Bahamians sign 'no drill, no spill' petition
NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net:
THE local environmental advocacy agency reEarth launched an online petition yesterday calling on the government to stop all oil exploration in the Bahamas, and to never issue permits for drilling.
Almost 50 Bahamians had signed the petition shortly after its release, including Lynn Sweeting and Jackson Burnside. Advocates as far as Germany, Sweden and Belarus signed on.
"Bahamians need to wake up. It is very close to home this time and it should be an eye-opener for us to make the changes that we need to make and start moving the country in the right direction for our energy needs. This is an obvious opportunity to drive forward the clean energy revolution in the Bahamas," said Sam Duncombe, reEarth director.
Since the April 20 explosion and fire on the BP drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, oil has been pouring into the gulf coast. Ms Duncombe said recent estimates indicate the spill now covers 25,000 square miles, equivalent to a quarter of the Bahamas' total land and sea area.
International media reported yesterday that the US Coast Guard discovered twenty tar balls on a beach off Key West, Florida. Some fear this may be an indication the spill has reached the strong loop currents that are projected to bring oil to the Bahamas.
The environmental disaster has threatened the livelihood of fishermen in the United States' second largest fishery industry, which formerly provided 40 per cent of the seafood to the US market.
"How do you come back from that when everything in the area has been tainted? There is no coming back from it unfortunately. Fishermen in this country should be outraged that the governing is still singing the song (of local oil exploration) and that we have not canned the idea," said Ms Duncombe.
She also said local fishermen should not count on the US market opening up for them, because an increase in poaching is the more likely result of the spill. She said some fishermen from the Gulf may resort to coming to the Bahamas to earn a living.
Ecosystem
Marine Biologist and University of Alaska fisheries agent Rick Steiner, who has worked on oil spills all around the world, said in an interview on Democracy Now: "There's no way to restore a spill-injured ecosystem. There's really no way to rehabilitate oiled wildlife successfully, and there's very little way to adequately compensate human communities whose lives have been turned upside down by these kinds of things. So it's all bad. There's no good. The one potential silver lining to this disaster may be if we finally get the lesson learned that we need sustainable energy policies in this country."
The theme of the petition launched by reEarth is "No oil, no spill." Andrew Burrows, a signatory to the petition said: "The impact of the destruction of our marine ecosystems cannot compare to the reward of finding and extracting oil. Our way of life would definitely change for the worse if the Deepwater Horizon incident happened in the Bahamas."
The Bahamas has been praised internationally for its efforts in establishing protected marine habitats. However, Ms Duncombe said the government's willingness to consider oil exploration runs counter to the spirit of these efforts.
"What is the use of creating all of these protected areas if you plan to go down the oil route?
"If we have a spill we are going to be in big trouble. We have to decide if we are going to be a tourist destination or a oil destination," said Ms Duncombe.
"You can fix a lot of the problems that tourism creates, but you cannot fix the problems oil creates.
"In every country that there is oil, the top few benefit from it - the oil companies benefit from it - and the vast majority pays for the sins to have oil.
"It is not as though we are living in an era where we have no alternatives," she said.
May 19, 2010
tribune242
An International Caribbean Online Log about the news and opinions in the Americas and World. This Caribbean Blog of global reach and appeal is maintained by Bahamian Blogger - Dennis Dames with all readers and subscribers in mind.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Bahamian government set to sue The British Petroleum (BP) as the gulf coast oil spill fears grow in The Bahamas
Bahamian government set to sue as oil fears grow
NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net:
AS the likelihood of the Bahamas being affected by the gulf coast oil spill increases, the government may seek to recover costs from BP, the operators of the exploded Deepwater Horizon oil rig.
It is feared that ocean currents could carry the spilled oil into Bahamian waters and devastate wildlife habitats in the north-western islands.
"Any money that is spent in (a possible) clean-up the government would be looking to be reimbursed, and the entire exercise being paid for by BP," said Commander Patrick McNeil, head of the National Oil Spill Contingency Team.
While he said the committee had not specifically discussed a recommendation for the government to sue BP, he said the government would look to recover the financial cost for any resources marshalled to address the spill.
"It is an American problem. They have a responsibility to address the problem as best as they can to ensure it doesn't affect other sovereign states. We are expecting them to do all they can to ensure it doesn't reach the Bahamas," said Commander McNeil.
At this time, the Contingency Team is not in contact with any US emergency response agencies involved in the containment effort, according to Commander McNeil; however, he said Brooke Moppert, economic officer at the United States Embassy in Nassau, attended a meeting and indicated the US government is doing all it can to contain the spill and clean it up.
