Wikileaks: Viewing cable 09STATE132349, C/NF) ARGENTINA: KIRCHNER INTERPERSONAL

Reference ID	Date	Classification	Origin
09STATE132349	2009-12-31 14:02	SECRET//NOFORN	Secretary of State

VZCZCXYZ0010
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #2349 3651459 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 2349 3651459 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 2349 3651459 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 311455Z DEC 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0374



Thursday, 31 December 2009, 14:55
S E C R E T STATE 132349
NOFORN
SIPDIS
EO 12958 DECL: 12/31/2034
TAGS PINR, PGOV, AR
SUBJECT: (C/NF) ARGENTINA: KIRCHNER INTERPERSONAL
DYNAMICS (C-AL9-02612)
Classified By: ELISSA G. PITTERLE, DIRECTOR, INR/OPS.
REASON: 1.4(C).

1. (S/NF) WASHINGTON ANALYSTS ARE INTERESTED IN ARGENTINE
LEADERSHIP DYNAMICS, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARDS TO CRISTINA
FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER AND NESTOR KIRCHNER.

DRAWING ON PREVIOUS REPORTING, AND BUILDING UPON OUR OWN
ANALYTIC ASSESSMENTS, WE ARE CURRENTLY PREPARING A WRITTEN PRODUCT EXAMINING THE INTERPERSONAL DYNAMICS BETWEEN THE GOVERNING TANDEM.

WE HAVE A MUCH MORE SOLID UNDERSTANDING OF NESTOR KIRCHNER’S STYLE AND PERSONALITY THAN WE DO OF CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER AND WE WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOP A MORE WELL-ROUNDED VIEW OF CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER’S PERSONALITY.

AS POST,S TIME AND RESOURCES ALLOW AND TO THE EXTENT POST HAS ACCESS TO THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION, WE WOULD WELCOME ANY INSIGHT INTO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

MANY THANKS, AND REGARDS FROM WASHINGTON.

A. (U) MENTAL STATE AND HEALTH:
(S/NF) HOW IS CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER MANAGING HER NERVES AND ANXIETY?

HOW DOES STRESS AFFECT HER BEHAVIOR TOWARD ADVISORS AND/OR HER DECISIONMAKING?

WHAT STEPS DOES CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER OR HER
ADVISERS/HANDLERS, TAKE IN HELPING HER DEAL WITH STRESS?

IS SHE TAKING ANY MEDICATIONS?

UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES IS SHE BEST ABLE TO HANDLE STRESSES?

HOW DO CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER,S EMOTIONS AFFECT HER DECISIONMAKING AND HOW DOES SHE CALM DOWN WHEN DISTRESSED?

(S/NF) WHAT IS THE STATUS OF NESTOR KIRCHNER’S GASTROINTESTINAL
ILLNESS?

DOES IT CONTINUE TO BOTHER HIM?

IS HE TAKING ANY MEDICATIONS?

LONG KNOWN FOR HIS TEMPER, HAS NESTOR KIRCHNER DEMONSTRATED
A GREATER TENDENCY TO SHIFT BETWEEN EMOTIONAL EXTREMES?

WHAT ARE MOST COMMON TRIGGERS TO NESTOR KIRCHNER’S ANGER?

B. (U) POLITICAL VIEWS:

1) (S/NF) WHEN DEALING WITH PROBLEMS, DOES CRISTINA FERNANDEZ
DE KIRCHNER TAKE A STRATEGIC, BIG PICTURE OUTLOOK, OR
DOES SHE PREFER TO TAKE A TACTICAL VIEW?

DOES SHE VIEW CIRCUMSTANCES IN BLACK AND WHITE OR
IN NUANCED TERMS?

DOES SHE SHARE NESTOR KIRCHNER’S ADVERSARIAL VIEW OF POLITICS
OR DOES SHE ATTEMPT TO MODERATE HIS HEAVY-HANDED POLITICAL STYLE?

C. (U) ON THE JOB:
(S/NF) HOW DO CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER AND NESTOR KIRCHNER
DIVIDE UP THEIR DAY?

ON WHICH ISSUES DOES CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER TAKE THE LEAD
AND WHICH ISSUES DOES SHE LEAVE TO NESTOR KIRCHNER?

