Activists Trespass to Save Environment and Wildlife

People can show their love for the environment in different ways. Ordinary individuals can help by not contributing to global warming. They can choose to patronize Earth-friendly products, for instance. Other individuals can start conserving resources, segregating rubbish, or using fuel-efficient machines. Each person can help save the environment in his own way. However, such conservative efforts are often not enough to fight off the huge detrimental environmental impacts that large companies continue to cause. Forests and wildlife remain unsafe from modern developers, and fishes and other endangered marine life continue to be at risk. It seems hopeless that momentous changes that will positively impact the world will occur. This is why many individuals have taken it upon themselves to become stewards of the Earth.

Stewards of the Earth or the environment are the people we commonly know as environmental activists. They are the courageous people who put their very lives on the line to protect the environment. But these environmental warriors aren't the only ones who are called activists. Anyone who does something for the good of the environment, whether it is just by segregating waste or planting a tree, is recognized as a protector of the world.

Common Strategies Used by Environmental Activists
To gain support and to increase people's awareness as regards current environmental issues, most activists use a variety of traditional tactics. They boycott products known to have been tested on animals or reject items made from endangered wildlife, such as fur coats or ivory statues. They also encourage people to sign petitions, and they pen letters to policy-makers as well. When these things are not enough, they can also stage protests. Most of these things won't send people in jail. However, there's one activity that can land someone in prison, and this is the direct-action approach.

Direct Action
There are three (3) possible goals a direct action movement. One is to expose a problem or to make an issue public. Second is to recommend an alternative, while third is to put forward a solution to an existing problem. These things can be accomplished as direct action efforts often get a lot of media coverage. A few examples of direct action attempts are strikes, sit-ins, graffiti and destruction of property. Many environmentalists have also been known to chain themselves to trees to prevent these from getting cut, or they sneak into private properties to expose a nasty problem or protest something. Just recently, Lucy Lawless, an actor who appeared in popular television programs, like "Xena: Warrior Princess" and "CSI: Miami", was caught on a Shell drillship in efforts to help save the Arctic. She pled guilty and is waiting sentencing, which is in September. She is facing a trespass suit that can land her in jail for about 3 years.

Trespassing
Defense The crime of entering and remaining in another person's or group's property after being warned or prohibited is known as trespassing. A person could trespass in a house or any residential property, a building or any commercial property, as well as a boat and grounds that are owned by a private citizen or run by a business or government group. There are several defenses that a person can use, including consent, wherein the trespasser was given permission in actions or words to enter a property. Another is trespassing to recover land or chattel, which may occur after an uncontrollable event, such as a storm or flood. Third is private necessity, wherein someone trespasses to protect another from grave injury or harm. This also includes protecting a place from major destructive elements. Fourth is public necessity. This pertains to trespassing done in order to protect a community from more serious harm. In other words, a trespasser invades a private property to protect the public good.

Citations:

• Photo courtesy of ponsulak at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

The article is by Claire Duvall. She writes for a Massachusetts Trespassing Lawyer. She also blogs for several online law websites, tackling issues related to personal injury and criminal law.

Asia’s Great Water War

The Tibetan plateau is one of the richest sources of fresh water in the world, with its melting ice sheets and rainwater run-off supplying over a billion people with fresh water. But who does this water belong to? As China attempt to take control of Asia’s water source, what will the results be for its downstream recipients?

China has plans to divert the major rivers flowing off the plateau, and hydro-engineers are fast moving in, causing disputes between China and its thirsty neighbors. Chinese engineers are hoping to dam the vast Brahmaputra River in Tibet, to create two monstrous hydroelectric plants that will each deliver twice the power of the world’s current largest dam, the Three Gorges on the Ganges. These plans are upsetting India and Bangladesh, who both lie downstream of the Brahmaputra. For Bangladesh in particular, the results could be disastrous – the country relies on the river for two thirds of its water, with 20 million farmers dependent on the Brahmaputra for irrigation.

In the past, China has dammed rivers that are within its borders – however, as the super power’s energy and irrigation demands increase, so Chinese engineers are looking to rivers outside of the country. China has in fact already started damming projects on some of the Brahmaputra’s major tributaries, with the $1 billion Zangmu dam aiming to be completed in 2014, and two dams in Tsangpo canyon that will together deliver 80 gigawatts of power.

And it is not just India and Bangladesh that have cause for concern – China is also planning 13 major damming projects in Burma, and further west in Northern Pakistan, construction is beginning on the 7 gigawatt Bunji dam on the Indus river. This move has both angered India, who own the territory, and made the locals fearful, as the dam is situated near the epicenter of a major earthquake that killed over 100 000 people in 2005.

