Clipmarks | mugofcoffee's good deeds collection

France to impose a 'picnic tax' on plastic in waste war

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:11:09 GMT

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By Henry Samuel in Paris

France is to impose a "picnic tax" on plastic cutlery and plates as part of a drive to cut down on waste, but the unlikely levy has stuck in the throat of "pique-niqueurs" across the country.

A tax of 90 cents (71p) per kilogram will be placed on plastic and paper throwaway cups

To general incredulity, the French environment minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, confirmed the so-called "taxe pique-nique" on Monday. "We're doing it," he declared.

A tax of 90 cents (71p) per kilogram (2.2 lbs) will be placed on plastic and paper throwaway cups from next year, aimed at cutting the average 360kg (793 lbs) of rubbish generated per person per year in France.

A raft of other "green" taxes may also be imposed, including on batteries, televisions, washing machines and fridges, with tax breaks offered for more environmentally friendly alternatives.

new levy was simply the extension of a tax already in place on highly polluting products, such as detergents, oils and pesticides

Call to end animal pain research...

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:58:06 GMT

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Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Using animals to research pain has "limited value" and should be replaced by newer technologies, argues a panel of medical experts from across England.

Animal tests can only simulate some aspects of chronic pain and are too simplistic, their report says.

With newer brain-imaging techniques, more studies could be done in humans, they write in the journal Neuroimage.

It is critical that these often simplistic experiments are replaced with more advanced techniques that don't involve inflicting animal suffering

Ministers said at present "licensed animal use remains essential to develop improved healthcare technologies".

There are few effective and safe treatments for chronic pain, such as that suffered by people with osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, the researchers from London, Manchester, Liverpool and Oxford say.

"New and highly sophisticated brain-imaging technology is providing vital insights that animal research has failed to produce.

Legal milestone for open source

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:26:46 GMT

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Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

By Maggie Shiels
Technology reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley

Advocates of open source software have hailed a court ruling protecting its use even though it is given away free.

The US federal appeals court move overturned a lower court decision involving free software used in model trains that a hobbyist put online.

The court has now said conditions of an agreement called the Artistic Licence were enforceable under copyright law.

"For non-lawgeeks, this won't seem important but this is huge," said Stanford Law Professor Larry Lessig.

"In non-technical terms, the Court has held that free licences set conditions on the use of copyrighted work. When you violate the condition, the licence disappears, meaning you're simply a copyright infringer.

"This is a very important victory."

anyone using that free code had to attribute the author, highlight the original source of the files and explain how the code had been modified.

Individual credit for contributions not cash drives the community

Terror label from Mandela's name shall be removed!

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 05:19:54 GMT

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clipper's remarks: Who cares? We have never thought of him as a terrorist! He is the Mahatma Gandhi of the modern times! Simple, nice and easy!
MOC.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; editing by Chris Wilson)

Clip Source: www.reuters.com

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As celebrities threw an early 90th birthday party for Nelson Mandela in London's Hyde Park on Friday, U.S. lawmakers erased references to the former South African leader as a terrorist from national databases.

Legislation proposing the move received final congressional approval late on Thursday when the Senate unanimously passed it on a voice vote. The House of Representatives approved it on May 8.

It removes the "terrorist" label and travel restrictions imposed on Mandela and other cadres from the African National Congress, which fought to end white minority rule in South Africa.

"I am gratified that we were able to show our respect and high esteem for a man who is loved and admired around the world," said Payne.

Some lawmakers wanted the changes made to the legislation before Mandela turned 90 on July 18 and there were fears that it would be delayed by Congress' summer recess for much of August and a break over the July 4 week.

World Bank Donors pledge record sum

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:37:40 GMT

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clipper's remarks: to the poor nations! That's the spirit friends!

Clip Source: www.reuters.com

BERLIN (Reuters) - The World Bank said on Friday it had raised a total of $41.6 billion in funds to help around 80 poor countries with grants and loans through June 2011, an increase of $9.5 billion over the previous funding period.

The Washington-based lender conducts a fund-raising campaign among its richer members every three years to determine funding for the International Development Association (IDA), the bank's lending arm.

Some 45 donor countries had gathered in Berlin starting on Thursday to try to secure sufficient pledges to ensure that future lending by the IDA is not undermined

The fund is the world's largest single provider of development assistance to poor countries

The IDA raised $32.1 billion in the last fund-raising round completed in February 2005.