Some scientists predict deep water currents will send oil along the western Florida coast to meet up with the Gulf Stream. These currents run between the eastern seaboard of the US and the western side of the Bahamas. The Cay Sal Bank, the Bimini chain, the western side of Andros and West End, Grand Bahama are the primary areas at risk.
"The greatest feared risk is that the oil spill will enter the western Bahamas and cause devastation to wetlands, bird sanctuaries, turtle habitats, and cause a deterioration in our marine life and bird species. That is our greatest fear. We will try to put in place steps to minimise the impact," said Commander McNeil.
Sam Duncombe, director of the local environmental advocacy agency reEarth, said the government should "get on it" and look to BP for compensation for any damage caused to beaches, local fisheries, or the marine environment.
Environment Minister Earl Deveaux and Attorney General John Delaney could not be reached. They were in a Cabinet meeting yesterday.
The National Oil Spill Contingency Team is not "depending solely" on the American response. It is making preparations for an emergency, although Commander McNeil said the committee is not in emergency mode.
The team brings together various emergency response agencies and industry experts. They met yesterday to identify a team of scientists that will be sent to collect marine samples in the Northwestern Bahamas.
Samples will be tested to establish base data in the continuing effort to determine the impact of the April 20 gulf oil spill on the Bahamas. The team of scientists will determine the testing frequency after the initial tests are conducted.
A lead scientist is yet to be identified, although Commander McNeil said the person is likely to come from the Department of Environmental Health. Scientists will also come from the Department of Marine Resources and the Bahamas National Trust. The Royal Bahamas Police Force is expected to "provide a platform for them to carry out testing."
May 19, 2010
tribune242
NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net:
AS the likelihood of the Bahamas being affected by the gulf coast oil spill increases, the government may seek to recover costs from BP, the operators of the exploded Deepwater Horizon oil rig.
It is feared that ocean currents could carry the spilled oil into Bahamian waters and devastate wildlife habitats in the north-western islands.
"Any money that is spent in (a possible) clean-up the government would be looking to be reimbursed, and the entire exercise being paid for by BP," said Commander Patrick McNeil, head of the National Oil Spill Contingency Team.
While he said the committee had not specifically discussed a recommendation for the government to sue BP, he said the government would look to recover the financial cost for any resources marshalled to address the spill.
"It is an American problem. They have a responsibility to address the problem as best as they can to ensure it doesn't affect other sovereign states. We are expecting them to do all they can to ensure it doesn't reach the Bahamas," said Commander McNeil.
At this time, the Contingency Team is not in contact with any US emergency response agencies involved in the containment effort, according to Commander McNeil; however, he said Brooke Moppert, economic officer at the United States Embassy in Nassau, attended a meeting and indicated the US government is doing all it can to contain the spill and clean it up.
Some scientists predict deep water currents will send oil along the western Florida coast to meet up with the Gulf Stream. These currents run between the eastern seaboard of the US and the western side of the Bahamas. The Cay Sal Bank, the Bimini chain, the western side of Andros and West End, Grand Bahama are the primary areas at risk.
"The greatest feared risk is that the oil spill will enter the western Bahamas and cause devastation to wetlands, bird sanctuaries, turtle habitats, and cause a deterioration in our marine life and bird species. That is our greatest fear. We will try to put in place steps to minimise the impact," said Commander McNeil.
Sam Duncombe, director of the local environmental advocacy agency reEarth, said the government should "get on it" and look to BP for compensation for any damage caused to beaches, local fisheries, or the marine environment.
Environment Minister Earl Deveaux and Attorney General John Delaney could not be reached. They were in a Cabinet meeting yesterday.
The National Oil Spill Contingency Team is not "depending solely" on the American response. It is making preparations for an emergency, although Commander McNeil said the committee is not in emergency mode.
The team brings together various emergency response agencies and industry experts. They met yesterday to identify a team of scientists that will be sent to collect marine samples in the Northwestern Bahamas.
Samples will be tested to establish base data in the continuing effort to determine the impact of the April 20 gulf oil spill on the Bahamas. The team of scientists will determine the testing frequency after the initial tests are conducted.
A lead scientist is yet to be identified, although Commander McNeil said the person is likely to come from the Department of Environmental Health. Scientists will also come from the Department of Marine Resources and the Bahamas National Trust. The Royal Bahamas Police Force is expected to "provide a platform for them to carry out testing."
May 19, 2010
tribune242
Bahamas Government pressured to deal with Haitian settlements
Government pressured to deal with Haitian settlements
By MEGAN REYNOLDS
Tribune Staff Reporter
mreynolds@tribunemedia.net
PRESSURE is mounting on the government to address Haitian settlements as an estimated 1,500 residents of Marsh Harbour's Pigeon Pea face eviction.