But do China’s neighbors have real reason to be concerned? Many may argue that these dams may be more beneficial and harmful, as hydropower is crucial for countries such as India and China as an energy source that is sustainable. Evidence either for or against such developments is thin, but an environmental impact report recommending against the development of the Myitsone dam in Burma has recently come to light, that claims that the dam may cause flooding of important forest ecosystems. 

The best evidence that dams can cause harm come from the Mekong River in China itself, which has been extensively dammed. So far, China has constructed 4 of 8 planned hydroelectric dams along the Mekong, including the Xiaowan Dam that is higher than the Eiffel Tower. The dams capture monsoon flood flows, and the United Nations Environment Program have warned that the effects could threaten ecosystems downstream of the river. The lower flood levels have been found to destroy rice paddies in the region, as wall as the fish nurseries that have made the Mekong Delta one of the world’s largest fishing regions. 

Serge is the founder of Edictive and is a seasoned production professional as well as a leading technology product and project management leader. 

Mind Control Simplified and Applied to the Masses

The human brain is a complex maze of learned or inherited behavior patterns. Despite the vast array of mystery still unlocked within the brain, people like Genghis Khan, Hitler, and Jim Morrison and have all used the easily influenced human mindset to their advantage.

Hitler – The First Mass Media Mind Control
In today's world, the media is a popular method of mind control, and can be used by almost anyone. Television is the primary way to reach a vast audience and influence them, and Adolf Hitler used this method of influence quite effectively. Unbeknownst to Hitler, he was utilizing a change in the alpha waves of the brain. During television viewing, the electrical activity in the brain creates waves, indicating activity and alertness. When people are meditating, are under hypnosis, are watching television for long periods of time, or are being subjected to mind control, their brain remains in the alpha wave state. Thus, when Hitler aired his speech on television, he created a very suggestible audience who latched onto his propaganda with fervor.

Hypnotherapy and Alpha Waves
Although behavior therapy may have its value for those with psychological disturbances, many therapists turn to hypnosis or relaxation techniques for treatment, which allows a greater amount of alpha waves, rather than delta waves, in the brain. This creates a dilemma, as the alpha waves may certainly allow greater relaxation in a person, but can also make them very suggestible and receptive to outside influences. Brain Washing and Alpha Waves For many years, brainwashing techniques have been discussed with horror by the media. Brain washing, or the intense coercion and change of an individual's thoughts, concepts and feelings, has been the subject of controversy since the Korean War. Interestingly, brain washing is thought to rely heavily upon alpha wave induced acceptance for particularly emphasised modes of thought and behavior.

Ironic Parallels in Mind Control

• Sleep deprivation and constant verbal and pictographic and audio messages are the techniques typically used to create mind control on prisoners.  
• Watching television also creates sleep deprivation, and pictographic and audio messages are also bombarding the brain. 
• Brainwashing creates higher concentrations of alpha waves.
• Television watching also creates higher concentrations of alpha waves.
• Brainwashing removes the ability to think independently, logically and with analysis.
• Television, by inducing an alpha wave state, also removes the ability to process information independently and logically. Sadly, despite this wealth of research and information on the chain of evidence connecting television to mind control, more people than ever before are using television as their only source of entertainment, and ultimately, paying the price with lessened creativity and independent thinking.

Mark Stein is a blogger that is passionate about mind control, self improvement, spirituality, metaphysics and other relevant topics. He currently writes about Mind Control Techniques on his blog. 

The True Cost of Military Equipment Spending

Every year U.S. military spending increases and the military budget is a substantial and important portion of the constitutionally acceptable portion of our nation’s annual expenditures. This graphic looks at the cost of some of the tools the U.S. military uses from equipment for a soldier to the nuclear weapons program and compares them to the income and some of the expenditures of ordinary Americans.

America spends more on its military than any other country and it is reflected in our superiority on the battlefield, but spending does not directly translate into success. The question has to be asked: Are we spending too much and are we spending it wisely? The answers to those questions should be at the heart of the budget talks. Does America need to spend this much on the military? Perhaps, or perhaps not, but it cannot be argued that we should be spending wisely.



From: Military Education

The 5 Most Powerful Militaries in the World

cc licensed flickr photo shared by DVIDSHUB

Military prowess can be difficult to measure. Some forces are stronger in certain areas of national defense than others. All of the premier fighting forces in the world have nuclear capability to destroy the earth many times over, which no one really wants. The truth about contemporary military might is that it is generally measured by air superiority and quick-strike ability. Absolute numbers are not necessarily the best barometer, but a barometer nonetheless.

