News Archives » North America
Carl Kabat Released from Jail – Took Stand in His Own Defense December 23rd, 2009
Carl Kabat, OMI – jailed for an anti-nuclear protest in Colorado – was released on Tuesday. He took the stand in his own defense, and was sentenced to time served and released.
Fr. Kabat fired his attorneys and decided to say his peace on the stand. In a written question during their delliberations, one juror asked why he wouldn’t rather just protest outside the perimeter of the fence peacefully.
“Why in the Civil Rights (era) did they march down the street when they said, ‘You can’t march down the street?’ Because it’s wrong,” Kabat answered. “I guess I think it’s up to us to try to get rid of these things.”
Deputy District Attorney David Skarka asked him simply, “Are you above the law?
Kabat replied: “All wrong law, yes. God’s law is above all these man-made things.”
Pope Calls for Greater Environmental Commitment in World Day of Peace Address December 17th, 2009
Pope Benedict called for greater environmental commitment in his message for the Roman Catholic Church’s annual World Day of Peace, to be marked on Jan 1 and whose theme is “If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation”
Immigration Reform Bill Introduced in Congress December 17th, 2009
The Missionary Oblates JPIC office applauds Congressman Luis Gutierrez’s leadership in introducing the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act (CIR A.S.A.P.) in the House of Representatives, This bill lays a foundation to fix the broken immigration system in 2010. It was introduced on December 15 with 89 original co-sponsors including members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Black Caucus, Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Progressive Caucus.
The Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity (CIR A.S.A. P) Act of 2009 offers enhanced border protection, allows for immigrant families to reunite, and provides a way for many undocumented immigrants to earn legalization. Read a summary of the CIR A.S.A.P here.
This immigration bill (CIR A.S.A.P) is released just as U.S. Catholics prepare to celebrate National Migration Week 2010 scheduled for January 4 – 10 under the theme, Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice.
House Passes Wall Street and Consumer Protection Act December 11th, 2009
The House of Representatives just passed important legislation designed to reign in the abuses that led to the recent financial meltdown. H.R.4173, the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009 tightens regulation of Wall Street and the financial sector. It creates a new agency with oversight of consumer lending, establishes new rules for transactions – like derivatives – that contributed to the meltdown, and seeks to reduce the threat that one or two huge companies on the verge of collapse could bring down the economy (too big to fail).
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Safe Drinking Water Treatment Guides Available December 11th, 2009
Are you living in or planning to be working in an area without safe, clean drinking water? These fact sheets from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) contain useful information on how to filter, treat and store drinking water to maintain a safe supply.
- Boiling: Household Water Treatment Options in Developing Countries. January 2009. CDC Safewater/USAID. (Download pdf, 538KB).
Boiling is arguably the oldest and most commonly practiced household water treatment method, and it has been widely promoted for decades. Organizations recommend boiling both for water treatment in developing countries and to provide safe drinking water in emergency situations throughout the world.
- Filtration & Chlorination Systems: Household Water Treatment Options in Developing Countries. January 2009. CDC Safewater/USAID. (Download pdf, 150KB).
Several household water treatment systems incorporate both a physical filtration step for particle removal and a chlorination step for
disinfection. This dual approach leads to high quality treated water.
- Safe Storage of Drinking Water: Preventing Diarrheal Disease in Developing Countries. January 2009. CDC Safewater/USAID. (Download pdf, 254KB).
Safe storage options fall into three general categories: 1) existing water storage containers in the home; 2) water storage containers used in the community and modified by an intervention program; or, 3) commercial safe storage containers purchased by the program and distributed to users.
- Simple Options to Remove Turbidity: Preventing Diarrheal Disease in Developing Countries. January 2009. CDC Safewater/USAID. (Download pdf, 173KB).
Filtration or flocculation removes particles and reduces turbidity. These pretreatment methods may also increase the efficacy of household water treatment products by removing contaminants that interfere with disinfection and physical filtration processes.
