Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Gov. Scott Walker's Anti-Union Plan

With all the breaking news of war and civil unrest and earthquakes around the world, the on-going anti-union legislation in Wisconsin has not received much coverage outside the United States.
In the early days of unions, they served a very important purpose in ensuring workers were adequately compensated for their work and to ensure safe working conditions for all. It made sense and unions played an important role. Today, unions are not seen in such a positive light. Unions for employees of the school boards are well known for their strikes to receive more benefits and higher wages. Unions are in a sense becoming a bit obsolete in today's world. But that is simply my personal opinion, perhaps if I was in a job with a union, I might feel differently. Historically, before unions were accepted in the workplace, factory owners did their best to squash and restrict unionization of their workforces because to them, unions were threatening and could severely disrupt the factory work. Even today in many Export Processing Zones and sweatshop factories around the world, unions are not allowed and anyone trying to create a workers union can be severely punished.
Back to Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker, introduced legislation that would significantly reduce the ability of public workers unions to bargain collectively, except for wages. Since Christmas, the proposed legislation has prompted mass demonstrations (some reports indicate that these protests were upwards of 85,000 people strong), and Senate Democrats decided to flee Wisconsin for several weeks, seeking refuge in Illinois. Today, a Wisconsin judge tried to prevent any further implementation of the new anti-union laws. There is some debate as to whether the new law is actually in effect despite the emergency injunction. The law was published however politicians have not agreed upon whether the law is in effect or whether it has, for the moment, been prevented from being enacted.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Nuclear Boy Cartoon

I am beginning to dread my daily ritual of reading some of the international headlines on the news sites I read. Between the crisis in Japan, the invasion of Libya, and the other political issues in Yemen and Syria, it's a time of great conflict around the world these last few months.

There is some encouraging news about the nuclear crisis in Japan. An article today on the Huffington Post provided insight as to the possibility of mandatory safety standards being implemented for nuclear energy. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that there are some improvements in the serious situation in Japan, in particular the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear sites. Reports have surfaced as to the weaknesses of the current emergency responses to nuclear disasters, especially in light of the events in Japan and the safety records of Japanese nuclear plants are being closely examined. This has prompted discussion as to whether making safety standards mandatory is a good idea. Currently, the safety standards outlined by the IAEA are voluntary and there has been discussion as to whether it should be made mandatory. The IAEA is limited in its role as an advisor and each country is ultimately responsible for the safety measures taken.

My reflexive opinion is that yes, safety standards for nuclear energy should be made mandatory due to the potential dangers when equipment malfunctions or when a natural disaster compromises a nuclear facility. Nuclear energy can be potentially dangerous and efforts to promote safety measures should be encouraged. As I continued to read the article my opinions changed. Yukiya Amano (the head of the IAEA), suggests that not all board-members were on board with the proposal for mandatory safety measures. A great point was made that in order to create a consensus of all members, changes will be slow and almost certainly less than optimally effective. This seems to be a common theme in many development issues. Thinking back to my experiences in Model United Nations conferences in high school, any draft resolutions about issues like health or human rights (you name it), had to be scaled back from what would be ideal in order to create consensus among different country representatives. It is difficult to create consensus or even the support of the majority in international affairs.

On a slightly lighter note, I found this cartoon developed and broadcast on Japanese television to explain to children the series of events that have taken place over the last 10 days at the Fukushima nuclear plants. It is interesting and somewhat insightful however I have to wonder how much of the information presented in the cartoon children will actually be able to understand. I have included the video below, it is also available on Youtube.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Dubstep Music... & the Latest in Japan, Egypt, Libya, and Haiti

In response to requests to blog about dubstep music, I will say that dubstep is amazing music and I am excited to learn about the music culture in Ghana next year. (Perhaps they will have something similar to dubstep? who knows!)

Elsewhere around the world this weekend, the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan continues to unfold with continuing problems cooling nuclear reactors, food with higher than normal levels of radiation, and on a happier note, rescuers have found a grandmother and a young child in the rubble nine days after the disaster. Today was a landmark day in Egypt as the public was invited to vote on constitutional changes with  41% of 45 million eligible voters voting and 77.2% of those voters voted in favour of the changes. The conflict in Libya is continuing to escalate as the international community has become involved, with troops from the United States and Europe moving in to protect citizens. This military action, unlike the invasion of Iraq, was backed by the United Nations. Haiti is back in the headlines as the presidential elections take place today and some conflicting reports of Wyclef Jean (former member of the Fugees), and if he has been shot or has cut his hand on some glass.

