News May 20 2002

The PRIVATE Sector
Toxic waste okay for kids, says Welsh Assembly
Campaigners against plans to build two schools on sites contaminated with toxic waste in Wales suffered a major setback recently when the Welsh Assembly rejected a motion to have such planning applications scrutinised by health authorities.
 http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/news/private_sector_may_15.htm
PLUS links to other PFI stories

Tanzanian Activists Charged with Sedition for Criticizing World Bank Project

The Tanzanian government has charged two environmental activists and an opposition political leader with sedition for speaking out about allegations of widespread human rights abuses at a World Bank Group guaranteed gold mine.
 http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/news/tanzania.htm
PLUS action request.

Occidental gives up on U’wa land

Occidental Petroleum announced at its annual meeting last week that it is withdrawing from oil exploration in the traditional territory of the U’wa people in Colombia, following a ten-year peaceful campaign by the U’wa, supported by activists around the world.
 http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/news/oxy_victory.htm

Genetix RoundUp™

Bayer AGM stormed - Seven GM activists from the UK and the Netherlands managed to sneak into Bayer AG´s shareholder meeting in Cologne, Germany on April 26th. Their mission - to let the directors, employees and shareholders of Bayer know that Bayer´s new venture into GM crops will not go unopposed.

The Pink Castle - ‘By the light of the moon in the early hours of April 25th, protesters moved into a pink castle on one of the two GM sites that besiege Littlemoor near Weymouth…’
 http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/news/genetics_update_may_b.htm

Michael Meacher ­ scourge of the plastic bag (maybe)

According to the BBC, environment minister Michael Meacher has been observing with approval a scheme in the Republic of Ireland whereby shoppers pay a 15 cent (9p) tax on disposable carrier bags, and may be considering such a scheme for the UK.
 http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/news/plastic_bag.htm

Around the Web

Labour to let business decide policy…Yusufeli dam protesters disrupt Amec AGM…Asbestos cancer sufferers win corporate liability case…IMF policies cause riots… Rendon Group PR and the Pentagon…US and oil lobby oust climate scientist…
 http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/news/around_the_web_may.htm

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