NATO
No discussion of military might is complete without discussion of NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO is a combination of national forces that are affiliated by virtue of inclusion in the United Nations. It is largely comprised of nations with nominal military strength and the United States. NATO has operated as the security force of the United Nations and has been augmented with the recent passing of the National Defense Authorization Act in the United States. The US President is now compelled to provide some sort of assistance from the US military if the United Nations calls for help. This could include the full military arsenal of all parties in the event of a global emergency and the combination would greatly enhance capabilities while setting distinct groups of allies.

United States of America
Easily considered the most elite fighting force in world history, the United States military is comprised of four divisions that work in conjunction and serve as subsets of the Army and Navy. The Marines are a subset of the Navy and effectively served as the infantry division of United States sea power. The Air Force is the most advanced technically of all branches and works primarily in conjunction with United Sates ground forces as cover and support. The United States Coast Guard is also part of the Navy alignment, but the Coast Guard is primarily concerned with national defense and support in coastal areas. The US military consists of 1.5 million active duty soldiers and the same number of active reservists, with another 4.2 million of military age. United States air superiority is recognized across the world, though there are a few other military forces on the international scale that would be formidable.

Russia
The Russian military was not disbanded during the re-structuring of the Russian economy from communism to a capitalistic model. Much of the same arsenal is still operational, not to mention the continuing maintenance and enhancement of its national military defense. Russia's current military ranking shows a total active force of 1.2 million soldiers with an active reserve of 750K and nearly 50 million fit to serve. Russia is not a member of NATO and often opposes United Nations decisions to implement sanctions and military intervention as a member of the National Security Council, as does China.

Republic of China
China is the leading national population center on the globe and has manpower options that the United States does not enjoy. Technology is America's claim of power. Though China is also advanced technologically, they have a much larger fighting force and over 600 million men fit for duty, though China is determined to maintain a volunteer force until absolutely necessary. China has an active military of 2.3 million soldiers with another 800K reservists, but the true measure of the Chinese military strength may be the number of available men fit for service and of draft or enlistment age in the event of conscription. The military has historically been a very politically advantageous occupation in China and is considered a source of national pride.

India
Many people do not realize that the Indian military is more prominent that often advanced. Indian troop levels include 1.3 million active duty with 1.7 million active reservists. India has been largely incorporated into the British Commonwealth for centuries, though they are an independent nation today. The economies are still connected and Indian has contributed to many international peace-keeping forces. India, like China, is also a population center and the number of possible military forces could make the nation competitive with any other nation.

Kevin Price is a career soldier and guest author at Military Degree Programs, a site with guides to the best military degrees.

No More Tears? Johnson & Johnson Hears a Cry

Johnson and Johnson lavender baby shampoo smells pure in my daughter's hair. The bottle says the scent will soothe her to sleep, plus the company's slogan is "No More Tears." Smells good? My baby won't cry? It'll help her sleep? That's a trifecta few mothers could resist. But my pediatrician told me that J&J, the company beloved for baby products, actually puts poison in its suds.

I wondered if she was just being hippie dippy, then I went online. What I found taught me an old lesson again: Trust your doctor. Activists have been pressuring the health care manufacturing giant since May 2009 to remove cancer-causing chemicals from its iconic baby shampoo.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, an international coalition of consumer and environmental groups, finally made -- pardon the pun -- headway. J&J has agreed to change the formula of its shampoo by removing the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane and quaternium-15, a compound that releases the chemical preservative formaldehyde.

All of this comes on the heels of more than 25 recalls from Johnson & Johnson over the past two years. Problems have ranged from glass shards in medicine to nauseating odors in product bottles and painful, defective hip implants.

J&J is wise to take proactive measures and publicize them, says Manhattan public relations executive Eleanor Lapman. "Here's a company whose name was once synonymous with precious safety -- baby products and band-aids are their bread and butter." Facing a PR disaster, the company now has a window of opportunity to be proactive, address the problems honestly, and receive some positive attention.

"They left themselves open to law suits with so many product recalls," says Daniel R. Rosen, a personal injury lawyer in Denver. "But this is a case of consumer activism done right. J&J received scores of letters from customers around the world, threatening to boycott its products. Now the company is taking measures to restore its once sterling reputation and keep consumers safe."

All of this has caused me to reevaluate my brand loyalty. When it comes to my baby, I don't cut corners. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure that I'll continue to use Johnson & Johnson baby products. Am I willing to pay a little more for organic products if I believe they are safer for my child? Of course I am. I once trusted the J&J brand implicitly, but now I feel duped. Sure, they changed their formula to save their bottom line and their image, but I take little comfort in that. I'm glad they heard the cry of concerned activists, for whom I am increasingly grateful, but, for me, it's too late.

