t r u t h o u t | 09.07

Sugg and Edelstein | Are We Prepared? Are We Protected?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/090705R.shtml
John Sugg writes from Atlanta: Much as 9/11 shifted the nation's discourse
rightward - pushing values like privacy and open discourse aside for national
security - Katrina may revive an appreciation for dealing with the natural world
in a way that doesn't invite so many problems. Perhaps this trauma will begin to
cleanse our lenses a bit and allow us to view things as they really are, rather
than as part of some vast fantasyland to be lobbied and spun for political
expediency.


Paramilitaries Trade Guns for Politics
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/090705S.shtml
Some former members of Columbian paramilitary groups have demobilized and formed
a political-social organization known as the Democratic Corporation to enter the
political process, using their base to run for political office. Critics say
that the move could legitimize former bandits and alleged narco-traffickers.


Katrina Environmental Issues 'Almost Unimaginable'
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/090705EA.shtml
In the state's first major assessment of the environmental havoc in southern
Louisiana, Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Mike McDaniel said
large quantities of hazardous materials in damaged industrial plants, the danger
of explosions and fires and water pollution were his main concerns eight days
after the storm struck. "It's almost unimaginable, the things we are going to
have to deal with," he said.


Senate Must Look at Tougher Mileage Rules
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/090705EB.shtml
Republican Sen. Pete Domenici said lawmakers need to take another look at CAFE
(Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards. Domenici was the chief author of a
new $14.5 billion energy policy signed into law barely one month ago that did
not address CAFE standards. In June, the Senate rejected, by 67 to 28, a
Democratic amendment to the energy bill to require better mileage for new
vehicles.


Population Numbers May Doom Salmon
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/090705EC.shtml
Too many people using too much energy and natural resources make it inevitable
that wild Pacific salmon will become extinct over the next century without a
major overhaul in the way people live their lives, a group of 30 scientists,
policy analysts and advocates concluded.


Chemicals Bigger Concern Than Cholera
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/090705HA.shtml
Despite reporting five deaths from a bacteria-caused illness, public health
officials said they are more concerned about the possibility of toxic chemicals
in the water covering New Orleans than they are about a cholera outbreak. But
more than a week after Hurricane Katrina hit the region, health officials still
don't know what kind of toxic chemicals are in the water.


Greg LeRoy | Thanking Labor
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/090705LA.shtml
Greg LeRoy urges us to thank organized labor for supporting corporate
accountability on jobs and taxes. Unions have always advocated for the good of
all working families, he says, and if you like Social Security, Medicare, free
public education and your weekends, thank your local unions and join their
coalitions for more reforms.


Why Do Women Have Abortions?
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/090705WB.shtml
A new survey by the Alan Guttmacher institute shows that women's reasons for
ending a pregnancy have been consistent over time and often focus on their
responsibilities to the children they already have and considerations for the
children they plan to have in the future.