[sustran] FW: CAR BUSTERS BULLETIN #30

[Paul Barter]

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-- -- -- -- CAR BUSTERS BULLETIN -- -- -- -- --
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Edition no. 30 - December 2001 - English version
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CAR BUSTERS Magazine and Resource Centre 
Kratka 26, 100 00 Praha 10, Czech Republic 
tel: +(420) 2-7481-0849 ; fax: +(420) 2-7481-6727 <carbusters at ecn.cz> -
<www.carbusters.ecn.cz>


- INFRINGEMENT PROCEDURE AGAINST
  ELEVEN EUROPEAN COMISSION MEMBER STATES
- PENSIONERS STRANDED BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC
- URBAN HORSES
- SUV IN THE DICH
- HALLOWEEN, AN EXAMPLE ON
  HOW THE REVOLUTION COULD WORK
- ANNOUNCEMENTS
- DISCLAIMER

INFRINGEMENT PROCEDURE AGAINST
ELEVEN EUROPEAN COMISSION MEMBER STATES
for faiture to monitor CO2 emissions from passenger cars.

The European Commission has decided to open infringement procedures against
Austria, Greece, Finland, Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Ireland,
Luxembourg, Portugal and Sweden for failing to comply with important
elements of a 2000 Decision
(1753/2000/EC) on monitoring average specific emissions of CO2 from new
passenger cars.

Commenting on the legal action taken, Environment Commissioner Margot
Wallstr÷m said: "We hope that the Member States concerned will provide us
with the required data as soon as possible. It is an important element of
the Commission's proposed strategy for reducing CO2 emissions from passenger
cars and for improving fuel economy. It also helps Member States achieve the
targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are set in the Kyoto
Protocol." The 2000 Decision is aimed at ensuring that minimum data is
compiled to enable the proper functioning of a Community scheme to monitor
the average specific emissions of CO2 from new passenger cars registered in
the EU. Furthermore, it requires Member States to supply the Commission with
data when requested, to designate 
a competent authority to collect and communicate the monitoring 
information and to report to the Commission on how they intend to 
implement its provisions. The deadline for information gathering, 
communicating and monitoring and for reporting on implementation was 
28 February 2001.

None of the Member States concerned has reported to the Commission, within
the stipulated 28 February 2001 deadline, on how they intend to implement
its provisions. None of the Member States concerned, except for Finland, has
designated a competent authority to collect and communicate the monitoring
information before the given 28 February 2001 deadline. None, except for
Finland, has supplied the Commission with the necessary data with regard to
CO2 emissions from passenger cars before the 1 July 2001 deadline. It should
be mentioned, however, that a few Member States did meet some of these
requirements, but this was only after the given deadline had passed, e.g.
Denmark and Italy passed the data. Brussels, 10 December 2001 - from
www.climnet.org:


PENSIONERS STRANDED BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC

In London, U.K., pensioners have become prisoners in their own homes -
because an ambulance which usually takes them to a day centre cannot
negotiate their traffic-clogged street.

The ambulance is supposed to pick them 
up from sheltered accommodation in 
Holland Grove, Brixton, and take them to a 
local day centre. But it stopped the run a 
fortnight ago because it is unable get into 
the car park of the old people's housing.

A spokeswoman for Lambeth council, which runs the ambulance service,
said: "Cars park flush to the corner of the entrance so the ambulance can't
negotiate the corner to get into the scheme." Treasurer of Holland 
Grove Residents' Association, Marie Farrell, told the South London 
Press: "These people are actually prisoners in their own 
homes."Association chairman Tony Heggarty said bin lorries were also 
having problems getting down the street. 
He added residents were concerned a fire engine would not be able to 
drive down the road.  See:
<http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200southlondonheadli
nes/pag>


URBAN HORSES

"Birmingham, U.K., is bidding to become the first city in Britain to bring
back traditional horse-drawn taxi carriage services." said Birmingham
Evening Mail. The story mentions that such services are "ever-present" 
in
many European cities and for visitors to "New York's central park".

The idea will be trailed in our Jewellery Quarter at the area's day long
Street Craft Fair and Antiques Market. Martin Parnham of Festival organisers
"Town Centre Management" says "We think it would be ideal 
for
Birmingham city centre because large parts of the city are pedestrianised.
They really are pleasant and I can envisage them driving up and down 
Broad
Street."

I suspect these things cannot work where they must share streets with 
cars
whose drivers think they should be able to go faster. If all traffic were to
be slowed down so that drivers did not get "held-up" by horse drawn traffic
the situation could improve. - from: "Simon Baddeley"
<s.j.baddeley at bham.ac.uk>


SUV IN THE DICH

Ford has ditched plans to use a form of gas-electric hybrid technology to
significantly improve the fuel-efficiency of the Explorer, the world's
best-selling Sport Utility Vehicle.  Ford insiders said the decision was
made because of a cash shortage and less success than expected with the
"integrated starter- generator" technology, which would have saved gas when
the vehicle was at a standstill. The technology was integral to the
automaker's plan to boost SUV fuel-efficiency by 25 percent by 2005.  A
spokesperson said Ford stood by that pledge, and CEO William Clay Ford, Jr.,
indicated that the company was still committed to hybrid versions of the
Escape, a smaller SUV.
- from Detroit Free Press, Jeffrey McCracken, 16 Nov
2001 <http://www.auto.com/industry/suv16_20011116.htm>