The complex mix of Haitian permanent residents, naturalised citizens, people born in the Bahamas with the right to citizenship, and Haitian migrants who may or may not have work permits living in around 500 overcrowded shacks on five acres of land in the centre of Marsh Harbour have been served eviction notices by landowner Ricky Albury this week giving them six months to vacate the property or be moved by order of the court.
Local government chairman of the Marsh Harbour and Spring City Township Roscoe Thompson III helped Mr Albury serve notices yesterday and said most residents are afraid they will have nowhere to go.
He said he will put pressure on central government to address the needs of the soon to be displaced community by providing housing for legal residents and regularising their status.
Haitian Society of the Bahamas president Jetta Baptiste said government will have to regularise their status and allow them to become recognised citizens or working members of society in response to the mass eviction.
"I feel if the government regularised everybody's status people would be happy to move out and invest in properties of their own," she said.
"But right now many people are afraid of investing in a home or property because they fear they could be deported and forced to leave their properties behind, losing their investment.
"So they're in a situation where they don't know what to do.
"They consider the place slippery ground.
"So the government should regularise those who need to be regularised, and deal with it once and for all.
"If they made them legal, gave them status, then we wouldn't have this problem.
"I think if they address it like that, all their problems would be absolved."
Director of Immigration Jack Thompson said he expects a multi-agency approach will be required to respond to the mass eviction as he awaits instructions from the top.
Abaconians hope the breaking up of Pigeon Pea will force government to regularise and house the residents of Pigeon Pea, but also confront the estimated 2,000 or more residents in The Mud on adjacent government land.
"The action we are hoping to get from central government is that they are going to effect somewhere for these people to go," an Abaco resident who supports the eviction told The Tribune.
"The ones here legally should be given every opportunity a Bahamian has, and for the ones here on work permits, it's up to their employers to find housing for them.
"But something needs to be done, it's getting ridiculous out here."
He said the situation in Abaco has reached boiling point as Abaconians born of Bahamian families are outnumbered two to one by Haitians and Bahamians of Haitian descent, and unregularised residents are putting pressure on healthcare services and schools without being able to fully participate in the economy as they await the processing of their paperwork.
If the social problems in Marsh Harbour continue to be ignored the repercussions will be felt by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham who could lose his Abaco seat, said Ms Baptiste.
"I don't think the anger will lead to riots in the community," she said.
"But the government is going to suffer because they are going to vote against the government, they are not going to re-elect him into office and it will make or break them."
May 19, 2010
tribune242
By MEGAN REYNOLDS
Tribune Staff Reporter
mreynolds@tribunemedia.net
PRESSURE is mounting on the government to address Haitian settlements as an estimated 1,500 residents of Marsh Harbour's Pigeon Pea face eviction.
The complex mix of Haitian permanent residents, naturalised citizens, people born in the Bahamas with the right to citizenship, and Haitian migrants who may or may not have work permits living in around 500 overcrowded shacks on five acres of land in the centre of Marsh Harbour have been served eviction notices by landowner Ricky Albury this week giving them six months to vacate the property or be moved by order of the court.
Local government chairman of the Marsh Harbour and Spring City Township Roscoe Thompson III helped Mr Albury serve notices yesterday and said most residents are afraid they will have nowhere to go.
He said he will put pressure on central government to address the needs of the soon to be displaced community by providing housing for legal residents and regularising their status.
Haitian Society of the Bahamas president Jetta Baptiste said government will have to regularise their status and allow them to become recognised citizens or working members of society in response to the mass eviction.
"I feel if the government regularised everybody's status people would be happy to move out and invest in properties of their own," she said.
"But right now many people are afraid of investing in a home or property because they fear they could be deported and forced to leave their properties behind, losing their investment.
"So they're in a situation where they don't know what to do.
"They consider the place slippery ground.
"So the government should regularise those who need to be regularised, and deal with it once and for all.
"If they made them legal, gave them status, then we wouldn't have this problem.
"I think if they address it like that, all their problems would be absolved."
Director of Immigration Jack Thompson said he expects a multi-agency approach will be required to respond to the mass eviction as he awaits instructions from the top.
Abaconians hope the breaking up of Pigeon Pea will force government to regularise and house the residents of Pigeon Pea, but also confront the estimated 2,000 or more residents in The Mud on adjacent government land.
"The action we are hoping to get from central government is that they are going to effect somewhere for these people to go," an Abaco resident who supports the eviction told The Tribune.
"The ones here legally should be given every opportunity a Bahamian has, and for the ones here on work permits, it's up to their employers to find housing for them.
"But something needs to be done, it's getting ridiculous out here."
He said the situation in Abaco has reached boiling point as Abaconians born of Bahamian families are outnumbered two to one by Haitians and Bahamians of Haitian descent, and unregularised residents are putting pressure on healthcare services and schools without being able to fully participate in the economy as they await the processing of their paperwork.
