Rome food protests
The global food crisis is estimated to be pushing 100 million people to hunger.
The UN is searching for solutions and is hosting a meeting in Rome where some 40 heads of state will discuss the challenge.
These protesters are setting up their own alternative summit in the Italian capital.
They are here to represent the world's small farmers and they are calling for a rethink of the global food system.
SOUNDBITE (English) PAUL NICHOLSON EUROPEAN CO-ORDINATOR OF THE NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION "VIA CAMPESINA", SAYING:
"We are stating that this model of free trade has caused hunger and has caused poverty in the rural world and now also in the cities. The food crisis is a consequences of leaving all food in the hands of the trans-nationalist."
The protesters want policy initiatives that will force necessary changes in food production.
The FAO hopes the summit will come up with concrete solutions.
For millions around the world that's a priority.
In poorer states people spend more half their income on food compares to just 10 percent in other countries.
Michelle Carlile-Alkhouri, Reuters
Monday, June 2, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Polygamy kids can go home
A new twist in one of the nation's largest child custody cases --- this time, a victory for members of a Texas polygamist sect.
The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that the state overstepped its authority last month when it removed 460 children from a polygamist ranch run by jailed polygamist leader Warren Jeffs.
The decision could pave the way for the children to be reunited with their parents.
The Supreme Court's ruling upholds the lower court's finding last week - that Texas authorities went too far...in taking the children from their families without proving that they faced imminent danger.
Pavithra George, Reuters
uphold tr.v. up·held, up·hold·ing, up·holds To maintain or affirm against opposition. See Synonyms at support.
A new twist in one of the nation's largest child custody cases --- this time, a victory for members of a Texas polygamist sect.
The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that the state overstepped its authority last month when it removed 460 children from a polygamist ranch run by jailed polygamist leader Warren Jeffs.
The decision could pave the way for the children to be reunited with their parents.
The Supreme Court's ruling upholds the lower court's finding last week - that Texas authorities went too far...in taking the children from their families without proving that they faced imminent danger.
Pavithra George, Reuters
uphold tr.v. up·held, up·hold·ing, up·holds To maintain or affirm against opposition. See Synonyms at support.
Brazilian isolated tribe photographed
The photographs, taken by Survival International near the border between Brazil and Peru, are rare evidence that such groups exist.
A Brazilian official involved in the expedition said many such tribes are in increasing danger from illegal logging.
Of more than 100 uncontacted tribes worldwide, more than half live in either Brazil or Peru, Survival International says.
It says all are in grave danger of being forced off their land, killed or ravaged by diseases they've never been exposed to because of their isolation.
The photographs, taken by Survival International near the border between Brazil and Peru, are rare evidence that such groups exist.
A Brazilian official involved in the expedition said many such tribes are in increasing danger from illegal logging.
Of more than 100 uncontacted tribes worldwide, more than half live in either Brazil or Peru, Survival International says.
It says all are in grave danger of being forced off their land, killed or ravaged by diseases they've never been exposed to because of their isolation.
Biofuels blamed for hunger
Food prices will remain high over the next decade meaning millions more risk further hardship. A report published by the OECD and the UN's FAO food agency, ahead of next week's world food summit in Rome, urged immediate humanitarian aid for those worst affected. The paper also blamed biofuel for using up grain that could otherwise feed people and livestock. Speaking at an aid conference in Japan, the director of the World Food Programme, Josette Sheeran, said the effects could be catastrophic.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) JOSETTE SHEERAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT WORLD FOOD PROGRAM (WFP) SAYING:
"Record high prices of food and fuel are a painful pinch for consumers all over the world, but for those who are living on less than a dollar a day, it's devastating. If these prices are sustained, the world's bottom billion could become the world's bottom two billion virtually overnight just because their purchasing power has been cut in half almost overnight."
Drought in big commodity-producing regions such as Australia, and growing demand from fast-developing countries such as China and India, were some of the reasons behind the increases.