HALLOWEEN, AN EXAMPLE ON
HOW THE REVOLUTION COULD WORK 

It was a night of political action, righting the wrongs of corporate
capitalism, pulling the masks off the tyranny of the modern world: cars.
Part of the power of the subversive night came from the strength of
embodying something bigger and different than one's usual self. It started
with a sun, a cow pelvis druid, an undertaker with a rickshaw, Captain
Un-America, an owl, an unmasked instigator, and a reluctant tree,
(ResponsibiliTree). The idea of blocking Pacific 
Avenue 
[in Santa Cruz, California] had sprung from the beginning of the evening 
while 
adjusting costumes. The site of cars on Pacific dodging Halloween goers 
and 
overflowing sidewalks spurred more talk for the subversives. A city 
council 
member dressed as a monster approached the sun and said I thought 
you'd have the street
blocked by now, lending more fuel to the flame. On the corner of Pacific and
Soquel, next to New Leaf, the sun and the owl fearlessly approached the
cars, the rickshaw took over the road, and the costume less instigator
grabbed a traffic barrier, come on let's block the road, I hung back.

The police we hadn't noticed before followed us into the street and said,
"You can not obstruct traffic," taking the barricades with them. We stood on
the corner somewhat defeated socializing with the passer bys, when someone
said let's go check out the intersection at Cathcart. We had 
some
success, we were stopping the flow of traffic, except for the big ass SUVs
they could see the street wasn't full of people.  The partygoers were
sticking to the sidewalks like all well trained citizens and not taking to
the streets even though we had created a space for them by stopping the
traffic. So we tried blocking the sidewalks and asking people to take the
street. A different couple of cops told us to stop directing traffic. The
cops left and after a bit we again started directing cars to either turn
right or left and not to go down Pacific. It was termed the talk and block
method, "oh you don't want to go down there, you will get nowhere." 
This
is an example of a quiet revolution, and how a few masked individuals
strategically located can start a huge block party or a painless revolt. -
by Brown

ANNOUNCEMENTS

* Chris Carlsson started the process of soliciting contributions for a
global Critical Mass history book, to celebrate the 10th birthday, in
September 2002, in San Francisco. Any writings, photos, flyers, xerocratic
missives, etc. that you'd like to contribute would be great, as would any
new essays, critial/analytical pieces, etc. Chris Carlsson, 
<ccarlsson at shapingsf.org>, was co-founder
of Critical Mass in 1992 

*One of the people who receive our bulletin sent us a correction. "For the
chronicle: the first motor-only highway wasn't inaugurated by Hitler in
1933, as your quotation from Wolfgang Sachs puts about." 
"There
are rumors downt here [Italy] that the absolute premiere is the italian
Milano- Laghi (85 Km) opened in 1925." she said. "This of course doesn't
invalidate your report. It's only for the chronicle, as I said."

*The first issue of Culture Change magazine has been printed
It is numbered #19, in recognition of Auto-Free Times's
18 issues devoted to cultural change (in energy and land use). Positive
solutions to ecocide and the rat race are offered in this issue, but they
have just begun, so please send your suggestions and 
submissions.
Visit the Culture Change website at http://www.culturechange.org

*Cutting Your Car Use (available from Car Busters) has sold over 10.000
copies in the 17 months since publication. This British self-help manual on
personal transport it's been reprinted twice and already updated.  
Does
anyone want to discuss the rights  or a version for any other country? Anna
Semlyen www.cuttingyourcaruse.co.uk 
<info at cuttingyourcaruse.co.uk>

* The Ecotopia camp has already become a tradition. For many people 
this
event is strongly connected with the Ecotopia Biketour. As you might already
know the next Ecotopia camp will take place in Ireland this summer. That
means that the 12th Ecotopia Biketour will cross for once again some of the
European countries with final destination the Irish island. People from all
over Europe are going to have the chance to have 
a
wonderful and adventurous bike ride, visit some beautiful countries and 
do
actions. It will probably start on July and some of the possible countries,
apart from Ireland, are England, France, Germany.

So, if there are people interested to participate or hopefully organize the
bike tour for their own countries, they can contact at the following email
address: <btour2002 at yahoo.com>. We are longing for your 
interest and
your help.

*United Nations Volunteer in Bosnia for 6 months. There is an 
opportunity
to work in Bosnia for the U. N. Volunteers Programme for 6 months 
starting
as soon as posible. The focus of the work will be development of youth
policy and involvement in the "Joint Youth Programme". The placement 
would
be ideal for a youth activist or trainer who has been involved in building
up national youth structures and also knows the European scene quite 
well.
For more info contact <lmesbah at pip.undp.ba>

DISCLAIMER

Car Busters cannot be held liable for the weird reader-unfriendly  
formatting of this bulletin which steams f ro      m    t........... ha

fackt t   h at  wee h a ve  bean given a

.







----------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAR BUSTERS Magazine and Resource Centre
Kratka 26, 100 00 Praha 10, Czech Republic
Tel: +(420) 2-7481-08-49 ; Fax: +(420) 2-7481-67-27 <carbusters at ecn.cz>
<www.carbusters.ecn.cz>