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Showing posts from November, 2009

The (Ig)Nobel Peace Prize

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When Capello, after the game against Belarus, was asked whether he thought Beckham deserved the title of "best man of the match" after having played for only 30 minutes he promptly replied: “I thought that giving Beckham the man of the match award was like giving Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize". Perhaps we should nominate Capello as “best observer of the year” and I don’t mean about football. Awarding Obama with the Nobel Peace Prize has set a new record whereby nowadays, promises and smooth talking matter more than facts and real achievements. Since Obama was made US president, ten months ago, we have been promised many changes but seen very little. In fact, the Bush administration’s legacy in foreign affairs is stronger than ever and has turned out to be the blueprint for all Obama's strategies. The day after Obama took office he told the world that one of his priorities was to close the prison in Guantanamo Bay within his first 100 days. Ten months later the p

Verso la Meta

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“Un falco volava nel cielo al mattino, ricordo quel tempo quand’ero bambino. Io lo seguivo nel rosso tramonto, dall’alto di un monte scoprivo il suo mondo…” Angoscia ,volendo, paura del vuoto. Di ali tremanti che trillano al moto. Di code sbattute tra magre stagioni, planando sull’onda di arcaiche tensioni. La terra promessa infondo al migrare intrisa di luce che abbaglia, che assale. Lo stormo si è perso nel lungo travaglio. Partire, lasciare. Non vedo lo sbaglio. “E allora eha, eha, eha , eha, eha e allora eha, eha, eha, eha, eha….”

Ten things (+1) you can do to stop climate change

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Choose sustainable transport : walk, cycle or use public transport such as buses or trains to reduce carbon emissions. Eat better food : grow your own food or buy locally grown products; avoid buying out-of-season products as they have to be imported from far away places - i.e. burn energy and produce more carbon dioxide. Dispose responsibly and recycle : buy products with minimum or no packaging and recycle your waste. Inflate your tyres : check your car regularly to make sure that your tyres are fully inflated as fully inflated tyres consum less petrol and reduce carbon emissions. Insulate your home : make sure your home is properly insulated so that it keeps the heat in during the winter and stays cool during the summer. Choose energy-saving heating systems : underfloor heating and energy saving boilers are more efficient and reduce carbon emissions; furthermore, the quality of the air is improved. Buy renewable energy : install solar panels or buy energy from suppliers that produce