Fracking sites have proliferated immensely across the US amid the current oil and gas boom in North America. Though the costs of fracking – including groundwater contamination, heightened earthquake activity, exacerbation of drought conditions, and a variety of health concerns for humans and the local environment – have given many Americans pause, as they must deal with the effects while government regulators allow industry to drill like mad.
Daily Archives: 14. März 2015
Internet Freedom Fighters, Against TPP, Turn Spotlight on Key Lawmaker
‚Wyden needs to know that the internet is depending on him, and where he stands on this issue will decide whether he is remembered as a hero or a traitor.‘
Skillsharing Camp 06.04-12.04.2015
Auf zum Skillsharing Camp im Hambacher Forst vom
06.04-12.04.2015
‚Innocent mistake‘: UK’s nuclear weapons web data routed through Ukraine
Sensitive data from around 170 major companies, including the UK’s Atomic Weapons Establishment and Lockheed Martin, might have be compromised after British Telecom web traffic was accidentally rerouted through Ukraine.
Seltsame Wahlblockade der Rechten in El Salvador
Die rechtsgerichtete Partei Arena will das Ergebnis der Wahlen in El Salvador für das Zentralamerikanische Parlament (Parlacen) nicht mittragen. Unterstützt werden die Rechten von ihren Verbündeten PDC (christdemokratisch) und PCN (ehemalige Partei der Militärdiktaturen).
Proteste gegen Televisa in Mexiko wegen Rufmord-Kampagnen
Die Eltern von seit über fünf Monaten verschwundenen Lehramtsstudenten aus dem südmexikanischen Ayotzinapa haben gemeinsam mit Unterstützern den Eingang des größten Medienkonzerns des Landes, Televisa, in Mexiko-Stadt für mehrere Stunden besetzt, um gegen die Darstellung ihrer Bewegung zu protestieren.
Das pazifische Bündnissystem des Westens
Berlin befürwortet künftige Auslandseinsätze der japanischen Armee. Dies haben Regierungskreise anlässlich der soeben beendeten Japan-Reise der deutschen Kanzlerin bestätigt. Demnach „schätzt“ die Bundesregierung die „Übernahme internationaler Verantwortung durch Japan“ und hält es für „normal“, wenn das Land seine militärischen Aktivitäten, die bislang strikt auf die Landesverteidigung beschränkt waren, auch ins Ausland ausdehnt.
Die Radar-Blamage: Kuhbomben und Hufpanzer setzen Rüstungskonzern Hörner auf
Der Rüstungskonzern Airbus Defence and Space, spezialisiert auf militärische Luftfahrt, scheitert an der seit siebzig Jahren entwickelten Technik des Rundsuchradars.
Zeit-Journalistin Alice Bota schwelgt in Anti-Putinismus
Die „Zeit“-Journalistin Alice Bota verteidigt die Berichterstattung über den ukrainischen Bürgerkrieg in ihrem Artikel „die Wahrheit liegt nicht in der Mitte“. Sie gibt immerhin zu, dass die „Zeit“ einseitig russland-feindlich den Konflikt darstellt, aber das wäre ihre Wahrheit.
Epic Google snafu leaks hidden whois data for 280,000 domains
Google leaked the complete hidden whois data attached to more than 282,000 domains registered through the company‘s Google Apps for Work service, a breach that could bite good and bad guys alike.
The 282,867 domains counted by Cisco Systems‘ researchers account for 94 percent of the addresses Google Apps has registered through a partnership with registrar eNom. Among the services is one that charges an additional $6 per year to shield from public view all personal information included in domain name whois records.
Aufruhr im Steuerparadies
(12.3.) Doch ein Blick auf die Statistiken verwundert schon. Andorra – dessen Staatsspitze sich der Präsident der französischen Republik und der Bischof im spanischen Urgell teilen – hat bei gerade einmal 76.000 Einwohnern fünf Banken mit 40 Filialen. Sie sollen insgesamt Einlagen von 40 Milliarden Euro verwalten. Die Geldhäuser unterhalten Geschäftsbeziehungen zu Finanzinstituten auf den Bahamas, Panama, Monaco bis hin in die Schweiz und Luxemburg.
RA.458 Edward – Podcast
Gilles Aiken, the Berlin DJ better known as Edward, makes shadowy club tracks with a surrealistic edge. Consider his latest album, Into A Better Future: though it mostly works within house and techno templates, the LP echoes Brian Eno, Robert Fripp and krautrock figures like Connie Plank.
NOlympia – publik!
16.03.2015 ab 16 Uhr vor dem LUX (Ecke Schlesische Straße/Falkensteinstr.)
Aktivist*innen und Unterstützer*innen des NOlympia Bündnis Berlin treffen sich am Montag vor der Veröffentlichung der Empfehlung des DOSB noch einmal ihre Argumente in die Öffentlichkeit zu tragen.
Cultures clash as gentrification engulfs Capitol Hill
Gentrification has already turned Ballard and Belltown into upscale playgrounds. But for some, the eradication of Capitol Hill’s iconoclastic identity invokes the most sadness and anger.
Iran-China trade balance to hit $60 billion
Iran and China hope to bring the level of their trade exchanges to $60bln from the current $52bln in a year or so, Head of Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce Asadollah Asgaroladi said.
„We are determined to raise the volume of our trade with China to $60 billion at the beginning of the Sixth (Five-Year Economic) Development Plan“ to start in March 2016, he added.
Russia to soften food import ban from some countries
Russian Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fyodorov said his ministry was considering softening its ban on food imports from a series of European Union countries, first of all from Greece, Hungary, and Cyprus, and the move was close to implementation.
