Maine rocks fair trade

From Todd Tucker @ Eyes on Trade: This is some great footage from the Maine Fair Trade Campaign’s recent convention, with none other than our own Lori Wallach [director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch division], making the case for a different trade model. Fair trade champion Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine) also riles up the crowd about 6 minutes in.

Administration’s proposed roof crush rule won’t save lives

Photo by Frank Rogers

David Garcia (top) was 29 when he was in a rollover crash that left him a quadriplegic. On Wednesday, he spoke before a U.S. Senate committee to urge Congress to come up with a stronger roof crush standard for vehicles. A new standard proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is so inadequate it makes you wonder whether anyone at the agency has a clue. The proposal, which automakers would have to meet when they design their vehicles, is barely an improvement over the existing rule — and that hasn’t changed in some 30 years. David Shephardson of the Detroit News quotes Sen. Mark Pryor as commenting that if the NHTSA proposal doesn’t save a significant number of lives then the feds “really haven’t accomplished much.”

Climate change bill creating buzz among lawmakers, media

D.C.’s metro was extremely packed during Monday’s morning commute, which could only mean one thing (aside from it being tourist season): Congress is back in session.

I blogged earlier about the major flaws in the latest climate change legislation, America’s Climate Security Act, introduced by Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) The Senate will be debating the bill all week, and although nobody expects the bill to get very far, it’s certainly creating a buzz among the media and some heated debate among lawmakers.

For those who want to get a feel for how the debate is going, Reuters has posted a sampling of some of Monday’s comments, from notaries such as President Bush, Al Gore and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).

Some other media highlights:

• A post from The New York Times’ political blog, The Caucus
• A list of five things to watch during the debate from The Politico
• A look at both sides of the debate from Wired
• An overview of business’ take on climate change from CQPolitics

And in case all these facts on climate change become a bit dizzying, check out the resources from Public Citizen’s energy program. 

Codeine patients take note: How to tell if your body is responding as it should

Are you or is someone you know taking codeine to relieve pain? Then some new information in Public Citizen’s Worst Pills, Best Pills June newsletter will be of interest.

It turns out a substantial minority of people using codeine may be at risk of getting inadequate pain relief or experiencing serious side effects because of certain genetic factors and other medications they may be taking.

The reason codeine works as a painkiller is because the body converts it into morphine in the liver using an enzyme called CYP2D6. However, not everyone has the same level of CYP2D6 activity. Some have activity that is higher or lower than normal, which could result in an excessive or inadequate response to codeine.

It’s about time the feds investigated energy futures market

We applaud the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for publicly acknowledging what most educated observers have been saying for months: Wall Street speculators are reaping unconscionable profits by exploiting and manipulating the unregulated energy trading markets.

Commodity traders have pushed oil prices far higher than what can be explained by basic supply and demand. Under mounting pressure from Congress, the trading commission announced this week that it has been investigating oil trading practices for the past six months.

Forgive us, however, if we remain a bit cynical. We can’t get too excited about the trading commission doing exactly what it’s supposed to do, which is to investigate irregularities in the futures market. Its announcement is similar to the local Fire Department putting out a statement that it is now going to start responding to fires.

Nothing fair about mandatory arbitration

Check out this report on ABC News about the unfairness of the private arbitration system forced on consumers by credit card companies and other businesses. I’ve posted about mandatory binding arbitration but this report has an unbelievable example of how stacked the system is against consumers. These binding arbitration clauses are included in the fine print of agreements for credit cards, cell phones, financial services, gym memberships and much more. By forcing consumers to accept arbitration, companies take away a consumer’s right to have grievances heard by a judge or jury. Instead, cases go before a private arbitrator who is hired by the business and who almost always rules against the consumer.

Legislation is finally addressing climate change, but it’s got some major flaws

Photo from Flickr / [Framing] Insights

Industry generates pollution. A lot of pollution. In 2006, it emitted an estimated 3.4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide. These aren’t just fuzzy numbers we’re talking about; those 3.4 metric tons account for 57 percent of America’s total carbon dioxide emissions.

Numbers startling you a bit? They startled Congress, too, which is why Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) introduced America’s Climate Security Act (S. 2191) in October. S. 2191 outlines a plan for overhauling how industrial polluters manage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Unfortunately for the environment, this bill has some major flaws.

Von Spakovsky withdraws nomination

From Craig Holman @ Watchdog Blog: In a major victory for those who believe in free and fair elections, Hans von Spakovsky – a Republican nominee for commissioner on the nation’s elections agency – has withdrawn his nomination. Von Spakovsky’s nomination has been so contentious and volatile that it shut down the Federal Election Commission (FEC) since January. Now that he is gone, Congress can begin moving ahead and quickly reinstate the agency as we enter the second half of the election season. Continue Reading >>

More on eBay, Autodesk and digital copyright law

There’s some buzz about our win this week against Autodesk and its attempt to keep entrepreneur Timothy Vernor from selling second-hand copies of its software on eBay. A federal judge refused to dismiss Vernor’s lawsuit against Autodesk and in doing so made it pretty clear that Vernor had a right to sell legally obtained, copyrighted material on eBay or anywhere else. The Technology Liberation Front called it an “Autodesk smackdown” and praised Judge Richard Jones’ decision as a victory for “common sense.” At the heart of Autodesk’s copyright argument was the claim that the license agreement included with copies of its AutoCad software prohibited resale. But the judge ruled that Vernor, who has picked up second-hand copies of AutoCad at garage sales, isn’t bound by that agreement. That’s a good thing for anyone who sells or buys stuff on eBay. And it’s great news for Vernor who is seeking legal relief from Autodesk, which has repeatedly registered copyright complaints with eBay about Vernor’s auctions.

What’s in a name: Actor, activist, or just plain “Mike”

Photo from Flickr / polizeros

You may know him as “that guy from M*A*S*H.” Or you may know him from his efforts to speak out against human rights abuses and the death penalty. Regardless of how you may recognize actor and activist Mike Farrell, in his latest autobiography, he asks everyone to just call him “Mike.” The book, “Just Call me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist,” stays true to its title, giving readers a view into the multiple stages of Farrell’s life: His days as an Irish Catholic schoolboy in West Hollywood, his stint in the Marines, his role as Captain B.J. Hunicutt on M*A*S*H, and, what he values most, his work as a human rights advocate.

Those in the Washington, D.C. area will have the opportunity to hear Farrell speak about his book and his life as actor and activist this Saturday, May 24, when he appears at Busboys & Poets (2021 14^th St. NW) at 4 p.m. The event is sponsored by Public Citizen, Greenpeace and SEIU.