From cclash@web.net Mon Sep 2 20:10:09 1996 Date: Mon, 2 Sep 96 18:21:25 -0400 (EDT) From: "Jocelyn J. Paquette Bob Ewing" To: ftp@etext.org Subject: Heartbeat #3 @~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@ HEARTBEAT #3 a free weekly email exploration of late 1990s culture both on and off the Net. url: http://www.izad.com/cultureclash. published by Culture Clash Communications cclash@web.net @~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@ EDITOR's Comment: This week we offer the third in our four part Star Trek series. We also look at ways that we can live and minimize our environmental footprint. WHAT IS THE HALIFAX ECOCITY PROJECT? _________________________________________________________________ The Halifax EcoCity Project is the first detailed design for an Ecopolis in Australia, where Ecopolis = ecologically responsible and sustainable urban settlement. It contains commercial and community facilities as well as housing, with the emphasis on middle and lower income accommodation. The project concept and design received a South Australian Civic Trust Commendation in November, 1992. In the mediterranean climate of the Tandanya Bioregion of South Australia, the Ecopolis philosophy is being applied in a practical, two-pronged program of urban redevelopment and rural renewal. The community non-profit organisation Urban Ecology Australia Inc., (UEA) has co-initiated the development of the "world's first piece of eco-city" in the centre of the city of Adelaide. People want healthy, balanced environments - functionally, financially, socially and culturally. They seek ownership, involvement, equity and participation. Cities should belong to their citizens. Control of capital is usually in the hands of those who build only to make a profit - not to make beautiful and healthy cities. But business-as-usual is being challenged by ecological development - development with the community in control. The design proposes a community of 800 - 1,000 people with pedestrian streets, squares and courtyards, and energy efficient buildings of 3 to 5 stories with belvederes rising above them. The buildings use stabilised earth, concrete and timber construction to create spaces and places responding to the needs and creativity of the inhabitants as well as the demands of healthy environmental performance and ecological responsibility. The plan and detail design of every dwelling is developed through a "barefoot architect" program involving architects and urban ecologists in a direct consulting and educational role with all members of the incoming community. The educational process will go both ways with architects learnIn,HXlSQcommunity and both learning about ecology!. The passive solar cooling and heating of the architecture is designed to work with extensive vegetation including permaculture and an ecological corridor of native species. This project will demonstrate its responsibility for the city's environmental impact in a direct, practical way, with at least 1 hectare of rural land revegetated and restored to productivity for each person living on the site. Roof gardens provide places to relax, grow food and nourish neighbourliness. Solar power heats the water and generates most of the electricity whilst gas is used for cooking and back-up heating and power. Stormwater is collected and used, grey water is filtered and re-used. There are some composting toilets to ensure that not all the nutrient value of human effluent goes down the drain and a local bio-gas plant is proposed for the edge of the nearby parklands to close the ecological loop, capturing the nutrient value of sewage and putting the energy value of methane into the gas pipes for the whole city. More-of-the-same, business-as-usual is being challenged by a community driven development and there is nowhere else, to our knowledge, where the issues are being addressed as comprehensively as in the Halifax EcoCity Project. _________________________________________________________________ Copyright (C) 1995 Urban Ecology Australia PO Box 3040 * Grenfell St * Adelaide * Tandanya Bioregion South Australia * 5000 * Australia Please feel free to distribute this document, as long as it remains intact, and as long as this notice appears on all copies. If you wish to include some or all of this document in other documents, you must ask for our written consent first. We don't want incomplete or inaccurate copies to be circulating. Thank you for abiding by this copyright. _________________________________________________________________ Halifax EcoCity Project: http://www.eastend.com.au/~ecology/index.shtml Ecopolis Pty Ltd: http://www.eastend.com.au/~ecology/ecopolis/ecopolis.html Star Trek : Commercialism and product recognition by Jocelyn J. Paquette When does an event or product reach into the social consciousness of every day life? Some of us will see a lovely moon and call it a Honeymooners' moon. Others can hear a few bars of a jingle and know the product that is being sold, "Its so nice to have a man around the house". Alright those are really old examples. After all we were much more naive then and too young to know when we were being conditioned to recognize a theme, an insignia, a product. After thirty years of television syndication, 7 motion pictures, hundreds of comics books, novels, toys STAR TREK has incorporated itself into our understanding of the world around us. You may not have attended one START TREK convention but if you watched television you were reintroduced to the presence of ST in several sitcoms. During the past three decades many have used the popular show for laughs. "Wayne and Shuster" were one of the first to have a fun with the characters of Kirk and Spock. Showing these two fictional beings in a quandary over some alien attack made them in the end seem more real than caricatures. "The Simpsons" open an episode with the bridge of the Enterprise and the white haired and heavy set Kirk sitting in his