SCOTT HESS from the new Sustainable Petaluma Network passes this along:

When we contemplate the totally interconnected global communications/economic/social system, we see that there will be many simultaneous, severe, and widespread disruptions caused by the Y2k computer problem, as shown on the CIA map accessed by the URL below.

How will this effect us here in northern California? Is there anything we can do to prepare- or should we just wait and see? Is there is any way to prepare for such an ambiguous situation, albeit one beginning on a very specific date? If so, what would those preparations be? Perhaps most important is to forge new connections with people who are thinking about this situation, and about the wider picture of long term sustainabillty.

Attend the next Petaluma Y2K Forum on June 21, 7:00 PM, Community Ctr at Luchessi Park. That's Summer Solstice- the perfect halfway point in the last yearly cycle before the year 2000.

Scott Hess/Sustainable Petaluma bluespin@earthlink.net

CIA'S MAP OF GLOBAL Y2K PREPAREDNES ------------------------------------------------------------------------

CIA'S ASSESSMENT OF GLOBAL Y2K PREPAREDNESS (Source: MSNBC Website via SANGER'S REVIEW OF Y2K NEWS REPORTS) MSNBC has created a map of the world where you can click on one of 17 different countries for a CIA assessment of their Y2K risks. Here are a few examples: Russia: "Power loss, telephone loss will be widespread. Interruptions toimports/exports will be severe. Interruptions of government services will be widespread and severe. Air transportation interruptions likely. Chance of unrest or bank panics is moderate....Nuclear weapons claimed under control, except for tracking weapons in inventory. UNIFIED ENERGY SYSTEMS has no plans. Banks, finance, insurance firms slow to action. ASSOCIATION OF RUSSIAN BANKS bemoans 'every-man-for-himself approach.'"

Pakistan: "Power loss, telephone loss will be widespread. Interruptions to imports/exports will be severe. Interruptions of government services will be widespread and severe. Air transportation interruptions likely. Chance of unrest or bank panics is moderate."

China: "Power, phone loss will be widespread. Food, water, oil shortages will be isolated but severe. Interruption of government services will be both widespread and severe. Chance of unrest, bank panics is moderate....Modernizing missile forces, but Y2K implications not clear. Military vulnerable to likely mainframe problems. Business community slow to recognize problems."

Canada: "Interruptions to imports/exports and oil shortages will be isolated but severe." (JG) Link: http://www.msnbc.com/modules/Y2KInternational/map_nestframe.asp

-- Jean Wasp (jean@sonic.net), June 16, 1999