If the social problems in Marsh Harbour continue to be ignored the repercussions will be felt by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham who could lose his Abaco seat, said Ms Baptiste.
"I don't think the anger will lead to riots in the community," she said.
"But the government is going to suffer because they are going to vote against the government, they are not going to re-elect him into office and it will make or break them."
May 19, 2010
tribune242
Gulf of Mexico oil spill closing on The Bahamas
Oil spill closing on Bahamas
Oil Spill Updates:
The oil spill tripled in size in 3 days to more than 9000 square miles, the spill continues to grow unabated every minute. If the spill continues for 2 – 3 months as forecast and into the hurricane season then an ugly situation will get dire. I can’t believe they are going to use chemicals to disperse the oil, like throwing gasoline on fire. With the swirling currents in the gulf and the growth in the spill, the Bahamas, Cuba and Mexico should start to prepare for the worst. If it doesn’t happen good, but if it reaches their shores then a plan of action might make. the difference. I’ve flown over the Bahamas a number of times and even from an airplane the water and cays are spectacular, not to mention what lies beneath the sea.
10th May 2010
oilspillupdates
Oil Spill Updates:
The oil spill tripled in size in 3 days to more than 9000 square miles, the spill continues to grow unabated every minute. If the spill continues for 2 – 3 months as forecast and into the hurricane season then an ugly situation will get dire. I can’t believe they are going to use chemicals to disperse the oil, like throwing gasoline on fire. With the swirling currents in the gulf and the growth in the spill, the Bahamas, Cuba and Mexico should start to prepare for the worst. If it doesn’t happen good, but if it reaches their shores then a plan of action might make. the difference. I’ve flown over the Bahamas a number of times and even from an airplane the water and cays are spectacular, not to mention what lies beneath the sea.
10th May 2010
oilspillupdates
Monday, May 17, 2010
Underground Cuban rappers live on the edge
By Esteban Israel:
HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters) -- It's almost midnight at a roadside bar on the outskirts of Havana and young Cubans gather to listen to hip hop.
A man with dreadlocks steps up, microphone in hand, to the roar of approval from a crowd of 150 fans.
"I'm not going to turn my back on reality, even if they censor and repress me," he chants to a driving beat, as the eager audience, which knows every word, sings along.
"Days go by and I'm still locked up, censored. They look at me like a renowned dissident, rejected by the media."
The two-man Cuban rap group "Los Aldeanos" can sell songs on iTunes to followers abroad, but in Cuba they remain an underground band that has been playing mostly unadvertised gigs at unauthorized venues for seven years.
They rap about prostitution, police harassment, social inequality and corruption, delicate issues rarely raised by Cuban musicians in the socialist state born of Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution.
Cuba's communist authorities say their anti-establishment songs are too critical and cannot be played on Cuban radio stations, that are all state-run, or sold in the shops.
The band has no access to Cuba's record labels either. Their 20 albums were recorded in a friend's makeshift studio a long bus ride and a two-mile walk from downtown Havana.
"Los Aldeanos" was formed in 2003 by Aldo Rodriguez and elementary school teacher Bian Rodriguez.
The rappers have become the abrasive voice of a disaffected generation of politically numbed Cubans who grew up during Cuba's post-Soviet economic crisis of the 1990s.
Some of their music is sold overseas through online sites, with the proceeds going to buy equipment, said their U.S.-based producer Melisa Riviere, president of Emetrece Productions.
But with no income from record sales or concerts in Cuba, theirs is a labor of love.
Barred from access to state media, their fans hear about their performances by word of mouth or text messages sent from cell phone to cell phone.
Their fans are mainly young people who revel in the outlaw nature of their shows and their politically risque lyrics.
"They talk about our reality. That's why we like them," says Pablo, a 20-year old musician wearing a black T-shirt hand painted with the band's name.
"Los Aldeanos are the result of a pact to do the rebellious music we wanted. We wanted to say what we feel, what we see, without limits," says Aldo, who has a huge tattoo saying "Rap is war" on his right forearm.
While critical of society, Aldo says the group's music seeks to restore the solidarity and respect Cubans had before they were worn away by decades of economic hardship.
"Our work aims at a positive change in society. Not just in the government, but also spiritually ... today Cubans step on and humiliate one another," he told Reuters in a recent interview.
The group's name means "The Villagers" and refers to their vision of a unified and supportive Cuban society.
The official Cuban news agency AIN recently accused them of "hypercriticism" and being the latest tool of Cuba's foes.
"Our enemies make no distinction between mercenaries and naive, irresponsible people who disagree. Anyone is good as long as they sing the counterrevolutionary music," it said.
But rappers of "Los Aldeanos" say their music is actually revolutionary, and they criticized those Cubans who become critical only after reaching the safe shores of Miami.