Pari Chang is a lawyer and professional journalist for SixEstate. She is the lead writer for the Law Offices of Daniel R. Rosen, and her work has been featured in The New York Times, Glamour, SELF, and many other renowned publications.

True or False: Politicians NEED to Lie

Politicians lie, and often the biggest liars are the most successful politicians. Why? There are several reasons, the greatest being that politicians must tell us what we want to hear or we won't vote for them. The general public is not interested in long lectures about why the deficit is so large, why unemployment is rampant, why Wall Street needs a bailout...what we want to hear is that it will get better.

In order to appeal to a majority of the people, politicians must identify their target voters and tailor their message to suit them. Currently, the Tea Party has become a very vocal group within the conservative demographic. The Tea Party agenda drove the narrative that determined the outcome of several key congressional races during the last election. As a result, presidential hopefuls in the Republican Party are engineering their platforms to emphasize cutting taxes, reducing the deficit, and cutting spending. The hard truth is that it's not possible to do all of those things at the same time without serious cuts to popular programs such as Medicare and Social Security or to defense spending. Mathematically this can be proven, but voters don't care for a tutorial on economics.

Politicians must take a firm stand on issues of morality that are important to their constituents. Abortion and gay marriage are two subjects that must be dealt with for the successful candidate. Though the politician might not have strong feelings either way, or see shades of gray, voters tend to support the person who views the subject as they do. A candidate will be penalized for ambiguity on such issues, so he will pay lip service to popular opinion.

The media and corporate sponsorship of political candidates have served to make electoral seasons almost like a sports event. Voters choose sides and root for their team. Slick ads have taken on the appearance of blockbuster movie trailers. Debates are modern gladiatorial theaters where opponents eviscerate each other to score points. The battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination was bitter. Who could predict that Obama would then appoint Clinton as his Secretary of State? This illustrates the fact that campaigns are indeed political theater, not real life. All issues and differences are magnified to the point of caricature. While this presents an entertaining spectacle, is it what is best for the country?

In the real world, individuals of all races, religions, and political persuasions must cooperate in order to function. In politics, however, nothing is at it seems. The public doesn't hold its leaders to the same standards and rules that the rest of us must follow. Honesty is rarely rewarded. No one enjoys being given bitter medicine. So politicians don their flannel shirts and hop in a pickup truck to tour the heartland. The Harvard Law grad is transformed into a barbecue-eating good old boy. The populace is once again lulled by promises that will not be kept, because they don't have to be.

George Stanzan's father was a municipal politician and he is trustworthy and honest, just like the insurance quotes you will find at Kanetix.ca.

The Accidental Activist by Alon Shalev

The Accidental Activist is a Literary Legal/Political Fiction based on the McDonald's libel case of the 1990's.

Matthew is a computer programmer working on a program deal with an Oil conglomerate that could make or break his career.  His friends and colleagues are a tight knit group and the five of them always have each others backs.

On the night that Matthew and Paul attend a party, Matthew doesn't realize how much his life is about to change.  A woman approaches Matt and asks him to whisk her away from the boredom and from that day forward, their fates are intertwined.

Suzy is an activist who uses her education, tenacity and her willpower to bring light to degrading situations around the world.  Her newest pet project is saving the people in the Amazon jungle from an oil company who wishes to drill there.  The tribesfolk have stated they will all jump to their deaths if this is allowed.

As the two draw closer together, Suzy is arrested for handing out flyers that make the oil company look bad and she is charged with libel.  Matthew rallies his friends and colleagues together to fight back at the injustice of the British legal system and the big business that wishes to control the situation.  The group of friends create a web site to bring awareness to the plight and from there the site goes viral as more people are being informed.

For years Suzy, Matthew and their friends and family fight the charges in court, bringing in eye witnesses, scientists, experts and more to prove that some things are just worth fighting for.

I loved that this book was based on a true story, it always give the book an extra added appeal.  I thought that the characters were likeable and interesting to read.  I liked the dry humour that Matthew displays and the mysterious of Suzy as the story progresses was a nice touch.

I enjoyed reading about the British legal system and how it works, as well, the details shared in the courtroom were surprisingly easy to understand and follow.  The author writes with a layman's feel and you are drawn into the intrigue of courtroom drama.

I would give The Accidental Activist a four out of five stars.  While I enjoyed the read, I thought the book could have been expanded, giving us some more depth to the characters and their back stories.  I sometimes felt rushed in their introductions to the story and would have liked to have savoured their nuances.  However, this is a wonderful read and it has a feel good ending that I am sure most will appreciate.

