July 2008

Cutting greenhouse emissions by…
20 % by 2020 (30 % if global pact): European Union
30 % by 2020; 60 % to 80 % by 2050 at 1 % global GDP: Stern Report
60 % by 2050: Climate Change Bill (United Kingdom) (as it stands)
80 % by 2050: Stop Climate Chaos, Barack Obama
90 % by 2030: Operation Noah, Green Party of England and Wales
100 % by 2027: Zero Carbon Britain
(Thanks to Peter Lornie and Martin Hodson for discussions at the John Ray Initiative online forum.)

Comparing road fatalities and homicides
in the Thames Valley Police area

(Thanks for Lynda Boodell at Thames Valley Police for researching this Freedom of Information request.)

Our motion for a “necessity defense” in our upcoming federal trial for praying the rosary has apparently been denied.

Telegram & Gazette:

A federal magistrate judge has denied a motion for a “necessity defense” for five people in the Catholic Worker Movement charged with obstructing the U.S. District courthouse when they prayed there for an end to the war in Iraq.

The group had argued that it was necessary to violate the law to prevent a greater evil.

We haven’t received official notice of this yet; I’ll update this post when we do.

Update: “Religion Clause” has a blog post and what seems to be the PDF of the decision, filed a week ago. Meanwhile, nothing’s come in the mail yet.

Second update: Apparently the T&G reporter got word of this through an electronic court filings service they use. And apparently the court is not going to mail us a copy of this ruling.

Scott Schaeffer-Duffy and I explored some of the legal issues in a podcast this morning. You can download the mp3 or see other formats.

 

 Standard Podcast [11:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you’d like to support this effort, you can meet with the defendants today (July 29, 2008) at the weekly peace vigil in Worcester’s Lincoln Square, 3:30-4:30pm. We hope you can attend our trial, September 23, 2008 at the federal courthouse in Worcester.

Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Frank Cordaro, Claire Schaeffer-Duffy, and many others discuss peacemaking at the 2008 Catholic Worker national gathering, July 10, 2008, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Worcester, Massachusetts.

Download the mpeg4 or see more formats.

I took a call one afternoon from a friend seeking a bed for a woman named “Nancy.” For once, we had not only one empty bed, but three, so I said, “Certainly.” When Nancy arrived, clad in a skirt, blouse, hat, and purple wig, I was surprised to see she had a prominent Adam’s apple, a five-o’clock shadow, and a deep bass voice. Although we have had an enormous variety of guests over the years, people of different nationalities, religions, characteristics, and, on some occasions, sexual preferences, we have never had a man dressed like a woman.
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Earlier I mentioned Margot and Martin Hodson’s book. It is being launched in America in a fortnight’s time. There does not seem to be another book quite like this in the States. My friends in the Church and I have found it a great resource for green Christians. So buy it (pre-order!), read it, and tell your friends! (Some reviews here.)