"I wouldn't be a revolutionary man if I didn't say what I think when asked," said Aldo. "Why do I have to be afraid to express what I feel? Shutting up means freezing in time."
If their official reception at home is cool, overseas Los Aldeanos are being warmly embraced. Like most Cubans they have little access to Internet, but their music is all over the Web and a recent homemade video got almost 500,000 hits.
"Los Aldeanos are YouTube kings. They are audio-visually pirated throughout the globe," says producer Riviere.
Colombian rock star Juanes wanted them at a huge outdoor concert he held last year in Havana but the government refused. Puerto Rican hip hop heavyweights Calle 13 tried unsuccessfully to sneak them on stage during their Havana show last month.
But things could be changing.
The rappers, who have been denied permits to travel abroad, now have invitations to perform in Colombia, Mexico and Spain, and they hope to be allowed to go this time.
Riviere said Cuba's authorities have realized Los Aldeanos are a reflection of the island's culture and it would be better to give the popular group some slack.
In a hopeful sign things may be opening up, the government allowed them to perform their first concert in a Havana theater on April 24 to mark their seventh anniversary.
Entry was tightly controlled by police and state security agents were inside the theater, but 1,000 fans attended the show and hundreds more had to be turned away.
"You can't imagine all we have been through to get here tonight," Aldo told the cheering crowd.
May 17, 2010
caribbeannetnews
HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters) -- It's almost midnight at a roadside bar on the outskirts of Havana and young Cubans gather to listen to hip hop.
A man with dreadlocks steps up, microphone in hand, to the roar of approval from a crowd of 150 fans.
"I'm not going to turn my back on reality, even if they censor and repress me," he chants to a driving beat, as the eager audience, which knows every word, sings along.
"Days go by and I'm still locked up, censored. They look at me like a renowned dissident, rejected by the media."
The two-man Cuban rap group "Los Aldeanos" can sell songs on iTunes to followers abroad, but in Cuba they remain an underground band that has been playing mostly unadvertised gigs at unauthorized venues for seven years.
They rap about prostitution, police harassment, social inequality and corruption, delicate issues rarely raised by Cuban musicians in the socialist state born of Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution.
Cuba's communist authorities say their anti-establishment songs are too critical and cannot be played on Cuban radio stations, that are all state-run, or sold in the shops.
The band has no access to Cuba's record labels either. Their 20 albums were recorded in a friend's makeshift studio a long bus ride and a two-mile walk from downtown Havana.
"Los Aldeanos" was formed in 2003 by Aldo Rodriguez and elementary school teacher Bian Rodriguez.
The rappers have become the abrasive voice of a disaffected generation of politically numbed Cubans who grew up during Cuba's post-Soviet economic crisis of the 1990s.
Some of their music is sold overseas through online sites, with the proceeds going to buy equipment, said their U.S.-based producer Melisa Riviere, president of Emetrece Productions.
But with no income from record sales or concerts in Cuba, theirs is a labor of love.
Barred from access to state media, their fans hear about their performances by word of mouth or text messages sent from cell phone to cell phone.
Their fans are mainly young people who revel in the outlaw nature of their shows and their politically risque lyrics.
"They talk about our reality. That's why we like them," says Pablo, a 20-year old musician wearing a black T-shirt hand painted with the band's name.
"Los Aldeanos are the result of a pact to do the rebellious music we wanted. We wanted to say what we feel, what we see, without limits," says Aldo, who has a huge tattoo saying "Rap is war" on his right forearm.
While critical of society, Aldo says the group's music seeks to restore the solidarity and respect Cubans had before they were worn away by decades of economic hardship.
"Our work aims at a positive change in society. Not just in the government, but also spiritually ... today Cubans step on and humiliate one another," he told Reuters in a recent interview.
The group's name means "The Villagers" and refers to their vision of a unified and supportive Cuban society.
The official Cuban news agency AIN recently accused them of "hypercriticism" and being the latest tool of Cuba's foes.
"Our enemies make no distinction between mercenaries and naive, irresponsible people who disagree. Anyone is good as long as they sing the counterrevolutionary music," it said.
But rappers of "Los Aldeanos" say their music is actually revolutionary, and they criticized those Cubans who become critical only after reaching the safe shores of Miami.
"I wouldn't be a revolutionary man if I didn't say what I think when asked," said Aldo. "Why do I have to be afraid to express what I feel? Shutting up means freezing in time."
If their official reception at home is cool, overseas Los Aldeanos are being warmly embraced. Like most Cubans they have little access to Internet, but their music is all over the Web and a recent homemade video got almost 500,000 hits.
"Los Aldeanos are YouTube kings. They are audio-visually pirated throughout the globe," says producer Riviere.