Japan
Immediately following last Friday's earthquake and tsunami, the Japanese government has remained relatively unconcerned about the potential nuclear meltdown at several reactors. Cooling systems have failed and operators are taking drastic measures to try to cool the reactors including using salt water which has never been tried before. Toronto Star reporters in Japan suggested that while the Japanese people have been pleased with the quick responses from the government following the disaster, they might not be as happy with the government once the nuclear issues come to light. There are some clear discrepancies between Japanese media reports and those of Western journalists. For the mostpart, Japanese reports of the nuclear crisis downplayed the severity of the overheating reactors and maintained that operators had the situation under control. Outside reports painted a very different picture of the situation which is cause for alarm.
There are clear radiation leaks, tainted milk has been discovered 30km from the power plant and tainted spinach has been found up to 100km away. While the excess radiation is very slight (less than 1/5 of the radiation a person receives during a CAT scan), Japanese officials have banned the sale and export of foodstuffs and produce near the power plant sites.
Continued conflicting reports as to the current status of the nuclear plants in Japan are abundant with some claiming that the situation is under control, others claiming that the situation is worsening. Some cheerful news also from Japan this weekend as a grandmother and child were discovered in the rubble 9 days after the earthquake.

Egypt
Today marked the beginning of a new Egypt and has set the groundwork for presidential and parliamentary elections in the coming months. The constitutional amendments are supposed to facilitate the election process. This is an exciting time as for many Egyptians, this is the first free vote of their lives (really in 50 years). There are concerns about potential clashes between Christians and Muslims as violent confrontations between the two groups have continued to occur since Mubarak was forced out of office. Despite these concerns, 41% of the 45 million eligible voters cast a vote with an overwhelming 77.2%voting in favour of the proposed changes.

Libya
The situation in Libya continues to escalate as forces have entered the country in a United Nations- backed operation. Their objective is to protect the citizens of Libya. In response to the foreign forces attacking his army, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi vowed a "long war" as foreign forces continue to move in. Rebels lost considerable ground in recent weeks as they were unable to compete against Gadhafi's overwhelming military power. The Pope has issued a statement regarding the crisis in Libya. Pope Benedict XVI has urged for those in a position of power to provide access to humanitarian aid and to protect Libyan civilians.

Haiti
The presidential elections are underway in Haiti today. Wyclef Jean was seen casting a ballot in the election despite suffering an injury to his hand.

It has been a busy weekend around the world. Hopefully the unrest in the Middle East will be nearer conclusion

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Is Nuclear REALLY Safe?

As the aftermath of the largest earthquake in Japan's history and the subsequent tsunami continue to unfold, an area of great concern is the possibility of a nuclear meltdown at some of the nuclear power plants across Japan. A state of emergency has been declared for 6 reactors; 3 at the Dai ichi, 3 at the nearby Fukushima Daini plant, and 3 more at the Onagawa plant. Of greatest concern is that they will completely lose the ability to cool the reactors because the cooling systems and the backup generators were knocked out following the earthquake and tsunami. The Dai ichi reactors have been in the news quite a bit over the last few days as the operators have used sea water to try and cool the reactors and there have been hydrogen explosions.
While experts claim that it is impossible that there could be a complete meltdown similar to what happened in Chernobyl, it still remains to be seen how the Japanese government responds to the nuclear crisis. Officials have already begun to scan people in the affected areas and are encouraging people to stay indoors.
These developments made me think about the safety issues with nuclear power and if there are viable alternatives to nuclear power that are safer for the environment and for people. Nuclear power is very clean compared to coal power plants however once the fuel rods are spent, the safe storage of the fuel rods can be difficult. My little brother sent me some information about Russian disposal methods for nuclear waste (including spent fuel rods), and it was somewhat terrifying. If you Google Murmansk you will find that it has been a popular dumping ground of decommissioned Soviet-era military equipment and nuclear submarines. One picture showed a storage facility where radioactive waste was sitting there exposed to the air. How safe for the environment is that? While this is slightly off-topic, it begs the question of if we have the technology and knowledge to safely store radioactive waste essentially indefinitely. And for that matter, how dangerous is radioactive waste?
I recognize that relying on hydro, solar, and wind power is likely not going to be able to meet our energy needs, especially when you factor in how hard people fight to prevent wind farms from being built in Canada. We know that solar power is extremely expensive and far from efficient in most cases. Hydroelectric power is great because it is renewable however the construction of dams and generation stations can drastically alter the natural landscape (and for that matter, dams are far from problem-free). So we are left with nuclear power as being an alternative to dirty energy like coal. Hopefully as a result of the current issues with nuclear power in Japan, they will develop methods to reduce the potential for problems in the future as a result of a natural disaster.
The question remains if governments should invest more money and resources in nuclear energy or should they continue to explore other energy alternatives?

Thursday, March 10, 2011

How Will Gadhafi Go?

A Toronto Star article published yesterday called Few exits open to Gadhafi, provides some insight and speculation as to the fate of the long-time Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. The following image, published as part of the article provides an up-date as to the progression of the battle between rebel groups and the Libyan army.