Italian companies displaying high interest regarding investing in Suez Canal project
In total 62 Italian companies have already displayed a fair share of willingness towards investing in the Suez Canal Corridor Area Project, which is to be presented at the economic summit in Sharm el Sheikh that will be held in the time frame of Friday to Sunday.The news was backed up on CBC television by Mohab Mamish, Suez Canal Authority (SCA) chairman, who made a visit to Milan eleven days prior along with Ashraf Salman, Egypt’s Investment Minister.(…)
Egypt is currently building a brand new 72-kilometre long channel parallel to the existing canal, and is thus almost doubling the capacity of the infrastructure, going from 49 to 97 vessels on a daily basis.
A network error routed traffic for the UKs nuclear weapons agency through Russian telecom
`At this point, I have to believe this was an innocent mistake by Vega,´ said Dyn‘s Doug Madory, who first discovered the redirection, „but it‘s concerning nonetheless.“
It‘s particularly disconcerting because of the sensitive nature of many of the sites involved. Among the dozens of sites involved was the UK‘s Atomic Weapons Establishment, which is tasked with managing and delivering the UK‘s nuclear warheads, as well as the UK‘s official mail service, the Royal Mail. US defense contractor Lockheed Martin was also running a VPN connection that was caught up in the redirection.
Prescribed Burn at Former Nuclear Weapons Plant Stirs Public Concerns
Plutonium-239, with a half-life of 24,100 years, was „released to the air and water in greater quantities than most of the other radioactive materials used at the site,“ according to the „Technical Summary Report for the Historical Public Exposures Studies for Rocky Flats,“ a 1999 report by the Radiological Assessments Corporation.
Dragoon Ride will send US troops through eastern Europe in show of support
(12.3.) STUTTGART, Germany — U.S. Army soldiers with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment will soon begin a 1,100-mile convoy through six countries en route to their home station in Vilseck, Germany as they wrap up months of training with allies in Poland and the Baltics, Army officials said.(…)
“This is a complex mission involving a significant amount of international diplomatic and military cooperation,” Lt. Col. Craig Childs, a USAREUR spokesman, said in a statement. “It will allow all units involved an opportunity to test their unit maintenance and leadership capabilities while simultaneously providing a highly visible demonstration of U.S, commitment to its NATO allies and demonstrating NATO’s ability to move military forces freely across allied borders in close cooperation.”
White House drops plans to reduce US forces in Afghanistan to 5,500 this year
The Obama administration is abandoning plans to cut the number of US forces in Afghanistan to 5,500 by year’s end, bowing to military leaders who want to keep more troops, including many into the 2016 fighting season, US officials say.
Egypt unveils plans to build new capital east of Cairo
The Egyptian government has announced plans to build a new capital to the east of the present one, Cairo.
Housing Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the project would cost $45bn (£30bn) and take five to seven years to complete.
He said the aim was to ease congestion and overpopulation in Cairo over the next 40 years.
Health group alliance rounds on efforts to alter EU legislation
`However, we are particularly disappointed to observe that the ENVI Committee resolution amendments in some aspects appear to do more to promote commercial interests than public health.
`As Europe is the world’s heaviest drinking region, alcohol abuse constitutes a major public health problem that inflicts large-scale socio-economic damage. Addressing alcohol-related harm is crucial to reduce health inequalities.´
Crude oil seen dropping to $40 or even $20 a barrel this year
Oil at $20?
King`s comments follow warnings by analysts this month that crude oil could drop to $40 a barrel and, probably, to $20.
The strengthening greenback and economic weakness in Europe and China could drive crude prices as low as $20 per barrel, said Raoul Pal of The Global Macro Investor newsletter.
Terreno Desconhecido by meistsonnig
Tropical tunes from the wintry hideout where I spent the past couple of weeks.(…)
Audience and circumstances under which this set was played demanded to include some mainstreamers in here.
Thousands take to streets on so-called National Fight Day
In São Paulo, the gathering took place outside Petrobras headquarters. The march headed downtown. Among the exclamations one could hear `Stay, Dilma!´ in response to the opposition movement calling for the president‘s ouster.
Representative from the Unified Federation of Oil Workers (FUP) João Antonio de Moraes drew attention to how closely united demonstrators were: “Rural and urban workers are saying that stopping Petrobras means stopping Brazil.
EU has positive attitude to TANAP project – Turkish minister
The European Union (EU) has a positive attitude to the TANAP project, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz said.
U.S. warns of possible attacks on Western oil workers in Saudi Arabia
„The U.S. Embassy has information stating that, as of early March, individuals associated with a terrorist organization could be targeting Western oil workers, possibly to include those U.S. citizens working for oil companies in the Eastern Province, for an attack(s) and/or kidnapping(s),“ it said.
Wirtschaftskonferenz in Ägypten: Abdel Fatah al Sisi ruft, Sigmar Gabriel kommt
(…)
Germany invites Egyptian president for state visit: Handelsblatt
Sigmar Gabriel handed over the invitation on behalf of German Chancellor Angela Merkel when he met Abdel Fatah al-Sisi on Saturday morning.
Likud Officials Preparing to Replace Netanyahu if He Loses Reelection
„The Likud is a depressed area, activists are struggling and many of them seemed resigned to a possible loss. Worse, they do not care that the Likud will lose, “said a senior source to Maariv.”
In this case, the Likud central committee will convene soon to declare a primary and early elections to select a successor to Netanyahu.
Likud representative: Obama anti-Semitic, Netanyahu brilliantly thwarted him
(10.März) Prominent party activist says Bar-Ilan speech was a guise to foil the U.S. president; Likud condemns ‚serious and improper statements.‘
Kerry says he hopes for progress in peace process after Israeli vote
The United States „remains hopeful that whatever the choice that the people of Israel make, that there will be an ability to be able to move forward on those efforts,“ Kerry said, referring to stalled peace talks with the Palestinians.