Shimon Peres, the President of Israel helped launch a new solar farm at Kibbutz Yavne this week. The farm uses concentrating solar power to generate electricity and hot water. President Peres said at the launching ceremony, “It is a natural way to fight terror because the oil-producing countries of Iran and Venezuela destroy our lives by terror.” He also called solar power democratic because sunlight is available to everyone.
No government aid was required for the project. It was funded entirely by Israeli venture capitalists. The cost of the electricity generated is approximately 8 cents per kilowatt hour. This price is slightly less than the cost for electricity provided by the main power supplier in Israel, the Israeli Electric Corporation.
By Alex Felsinger •
March 5, 2009
While I’ve noticed this phenomenon quite a few times before, yesterday’s sentencing of three Earth First! activists in Maine reminded me of the amazing backwards-notion that forcing activists into community service somehow amounts to a punishment.
Activists who engage in civil disobedience aren’t hoodlums running around the streets or menaces to society — these are people who risk arrest and jail time to make a difference in their communities. A judge need-not assign community service because it’s almost guaranteed that these people already do more than most.
By Jerry James Stone •
February 23, 2009
The Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI arrested four animal rights activists as “terrorists.” Details of the arrests and the charges are still coming, but this is the most sweeping expansion of the War on Terrorism and the “Green Scare” to date.
By Reenita Malhotra •
December 14, 2008
Even though in its pure definition, the word ‘charity’ connotes positivity and humanitarianism, in a world of increasing doom and gloom, one cannot always assume that this is the case. The New York Times has published an article talking about the detainment of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the founder of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the charity that fronts for the militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba.
By Reenita Malhotra •
December 7, 2008
The number of jobs lost this year is close to 2 million. But while each American stands fearful that his job might be the next one to go, President-elect Barack Obama is planning a new economic recovery plan that will save or create 2.5 million jobs very soon. Obama wants Americans to sleep easy this Holiday season. He wants those who have lost their jobs should know that they have a future.
By Reenita Malhotra •
November 30, 2008
In the world Islamic fundamentalism, most of us believe that terrorism is brought about by religious bias. But the terrorist might in fact have an economic motive. It is abundantly clear that he who risks and often sacrifices his own life in the very act of creating terror does not have a personal economic motive however it is likely that he is motivated to destroy economies. Wealth, abundance and prosperity after all symbolize the ‘evil’ that the Islamist sees as [...]
By Govind Singh •
November 29, 2008
A few hours from now, the world will witness the next UN Climate Negotiations take place in Poznan, Poland. A few hours ago - Mumbai, the financial capital of India was struck by a terrorist attack - one the most coordinated acts of terror the world has seen till date.
Though on the outset, the two events have nothing in common (save for the fact that the Mumbai attacks led to the cancellation of the Live Earth event) and that climate change and terrorism are two diffrent challenges faced by our civilization today, the cause and consequences of the two are in some way pretty much the same. And in order to ensure a peaceful world, it is important that both these challenges are tackled - the earlier the better.
By Alex Felsinger •
November 7, 2008
Washington, DC’s Metro system recently enacted a random police search policy for its riders, citing increased security concerns for the decision. But in reality, the new policy does nothing to protect people from terrorist attacks and pushes people away from public transit and into cars.
Which is the bigger threat: a terrorist attack on a train or the greenhouse gases that spew from cars stuck in rush hour traffic?
By Max Lindberg •
September 9, 2008
Milestone Move by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
It’s taken two decades and billions of dollars, but the proposed Yucca Mountain Nuclear Repository project has finally reached a new plateau. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, (NRC) has accepted an application for licensing, and will begin a lengthy process of safety studies, hearings and public meetings.
The application was filed June 3rd by the Department of Energy (DOE), and was accepted as “sufficiently complete” for the agency to move forward with the process which could take up to four years.
By Heidi Suydam •
September 7, 2008
Two major global energy companies are supporting and promoting Iran by sponsoring a conference being held in Tehran. The goal of the conference is to promote “gas export opportunities and potentials of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
By Max Lindberg •
August 21, 2008
It may sound simplistic, but Israeli President Shimon Peres makes a good point; “The problem itself (terror and Iran), is like a swamp with mosquitos. It’s preferable to dry out the swamp than try to kill every single mosquito.”
While meeting with representatives of the students’ village in the town of Dimona, Peres said;
“When the price of oil rises, the terrorist organizations feel better; the feeling needs to be brought
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