UN Chief Makes Antarctica Visit

Mr Ban - the first UN chief to visit the continent - wanted to see for himself the effects of climate change on the world's largest wilderness.

After flying over melting glaciers, he told reporters that what he had seen had been both "extraordinarily beautiful" and "disturbing".

Mr Ban is preparing to host a climate conference in Indonesia in December.

The secretary general flew to Antarctica from southern Chile, and was briefed by experts about the impact of global warming on the frozen continent.

Antarctica is home to about 90% of the world's ice, but scientists say some parts are melting fast.


In some areas of the continent, temperatures have risen by as much as 3C in the past 50 years - prompting penguins to move inland in search of colder habitats.

Over the next century global warming could speed up the melting of the polar ice caps, causing major flooding of lowlands and changes in crop production, experts have warned.

California sues EPA over Global Warming

California and 14 other states are demanding urgent action on global warming from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, arguing in a lawsuit filed Thursday that the environmental and health risks are mounting every day that the Bush administration delays action.

But a quick remedy to the problem may not be in the cards, even if the EPA makes a decision about California's plan to give its drivers cleaner cars that emit fewer greenhouse gases.

A tangle of lawsuits is expected to follow, no matter what the EPA's decision is, as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger acknowledged Thursday.

EU Praises Efforts to 'Fight Global Warming '

The European Union yesterday praised China's efforts to fight climate change despite having diverging views from Beijing over a post-Koyto Protocol structure.

China is very committed to fighting climate change, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and improving energy efficiency, the chairman of European Parliament's Temporary Committee on Climate Change, Guido Sacconi, said at a news conference in Beijing.

His remarks came on the last day of his three-day visit to China during which he met with senior officials involved in devising policies to fight climate change and enforce them.

China acknowledges the importance of cooperating with industrialized countries on technology and technology transfer, as well as the need for financial assistance in these fields, he said. The EU and China will continue cooperating closely on the issue.

Experts Warn Florida About 'Climate Change'

Scientists and economists Tuesday warned lawmakers of consequences Florida faces from climate change, including more destructive hurricanes and a rising sea level, but they also said the state could be a leader in reducing global warming.

Three panels of experts spoke at a symposium held by the House Environmental Resources Council and three related committees.

Climate change will figure into comprehensive energy and environmental policy legislation the lawmakers will be considering during the 2008 legislative session, said Council Chairman Stan Mayfield, R-Vero Beach.

Some legislators, though, questioned whether Florida could do much to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses, spewed mostly from power plants and vehicle exhausts, that contribute to global warming. That's because Florida emits only 1 percent of those gasses worldwide.

"If Florida is the only group in the world doing anything you're not going to make a dent in this," acknowledged Judy Curry, a professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "But some of the things that Florida is doing really could lead the way."

Gov. Charlie Crist has attempted to put Florida in the lead by ordering that greenhouse gas emissions be reduced to 2000 levels by the year 2017, to 1990 levels by 2025 and 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.

U.S. Must Meet Global Warming Challenge

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton Monday pledged to slash US greenhouse gas emissions, as she aimed to bounce back from her most difficult week yet on the campaign trail.

Clinton's comprehensive plan to tackle global warming represented the latest sign that environmental issues are playing a greater role in the 2008 White House race, than in any previous US election.

"This is the biggest challenge we've faced in a generation, a challenge to our economy, our security, our health, and our planet," Clinton said in the midwestern state of Iowa, which holds first party nominating contests on January 3.

"It is time for America to meet it," she said.

The Clinton plan uses a cap and trade system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, in a bid to head off the most damaging results of global warming.

It also sets a target of reducing foreign oil imports to the gas guzzling United States by two-thirds from levels projected to be reached in 2030 -- a cut of 10 million barrels per day.

Is There A Link Between Hurricanes and Global Warming?

"There's no question it's been a schizophrenic season," said Chris Mooney, author of the book Storm World, which explores the link between global warming and hurricanes.

With its Category 5 storms and low ACE index, the 2007 season offers ammunition for both camps of scientists arguing over the impact of global warming on hurricanes.

The overall number of systems for this year so far — 14 named storms, four of which became hurricanes — is above the long-term average of about 10 named storms a year.

But scientists who believe global warming is having a measurable effect on hurricanes say climate change is more apt to influence the intensity of systems, rather than the overall number.

"Two Category 5s in a slow year argues in favor of the climate change hypothesis, as the per-storm intensification rate was quite high this year," said James Elsner, a Florida State University hurricane scientist who believes global warming is affecting storm activity.