captain's chair wondering what the heck he was doing there. "Taxi" had the spaced out Jim talk about the cancellation of the show as a tragic mistake. All to say that STAR TREK had reached the core of popular culture. "Beam me up Scotty!" is not just a command given to the Engineer of the Enterprise but a drink in many bars. The Starfleet uniforms, lunch boxes, stickers, posters, cups, collector plates all indicate the need by consumers to possess some of what STAR TREK is. Over the last 30 years ST has broken social and television taboos. The first interracial kiss, in "Bread and Circuses" (OST 1967) was to be remembered and celebrated as the boldest attempt to bring about positive change. Equality, opportunity and equity were concepts little referred to and much less heard from on television. STAR TREK was the first television show to have spin offs running simultaneously as the syndicated reruns. The Next Generation, though considered at first to be a risk proved to be the bridge between the new and old fans around the world. It was during their last season that not only did TNG have their new and rerun episodes running but Deep Space Nine was introduced in the same season. To recap you could catch episodes of the original Star Trek, The Next Generation, first run and reruns and Deep Space Nine somewhere on your television set everyday. Now that's entertainment. Star Trek fans have come in every cultural, economic, social group. Look at the list of guest stars of The Next Generation and you can see some of the brightest and best minds in our universe. Think the BIG BANG THEORY and you have the guest who appears with Benjamin Franklin and Einstein in the opening scene of "Descent, Part I" (TNG 1993) Stephen Hawking recognized as one of the greatest minds in our world today was a fan and wanted to experience the Enterprise first hand. Whoopi Goldberg soon after The next Generation was introduced asked to be a guest only to become a popular recurring member of the crew. As the mysterious being who managed Ten Forward, Guinan was the most interesting bartender anyone had ever known. Finally, recognition is the return of characters you knew and loved. In the first episode "Encounter at Farpoint" Admiral Leonard McCoy gives a send off to the Enterprise 1701 D. Spock the enigmatic Vulcan creates the same aura of mystery and excitement in "Unification I and II" (TNG 1991). And what could the Enterprise do without an engineer. Scotty, trapped in a transporter for 75 years saves himself only to be brought out by the engineer of the Enterprise D. (TNG 1992) Captain Montgomery Scott brings home the lesson that life is full of surprises for those looking to live it. Jonathan Frakes took on directorial duties while filling the role of Number One to Jean-Luc Picard's Enterprise. A regular on The Next Generation it is in "Defiant" (DSP 1995) that we gain insight into the workings of Tom Riker, the double to William T. Riker who was created through a malfunction of the transporter on the planet Nervala IV. These individual performances bring to the series a unifying integrity seldom enjoyed in "pin offs". The STAR TREK universe can be difficult to manage even appreciate. Some would say the series have become entities with lives of their own. But it is one person who remains and continues to bring the meaning of the lesson that is STAR TREK. Tying everything together is Majel Barrett who more than anyone ties the first four of the five series (OST, OST ANITEDS, TNG, DS9 and Voyager) of the last thirty years into one coessive whole. As nurse Chapel, (OST) Doctor Chapel, (ST: THE MOTION PICTURES) Lwaxana Troi (TNG and DS9) or the voice of the computer on The Next Generation. It might be said as Gene Roddenberry's widow Ms Barrett has held the thread of STAR TREK close at hand since its beginnings. The Great Bird of the Galaxy knew if we could create a universe where people were invited to create, participate and present a space where "No ONE HAD GONE BEFORE" television viewers would take it into their homes and share the stories. And what stories they have been. NEXT WEEK: STAR TREK and THIRTY YEARS OF STORYTELLING ACTION PLAN: Exposing Mc Donald's Lies Mc Donald's misleading advertising and ' environmentally friendly ' public image disguise the truth about their immoral practices. Englands longest standing libel courtcase ( 2 English people being sued and sueing Mc Donalds over the content of a anti-McDonalds pamplet) is uncovering the truth about their degredation of the planet, product content, poor treatment of workers, misleading adveritising and inhumane treatment of animals. Ruining your Health Despite Mc Donalds claims about the healthiness of their food, according to Mc Donalds nutrition consultant Verner Wheelock, Mc Donalds products are " high in salt, saturated fat and sodium " The damaging effects of making Mc Donalds part of your diet are left out of their nutrition guides and misleading advertising. When asked to comment on the statement " A diet high in fat, sugar, animal products and salt and low in fibre, vitamins and minerals is linked with cancer of the breast and bowel and heart disease " Mc Donalds expert witness on cancer, Dr Sidney Arnott, said " it was a very reasonable thing to say. " This statement had been made in the original Mc Libel pamphlett. ( http://www.interlog.com/~tva/mclibel.html#diet ) In countries where Mc Donalds is now becoming part of the diet these medical problems are developing. Killing the Environment and Starving the 3rd World Methane emitted from cattle reared from the beef industry and deforestation are a major cause of the ' global warming ' crisis. (http://www.oneworld.org/news/nutshell_greenhouse.html) Every year Mc Donald's produce thousands of tonnes of unnneccessary packaging much of which ends up littering our streets or dumped in ever growing landfills. Mc Donalds are greatly contributing to a major ecological catastrophe. Over the years they have