And food and fuel price increases are closely related, though signs of a demand slowdown in some markets has caused the price to retreat earlier in the day. Asian countries, under pressure from oil companies, have been reviewing the fuel subsidies which have sheltered drivers from the shock of steep price rises.
And that's why Dutch truckers called on motorists to honk their horns to push for lower fuel taxes in the latest protest at soaring oil prices. Protesters called on the government to reverse a diesel tax hike that is due to take effect on July 1. Truck drivers have also been protesting in France, the UK and Bulgaria.
In the markets, stocks crept back into positive territory. The FTSEurofirst 300 was up around a third of a percent. In-line U.S. growth data had pushed European stocks down in earlier trade with banks the biggest drag on the index.
Stefanie McIntyre, Reuters
hardship - Extreme privation; suffering.
livestock - Domestic animals, such as cattle or horses, raised for home use or for profit, especially on a farm.
pinch - extreme stress or need: most companies are feeling the pinch of recession
shel·ter - To provide cover or protection for.
Food prices will remain high over the next decade meaning millions more risk further hardship. A report published by the OECD and the UN's FAO food agency, ahead of next week's world food summit in Rome, urged immediate humanitarian aid for those worst affected. The paper also blamed biofuel for using up grain that could otherwise feed people and livestock. Speaking at an aid conference in Japan, the director of the World Food Programme, Josette Sheeran, said the effects could be catastrophic.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) JOSETTE SHEERAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT WORLD FOOD PROGRAM (WFP) SAYING:
"Record high prices of food and fuel are a painful pinch for consumers all over the world, but for those who are living on less than a dollar a day, it's devastating. If these prices are sustained, the world's bottom billion could become the world's bottom two billion virtually overnight just because their purchasing power has been cut in half almost overnight."
Drought in big commodity-producing regions such as Australia, and growing demand from fast-developing countries such as China and India, were some of the reasons behind the increases.
And food and fuel price increases are closely related, though signs of a demand slowdown in some markets has caused the price to retreat earlier in the day. Asian countries, under pressure from oil companies, have been reviewing the fuel subsidies which have sheltered drivers from the shock of steep price rises.
And that's why Dutch truckers called on motorists to honk their horns to push for lower fuel taxes in the latest protest at soaring oil prices. Protesters called on the government to reverse a diesel tax hike that is due to take effect on July 1. Truck drivers have also been protesting in France, the UK and Bulgaria.
In the markets, stocks crept back into positive territory. The FTSEurofirst 300 was up around a third of a percent. In-line U.S. growth data had pushed European stocks down in earlier trade with banks the biggest drag on the index.
Stefanie McIntyre, Reuters
hardship - Extreme privation; suffering.
livestock - Domestic animals, such as cattle or horses, raised for home use or for profit, especially on a farm.
pinch - extreme stress or need: most companies are feeling the pinch of recession
shel·ter - To provide cover or protection for.
Bin diving for food
There is no such thing as a free lunch, but for freegans Ashwyn and Alf, rummaging around in bins for food is a part of their lifestyle.
As freegans they believe in reducing waste and using their time to benefit others, one way is finding food in bins, which they use for their own consumption or distribute to friends.
These are just some of the things that they found on their scavenge.
Soundbites Alf and Ashwyn, freegans (English)
(Alf) We've got a mixed vegetable selection,all looking rather fresh (Ashwyn) From UK and Spain (Alf) Mushrooms from Ireland. (Ashwyn) Irish mushrooms (Alf) grapes from India
Every day in the UK seven million slices of bread, 4.4 million apples and 1.3 million yoghurts are thrown away.
Supermarkets said they are working to reduce waste by improving packaging and portion sizes. But some of them do lock their bins making it difficult for people to take food from them.
So is bin diving stealing?
Alf, freegan (English)
'Can you steal rubbish? Surely if somebody throws something away, then they're relinquishing ownership of it. If you're making use of something that has a terrible cost to the environment, and costs for the supermarket themselves, and you're obviously reducing that, then that is something positive.'