Yet some hurricane scientists who are uncertain whether hurricane activity would already be showing a measurable effect from global warming say having two Category 5 hurricanes in a single season may not be much of a rarity in the Atlantic.

KICKBACKS

Kickbacks are another example of the type of corruption that the citizens of New Orleans had to endure from some of its elected officials and businessmen who are cronies of those elected officials.


A kickback is an official's share of misappropriated funds allocated from his or her organization to an organization involved in corrupt bidding. For example, suppose that a politician is in charge of choosing how to spend some public funds. He can give a contract to a company that isn't the best bidder, or allocate more than they deserve. In this case, the company benefits, and in exchange for betraying the public, the official receives a kickback payment, which is a portion of the sum the company received.

This sum itself may be all or a portion of the difference between the actual (inflated) payment to the company and the (lower) market-based price that would have been paid had the bidding been competitive. Kickbacks are not limited to government officials; any situation in which people are entrusted to spend funds that do not belong to them is susceptible to this kind of corruption.

Climate Change Affects Security

Climate change could be one of the greatest national security challenges ever faced by U.S. policy makers, according to a new joint study by two U.S. think tanks.

The report, to be released Monday, raises the threat of dramatic population migrations, wars over water and resources, and a realignment of power among nations.

During the last two decades, climate scientists have underestimated how quickly the Earth is changing — perhaps to avoid being branded as "alarmists," the study said. But policy planners should count on climate-induced instability in critical parts of the world within 30 years.

The report was compiled by a panel of security and climate specialists, sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Center for a New American Security. The Associated Press received an advance copy.

Climate change is likely to breed new conflicts, but it already is magnifying existing problems, from the desertification of Darfur and competition for water in the Middle East to the disruptive monsoons in Asia which increase the pressure for land, the report said.

It examined three scenarios, ranging from the consequences of an expected temperature increase of 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2040, to the catastrophic implications of a 10-degree rise by the end of the century.

Will New Orleans' Inspector General get the funds needed to investigate Corruption that plagues the city?

Cerasoli has requested $2.9 million, an amount he initially said would let him hire a staff of 34. Having later learned that he also must pay pension and health benefits out of his budget, Cerasoli said $2.9 million would allow him a staff of about 24.

Nagin told the council that the $1.3 million he recommended for the new office is based on budgets for similar agencies in cities of comparable size.

After Nagin's address, Cerasoli called the $1.3 million "absolutely insufficient."

"Certainly, we're going to be able to do something, but we'll be performing at a lower level," he said.

In addition, he said, Nagin's budget includes no money for the Ethics Review Board, which requested $300,000. Cerasoli said he fears its money will have to come from his budget.

Council President Arnie Fielkow said the council will address the "significant gap" between Cerasoli's request and the mayor's recommendation during budget hearings.

Nagin warned the council against paying for programs it wants by increasing the amount of federal money the city will borrow next year. The budget already includes around $50 million in borrowing, and increasing that number could affect the city's bond rating, he said.

Feds probe Una Anderson bribery allegation

About six weeks after DeCay's sentencing, former City Councilman Oliver Thomas pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from Barre, based on information Barre provided to the government.

The next day, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office subpoenaed a raft of School Board records involving Metro Disposal and the award of the trash-collection contract, according to a copy of the subpoena.

Since then, Letten's office has twice requested that Barre's sentencing be delayed. Such delays are often a sign that investigators are still following leads provided by a defendant.

The School Board awarded the trash-hauling contract to Metro in February 2001, with Richard's receiving a subcontract for at least 35 percent of the work. Before landing the deal, Metro and Richard's had for years worked as subcontractors to Waste Management.

Anderson questioned the timing of Barre's allegation becoming public, as she is in the middle of a runoff campaign against Walker Hines for the 95th District state House seat. She acknowledges that she has been interviewed by FBI agents on three occasions about the contract, which she said the federal government seems to suspect was rigged. The most recent interview was about three months ago, she said.

Her husband, banker Dave Anderson, has also been questioned. He said he doesn't know Barre well and has never done any business with him.

Una Anderson said she doesn't know Barre well either. Neither of the Andersons could recall having quarreled with Barre, politically or otherwise.

Anderson said she was assured by federal investigators that neither she nor her husband are targets of the inquiry. Her attorney, Blake Jones, said federal investigators have routinely turned to Anderson to learn more about the School Board's process for awarding contracts. She has been a "pristine source" federal investigators have relied on for solid information, Jones said.

