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General Safety Issues

TEN-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11

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We just finished celebrating Labor Day, which honors America’s working men and women; now we are counting down the days to a completely different observance in our country: the ten- year anniversary of that terrible day in our history when innocent people in the World Trade Center lost their lives, in addition to firemen, police and other first responders.  Two planes being flown by Al Queda operatives deliberately hit those two tall buildings, full of people – just planning another routine day of work.  Two other planes also targeted important government buildings, one succeeding in hitting the Pentagon, and the other planning to crash into either the White House or Capitol building.  Brave passengers on the last plane fought to take over and lost their lives when the plane landed in a field in Pennsylvania. 

Do you wonder how much media coverage is too much?  The debate about how it should be covered this year has been discussed among magazines and television networks.  They have felt that it is a fine line between commemoration and exploitation.  Time magazine sold no ads at all for their issue that covers 9-11.  CNN is to show a joint HBO-Time special commercial-free.  How much time should be devoted to terrorists’ attacks?   It is a very hard time for those who lived through the events, or lost family members and loved ones.  If you have seen the program, “Rescue Me,” you know that it has been dedicated to keeping the memories alive of those firemen who gave their lives in 9-11.  Even though it is fiction, it is about a New York City Firehouse, and pays tribute to those they had worked with before the tragedy occurred. 

Are we better off now than we were 10 years ago?  In some ways, our homeland security, military actions, restrictions on civil liberties, and national politics may have improved.  It just seems that ten years of war in various countries is enough.  We know our economy is worse; there is too much unemployment. 

 Ronald K. Noble, Secretary General of Interpol, says the internet may be replacing Afghanistan as terrorist training grounds.  Cyberspace can be a means for planning targets of terrorism and crime.  Many terrorists still continue to travel by using aliases and fraudulent travel documents.  One-hundred eighty-eight countries approved the creation in Singapore of a global complex to better prepare the world to fight cybercrime and cybersecurity- Interpol. 

Quoting, Interpol’s Secretary General Noble:  “So as we honor the memories of those who perished 10 years ago, it is time to ask ourselves if we have done all that we can to prevent another 9/11 or other serious attack. A great deal has been done to make us all safer, but far too little to make sure that we are safe from the global terror and criminal threat.

If we act today, in 10 years’ time, we may not just be catching up after the latest attack, we may have prevented it.”

Source: N.Y. Times

General Safety Issues

HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY, EARTH DAY, APRIL 22

With the beginning of the April 22, 1970 movement, approximately 20 million Americans participated to reach the goal of a healthy, sustainable environment.  Up until this time, separate groups who had been fighting against polluting factories, power plants, toxic dumps, oil spills, and extinction of wildlife began to realize that they shared common goals.  Through the years and with the help of the worldwide web, the efforts of those concerned with the environment have multiplied.  Other concerns such as global warming and clean energy have now emerged, as well.  People all over the world celebrate Earth Day either on March 20th or April 22nd.  This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the Earth Day movement, started in 1970.

The Earth Day Network has more than 20,000 partners and works with 190 countries to promote building a healthy, prosperous clean energy economy now and for the future.  We must produce a green economy around the globe, in every corner of our world, by making it cleaner.

Air pollution is one of the main causes of harmful health effects.  Coal-fired electric power plants release tons of sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide and mercury into the air each year.  These were built before clean air laws were passed in the 1970’s.  Some trucks and vehicles produce harmful emissions, and traces of gas are in the air around gas drilling.

Our homes need to be healthy homes.  Dust and mold can build up, and cause respiratory problems.  Affordable housing should be available to everyone, and they should not have to worry about lead paint, bad drinking water, and other things that contribute to health problems.

The average age of U.S. Schools is 42 years.  Over sixty per cent report there is at least one serious maintenance problem in their campus buildings.  (Our community is just now rebuilding the local high school, which was built in 1953.)  Just imagine the asbestos and other materials that were in the building!

We applaud everyone who participates in Earth Day!  If every single person would use less electricity, not print everything they do on their computers, and pick up trash thrown out by some careless person, it would add up to better health for us all.  Do your part to spruce up our planet!