Food waste in a developing country is happening in the midst of a global food crisis.
Greg Barrow is from the UN World Food Programme. He is concerned with the increase in food prices and the fact that it is having an impact on developing countries. But scavenging for food isn't something new.
Greg Barrow,
Senior Public Affairs Officer, United Nations World Food Programme (English)
''In developing countries you'll often find that people scavenge for food in rubbish dumps and on the fringes of markets,often they find food that is unfit for human consumption so it's a different scale of problem in the developing world it's much much more an issue of lack of access to food and people who are really desperate to get any kind of nutrition if they can find it from almost any place.''
Alf and Ashwyn are able to feast on their booty, and use the items that they have found. But for thousands in developing countries, the commodity of food isn't always so accessible.
Basmah Fahim, Reuters.
Freeganism is an anticonsumerism lifestyle
rummaging - To search thoroughly by handling, turning over, or disarranging the contents of.
relinquishing - a verbal act of renouncing a claim or right or position etc.
scavenge - to search for (anything usable) among discarded material
fringe - the outside boundary or surface of something
feast
There is no such thing as a free lunch, but for freegans Ashwyn and Alf, rummaging around in bins for food is a part of their lifestyle.
As freegans they believe in reducing waste and using their time to benefit others, one way is finding food in bins, which they use for their own consumption or distribute to friends.
These are just some of the things that they found on their scavenge.
Soundbites Alf and Ashwyn, freegans (English)
(Alf) We've got a mixed vegetable selection,all looking rather fresh (Ashwyn) From UK and Spain (Alf) Mushrooms from Ireland. (Ashwyn) Irish mushrooms (Alf) grapes from India
Every day in the UK seven million slices of bread, 4.4 million apples and 1.3 million yoghurts are thrown away.
Supermarkets said they are working to reduce waste by improving packaging and portion sizes. But some of them do lock their bins making it difficult for people to take food from them.
So is bin diving stealing?
Alf, freegan (English)
'Can you steal rubbish? Surely if somebody throws something away, then they're relinquishing ownership of it. If you're making use of something that has a terrible cost to the environment, and costs for the supermarket themselves, and you're obviously reducing that, then that is something positive.'
Food waste in a developing country is happening in the midst of a global food crisis.
Greg Barrow is from the UN World Food Programme. He is concerned with the increase in food prices and the fact that it is having an impact on developing countries. But scavenging for food isn't something new.
Greg Barrow,
Senior Public Affairs Officer, United Nations World Food Programme (English)
''In developing countries you'll often find that people scavenge for food in rubbish dumps and on the fringes of markets,often they find food that is unfit for human consumption so it's a different scale of problem in the developing world it's much much more an issue of lack of access to food and people who are really desperate to get any kind of nutrition if they can find it from almost any place.''
Alf and Ashwyn are able to feast on their booty, and use the items that they have found. But for thousands in developing countries, the commodity of food isn't always so accessible.
Basmah Fahim, Reuters.
Freeganism is an anticonsumerism lifestyle
rummaging - To search thoroughly by handling, turning over, or disarranging the contents of.
relinquishing - a verbal act of renouncing a claim or right or position etc.
scavenge - to search for (anything usable) among discarded material
fringe - the outside boundary or surface of something
feast
Noun
1. a large and special meal for many people
2. something extremely pleasing: a feast of colour
3. an annual religious celebration
Verb
1. to take part in a feast
Rare Javan rhino filmed
There are thought to be less than 60 Javan rhinos left in the wild and these are two of them.
The mother and calf were filmed by a hidden camera in the Ujung Kulon National Park on Indonesia's Java island.
The World Wildlife Fund for Nature was delighted when the elusive rhinoceroses stumbled across the camera twice in a month.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SITE MANAGER OF UJUNG KULON NATIONAL PARK ADHI RAHMAT HARIYADI SAYING:
"Although the Peninsula covers 30,000 (hectares) only places marked with red dots are actually occupied with the rhinos."
