True cost of fossil-fuel - death

At least 11 people were killed and more than 80 others were injured Friday when an explosion ripped through a pipeline in western Colombia triggering a deadly inferno. Photo: AFP

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/pipeline-blast-kills-13-20111225-1p9j6.html#ixzz1hYKPahz5

Pipeline blast kills 13: "Thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 100 injured in a pipeline explosion in western Colombia, officials said at the end of a two-day recovery mission."

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Cars choking Lima

The Associated Press: Taming Lima's chaotic, poisonous transit system: "Peru's capital is afflicted by an anarchic, corrupt transit system the city's freshman mayor calls a shameful menace. She is promising, against tall odds, to fix it and the traffic chaos that might well lead the region in motorized hostility to pedestrians, cyclists and human lungs.
"I'd say the city is in serious collapse, given the quantity of vehicles, their age and the notorious absence of operating rules," says city councilman Rafael Garcia, a reform advocate."

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Outraged - Chile

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Shareable: People v Cars: The 20th Century Battle over Cities

Shareable: People v Cars: The 20th Century Battle over Cities: "the streets are our public commons, what’s left of it, but most of the time these public avenues are dedicated to the movement of vehicles, mostly privately owned autos"

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Guadalajara se suma a ciudades 'carfree' :: El Informador

Guadalajara se suma a ciudades 'carfree' :: El Informador: "GUADALAJARA, JALISCO (10/SEP/2011).- En Guadalajara se ratifica la Declaración de World Carfree Network, al concluir anoche el X Congreso Internacional Hacia Ciudades Libres de Autos, por lo que la capital jalisciense se suma al llamado para reducir el uso del auto y la disminución de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero, así como la búsqueda de estrategias para impulsar ciudades sustentables."

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BBC News - Bolivia bans cars for 'Day of the Pedestrian'

BBC News - Bolivia bans cars for 'Day of the Pedestrian': "Empty of cars, the streets were turned into playgrounds for street artists, performers and exercise instructors
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Cars and buses were taken off the streets of Bolivia as the country held its first "National Day of the Pedestrian".

All motorised vehicles, including public transport, were banned in cities across the country on Sunday.

Bolivia's government says it wants to raise awareness about the environment."

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Best way to #carfree is #farefree

#sinautos2011 - Do you want fewer cars in your city? Do you want no cars in your city? Then make the buses fare-free. This will increase ridership. Riders will gain more political power and demand more frequent service. This will break the critical-mass of the auto system. At this point, the subsidies for roads, parking, and energy wars will be seen as a burden instead of a necessity.

This is how you will get there. 

#CARFREE – Hacia Ciudades Libres de Autos – X Congreso Internacional 5-9 Septiembre 2011 – Kä Volta

CARFREE – Hacia Ciudades Libres de Autos – X Congreso Internacional 5-9 Septiembre 2011 – Kä Volta: "“Es hora de movernos hacia ciudades libres de autos. De transitar desde ciudades que nos desconocen a ciudades que nos pertenecen. De dar pasos en la dirección correcta. De hacerles ver, a aquellos que aún no lo notan, que para llegar al futuro no es necesario construir más vías rápidas, sino nuevas mentalidades. Es hora de movernos.”"

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El 33 por ciento de los conductores sufren miedo a estacionarse | Ciudadanos en Red :: Metrópoli 2025

El 33 por ciento de los conductores sufren miedo a estacionarse | Ciudadanos en Red :: Metrópoli 2025: "El fabricante Ford realizó una serie de encuestas en Europa  las cuales  “arrojaron” significativos resultados, entre ellos que estacionar el automóvil resulta una actividad estresante para la mayoría de los conductores, luego de que uno de cada tres europeos  no puede estacionar su vehículo en el primer intento, de ese 33%, el 41% son mujeres."

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Guadalajara - 2/3 of public space belongs to cars

Libres de autos :: Columnas en El Informador Blogs: " Veamos el absurdo que esto significa: si en Guadalajara hay cerca de dos millones de autos, significa que necesitamos ocho millones de metros cuadrados, 800 hectáreas, sólo para estacionarlos en la noche. Vamos a ponerle un precio bajo, a 1,200 pesos promedio el costo por metro de terreno en la ciudad, entonces tenemos una inversión de cerca de 10 mil millones destinada sólo al dormitorio de autos. Pero como hay que moverlos, y estacionarlos al menos en dos o tres lugares distintos cada uno al día, lo que tenemos destinados en metros cuadrados de la ciudad a mover y estacionar los autos es verdaderamente absurdo. Tres cuartas partes de espacio público están destinadas a ello."

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20 Chilean students join hunger strike for more funding of public schools, free transport pass - The Washington Post

20 Chilean students join hunger strike for more funding of public schools, free transport pass - The Washington Post: "Students say the action was begun to express frustration at what they call President Sebastian Pinera’s failure to respond to weeks of student protests and school occupations. The protesters want more funding for education, a free transportation pass for students and greater state control of education."

Chile - H.S. Students demand free public transit

Police break up student protest in Chile - Taiwan News Online: "Chilean police have clashed with thousands of protesting students, using tear gas and water cannons to break up the crowd.
Groups of students hurled rocks at police in anti-riot gear who interrupted the demonstration in a park in Santiago.

The Chilean broadcaster Radio Cooperativa reported that at least 10 people were hurt including three news photographers.

High school and university students have been protesting for days to press for demands including free public transit passes and more technical education.

Police estimated the crowd of protesters at about 7,000 during Wednesday's protest. In addition to students, it included hundreds striking copper mine workers."

Video - http://newsite.ntn24news.com/videos/university-students-go-national-strike-chile

Chile president spills the beans -- earth must die for capitalism

Violent protests follow approval of massive dam project in Patagonia: "We have to double our energy capacity in 10 years if we want to keep growing at 6 per cent […] Those who think that by opposing everything, all forms of energy, they're doing something patriotic—I'd like to tell them they are profoundly mistaken.'"

MALA Leche Movimiento Anticochista Latinoamericano

MALA Leche Movimiento Anticochista Latinoamericano: "Exigimos la creación de Áreas Libres de Autos en todas las ciudades y reivindicamos el derecho a respirar aire puro, no puro humo.
El espacio público y el aire son de todos, no de la minoría privilegiada que posee un auto. Nadie tiene derecho a contaminar el aire que respiramos todos.
¡Somos mayoría y exigimos respeto!
¡Mueran los coches!
¡Viva la gente!"

Colombia extends state of emergency due to rains - AlertNet

Photo from Beyond Brics

Colombia extends state of emergency due to rains - AlertNet: "BOGOTA, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Thursday that the government had extended a temporary state of emergency for an additional 20 days due to heavy rains that have battered the Andean nation.

Downpours and floods in Colombia have caused up to $5.2 billion in damages and the government plans to raise additional money by modifying some taxes and selling shares in state firms among other measures."