The Accidental Activist

SYNOPSIS: 
David meets Goliath in the law courts of England in the 1990's. The advent of the Internet is leveling the playing field as a multinational corporation tries to silence two young political activists in a riveting court case that captivates the political and business world's attention. The company will try anything (sex, espionage, bribery and coercion) to stop or win this case. In fighting the corporation, a self-absorbed computer programmer discovers romance and a way to change the world one mega-pixel at a time.

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The Greatest Patriot by Daniel Sullivan

The Greatest Patriot is a Political Thriller.

Top secret messages are arriving to the Kennedy administration stating that Kruscheyev hates JFK and wishes him dead because of the Bay of Pigs mishap where Kruscheyev lost face in his political party.  Kruscheyev continues to push the American president's buttons until only one solution is left on the table.  In order to prevent World War 3, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, must fake his own death, creating the biggest conspiracy the world has ever known.

Its present day and the Greeks are reporting that 93 year old JFK was just killed in a helicopter accident off the island coast of Skorpios.  Hal Rumsey has heard the news on the television and believes it is time that the world learns of the truth.

Calling up The Washington Post's, Mike Mahoney, he begins to share his tale, however, before Mike will believe him, Hal sends Mike to look at the PT109 coconut for the truth.  When Mike learns that Hal is telling the truth, he flies out to Florida to hear the rest of his tale.

Hal reminisces about the days when he was first assigned the case.  He had no family and no commitments and was a perfect candidate for the job, unknown to him was that the job was going to take up the next 40 or so years of his life.  Upon first learning of the truth, Hal is shocked but agrees to defend the President's life at all costs.  Hal and Jack become friends and confidantes while the President works his politics from behind closed doors, moving and shaping the world without anyone knowing any wiser.

Hal explains the assassination, how everyone had a role to play, except Jack Ruby, who was, in fact, a wild card to the whole ordeal.  From the bullet hole found in the curb at Dealey Plaza that is purported to have been fired from Oswald's gun, to the reasons for Jackie's friendship with Ari Onassis, all details are given to the reader in another light, a different outcome to an old story.

I really liked this book, I found many aspects of it interesting.  The whole parrellel universe kind of feel to it was wonderful to read.  I thought the explanations shared with reader worked for the most part and liked how the back story was shared through the eyes of Hal.

I found many of the explanations on how things could have been if looked at from a different angle was quite commendable in its writing.  Many of the thoughts shared are believable and sometimes the author made you stop and wonder, which was excellent for its mystery and daring.

I found the characters weren't easily read from the other.  Sometimes I wasn't sure who was speaking as each seemed to have similar bearing in their character explanations.  When Bob McNamara and Bob Kennedy were in the same room it would get very confusing trying to figure out which Bob was which.

I also thought some of the thoughts shared gave too much detail to the reader and others not enough.  The dialogue appeared forced which made it appear as if the characters in the book were reading from a script.

I would give The Greatest Patriot a four out of five stars, while I loved the history and the way it was shared with the reader, sometimes in flashback and sometimes via the interview; I just wasn't that fond of how the characters interacted with the reader and couldn't find their rhythm.  As for the history and the what if aspect to that history, author, Daniel Sullivan does deliver.

The Greatest Patriot

SYNOPSIS:
A magnificent read that introduces the reader to an incredible account of one the most important events in American History. The Greatest Patriot provokes the reader's curiosity as it poses the question "what if?" Sullivan is Clancy-esque in his use of historical details, creating a world where Dealy Plaza was not the end, but only the beginning; a world in which President Kennedy makes an unspeakable, yet necessary, decision to save his country and the world. Sullivan successfully spins a suspenseful plot, delighting the reader with splendid historical nuggets woven into an intricate story of intrigue and mystery. Fans of Dan Brown, Clancy and Grisham will be enthralled by this thought-provoking drama that plunges them into an astonishing alternative view of history. The story follows the life of JFK after the "assassination," the struggles of Hal Rumsey, the secret service agent who guarded the president, and the journalist, Mike Mahoney, who must choose whether or not to expose the staggering truth. Will the truth be revealed or buried with the few who were entrusted to keep the secret of America's Greatest Patriot? From the opening paragraph to its extraordinary conclusion, The Greatest Patriot captivates the reader with the desire to know if this might just be how it really happened. As the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination rapidly approaches, Sullivan stimulates the imagination with a world where Camelot lived on.

** Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation from the sponsors other than review copies, my views are my own, reviewed by me..as I see it~!! **