Posts Tagged ‘requirements’
Congress prepares to declare war on the internet
Many internet users in the United States have watched with horror as countries like France and Britain have proposed or instituted so-called “three strikes” laws, which cut off internet access to those accused of repeated acts of copyright infringement. Now the U.S. has its own version of this kind of law, and it is arguably much worse: the Stop Online Piracy Act, introduced in the House this week, would give governments and private corporations unprecedented powers to remove websites from the internet on the flimsiest of grounds, and would force internet service providers to play the role of copyright police.
As the Electronic Frontier Foundation notes in a post on the proposed legislation, the law would not only require ISPs to remove websites from the global network at the request of the government or the courts (by blocking any requests to the central domain-name system that directs internet traffic), but would also be forced to monitor their users’ behavior in order to police acts of copyright infringement. Providers who do not comply with these requests and requirements would be subject to sanctions. And in many cases, legal hearings would not be required…
In addition to using what some are calling the “internet death penalty” of removing infringing websites from the DNS system so they can’t be found, the proposed bill would also allow copyright holders to push for websites and services to be removed from search engine results and to have their supply of advertising cut off — and would require that payment companies like PayPal and ad networks comply with these orders. If you liked what PayPal and others did when they shut off donations to WikiLeaks, you’re going to love the new Stop Online Piracy Act…
The bottom line is that if it passes and becomes law, the new act would give the government and copyright holders a giant stick — if not an automatic weapon — with which to pursue websites and services they believe are infringing on their content. With little or no requirement for a court hearing, they could remove websites from the internet and shut down their ability to be found by search engines or to process payments from users. DMCA takedown notices would effectively be replaced by this nuclear option, and innocent websites would have to fight to prove that they deserved to be restored to the internet — a reversal of the traditional American judicial approach of being assumed innocent until proven guilty — at which point any business they had would be destroyed.
Just as our Congress has become the kind of legislative body that would make any corporation happy and content, this bill would make for the kind of internet that would increase smiles and profits for media conglomerates — regardless of the stifling blanket dropped on the whole Web.
Measurements of carbon in China’s air indicate sharp reductions
Alternative sources for electrical power in China continue dynamic growth
A collaborative, six-year study of carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in Beijing and surrounding provinces suggests that combustion efficiency, a component of overall energy efficiency, is improving in the region.
The findings, published in the September 21 issue of Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics [.pdf], are generally consistent with official Chinese government statistics and could bolster their credibility as international negotiations proceed on commitments of China and other nations to combat climate change.
Which wouldn’t even be a question here if Americans realized that many other nations differentiate between agitprop and statements about commerce and science.
A team of atmospheric scientists and environmental engineers from Harvard University and Tsinghua University in Beijing have continuously measured atmospheric CO2 and carbon monoxide (CO) levels in rural Miyun, about 100 km northeast of Beijing, since November 2004…
The measurements provide the most detailed look at carbon emissions for a specific urbanized and industrialized region of China to date. Moreover, the resulting analysis of CO2 and CO levels is generally consistent with China’s official statistics, showing an upward trend in overall energy efficiency…
Over the period of study—and while controlling for daily, seasonal, and weather-induced fluctuations—the data trends indicated increasing combustion efficiency in the Beijing region. Modernization of industrial boilers, replacing old vehicles with new ones meeting stricter standards, and closing of older industrial facilities can all contribute to this trend…
While our indigenous reactionaries, anti-intellectuals and science-haters in general piss and moan about the intimidating short-term economic costs of building a healthier life for our nation, other countries, other governments press ahead with the task. Media flunkies will ignore publication of a report like this as they are supposed to. It’s kind of a chuckle that the only folks who tend to track down information like this are on the political Left – or part of the stodgy investment community.
We witnessed a perfect example of the latter, this week – with Alcoa reporting “surprising” growth and profits for the last quarter. Surprising to the average ignorant consumer, surprising to the typical American voter. But, a logical result of China shutting down Aluminum producers who wouldn’t live up to increasing requirements for cleaner air and water. Alcoa stepped in with the product needed by Chinese manufacturers – now deriving more and more from the global marketplace than domestically until native producers live up to high environmental standards.
The Harvard China Project is a research program focused on China’s atmospheric environment, collaborating across schools of Harvard University and with Chinese universities. It conducts interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed studies related to air pollution and greenhouse gases in China, designed to build knowledge and research capacities to help align China’s domestic priorities on environment and development with equitable international strategies on climate change.
N.Y. divorce laws stuck in a 1950′s version of Judeo-Christian Shari’a
Their marriage struck down, their children illegitimate
A 49-year-old New York man says he is hopeful his marital dispute with his first wife will help reform the state’s current divorce laws.
The New York Post said Sunday Matthew Gerber and his second wife, Mari, are hopeful Gerber’s ongoing legal dispute with his first wife, Ingrid, will shed light on possible problems in New York’s divorce laws.
Gerber’s divorce from his first wife was overturned after Ingrid, 54, won a successful appeal of the divorce and effectively made the former couple legally married once again. The appeal also voided Gerber’s second marriage.
New York is currently the only U.S. state without a so-called no-fault law, meaning an individual can only be granted a divorce if they prove their spouse either had an affair, been cruel to them or withheld sex for a year.
Retired judge Sondra Miller told the Post cases like Gerber’s indicate New York needs to implement a no-fault law, which allows divorces to take place without proof of wrongdoing from either side.
Everyone always thinks of New York as the center of progressive, modern politics. After all, New York City is the capitol of the world. True in finance, entertainment and many other fields.
But, that’s New York City. It sits at the southern tip of a state like the rest of the United States. It’s unique history is only so – in the city. Upstate politics is conservative where it’s not reactionary. Politicians still think they’re pandering to 19th Century patrician estates – or truck farmers who hate everything modern except the Interstate Highway system. And they’re still not certain about that.
No Fault divorce exists throughout the country. I hadn’t realized they still live in the 1950′s world of Father Knows Best – in New York – but, obviously they do.
