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Heartbeat 03
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" <cclash@web.net>
To: ftp@etext.org
Subject: Heartbeat #3
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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
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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:
