WERU Special: Palestine/Israel 5/22/12

Producer/Host: Carolyn Coe

Key Discussion Points:
a) Framing: the political messaging in the language used about Palestine/Israel
b) Under-reported stories and voices of Palestinians and people in the Jewish Israeli human rights movement
c) “Brand Israel” and the push back against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement

Guest:
Dr. Alice Rothchild, co-founder and co-chair of American Jews for a Just Peace-Boston and author of Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resistance

Call In Program: no

RadioActive 5/17/12

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: Reform of national toxics protections

Key Discussion Points:
a) While Maine residents and law makers try to pass stronger measures to protect public health against toxic chemicals, like Bisphenol-A, they also look towards reform at the federal level.
b) There are reportedly 84,000 chemicals used in commerce. Since the Toxic Substances Control Act was passed in 1976, only 200 have been tested, and only 5 restricted. The requirement is that the government prove that chemicals are harmful, not that the manufactures, like Dow and Dupont, prove that they’re safe,
c) Numerous health, medical and other organizations in Maine are pushing for the passage of the federal Safe Chemicals Act. In April, Maine’s legislature passed a unanimous resolution to call on the US Congress to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act. On May 22nd, a Maine delegation will join the stroller brigade in Washington DC to call on Congress to pass the Safe Chemicals Act.

Guest: Mike Belliveau, exc. director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center, www.preventharm.org, founding organizational member of Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine, www.cleanandhealthyme.org

Call In Program: no

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 5/17/12

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

The FCC is asking for comments on whether and/or under what circumstances government agencies should be able to shut down cellphone service to protect public safety. That’s a big question. Here’s some context. If you’d like to make a comment, you can do so at apps.fcc.gov/ecfs by May 30, 2012. You can read the comments already made there by others as well.