November 4, 2002
Greenpeace, the world’s largest environmental organization into every facet of your life including your pocketbook, is now headed for your bedroom.
In a recent press release, entitled Getting it on for the good of the planet, the organization sets out The Greenpeace Guide to Environmentally Friendly Sex.
…"You take your bike to work, eat organic, but want to do more. At long last we have looked into one of humanity’s favourite pastimes and uncovered the passion that can make a difference for our environment," says the press release. "You can be a bomb in bed without nuking the planet."
Some of the guidelines are based on the organization’s usual holier than thou, enviro carping such as turning off the lights "to do our part to stop climate change, energy reduction and energy efficiency are an important part of changing our energy culture. If you want to see your partner, or what you are doing, have sex during the day."
According to Greenpeace, you can indulge in the sexual act in your backyard. "Forget about nosy neighbours (but) would you really want to set your bare bottom on weed killer? Make the switch to natural fertilizers and pest management, and take a roll in the hay."
In the consumption of fruit as aphrodisiacs, environmental activists warn people to "make sure it is GE-free".
Oysters and other shellfish are a no-no. "Our oceans are being destroyed at an unprecedented rate–we need to stop plundering for pleasure."
Number five in the Greenpeace Guide to Environmentally Friendly Sex is "forget the fossil fuel based lubricants like petroleum jelly! Esso’s screwing the planet, but you don’t have to."
People are encouraged to bathe together: "Helping the planet can be an arousing activity. Soap up together in the shower or bath to save water and create passion for more than the environment. More than one billion people do not have access to clean water. It is a luxury, and should definitely be shared with a friend."
Number eight in the guide is as bizarre as Greenpeace giving advice on sex: "Ok, I am not sure what you would use them for, never done so myself, ahem, but if you wanted some paddles for something other than rowing, please, for god’s (sic) sake, make sure they are made from sustainably harvested timber."
Finally, "Role playing games can be fun as long as both partners are consenting and comfortable with the boundaries," says Greenpeace. "So if you and your partner want to dress up and play ‘George Bush and Corporate America at the Earth Summit’ or other S&M style games, agree on what’s permissible and what’s not up front. And remember that games--like fantasies--are not real life."
Lunch and elephants
Lunchtime Torontonians were greeted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) last week, as they headed for their favourite noon hour diner.
Harried office workers ignored activists who turned up with their graphic "Meet your Meat" protest.
Not everybody wanted to be lectured about the joys of vegetarianism, and some were less than impressed with the gory pictures of slaughtered animals.
While "Meet your Meat" was the protest cry in T.O., PETA was demonstrating in Bridgeport, Conn., protesting the opening of the circus.
According to information provided by the group, what people see at the circus is a far cry from how animals are treated when the audience isn’t around.
An undercover video shot by PETA purports to show animal trainers using sharp hooks and electric rods to get circus elephants to perform tricks.
PETA activists showed the amateur video to people on the streets of Bridgeport as they asked that the public boycott the Ringling Brothers Circus.
Circus officials said that they pride themselves on the care they provide for their animals. It makes little sense to pay upwards of one million dollars for an elephant and then mistreat it.
Officials pointed out that the video being shown by PETA was not of a Ringling Brothers’ trainer and that the company would not tolerate the type of treatment to animals shown on the video.
A PETA member said that animals don’t perform tricks because they want to do so.
"You have to be a sucker if you think those animals really want to do things like elephants to stand on their heads or tigers to jump through fire," PETA’s William Rivas told NBC 30.
However, according to Ringling Brothers officials, having animals perform tricks isn’t animal cruelty. Rather, they said, it’s part of the animals’ natural behaviour.
Rules don't apply to radical environmental groups
Rule Number 1 in dealing with radical environmental groups is that a deal with one group is no deal with any other group.
Rule Number 2 is that you can never be "clean enough or lean enough" to appease the likes of the Environment Working Group (EWG), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) or Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
Rule Number 3 is that you can never outrun one of these groups to the left.
These rules are from Ron Arnold, executive vice president of the Bellevue, Wash.-based Centre for the Defense of Free Enterprise, who says radical environmental groups are not about the environment, but about changing public policy to fit their political agendas.