2001 contract examined

But the feds' questioning of Anderson is different in the trash probe, said sources close to the case. The sources said Barre told investigators that he collected bribes from the two trash haulers and delivered them to Dave Anderson. In return, Barre told investigators, Una Anderson agreed to push for Metro to serve as the lead vendor on the School Board's garbage collection contract, worth $525,000 annually.

Barre, who was friendly with both Woods and Richard, did not profit from the deal, he told investigators.

In late 2000 and early 2001, Anderson, then a relatively new member of the School Board, headed a board subcommittee that reviewed contracts and made recommendations to the board. The subcommittee recommended Metro.

The investigation described by sources marks the second recent criminal probe into an Orleans Parish School Board member. Former School Board President Ellenese Brooks-Simms pleaded guilty in June to accepting bribes from Mose Jefferson, the brother of indicted U.S. Rep. William Jefferson. Brooks-Simms said she took the money in exchange for supporting the district's purchase of I CAN Learn, a computerized algebra tutorial.

In that case, federal sources said, Anderson and the other board members were called before the grand jury purely as "fact witnesses," telling prosecutors what they recalled of the transactions and explaining the purchasing process.

Brooks-Simms is the only School Board member to be accused of any wrongdoing in that matter. Sources close to the trash-hauling probe said it is based on a separate allegation.

Metro and Richard's held onto the deal for more than four years, landing two renewals, until the work was rebid and awarded to River Parishes Disposal just before Hurricane Katrina.

Last year, Mayor Ray Nagin's administration hired Metro and Richard's to handle residential trash pickup throughout most of the city, except the French Quarter and other Central Business District neighborhoods. The city garbage contracts are worth a combined $24 million, more than twice what the city paid before Katrina for similar service.

Vocal critic of corruption

Anderson, along with most other School Board members at the time, championed an anti-corruption stance during a time when the system was plagued with thefts and kickback deals. The schemes -- some petty, some brazen -- have resulted in more than two dozen convictions in a still-unfolding probe.

Early in her tenure, Anderson teamed up with Brooks-Simms, Jimmy Fahrenholtz and a revolving cast of other members in a reform-touting faction that, for a time, controlled the board. Eventually, Anderson and Fahrenholtz split bitterly with Brooks-Simms over their support for then-Superintendent Tony Amato and became a vocal two-member minority.

Some School Board records on the trash deals were lost or damaged in the storm, officials said. Those that remain shed little light on what role Anderson, one of seven board members, played in the hiring of Metro.

A graduate of Harvard University and a former aide to Thomas on the City Council, Anderson was a relatively new board member when the trash contract came up in 2000, having been appointed a year earlier to serve out an unexpired term. She has since been elected twice, most recently in 2004.

Incomplete records

School Board officials could not locate the request for proposals issued in October 2000; also unavailable were staff scoresheets and recommendations about which vendor to select. Board Secretary Thelma French said many records were destroyed by roof leaks caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Board minutes indicate that three companies submitted proposals: Browning-Ferris Industries, Metro Disposal and Waste Management, which held the contract at the time.

Joe Bekeris, then the system's chief administrative officer, said he remembers that Metro's initial bid was deemed nonresponsive by staffers because of a "failure to comply with certain provisions."

But the board voted to allow Metro to resubmit its proposal, Bekeris said. Bekeris said he recalls board member Elliot Willard speaking in favor of cutting Metro a break, but he doesn't remember much else about the vote.

Willard and Anderson both said they did not recall that discussion.

Board officials could not locate the minutes of the meetings of late 2000, which have also been subpoenaed by Letten's office.

At the board's meeting on Jan. 8, 2001, Anderson sponsored a motion to temporarily extend the contract for pickup held by Waste Management while the process of reviewing proposals was finalized.

"Mrs. Anderson stated she will be scheduling a Purchasing and Procurement Committee meeting as soon as possible to handle this issue in a very expeditious manner," the minutes say.

School Board officials could not locate minutes of the Purchasing Committee's meetings.

At the regular board meeting Feb. 12, 2001, the board approved a deal with Metro. The minutes indicate that Metro was deemed the "lowest respondent" -- apparently meaning best-priced -- by the Screening and Evaluation Committee, composed of board administrators.

The motion to hire Metro came from Brooks-Simms; it was seconded by Anderson.

Barre hosted fundraiser

Anderson said she doesn't remember much about the process, which occurred nearly seven years ago. But supporting a locally owned company such as Metro would have been in keeping with her beliefs, she said.