forced the tribal rainforest people off their ancestoral territories and contributed to the hunger of 3rd world people. Half of Brazil's people suffer from hunger because " soya beans have not been sold or distributed to the people. But ... (sic )used for export where it will be fed to Mc Donalds cattle, " In the process thousands of people are resettled into the amazonas and the rainforest land is destroyed. ( Siegfried Pater, 3rd World Environmental Expert ) Mc Donalds are still obtaining some of their grazing land from the lush forest of Brazil. According to Robert Morganti, the director of Mc Donalds Brazilian hamburger manufacturers, Braso Ltd, they are still obtaining their beef from along the River Araguaia and its tributaries. Mc Donalds have been clearing the amazon for more than 20 years. Mc Donalds have said that their beef comes from the countries were it is bought, not the rainforest. However, " North America imports one-third of all of the beef in the world according to Howard Lyman, Animal and Grain Farmer 1963 - 1983 ) He said " after it ( beef ) clears any border inspection it is treated with the samelabel as domestic production and in most cases, even the beef handlers couldn't identify where the product was produced. " According to Ann Link, paper bleaching expert, dioxins and organochlorides, in the 14, 000 tonnes of bleached wood pulp used by Mc Donalds, toxins and long lasting organochlorides are produced. These chemicals have been found in people and animals world wide, from the Antartic to the Arctic. The paper bleaching produces know carcinegens and mutagens and chemicals which help deplete the ozone layer. ( Green Peace Guide to Paper & Sanitary Protection scandal ) Mc Donalds, will only improve their packaging with increased consumer pressure. " If reusable packaging becomes an issue in a community, it would have a major impact on the way we do business. " ( Mc Donalds Europe vs. Disposable meeting 21st Jan 1991 ) Animal Abuse Intensively raised chickens, like those used at Mc Donalds, grow so fast that they can not support their own weight. According to the Agriculture and Food Research Council, more than half have developed serious bone defects at 6 weeks of age. According to Journalist James Erlichman ( Consumer Affairs for the Guardian ), Mc Donalds London HQ " finally elicited an admission that growth promoting antiobiotics are fed to young cattle. " According to Clare Druce, Poultry Welfare Researcher, many of Mc Donalds broiler sheds do not fulfill levels required by the law in the Welfare of Livestock ( Intensive Units ) Regulation Act 1978. She refers to them as being " dimmly lit, inadequately ventilated, filthy litter (sic) overcrowded and impossible to be able to properly inspect. " Howard Lyman, Animal and Grain Farmer 1963 - 1983, said " Animal husbandry today is only concerned with economics. The comfort and welfare of the animals is only important if there is the chance that the animals will fail to achieve marketibility...I have seen cases where large numbers of animals have died from drowning, suffocation, freezing, disease and starvation because the ewre restricted the freedom to move to shelter... These occurences are never reported to the general public becasue they would cause a tremendous backlash against the current system. " Innapropriate treatment of Workers Mc Donalds workers recieve low wages. Mc Donald's do not pay overtime reates even when employees work very long hours. Pressure to keep profit high and wage costs lowresults in understaffing, so that staff have to work harder and faster and as a consiquence accidents particularly burns are common. Staff turnover at Mc Donalds is high, therefore forming unions to fight for better conditions is difficult. Advertising Lies Mc Donalds advertising targets children. All the gimmicks, routines and parties are used to seduce children into eating, unhealthy and overpriced food and put pressure on parents. A Food Commission Survey asked eighty-seven eight year olds in 1990, " Who would you like to have take you out for a treat ? " ' Tony Tiger and Ronalds McDonald were more popular than the childrens fathers, teachers or grandparents, according to Sue Gibbs of the Food Commission an independent non-profit consumer organisation. ( http://www.mcspotlight.org/people/winesses/advertising/dibb_sue.html) Mc Donalds advertising in the past has been in breach of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Mc Donalds advertising which present the food as nutritious were labelled deceptive and illegal both as a whole and in certain specifics, According to Stephen Gardner, Assistant Attorney General, Texas 1984 - Dec 1991. A Food Commision study found that Mc Donalds were the second most highly advertised food product in 1992. We can make Change Our consumer society of which Mc Donalds are a key figure keeps millions of people living in poverty. The worlds richest fifth consume 83 % of the wealth, the poorest fifth die on 1.5%. Ironically the media show poverty in 3rd World Countries, and follow with Mc Donalds advertisements. The Mc Donalds lifestyle encourages greed and selfishness and keeps the 3rd world poor. Big Bussiness kills variety and puts money in the hands of the rich and away from small traders. Change comes from individuals joinig one by one. We dont have to eat Mc Donalds, or from other chains, who have similiar ethics. Ethical choices prolong the quality of our world. More information can be found on the net, http://www.mcspotlight.org/index2.html The McLibel 2, have insipered many people to think about their choices. A lifetime of disscussion is likely to change the lives of millions. This was forwarded to me by a Canadian friend, please pass it on, publish, bill post it , etc. I didn't write it but wish I had. I therefore to not deserve any credit for it and would like anonymity. BOOKS: Paul Hawken, The Ecology of Commerce David Korten, When Corporations Rule the World Videos: