Feature Archives

During the early hours of January 15th, two crew members of the Sea Shepherd vessel, 'Steve Irwin', were taken hostage by the Japanese harpoon vessel 'Yushin Maru No. 2'. The incident occurred in the area of 60 Degrees South and 78 Degrees East about 2500 miles southwest of Fremantle, Western Australia and 2800 miles southeast of Cape Town, South Africa. Benjamin Potts and Giles Lane boarded the vessel to deliver a letter to the Japanese captain stating that the whalers were in violation of international conservation law by targeting endangered species in an established whale sanctuary and in violation of a global moratorium on commercial whaling. The hostage situation ended on January 17th.

On January 12th, two University of California police officers used pepper spray to disperse about 15 people gathered below an occupied redwood tree on Science Hill at UC Santa Cruz. One of the officers proclaimed that the group was trespassing and then both officers began pepper spraying people in their faces.

a writes, "Last night [January 9th] 2 friends and I were walking from Kresge towards the science buildings when we heard screams...LOUD screams coming from the area of the tree sit. We ran as fast as we could towards them. We saw 2 cop cars, about six officers including 1 bike cop and two security guards. A woman was being dragged toward a squad car. We approached slowly, but were asking the cops to take it easy on her, it sounded like she was being hurt."

The hearing on the motion for a new trial for Eric McDavid has been changed to January 24th, and his sentencing has been moved to February 21st. Eric is now receiving two veggie burgers a night, and has also been given some items that he can eat for other meals. Sacramento Prisoner Support is encouraging supporters to write to Eric, and to also write to to the Judge in the case, encouraging him to give Eric the lowest possible sentence.

The Wireless Radiation Alert Network (WRAN) educates Santa Cruz County community members on the adverse health effects related to Electro Magnetic Frequency (EMF) exposure in the extremely-low frequency (ELF) and radiofrequency (RF) band of the electromagnetic spectrum (1-300GHz). Energies of these frequencies, called non-ionizing, are used in electrical transmission, distribution and electrical use by the public, by radio and tv broadcasts, cellular transmissions, wireless internet access and more. WRAN promote alternatives to wireless communication systems, for example the use of fiber optics and coaxial cables and to preserve existing landline phone networks.

As of December 20, 2007 various governmental agencies and public interest groups have received 643 documented complaints from Monterey and Santa Cruz area residents who believe they suffered adverse short-term reactions following the aerial spraying of pesticide pheromones on their cities in September, October, and November 2007. Of the 643 complaints, 509 are reported here for the first time, along with the original 134 complaints of adverse reactions following the aerial spraying of the Monterey area in September which were released to state agencies and the press in October.

A federal judge's written order on Friday, December 14 to protect delta smelt was welcome news for the California Delta and those who are battling to protect it, in light of the continuing collapse of the Bay-Delta ecosystem revealed by the latest Dept. of Fish and Game surveys. Judge Oliver Wanger of the U.S. District Court in Fresno issued his final written order to put in place a decision he initially made on August 31. Environmental groups say this ruling will protect the smelt and the Bay-Delta Estuary ecosystem from "being further degraded by fresh water diversions."