New York Times on the Web Forums Science

Missile Defense

Russian military leaders have expressed concern about US plans for a national missile defense system. Will defense technology be limited by possibilities for a strategic imbalance? Is this just SDI all over again?

lunarchick - 06:19am Jul 29, 2001 EST (#7563 of 7573)
lunarchick@www.com

GU Thread NO says USA to Treaties!

lunarchick - 07:13am Jul 29, 2001 EST (#7564 of 7573)
lunarchick@www.com

The White House says it is firmly opposed to all Chinese transfers of technology relating to missiles and weapons of mass destruction to other countries.

However, Mr Powell said military-to-military contacts with Beijing would restart soon.

He is the most senior member of the present Bush administration to visit China. President Bush plans to visit Beijing in October.

lunarchick - 07:25am Jul 29, 2001 EST (#7565 of 7573)
lunarchick@www.com

Film

The Kurdish people, numbering around 20 million, live as a distinct ethnic group divided mainly between Turkey, Iran and Iraq, but we've never seen their lives dramatised on the screen — until now. The first feature film to be made in the Kurdish language won major prizes around the world last year.

It's called A Time for Drunken Horses and it begins ..

lunarchick - 08:25am Jul 29, 2001 EST (#7566 of 7573)
lunarchick@www.com

The musician who could save the world from global warming http://www.newscientist.com/opinion/opinterview.jsp?id=ns22985

--What about the US government?

Some senators already support it. It is the only practical proposal that does what they've asked for, namely simultaneous emissions controls on all countries. It promotes economic efficiency through emissions trading and enables progressive American firms to get involved and make money. That's certainly what I would tell George W. Bush.

--That makes you sound like an arch-capitalist, rather than the communist you have sometimes been labelled. How come the Chinese like it?

False dichotomy. The Chinese came on board, at least tentatively, when they realised I was talking about distributing emissions rights. They liked the idea of equal rights rather than equal restrictions. But this is high politics. The US Energy Department got very interested when I said I was going to Beijing. They said: "You'd better watch your back because you're gonna be watched." I got quite nervous. I'm not a diplomat, I'm just a musician. But the idea is not leftist, or even rightist. The morality you can take or leave, but the logic is inescapable.

--But don't developing countries have the right to tell the rich countries that they created the problem and should solve it?

So far, most developing countries have indeed united around that message. That may be morally valid, but it is a disastrous strategy for them as well as for the rich world. The carrot for them in adopting contraction and convergence, apart from saving the climate, is that in return for controlling emissions they could get paid to convert their economies to run without fossil fuels.

--So your formula meets the needs of both the US and the developing world?

Yes. It's a framework for the retreat from our dependency on fossil fuels. The way I see it, the world starts a race to get out of carbon rather than a race to get into it.

Contraction & Convergence
Aubrey Meyer
Green Books

lunarchick - 08:30am Jul 29, 2001 EST (#7567 of 7573)
lunarchick@www.com

Interesting Swim Meet in Japan this past week. The 1500meters was shown tonight - of interest because both the world record holder and tonight's swimmer are local. The young gun took 7 seconds off the time for nwr and gold, UK second and Russia third. One of the toughest races. Australia took thirteen gold medals - USA nine gold ... Oz under 20million - USA 250million. Australians would have it no other way :)

Australian Foreign Minister talking defence (don't waste your time)

lunarchick - 08:50am Jul 29, 2001 EST (#7568 of 7573)
lunarchick@www.com

Tombs are always interesting. St Petersburg Museum must be the place to go!
Watch the Qin, dynasty tomb with all those pottery soldiers, documentary. Qin was a vile guy - very cruel. When he died the locals raided the pottery soldiers - taking their spears - fought and took down that empire. Interesting that the clouded peak of a mountain was supposed to be 'close to heaven' .. Qin had advanced metals .. with everlasting materials and properties .. in that era they drank metals ... mercury, bronze, gold etc .. so that the metal replaced their cells to make them everlasting - immortal. Well that was the theory!

lunarchick - 08:57am Jul 29, 2001 EST (#7569 of 7573)
lunarchick@www.com

US Secretary of State Colin Powell has left Beijing and is due to arrive in Australia He will attend the one-day Australia-United States Ministerial consultations on defence and security, known as AUSMIN, along with US Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld who arrived earlier this morning.

The occasion marks 50 years of the ANZUS alliance .

(4 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense