days a 
   week. The measures were controversial, but resulted in drops in 
   traffic congestion and pollution, a 40 percent drop in the murder
   rate, and increased school enrollment. 

   Penalosa, who is running for mayor again, attributes this success
   to "hedonics," which values happiness above ordinary economics, 
   and prioritizes access to parks, spending time with friends and 
   family -- and shorter commutes. The ideas are now attracting 
   attention from cities such New York and Los Angeles.  

 > Charlotte's Shelters Operate in Secret

   The Charlotte Observer reports that a dire shortage of beds for
   the homeless there has prompted the creation of 17 "safe houses" 
   across the city. Many are run by evangelists, and provide shelter
   to abused women and their children, among other hard-hit clients. 

   Now the shelters, which operate in secret, are being shut down by
   the city fire department over zoning violations -- but shelter 
   owners say they're worried about registering their operations 
   for fear of being shut down. 

 > The Great Lakes' New Enemy: Ballast Water

   Shippers from around the world that pass through Great Lakes 
   territory have stowaways in the ballast-water tanks used for ship
   stability. These include invasive species such as zebra mussels 
   and a lethal hemorrhagic fish virus, both of which proliferate in
   the lakes' freshwater ecosystem

   Now, the Detroit Free Press reports that eight environmental 
   organizations are suing six shippers to force compliance with the
   Clean Water Act, which requires ships to sanitize ballast water 
   before docking. Ship operators say the $250,000 equipment cost
   is too prohibitive, and are suing to reverse a recent Michigan law
   requiring them install the equipment on all their vessels. 

Sources:

"Bogota's urban happiness movement"
Globe and Mail, June 25, 2007
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070622.whappyurbanmain0623/BNStory/lifeMain/home

"Secret shelters a last resort for Charlotte's homeless?"
Charlotte Observer, June 17, 2007 
http://www.charlotte.com/local/story/162976.html

"Eight environmental groups start ballast water lawsuit"
Detroit Free Press, June 21, 2007
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070621/NEWS06/70621029/1008

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEDIA
.............................................................................

 > Net Neutrality Tempers Flare, and Cross Borders

   Tensions and voices are rising over a push by Internet carriers 
   such as AT&T to charge content providers -- such as Google -- 
   for access to their networks. 

   In San Francisco, a shouting match broke out after a Commerce 
   Department official said that ... 

   GET THE WHOLE STORY:

   http://www.newsdesk.org/archives/004312.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 WOMEN
.............................................................................

 > Polygamy Bans Proliferate, But Doubts Persist

   Utah reckons it's home to thousands of polygamists, all 
   following their interpretation of Mormon religious 
   teachings, but in contravention of current Mormon 
   practices -- and the law. 

   So, while governments in Uganda and Iraqi Kurdistan debate 
   banning polygamous marriages altogether to protect women 
   from abuse and exploitation, "fundamentalist" Mormons in 
   the American Southwest are seeking ... 

   GET THE WHOLE STORY:

   http://www.newsdesk.org/archives/004313.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFGHANISTAN
.............................................................................

 > Doubts Assail NATO in Afghanistan and Beyond

   NATO commanders insist that their mission in Afghanistan
   is one of reconstruction, but that combat is an inevitable
   byproduct. Now, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is 
   under pressure from its Afghan hosts to reduce civilian 
   deaths, even as member nations such as Canada face ... 

   GET THE WHOLE STORY:

   http://www.newsdesk.org/archives/004314.html

=============================================================================
Editors: Julia Scott, Josh Wilson
.............................................................................

SUPPORT PUBLIC-SERVICE MEDIA

Newsdesk.org and News You Might Have Missed are commercial-free, and
available at no charge. We welcome your tax-deductible contributions:

https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=695

.............................................................................

MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION

Subscribe, unsubscribe, etc: 

http://lists.artsandmedia.net/mailman/listinfo/nymhm/

.............................................................................

News You Might Have Missed and Newsdesk.org are free services of
Independent Arts & Media:

http://artsandmedia.net/

.............................................................................

E-mail list powered by Group D Communications:

http://www.groupd.com/

.............................................................................

DISCLAIMER: All external links are provided as informational resources
only, consistent with the nonprofit, public-interest mission of
Independent Arts & Media. Independent Arts & Media does not exercise
any editorial control over the information you may find at these
locations and does not have a copyright on any of the content located
at these sites.
=============================================================================