International

Taking out the Trash

by Bob Burton — July 27, 2008 - 5:54pm

On parliament's last day before its summer break, the British government publicly released thirty ministerial statements, including one listing the salaries of "special advisers," one detailing the siting criteria for new nuclear power stations and another detailing the guests entertained at

Main Source: 
Guardian (UK), July 22, 2008

Nuclear "Renaissance" Dismissed as a "Carefully Fabricated Illusion"

by Bob Burton — July 22, 2008 - 4:42am

Asked why people like Patrick Moore and Stewart Brand, who made their name as environmentalists are now nuclear power advocates, the highly regarded energy efficiency analyst Amory Lovins was blunt: "I think they haven't done their homework.

Main Source: 
Democracy Now, July 16, 2008

Peak Drug Industry Body Sin Bins Roche

by Bob Burton — July 22, 2008 - 12:40am

The Swiss drug company Roche has been suspended from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) after adverse findings over its promotion of the weight-loss drug Xenical.

Main Source: 
Financial Times (UK), July 15, 2008

The Answer to Smokers' Prayers?

by Anne Landman — July 21, 2008 - 3:21pm

Smoking was officially banned July 1 in Dutch bars and cafes. Since then, smokers have started flocking to a new religious movement in the Netherlands known as the "The Only and Universal Smokers Church of God," or the "Smokers Church." Michiel Eijsbouts, who founded the church in 2001, insists that the new smoking law does not apply to members of the Smokers Church.

Main Source: 
The Telegraph (UK), July 17, 2008

Edelman Gets Called out for Greenwashing

by Judith Siers-Poisson — July 18, 2008 - 4:28pm

Members of the Oxford Climate Action group protested at the London offices of PR firm Edelman to draw attention to the greenwashing done on behalf of its energy client

Main Source: 
PR Week (UK), July 17, 2008

French Nuclear Plant Slow to Admit Leak

by Judith Siers-Poisson — July 14, 2008 - 11:57am

Nuclear advocates often point to France as a success story, with 80% of the country's electricity coming from nuclear power. But a recent leak at the Tricastin plant in Bollene, near Avignon, has raised concerns about health, safety, and transparency. The site houses both a nuclear reactor and a radioactive treatment plant.

Main Source: 
BBC News, July 11, 2008

A Deal So Good It Could be Illegal

by Judith Siers-Poisson — July 14, 2008 - 10:30am

Former Congressman Curt Weldon's employer Defense Solutions got a good deal in Iraq. So good, that "the deal, for decades-old, equipment, included terms so lopsided, they likely would have been illegal under U.S. law." Defense Solutions got a contract with the Iraqi government in 2005 to refurbish obsolete Soviet-era Hungarian tanks. While U.S. law would dictate that the company's fee be tied to performance, Defense Solutions' contract not only ensures payment, it also gives them a percentage of the total cost.

Main Source: 
Wired's Danger Room, July 10, 2008

A Match Made In Political PR Heaven

by Judith Siers-Poisson — July 10, 2008 - 2:10pm

Former undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs and longtime George Bush advisor and confidante Karen Hughes has taken a position with PR giant Burson Marsteller.

Main Source: 
Wall Street Journal (sub req'd), July 9, 2008
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