Colombian rock star Juanes wanted them at a huge outdoor concert he held last year in Havana but the government refused. Puerto Rican hip hop heavyweights Calle 13 tried unsuccessfully to sneak them on stage during their Havana show last month.
But things could be changing.
The rappers, who have been denied permits to travel abroad, now have invitations to perform in Colombia, Mexico and Spain, and they hope to be allowed to go this time.
Riviere said Cuba's authorities have realized Los Aldeanos are a reflection of the island's culture and it would be better to give the popular group some slack.
In a hopeful sign things may be opening up, the government allowed them to perform their first concert in a Havana theater on April 24 to mark their seventh anniversary.
Entry was tightly controlled by police and state security agents were inside the theater, but 1,000 fans attended the show and hundreds more had to be turned away.
"You can't imagine all we have been through to get here tonight," Aldo told the cheering crowd.
May 17, 2010
caribbeannetnews
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Why Privacy on Facebook Is 'Virtually Impossible'
Editor's Note: The controversy over Facebook's aggressive attempts to cash in on information about its members is heating up. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that "anti-Facebook sentiment is surfacing in highly visible places, from the halls of Congress to the blogs and podcasts of influential technology experts like 
"Earlier this month, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and 14 other privacy and consumer organizations filed a complaint against Facebook with the Federal Trade Commission, accusing the popular social network of "unfair and deceptive trade practices" and violating users' expectations of privacy and consumer protection laws. And last month, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., asked the FTC to develop guidelines instructing social networks on how private information can be used. All of this comes in the wake of the company's launch of a new "open" social platform designed to bring Facebook features, such as its Like button, to other Web sites, and an experimental Instant Personalization feature that gives certain Web sites the ability to access a member's name, profile picture, sex and network of friends. The company also launched community pages that made topics in a member's profile more public."
Erik Hayden's article below from Miller-McCune explores the results of a new study that suggest that privacy on Facebook is probably impossible:
***
On Facebook, You Are Who You Know
Even if you do have a mostly private Facebook profile, others can glean vital information about you — just by looking at your friend list.
by Erik Hayden, Miller-McCune.com
Remember the golden days when Facebook used to be for just college students? It was a quainter site — with a much different set of rules.
Drunken party photos used to be unceremoniously splayed out in public, privacy settings were almost nonexistent, wall posts weren’t status updates and there was little need to filter regrettably off-color comments. After all, the only people (you assumed) who saw that stuff were college buddies who were also posting the same incriminating photos of themselves on the site.
Now, after the Facebook explosion, users are more aware of privacy issues than ever before and the new rule of thumb has become “curb public access to your profile as best you can.”
New research suggests that this is nearly impossible.
In a study conducted by Alan Mislove of Northeastern University and his colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, researchers tested an algorithm that could accurately infer the personal attributes of Facebook users by simply looking at their friend lists. The research culled profile information from two detailed social-network data sets: one from a sample of almost 4,000 students and alumni on Facebook at Rice University and another from more than 63,000 users in the New Orleans regional network.
Researchers developed an algorithm to see if they could accurately infer attributes like high school or college, department of study, hometown, graduation year and even dormitory by dissecting these users’ friend lists. The study cut to the core of the debate surrounding the social-networking site: Is your personal profile your own or, to paraphrase anti-Facebook crusader Leif Harmsen, is it the site’s profile about you?
“The current privacy debate that’s going on concerning Facebook is essentially covering explicitly provided attributes [i.e. information uploaded by you onto your profile],” Mislove wrote. “We see our work as pointing out that there exist many implicitly provided attributes that aren’t even being discussed.” Namely, that your friend’s profile can usually divulge more information than you think.
According to the study, only about 5 percent of users in each network had changed their privacy settings to make their friend list inaccessible. (To hide it, enter your Facebook profile, click on the edit icon above your friends and unclick the blue box marked “Show Friend List to everyone.”) In the New Orleans network, personal profiles remained largely accessible to researchers. Some 58 percent of users disclosed university attended, 42 percent disclosed employers, 35 percent disclosed interests and 19 percent gave the public access to their location.
Because of this information given, Mislove explained that it was relatively easy for his algorithm to accurately pinpoint attributes such as geography (dormitory or hometown) or education background (which high school or college users attend) for a specific user.
In the New Orleans regional network, the algorithm unsurprisingly found that users were 53 times more likely to share the attribute of the same high school with those on their friend list than with other random users in the network. At Rice, the algorithm accurately predicted the correct dormitory, graduation year and area of study for the many of the students. In fact, among these undergraduates, researchers found that “with as little as 20 percent of the users providing attributes we can often infer the attributes for the remaining users with over 80 percent accuracy.”