The cameras filmed the rhinos bathing, sniffing the undergrowth and, a little worryingly perhaps, attacking the camera.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SITE MANAGER OF UJUNG KULON NATIONAL PARK ADHI RAHMAT HARIYADI SAYING:
"We need to place the camera more strategically not to disturb or bother the animals."
But the success of the operation has delighted wildlife experts.
And it's hoped new information about their movement may increase the chances of saving the Javan rhino from extinction.
Sonia Legg, Reuters.
stumble across or on or upon to encounter or discover (someone or something) by accident
There are thought to be less than 60 Javan rhinos left in the wild and these are two of them.
The mother and calf were filmed by a hidden camera in the Ujung Kulon National Park on Indonesia's Java island.
The World Wildlife Fund for Nature was delighted when the elusive rhinoceroses stumbled across the camera twice in a month.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SITE MANAGER OF UJUNG KULON NATIONAL PARK ADHI RAHMAT HARIYADI SAYING:
"Although the Peninsula covers 30,000 (hectares) only places marked with red dots are actually occupied with the rhinos."
The cameras filmed the rhinos bathing, sniffing the undergrowth and, a little worryingly perhaps, attacking the camera.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SITE MANAGER OF UJUNG KULON NATIONAL PARK ADHI RAHMAT HARIYADI SAYING:
"We need to place the camera more strategically not to disturb or bother the animals."
But the success of the operation has delighted wildlife experts.
And it's hoped new information about their movement may increase the chances of saving the Javan rhino from extinction.
Sonia Legg, Reuters.
calf
a. A young cow or bull.
a. A young cow or bull.
b. The young of certain other mammals, such as the elephant or whale.
stumble across or on or upon to encounter or discover (someone or something) by accident
Fossil creates evolution upset
This fossil of a fish is making a big splash in archaeological circles.
The 375-million-year-old creature has been unearthed complete with umbilical cord and embryo attached.
That makes her the planet's oldest vertebrate mum.
She's not the prettiest fish in the pre-historic sea but she is by far the earliest known vertebrate giving birth to live young.
By a massive 200 million years, no less.
And she's got the scientists re-writing evolutionary history.
SOUNDBITE: Doctor John Long, Paleontologist, saying (English):
"I looked under the microscope and I was just gob-smacked."
The placoderm was found in the Gogo area of north Western Australia.
Experts say it's 25 centimetres of fossil but millions of years of discovery.
SOUNDBITE: Doctor Robin Hirst, Museum Victoria, saying (English)
"One of the biggest breakthroughs in paleontology ever made and certainly one of the most significant discoveries every made in Australia."
Placoderms ruled the planet's lakes and seas for nearly 70 million years during the late Devonian period when land animals evolved from fish.
Now it seems they may have been the pioneers of internal fertilisation and live birth - unless another evolutionary upset emerges to steal their crown.
Paul Chapman, Reuters
This fossil of a fish is making a big splash in archaeological circles.
The 375-million-year-old creature has been unearthed complete with umbilical cord and embryo attached.
That makes her the planet's oldest vertebrate mum.
She's not the prettiest fish in the pre-historic sea but she is by far the earliest known vertebrate giving birth to live young.
By a massive 200 million years, no less.
And she's got the scientists re-writing evolutionary history.
SOUNDBITE: Doctor John Long, Paleontologist, saying (English):
"I looked under the microscope and I was just gob-smacked."
The placoderm was found in the Gogo area of north Western Australia.
Experts say it's 25 centimetres of fossil but millions of years of discovery.
SOUNDBITE: Doctor Robin Hirst, Museum Victoria, saying (English)
"One of the biggest breakthroughs in paleontology ever made and certainly one of the most significant discoveries every made in Australia."
Placoderms ruled the planet's lakes and seas for nearly 70 million years during the late Devonian period when land animals evolved from fish.
Now it seems they may have been the pioneers of internal fertilisation and live birth - unless another evolutionary upset emerges to steal their crown.
Paul Chapman, Reuters
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