Nov 6 Washington DC Demonstration Against Keystone XL Oil Pipline: Guest Elizabeth Shope, NRDC

Environmental activists and concerned citizens wil be encircling the White House in an effort to urge President Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline. This proposed 2,000 mile pipeline will stretch from Alberta Canada to our Nations Heartland and terminate at the GulfCoast. The payload is tar sands oil from under Canada's Boreal forest home to many unique species of song birds. This highly toxic oil is corrosive to pipes and poses a serious and likely threat to the ecosystem and food producing areas of our country. This is a diverse coalition of laborers, farmers, ranchers, environmentalists and concerned citizens from varied geographic locations such as the Gulf Coast, Appalachia, Vermont and the Nation's Heartland; uniting in this urgently important demonstration and debate. Chief among the organizers is NRDC Founding Director John H. Adams who will be leading a group of NRDC staff members in this effort. Many other groups are expected to join in to send the message to the President. To learn more about the November 6th gathering to Washington, DC to encircle the White House to ask President Obama to reject Keystone XL, visit: www.nrdc.org/energy/nov6

Country's Longest Operating Solar Facility Celebrates 30th Anniversary: Hosted by Jan Schlichtmann

This historical technological monument was funded and built during the Carter Administration as part of the Photovoltaic Demonstration Project initiative. The country was motivated to find answers to the energy crisis and our dependence on foreign sources. It is the sole remaining facility in operation of the original eight demonstration sites established across the country. During the interview, Lisa Lillelund of Mango Networks, and a Clean Energy Advocate, brings to light the unique history and significance of this solar field located in Beverly, Massachusetts. The park's location was selected due largly from the efforts of a prominent Massachusetts resident and M.I.T scientist, Dr. John Coleman. Over the past several years, a wind turbine and photovoltaic array located on the rooftop of newly built Beverly High School have been added to the mix of sustainable renewable energy. The current combined yield of these solar and wind installations is 193-kilowatts and helps supply the high school with electricity. Beverly High School, which is a green school has been a proving ground for the many of the significant advances over the years which have lead to more efficient output and reduced costs of alternative energy solutions. Fred Hopps, the Director of Greenergy Park, points out that the site was originally conceived and constructed as an experiment on solar energy. "There was an uncertainty as to how this technology would hold up over time. And each year we learn how resilient and reliable solar power can be, not only for homes and businesses but as an industry." For more information about the positive impact of schools going green have on the environment and the economy, follow this link to the article, Beverly High Ranks High Among Green Buildings, by Lisa Lillelund.

"Blood Feud" Author Kathleen Sharp Interview

Blood Feud is Kathleen Sharp’s superbly reported, breathtakingly true story of Big Pharma’s power, the terrifying vulnerability of innocent patients, and what it takes to stand up for what is right. Buy the book at Amazon Procrit. It seemed to be a miraculous blood booster. This anti-anemia drug was one of the first biotech blockbusters and promised a golden age in medical care. Developed in the 1980s by the start-up Amgen and licensed to the pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, the drug was sold by the two companies under the brand names Procrit, Epogen, and Aranesp. It soon generated billions in annual revenue—and still does. Mark Duxbury, a gung ho salesman for J&J’s new biotech division, championed this new product and believed in the technology behind it. Always at the ready with a joke and a smile, his knowledge and passionate pitches set sales records and won company awards. His star rose. But in the early 1990s, he and his peers were told to steal business from J&J’s partner, Amgen. Then came the biased marketing studies, the off-invoice rebates, doctor payments, and off-label promotions. Duxbury tried to stop some of these ruthless practices, but was soon fired on trumped-up charges. Then he attempted to warn the public about the dangers in any way he could: by testifying in a secret arbitration, joining a class action effort, and filing a whistleblower suit. But he was thwarted at nearly every turn—until the surprising final act. Dean McClellan was Duxbury’s sales colleague. He tried to beat his buddy’s record and wound up selling $170 million worth of the drug, becoming a company legend. When Duxbury got fired, McClellan tried to distance himself. But as news of Procrit’s deadly power started to surface, McClellan agreed to hand over thousands of damning documents and help his friend blow the whistle on J&J. Enter Jan Schlichtmann, protagonist of the bestselling book and Oscar-nominated movie A Civil Action. When he learned of Duxbury’s mission, he felt the old fire rising in his belly and signed on. Now he’s gambling on yet another long shot, fighting on behalf of not just millions of cancer patients, but for every American who cares about their health.

Computer Anti-Hacking Law With Guest Attorney Leon Weiss: Host Jan Schlichtmann

Jan Schlichtmann interviews attorney Leon Weiss about the Leon Walker case. Walker is charged with a five-year felony after accessing his wife’s email on a shared computer and using some of the information in their divorce proceedings. High profile cases of computer and phone hacking have made headlines recently. Attorney Weiss has a front row seat as the courts attempt to navigate complex legal issues relating to privacy, intellectual property and the internet. Case Update: The Michigan Court of Appeals in June issued a stay in the computer hacking trial of Leon Walker. Defense attorney Leon Weiss says in issuing the stay of Walker’s trial, the Appeals Court ordered Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Martha Anderson to issue a written opinion of why she denied his motion to dismiss the charge, and took the Oakland County Prosecutor to task. “And the court also said this, quote, “This court concludes that serious questions exist as to whether this felony criminal statute was intended to be applied to domestic relations cases of the sort presented here,” close quote,” said Weiss. Weiss says if the case goes against his client, parents who check their kids’ facebook accounts could be subject to up to five years in prison. The defense attorney says amendments have been introduced to clarify the Michigan Anti-Hacking Law.

Jan Schlichtmann-Scarlett Johansson Hacking Raises Legal Questions

The growing propensity for celebrities and others to have their phones hacked is creating increasing alarm among the celebrity and political community as the law needs to keep pace with the growing ability of sophisticated telephone and other devices to record and transmit the most intimate audio and visual content around the Net. Apart from legal concerns generally and an almost certain increase in lawsuits relating to privacy and other issues, the law is able to protect private material that is illegally obtained, the real issue is how to set up effective enforcement measures that will protect celebrities and even perfectly normal people from having their most private lives "hacked." Trial lawyer Jan Schlichtmann discusses what needs to be done so the law can catch up with technology.