While marketing companies who specialize in targeted advertising may rejoice, these results may be troubling for those who’ve held out hope that Facebook could provide adequate privacy controls. Not to seem alarmist (“privacy” on the Web has always been overrated), but if these researchers could develop a limited algorithm that can infer rudimentary attributes off locked profiles, the possibilities seem endless for others to harness advanced software that could render current privacy controls completely useless.
“The privacy story on these sites is more complicated that we like to think, as your privacy is not just a function of what you provide, it’s a function of what your friends and community members provide as well,” Mislove elaborated.
Researchers concluded that it wasn’t “sufficient” to just give users access to privacy controls for their own profiles; the option to censor friend lists should be given to make sure that private information cannot be inferred.
As the title of the study states, on Facebook, you are who you know.
Erik Hayden recently graduated from Pepperdine University with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Religion. He is currently a fellow for Miller-McCune and regularly contributes for a variety of publications including the Ventura County Star and the alt-weekly, VCReporter.
May 15, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Growth of prominent Garifuna village in Belize will be doomed
By Wellington C Ramos:
One of the most prosperous and thriving Garifuna villages in the country of Belize is Hopkins. According to Garifuna history, this village was created after a severe hurricane destroyed a previous village in the Commerce Bight pier area of Dangriga town.
The residents of this village used to be mostly Garifuna people from the Nunez, Castillo, Martinez, Arana and Lewis families. There are other families in the village who have integrated into these families over the years. This village is geographically situated in the south of Dangriga town, north of Sittee River, east the Caribbean Sea and west the village of Silkgrass.
The people in this village used to survive by fishing and farming and many of them are members of the Belize Police Force, the Belize Defence Force, teaching and other branches of the civil service. Today, several people from the village of Hopkins are in the business of tourism because the place is famous for its beautiful beaches.
Due to the beautiful beaches that Hopkins possesses, rich Belizeans and foreign nationals have been buying up lands in the village and surrounding areas to open up tourist resorts. Many residents of Hopkins have and are migrating to the United States to join their family members, pursue higher education or to improve their economic situation. While this is occurring, there is a significant drop in the population growth among the Garifuna people and an increase in the population of the newcomers.
A majority of the government land is being sold by the government and private landowners for residential and commercial purposes. When some members of the village experience economic hardship, they lean to sell their properties to foreigners for a huge amount of money.
In urban planning it is always wise for the government not to sell lands in the immediate vicinity of a village, town or city so that the land could be available for the expansion of the community. If the government makes the mistake and sells those lands, when the need for expansion arrives it will be forced to exercise its right to eminent domain to acquire additional lands for expansion. This could result in lengthy court litigation and exorbitant cost for the lands needed.
The village of Hopkins seems to be at a point where it can only expand west towards the village of Silkgrass or north towards Dangriga town along the coast to remain on the beach front properties. The Garifuna people from the time they were living in their native homeland of Saint Vincent and other islands in the Caribbean were always accustomed to living by the beaches. Getting them to move westward to Silkgrass, even if it was possible will be difficult because most of them will resist such idea or recommendation.
To the north of Hopkins is Commerce Bight Lagoon and then Commerce Bight Pier, which is in the jurisdiction of Dangriga Town municipality. This will be moving backwards instead of forward because they will be returning back to the same place where some of their ancestors lived many years ago before they moved to the village of Hopkins.
For the people of Hopkins to have a future in their current village, the village council should devise a long term future development plan with their area representative now. This plan should include the discontinuation of selling vacant government lands in the immediate vicinity of Hopkins village and the purchasing of available private lands by the government to be included in the Hopkins Village Expansion Reserves.
The prices of these lands, once they become private, will be too expensive for the government to purchase. The private landowners will price their lands at a cost to earn profit or to make it impossible for the government to afford, with the intent to block the expansion of Hopkins Village.
People who are rich and have money, most of them tend to be more comfortable in isolation and seclusion. They will oppose having people from a different ethnicity with marginal or no income living within their community. Since the mass migration of foreign nationals to our shores, many Belizeans are experiencing discrimination by some of these foreign nationals for trying to visit or gain access through their private properties.
As Belize continues to attract more of these people to our country, the situation will only worsen instead of getting better. It is not fair and just for native citizens of Belize to be discriminated against by the very newcomers they have welcomed into their country.
This is now the right time for the Ministry of Natural Resources to consider establishing a National Parks System to preserve and maintain all of their reserve lands. It might also be a good idea to re-activate the Lands, Agriculture, Public Works and Forestry Departments. These departments will be able to generate additional revenues for the government and provide jobs for those Belizeans who are unemployed.
I visited the village of Hopkins, Silkgrass and Sittee River recently and I am not satisfied with some of the disturbing things that I observed. Most of the things I was hearing about Hopkins I thought were lies and fabrication. After the visit, I have concurred that there exists a legitimate concern, which the Hopkinsonians and the government of Belize should address now before it is too late.
