AUSTIN – Texas could generate as much as 148,000 megawatts of electricity or more than twice our current use from solar power plants; according to a report released today, “On the Rise: Solar Thermal Power and the Fight Against Global Warming” by Environment Texas. These solar thermal power plants covering an area of 30 x 30-mile area in west Texas, could power the entire state; while slashing global warming emissions.  Because solar thermal energy storage allows electric generating capacity even when the sun is not shining, it can replace traditional energy sources like coal, natural gas and nuclear power.

The Associated Press
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
NEW YORK: Members of the Rockefeller family took a fight with Exxon Mobil Corp. public Wednesday, challenging the oil giant spawned by their namesake to split the roles of chairman and CEO and focus more on renewable energy.

The family members, who describe themselves as the company's longest continuous shareholders, said they are concerned that Irving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil is too focused on short-term gains from soaring oil prices and should do more to invest in cleaner technology for the future. Separating the leadership roles, they argue, would better position the company for challenges to come.

By Representative Marcy Kaptur (United States), Senator Yeidckol Polevnsky (Mexico), and Peter Julian, Member of Parliament (Canada) | April 23, 2008

When President Bush meets his counterparts Felipe Calderon of Mexico and Stephen Harper of Canada in New Orleans this week for the fourth summit of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), NAFTA itself will not be on the agenda. Nevertheless, the reinvigorated debate over that landmark trade and investment deal in our three countries—which became highly visible during the recent dust up between Prime Minister Harper's office and both U.S. Democratic presidential candidates—ensures that it will be an elephant in the room.

Launched in 2005 by the three NAFTA countries, the SPP was billed as an initiative to "develop new avenues of cooperation that will make our open societies safer and more secure, our businesses more competitive, and our economies more resilient." That sounds good, but after three years and four summits, it has become increasingly clear that the SPP is an attempt to expand the reach of NAFTA using stealth to circumvent the debate our three democracies demand.

Willis Library in an Uproar

(4/22/2008)

DENTON, TX-  |UA| United Aid, after having coffee with Peace Activist Ret. Lieutenant Col. Ann Wright and attending her lecture, organized a non-violent direct action on the University of North Texas.

|UA| Members recruited approximately 30 students to lead a silent protest, with bloody hands through the Willis Library on April 22nd. The students marched silently at first, holding up bloody hands in protest of the illegal invasion of Iraq. The silence was broken when an unknown member started demanding loudly that students get involved in the anti-war movement. A library security guard was called out, the |UA| protesters, being undeterred, failed to stop marching, whereupon the staff member tried to violently halt the protest by grabbing Jacon C. Waite, and twisting his shoulder.

By Michael Georgy

JOHANNESBURG, April 18 (Reuters) - A ship carrying arms to Zimbabwe left South African waters on Friday after a court refused to allow the weapons to be transported across South Africa, SAPA news agency said.

The An Yue Jiang, a Chinese ship, had been at anchor off Durban on South Africa's Indian Ocean coast since Monday, turning into a flashpoint for trade unions and others critical of President Thabo Mbeki's quiet diplomacy toward Zimbabwe.

The 300,000-strong South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) refused to unload the weapons because of concerns Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's government might use them against opponents in the post-election stalemate.

Sunday, April 13, 2008
Tuscaloosa News

We thought the record of the Bush administration's disregard for domestic and international laws couldn't get any worse. Unfortunately, that was wishful thinking.

Late last week, the Associated Press - using one of those well-placed confidential sources that Bush fears and loathes - confirmed that administration leaders from Vice President Dick Cheney on down approved using torture in the interrogation of terror suspects after asking the Justice Department to endorse their legality.

The endorsements came in a series of meetings in the White House in the years immediately following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Signing off on the interrogation techniques, which included waterboarding, physical abuse and sleep deprivation, were Cheney and then-Bush aides John Ashcroft, attorney general; Colin Powell, secretary of state; George Tenet, CIA director; and Condoleezza Rice, national security adviser.

15 April 2008

At least 1,200 people were executed in 2007 and many more were killed by the state, in secret, in countries including China, Mongolia and Viet Nam.

The figures come from Amnesty International's yearly statistics, Death Sentences and Executions in 2007, issued on Tuesday, which say that at least 1,252 people were executed in 24 countries and at least 3,347 people were sentenced to death in 51 countries. Up to 27,500 people are estimated to be on death row across the world.

The figures also show an increase in executions in a number of countries. Iran executed at least 317 people, Saudi Arabia 143 and Pakistan 135 – in comparison to 177, 39 and 82 executions respectively in 2006.