[Carfreeliving] Fwd: WORLD CARFREE NEWS #19 - April 2005

Wed Apr 13 10:42:40 MDT 2005

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WORLD CARFREE NEWS >>>
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Edition no. 19 - April 2005 - English version
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Contents:

QUOTATION OF THE MONTH

IN BRIEF

WORLD NEWS
- PARIS TO BAN ALL CARS?
- CONVERTING HYBRIDS TO PLUG POWER
- HIGH-SPEED TRAIN FOR UK?

ANNOUNCEMENTS
- CAR BUSTERS #23 IS OUT!
- REGISTRATION OPEN FOR TOWARDS CARFREE CITIES V
- TOWARDS CARFREE CITIES VI TO BE IN BOGOTA
- DEPAVE CHICAGO 2005
- FIFTH ANNUAL BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL

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QUOTATION OF THE MONTH >>
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"I think government has to engage in Machiavellian ways."
- Arni Trinidad, a sociology professor at the University of the
Philippines, on the use of large wet blankets by the Manila police,
with which they smack pedestrians who don't stay on the sidewalk.

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IN BRIEF >>
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- An Evangelical Christian named John Brown believes the Bible
points to the precise location of oil in Israel, and his
Dallas-based company, Zion Oil, will begin drilling there this
month.

- On March 22, The City of New York filed suit against TIMEíS UP!
and four of its volunteers, seeking to legally block them from
participating in and promoting the Critical Mass bicycle ride, which
meets monthly at Union Square Park. More info at <www.times-up.org>.

- The bus link between India and Pakistan in Kashmir has been
restored after 58 years. Forty-nine bus passengers crossed the
heavily guarded ceasefire line dividing Kashmir yesterday for the
first time in almost 60 years, defying threats by Islamic
insurgents. The bus service is scheduled to be twice a month.

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WORLD NEWS >>
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PARIS TO BAN ALL CARS?
[Car Busters #23]

The French capital is seriously considering banning most cars from
its four central districts, or arrondissements.
    In the first phase of the plan, by 2007 the speed limit in the
central zone would be cut to 30 kph, a lane removed from riverside
roads to create bicycle lanes, several streets narrowed, and grand
boulevards converted to two-way traffic. In phase two (2007-2009),
roads surrounding Les Halles shopping mall would be pedestrianised
and cars banned from the zone on Sundays.
    Finally, by 2012, only residents would be allowed to drive into
the cityís central four arrondissements. Essential journeys such as
hospital visits would be exempt, as would commercial and public
service vehicles like taxis, delivery vans and ambulances.

CONVERTING HYBRIDS TO PLUG POWER
[New York Times, April 2]

Hybrid cars, which run on both gasoline and electricity, have been
gaining in popularity in the United States. But recently owners have

been converting them so they can be plugged in for a recharge.
    This does not make car companies happy. Toyota, for instance, has
spent millions of dollars trying to market its Prius hybrid car as a
"regular" car, i.e., that it runs on gasoline and only uses the
electric motor to increase mileage.
    But charging the batteries directly from electricity is catching
on. "I've gotten anywhere from 65 to over 100 miles per gallon,"
said Mr. Gremban, an engineer at CalCars, a small nonprofit group
based in Palo Alto, California. EnergyCS, a small company that has
collaborated with CalCars, has modified another Prius with more
sophisticated batteries; they claim their Prius gets up to 180 mpg
and can travel more than 30 miles on battery power.
    The New York Times article, however, points out that no hybrid
car will solve the crisis of diminishing oil supplies.

HIGH-SPEED TRAIN FOR UK?
[The Guardian, February 18]

Ministers in the UK are considering a high-speed rail line for the
north-south corridor, possible a TGV-style train or maglev. A
magnetic levitation train could travel from London to Newcastle in 1
hour and 40 minutes.
    The maglev technology would come from Germany's Transrapid which,
after unsuccessfully trying to convince the German government to
build a levitation train from Berlin to Hamburg, successfully
exported the technology to Shanghai.
    There are, however, many concerns about the proposal, not the
least of which is cost. The British rail system has had several
embarrassing cost overruns lately, including the upgrade of the west
coast line, which tripled in cost to seven billion pounds.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS >>
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CAR BUSTERS MAGAZINE #23 IS OUT!

With its theme of "Post-Petroleum Visions," Car Busters #23 is set
to hit the shelves of bookstores on several continents. Hear about
the Car-Free Challenge campaign in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Read
what pre-eminent oil geologist Colin Campbell has to say about oil
depletion and the future. See the winning submissions of our
post-petroleum writing contest. Hear about "counter-growth" peddler
Francois Schneider and his year-long voyage with Jujube the donkey.
And get some tips on carfree-dom from author Anna Semlyen. All this
and more in issue #23. To subscribe, go to
www.carbusters.org/subscribe/.

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR TOWARDS CARFREE CITIES V: JULY 18-21

Registration is now open for the Towards Carfree Cities V
conference, which will take place July 18-21 in Budapest, Hungary.
You can register on-line or download a registration form at
<www.worldcarfree.net/conference/>. Register now! Early registration
discounts are available for registrations received before April 30,
even if payment is received at a later date.

TOWARDS CARFREE CITIES VI TO BE IN BOGOTA

The selection comittee for the 2006 Towards Carfree Cities has
chosen a location for the sixth conference in the series. 2006 will
be the first time the conference will be held outside of Europe,
this time in Bogota, Colombia, hosted by Fondacion Ciudad Humana.

DEPAVE CHICAGO 2005
[www.ForeverFreeandClear.org]

The Depave Chicago 2005 festival will celebrate cycyling and protest
car culture this May and June in Chicago, USA. Join the Tour de
Depaving on Saturday, May 21 for a a leisurely 25-mile roundtrip
bike ride to visit a model backyard depaving project. Hear firsthand
the inspirational story of how one man, armed only with a pick axe,
transformed a sea of concrete into a native prairie landscape!
    There will also be a massive Critical Mass bike ride on May 27
and an official carfree bike ride along Lakeshore Drive on May 29.
Finally, on June 5 there will be a bike tour of the city's
historical lakefront. More info at <www.ForeverFreeandClear.org>.

FIFTH ANNUAL BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL
[www.bicyclefilmfestival.com]

This year, the festival is expanding across the world! Not only San
Francisco and New York, but also Los Angeles, London, and Tokyo will
participate.
    The Bicycle Film Festival celebrates the bicycle in all its forms
and all bicycle-related phenomena - Tall Bike Jousting, Track Bikes,
BMX, Alleycats, Critical Mass, Bike Polo, Recumbents. What better
way to celebrate these lifestyles than through art, film, music and
performance? The festival brings together all aspects of bicycling to
advocate its ability to transport us in many ways. Ultimately, of
course, the Fest is about having a good time.
    New York: May 12-15. Los Angeles: June 17-18. London: August
25-27. San Francisco: October 6-8. Tokyo: November 4-5.
<www.bicyclefilmfestival.com>.

[end]

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