Arnold and Nick Nichols, founder and chairman and CEO of Nichols Dezenhall Communications Management Group, detailed some of the tactics used by radical groups to further their agenda and what their organizations are doing to counter them. The two spoke at the recent California Plant Health Association and CropLife America joint annual convention in Palm Desert, Calif.
They are attacking these radical groups where it hopefully will hurt–in the pocketbook–by challenging their tax-exempt status and looking for ties to illegal activities.
Tax-exempt organizations like PETA have increased in number by almost four fold from 1990 to 1998, with assets Nichols estimates are between $10 billion to $11 billion.
Both Arnold and Nichols contend these organizations violate Political Action Committee codes and rules; break Postal Service laws; violate IRS rules and have actually become more extreme and violent since 9/11.
"Fighting these people with a public relations flak is like sending a poodle after a rotweiller," said Nichols. "If you cannot beat them, arrange to have them beaten."
"That is why the fight is being taken to government regulatory agencies to make radical environmental groups operate under the same rules."
Nichols said his organization wants the IRS to find out where these groups get their money and where they are spending it. He contends some comes illegally from foreign sources with a vested interest in damaging America’s economy. He also wants legislation passed and regulations strengthened to crack down on what he believes are illegal activities.
In his investigation of the EWG, Arnold discovered it had funded a group on the FBI’s list of known terrorist groups, Earth Liberation Front. This discovery he hopes will prompt an investigation of EWG.
Arnold contends these groups also break the law by spending more than the law allows on lobbying. EWG spent millions lobbying against the new federal farm bill without registering as a lobbying organization.
EWG’s efforts were funded in part by a $1.62 million grant from the Joyce Foundation, Chicago, Ill. Foundation officials said the grant was to be used to support "Ag policy reform".
Why would a Chicago foundation support EWG?
According to Arnold, it’s because the Joyce Foundation owns $1.8 million in Canadian Wheat Board securities and any threat to American wheat production would benefit Canada. Arnold also said the foundation owns $410,000 in General Nutrition Centres stock and any threat to the American food supply would benefit GNC.
Nichols believes any organization that lobbies illegally should lose its tax-exempt status.
Competition Bureau files an application with Competition Tribunal against plumbing manufacturer
Ottawa, November 1, 2002
- The Competition Bureau announced that it has filed an application with the Competition Tribunal for an order prohibiting Canada Pipe Company Ltd./Tuyauteries Canada Ltée (Canada Pipe) from engaging in anti-competitive acts through its Bibby Ste-Croix Division. The anti-competitive acts relate to the supply of cast iron pipe, fittings and mechanical joint (MJ) couplings for drain, waste and vent applications (DWV) usually used in the construction of commercial, institutional, industrial and high rise residential buildings.The alleged conduct by Bibby began in January 1998, following the acquisition of Bibby by Canada Pipe, and continues to occur. The Bureau believes that Bibby's anti-competitive acts have resulted and are likely to result in higher prices.
The Bureau initiated an inquiry in May 2000, following complaints that Bibby was abusing its dominant position in the supply of DWV cast iron pipe, fittings and MJ couplings in markets across Canada by introducing a loyalty program which has the impact of locking in its customers and eliminating its competitors. Bibby requires that its clients purchase all their DWV products exclusively from it in order to obtain substantial rebates.
In an application under the abuse of dominance provisions (s.79) and exclusive dealing provisions (s.77) of the Competition Act, the Commissioner of Competition is asking the Tribunal to order Canada Pipe to cease the alleged conduct, to ensure that similar conduct will not continue in the future, to prohibit Canada Pipe from being part of any acquisitions of DWV cast iron businesses in Canada for the next three years and, to notify the Bureau of any such acquisitions for the three years following the initial three-year period.
"By promoting and stimulating competition, the order sought by the Commissioner of Competition will benefit wholesalers and builders of high rise residential, commercial, institutional and industrial buildings by providing better price and product choices and will also provide opportunities to small and medium-sized manufacturers and importers," said André Lafond, Deputy Commissioner of Competition.
The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that ensures all Canadians enjoy the benefits of a competitive economy.
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