The purpose of good governments is to look after the welfare of the people who voted for them to serve on their behalf. I have already stated the problems, now it is the task of the people of Hopkins Village to advocate on behalf of themselves to make sure that this problem be resolved as soon as possible. I intend to monitor the reaction and the progress that is being made by the government of Belize towards the resolution of this problem.
May 15, 2010
caribbeannetnews
One of the most prosperous and thriving Garifuna villages in the country of Belize is Hopkins. According to Garifuna history, this village was created after a severe hurricane destroyed a previous village in the Commerce Bight pier area of Dangriga town.
The residents of this village used to be mostly Garifuna people from the Nunez, Castillo, Martinez, Arana and Lewis families. There are other families in the village who have integrated into these families over the years. This village is geographically situated in the south of Dangriga town, north of Sittee River, east the Caribbean Sea and west the village of Silkgrass.
The people in this village used to survive by fishing and farming and many of them are members of the Belize Police Force, the Belize Defence Force, teaching and other branches of the civil service. Today, several people from the village of Hopkins are in the business of tourism because the place is famous for its beautiful beaches. Due to the beautiful beaches that Hopkins possesses, rich Belizeans and foreign nationals have been buying up lands in the village and surrounding areas to open up tourist resorts. Many residents of Hopkins have and are migrating to the United States to join their family members, pursue higher education or to improve their economic situation. While this is occurring, there is a significant drop in the population growth among the Garifuna people and an increase in the population of the newcomers.
A majority of the government land is being sold by the government and private landowners for residential and commercial purposes. When some members of the village experience economic hardship, they lean to sell their properties to foreigners for a huge amount of money.
In urban planning it is always wise for the government not to sell lands in the immediate vicinity of a village, town or city so that the land could be available for the expansion of the community. If the government makes the mistake and sells those lands, when the need for expansion arrives it will be forced to exercise its right to eminent domain to acquire additional lands for expansion. This could result in lengthy court litigation and exorbitant cost for the lands needed.
The village of Hopkins seems to be at a point where it can only expand west towards the village of Silkgrass or north towards Dangriga town along the coast to remain on the beach front properties. The Garifuna people from the time they were living in their native homeland of Saint Vincent and other islands in the Caribbean were always accustomed to living by the beaches. Getting them to move westward to Silkgrass, even if it was possible will be difficult because most of them will resist such idea or recommendation.
To the north of Hopkins is Commerce Bight Lagoon and then Commerce Bight Pier, which is in the jurisdiction of Dangriga Town municipality. This will be moving backwards instead of forward because they will be returning back to the same place where some of their ancestors lived many years ago before they moved to the village of Hopkins.
For the people of Hopkins to have a future in their current village, the village council should devise a long term future development plan with their area representative now. This plan should include the discontinuation of selling vacant government lands in the immediate vicinity of Hopkins village and the purchasing of available private lands by the government to be included in the Hopkins Village Expansion Reserves.
The prices of these lands, once they become private, will be too expensive for the government to purchase. The private landowners will price their lands at a cost to earn profit or to make it impossible for the government to afford, with the intent to block the expansion of Hopkins Village.
People who are rich and have money, most of them tend to be more comfortable in isolation and seclusion. They will oppose having people from a different ethnicity with marginal or no income living within their community. Since the mass migration of foreign nationals to our shores, many Belizeans are experiencing discrimination by some of these foreign nationals for trying to visit or gain access through their private properties.
As Belize continues to attract more of these people to our country, the situation will only worsen instead of getting better. It is not fair and just for native citizens of Belize to be discriminated against by the very newcomers they have welcomed into their country.
This is now the right time for the Ministry of Natural Resources to consider establishing a National Parks System to preserve and maintain all of their reserve lands. It might also be a good idea to re-activate the Lands, Agriculture, Public Works and Forestry Departments. These departments will be able to generate additional revenues for the government and provide jobs for those Belizeans who are unemployed.
I visited the village of Hopkins, Silkgrass and Sittee River recently and I am not satisfied with some of the disturbing things that I observed. Most of the things I was hearing about Hopkins I thought were lies and fabrication. After the visit, I have concurred that there exists a legitimate concern, which the Hopkinsonians and the government of Belize should address now before it is too late.
The purpose of good governments is to look after the welfare of the people who voted for them to serve on their behalf. I have already stated the problems, now it is the task of the people of Hopkins Village to advocate on behalf of themselves to make sure that this problem be resolved as soon as possible. I intend to monitor the reaction and the progress that is being made by the government of Belize towards the resolution of this problem.
May 15, 2010
caribbeannetnews
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