"I'm sure we looked at many factors," Anderson said. "I'm sure there was an evaluation of the proposals brought by the administration. In addition, I do believe that working with a local company is preferred. It leaves more money in the local economy."

Anderson's campaign reports show that she received five $1,000 contributions on May 2, 2001, three months after the initial contract was approved. The contributions came from Richard and his firm; Woods and his firm; and Woods' brother, Glenn Woods, who is an officer with Metro.

Anderson said the $1,000 checks were given to her at a campaign dinner held at Pampy's Creole Kitchen, Barre's 7th Ward restaurant that was the base of his political operations. She said she remembers "eight or 10 people" being at the dinner.

Dave Anderson said the FBI's questions to him all centered on that dinner. Agents wanted to know why he was there, he said.

He said he told the FBI "that it was normal for me to accompany my wife to dinner." Dave Anderson said federal agents did not ask him about anything else.

The checks from Metro and Richard's and their principals were the only contributions Anderson received that year, according to her reports. No other board members reported contributions from the trash haulers that year.

Anderson said it would be a mistake to read anything into the donations or the dinner.

"In no way do campaign contributions influence my decisions on contracts," she said. "Those decisions are made on what I believe to be the best service provider for the entity, in this case the School Board." |Read more|

Bribery and Graft

Bribery requires two participants: one to give the bribe, and one to take it. Bribes may be demanded in order for an official to do something he is already paid to do. They may also be demanded in order to bypass laws and regulations.

While bribery includes an intent to influence or be influenced by another for personal gain, which is often difficult to prove, graft only requires that the official gains something of value, not part of his official pay, when doing his work. Large "gifts" qualify as graft.

Bribery and graft can cause serious econimic damage to the economy. Tougher laws need to be established in order to increase the criminal and civil penalties against the corrupt individuals who engage in these practices.

How Public Corruption Affects Your State

Public corruption poses a serious development challenge. It undermines democracy and good governance by flouting or even subverting formal processes. It reduces accountability and distorts representation in policymaking; It compromises the rule of law; and it results in the unfair provision of services. More generally, public corruption erodes the institutional capacity of government as procedures are disregarded, resources are siphoned off, and public offices are bought and sold. At the same time, it undermines the legitimacy of government and such democratic values as trust and tolerance.

Public corruption also undermines economic development by generating considerable distortions and inefficiency. In the private sector, it increases the cost of business through the price of illicit payments themselves, the management cost of negotiating with officials, and the risk of breached agreements or detection. Although some claim public corruption reduces costs by cutting red tape, the availability of bribes can also induce officials to contrive new rules and delays. Openly removing costly and lengthy regulations are better than covertly allowing them to be bypassed by using bribes. Where public corruption inflates the cost of business, it also distorts the playing field, shielding firms with connections from competition and thereby sustaining inefficient firms.

Public corruption also generates economic distortions in the public sector by diverting public investment into capital projects where bribes and kickbacks are more plentiful. Officials may increase the technical complexity of public sector projects to conceal or pave way for such dealings, thus further distorting investment. Public corruption also lowers compliance with construction, environmental, or other regulations, reduces the quality of government services and infrastructure, and increases budgetary pressures on government.

Fight Political Corruption Now

It is crucial that we as a society fight corruption by not remaining silent. Do not allow corrupt individuals to harm our cities. If we allow it to continue, our country will suffer for years to come and the detrimental effects will be staggering.

Corruption is a general concept describing any organized, interdependent system in which part of the system is either not performing duties it was originally intended to, or performing them in an improper way, to the detriment of the system's original purpose.

Political corruption, dysfunctions of a political system or institution in which public officials seek illegitimate personal gain through actions such as bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, graft, and embezzlement. "Rent seeking" is a closely related term in economics.

In broad terms, political corruption is the misuse by government officials of their governmental powers for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, like repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Illegal acts by private persons or corporations not directly involved with the government is not considered political corruption either.

Public Corruption Impacts Us All

Public corruption is something we all should try to fight. I got the following excerpt from the FBI's website in order to demonstrate the serious need for all of us to stand together against public corruption.

Public corruption can take funding away from your child's school and even prevent your street from being re-paved. Police who take bribes endanger your neighborhood. And guess who ultimately foots the bill for these crimes? We all do...through higher taxes. The Government Accountability Office estimates that at least 10 percent of the funding for federal government programs is lost to public corruption and government fraud every year. We're talking tens of billions of dollars

If you know of any instances of public corruption, in your state, please contact the FBI.