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Current State of Affairs in Libya





The article presents some interesting comments about the fate of Gadhafi and whether he will remain in Libya until the end or if he will attempt to flee the country. As with many wars and other civil unrest, it is difficult to gain an accurate picture of the situation as the government claims to have made progress towards defeating the rebel groups while the rebel groups deny having lost ground to the military.


Gadhafi has made contact with Libyan allied countries and it is speculated that he might attempt to flee the country and seek refuge in one of these countries. An expert interviewed for the article suggests that Gadhafi might instead try and convince countries like Egypt, also recovering from political activism resulting in the removal of Hosni Mubarak from office, that rebel fighters in Libya are part of the terrorist organization Al Qaeda and to prevent them from entering Egypt. It has not yet been confirmed if the rebel groups are indeed affiliated with Al Qaeda or other terrorist organizations. As the conflict continues, countries around the world are uniting against Moammar Gadhafi.


While much of this information is speculative, it does provide some insight from experts as to possible outcomes of the conflict in Libya. If Gadhafi leaves, he is facing an International Criminal Court trial at the Hague related to the war crime charges. The more likely scenario is that Gadhafi will remain in office until the bitter end as he has maintained power in Libya for forty years (and is not likely to willingly relinquish power), and because by remaining in Libya, he can avoid standing trial (for the time being).


An article published on the Huffington Post (Libyan Rebels Reject Potential Gaddafi Offer To Step Down), suggests that the leader is in fact trying to hand power to the head of parliament however that the sum of money he would receive in exchange is insufficient for him to agree. Other aspects of this agreement include his family being guaranteed safety and to not be put on trial. The sources of this Reuters article imply that if Gadhafi stepped down, the country would descend into civil war which is a dangerous situation. Keeping Gadhafi in office could assist in negotiations and preventing a full civil war in Libya. Whether an offer for Gadhafi to step down has officially been in negotiations is still unclear. The information in this article suggests that the contact with allied countries in Africa and the Middle East is in fact for the purpose of seeking a safe haven for Gadhafi and his family.


Conflicting reports on the same issue. It remains to be seen what will actually happen with Gadhafi either stepping down from power or being forcibly removed from power. Hopefully the conflict will be resolved without becoming a country-wide civil war. It is clear that the conflict in Libya will not be as easily resolved as the revolution in Egypt which was remarkable for how quickly Mubarak stepped down.


As the conflict in Libya drags on, many people are left stranded far from home in Libya. There are a great number of foreign workers in Libya, many of whom are stranded and are trying to leave the country as quickly as they can. Without passports or government identification, this can be very difficult.
Time released a photo essay Workers Lost in Libya's Turmoil that gives you a sense of the chaos of people trying to flee the country.


I think it is an exciting time as countries begin to question their government and in some cases protest for change. So far this year, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya have all protested against the government. Will 2011 be known as the year of the protest?

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

New Placement

Over the last week, several of my classmates have been given a new field placement for next year. I have also been given a different placement, one that I am pretty excited about. I have now been assigned to work with the group Friends of the Earth or (FoE), an advocacy group with offices in many countries around the world. My original placement was of interest to me however I am confident that working with Friends of the Earth will be a positive experience and I will learn a lot.
FoE is the largest environmental organization in Ghana and they work towards promoting awareness of environmental problems in Ghana. The position is as a researcher or program officer. I am most excited about the opportunity to do research about electronic waste and urban waste in Accra, the capital city, where I will be living. From my research, Accra appears to be a cool city with lots to see and do and I am sure I will enjoy my time there.
Hopefully in the coming weeks I will get more information about this new placement. I am excited to know what my specific job responsibilities will be. I know that this placement will be a better fit for me and I am excited to do research and possibly work on my writing skills.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Artist Accountability

Libya is the newest country to challenge the longtime leadership of dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Since the challenge began in February, many music artists have admitted to accepting million dollar fees from the dictator for performing for his family over the years. Some artists, like Beyonce have donated the fee to a worthwhile cause (Beyonce donated her fee to the Haiti relief efforts). Others, Like Mariah Carey have decided to return their performance fees.

Carey has admitted she was unaware of the issues surrounding Gaddafi and the Libyan government. She called for artists to be more aware of who they are booked to perform for, regardless of who actually booked the performance. Mariah made a good point that artists are held accountable and must take responsibility for who they perform for. At the end of the day, artists are responsible for their actions.

This made me think about global citizenship and how we, as global citizens, must take responsibility for our actions. Whether it is the clothing we buy or the food we eat, we are ultimately held responsible as consumers for the goods we purchase. While this is much easier said than done, making better consumer choices where possible is always a good idea. Hopefully in the future doing so will be made easier by requiring companies to adhere to labour, environmental, and production standards. Until then, as consumers we must try to make these decisions on our own.

Food for thought.
Mariah Carey to Return Gaddafi Family Fee