Friday, June 13, 2008

• Congress Wrangles Over Fuel Prices
• Ron Paul Bows Out
• 100 Chemicals Off-gas from Vinyl Shower Curtains
• Clean Desert Power
• Bulgaria’s Black Market Blood Trade
• Quality of Life in a Palestinian Refugee Camp

Click here for Headlines Package
Click here for 13 Meg Version
Click here for Dial-Up Version

Congress Wrangles Over Fuel Prices

Exxon Mobil is calling it quits in the US. The largest publicly traded oil company in the world is selling its retail gas stations in the US because of the high cost of crude. Of the 12,000 stations that carry the Exxon logo, Exxon owns and operates 2,200 of them. A spokesperson for the company says consumers will still be buying gas at stations that have the Exxon Mobile name but the stations will not be owned or operated by the company. On Capitol Hill, the tug of war continues between Democrats and Republicans regarding what to do about the rising price of gas. Democrats want to transfer the high cost consumers are paying at the pump to profiting oil companies while Republicans say the problem can be solved by digging for more oil. FSRNs Karen Miller has more

Ron Paul Bows Out

Texas Representative Ron Paul ended his run for presidency last night at the Texas GOP convention. Although his presidential campaign is over, he said it is just the beginning of a new conservative movement for limited government policies. Katharine Jarmul has more from DC.

100 Chemicals Off-gas from Vinyl Shower Curtains

The Center for Health, Environment and Justice – or CHEJ – is urging the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue a recall for PVC shower curtains. They are also calling on major retailers to voluntarily pull them from their shelves. CHEJ is a non-profit organization that seeks to prevent environmental health harms caused by chemical threats. Their latest study, released yesterday, finds that more than 100 chemicals are released from Polyvinyl chloride – or PVC – shower curtains. Mike Schade is Program Coordinator for CHEJ’s PVC Campaign – and he co-authored the report. Mr. Schade – why should we be concerned about the specific elements that offgas from our vinyl shower curtains?
That was Mike Schade – co-Author of the Shower Curtain Report and Program
Coordinator for the PVC Campaign of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice. The full report can be found online at chej.org/showercurtainreport.org.

Clean Desert Power

Activists concerned with climate change regularly stage protests around the world – calling for an end to world dependence on fossil fuels. One such protest happened in the UK this morning where forty protestors hijacked a train carrying coal to Britain's biggest power station, blocking delivery of the coal. Meanwhile, a simple technology that can generate huge amounts of clean energy from deserts and hot countries is being considered for investment by the European Parliament with North African partners. It's not new technology, but Concentrating Solar Power enthusiasts believe it's the 'big solution' to the world's energy problems. Naomi Fowler's been investigating in the Mediterranean.

Bulgaria’s Black Market Blood Trade

Tomorrow marks the 4th annual international World Blood Donor day, reminding the world of the invaluable role that voluntary blood donors play in helping save human life. But while the demand for blood is universal, access and supply are not, often forcing those that need blood to seek it through illegal black markets. FSRN's Amy Miller brings us this investigative report from Sofia, Bulgaria.

Quality of Life in a Palestinian Refugee Camp

The Aza refugee camp in Bethlehem, Palestine, was built in 1950 to house Palestinians who lost their homes and lands when Israel was created in 1948. Currently about 2,100 people live there in apartments that from the outside look like a concrete block honeycomb. Aza is one of the smallest of the 27 camps run by the U.N. (OR United Nations) in the West Bank and Gaza which together house almost a million refugees. Within those apartments live children, young adults and older people who remember moving into the camp when it was brand new. Interviews with several families reveal a common belief in the right of Palestinians to return to their lands, but some differences in how they think a resolution might be achieved. Melinda Tuhus reports from Bethlemhem.