2. (U) PLEASE CITE C-AL9-02612 IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF REPORTING IN RESPONSE
TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS. CLINTON


source: Wikileaks

Hillary Clinton Condems WikiLeaks Cables (video)

Wikileak: Thousands of Classified US Documents Leaked on the Internet

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange (AP Photo)

More than a quarter of a million classified cables sent from U.S. embassies around the world to Washington have been leaked on the Internet. Despite warnings from the U.S. government that the leaks could put lives at risk, the website WikiLeaks published the files in conjunction with several major international newspapers.

According to The New York Times and several European newspapers, the leaked messages are described as varying between embarrassing and highly damaging, with the potential to adversely affect U.S. relations with several countries.

Among the most striking, according to the papers, are leaked cables suggesting that Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries have been pressing the U.S. government to launch a military attack on Iran to prevent the country from developing a nuclear weapon. An apparent message from April 2008 suggests that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia called for the United States to "Cut the head off the snake."

Other documents reportedly suggest that the United States believes that Saudi Arabian donors are the chief financiers of terror groups like al-Qaida. Qatar, a U.S. ally, is accused of not doing enough to thwart terrorist groups.

It is also alleged that Iran has received sophisticated missiles from North Korea that are capable of hitting Western Europe and that it is using them to construct even bigger weapons.

According to newspaper reports, more than 4,000 files are marked "No Foreigner." These include cables alleging that the U.S. military has been conducting air strikes against al-Qaida targets in Yemen. The Yemeni government has said that its military alone has been conducting the raids.

Chinese government operatives reportedly are accused of launching cyber attacks on the United States.

The messages are also said show that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged American diplomats to spy on other countries at the United Nations - blurring the traditional boundaries between diplomacy and espionage.

Among the more embarrassing leaks, say the newspapers, are personal analyses of world leaders. Former Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly was called an "alpha-dog" and Afghan President Hamid Karzai is said to have been described as "driven by paranoia." The reports also say the cables noted that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is permanently accompanied by a "voluptuous Ukrainian nurse." One message apparently accused an unnamed member of the British royal family of "inappropriate behavior."

The Pentagon has declined to comment on the contents of the leaked documents. But it has condemned the leaks as reckless, warning that their publication would place at risk "the lives of countless innocent individuals," "ongoing military operations" and "cooperation between countries."

Speaking on the "Fox News Sunday" television program, Democratic U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill called for WikiLeaks to be prosecuted. "The people who are leaking these documents need to do a gut check about their patriotism. And I think they're enjoying the attention that they're getting. But frankly, it's coming at a very high price. I hope we can figure out where this is coming from and go after them with the force of law," she said.

Republican Representative Peter King, who is a member of the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, has called for WikiLeaks to be classified as a terrorist organization.

No one has been charged with disclosing information to WikiLeaks, but news reports say a key suspect is U.S. Army private Bradley Manning, who is in custody for an earlier leak of classified documents.

The Pentagon says it is in the process of increasing security measures for its data and communications.

adapted from CNN, NYT, VOA

China's packed roads

photo: David Gray/Reuters

China's rapid economic growth is causing some strains - and they are increasingly evident on the roads of the country's big cities. Traffic jams fill news headlines and create headaches for a growing number of people.

Last August thousands of trucks and cars were packed nose to tail for more than 60 miles in a 10-day traffic jam northwest of Beijing. In fact, the mega blockage was the second in two months on the same stretch of road.

China and Beijing have seen double-digit economic growth, which has taken them to a national GNP per capita of $4,000 dollars, with Beijing being maybe two and a half times that. This per capital income and this kind of double-digit growth has brought about an absolute boom in motorization.

World environmental experts say China's capital has one of the world's worst air pollution, which contributes to numerous health problems. Beijing is right behind New Delhi at No. 2. And there are five Chinese cities in the top twenty.

Chinese leaders are aware of this issue. The government stresses rail as an environmentally cleaner, safer and more efficient urban transportation method.

Two years ago, China responded to the global financial crisis with a stimulus plan that helped fast-track projects for new roads, bridges and railways. It funded high-speed railway lines, including a new one between Shanghai and Hangzhou, which reduces the journey from two hours to about 40 minutes since the train can reach a speed of 356 kilometers an hour.

Chinese media reports say that in the country's next five-year development plan, the proportion of spending on railways will increase by a large margin, while the amount spent on roads will fall. Until 2015 the Chinese government will invest $600 billion (four trillion yuan) to develop high speed and long-distance railroads.


adapted from Reuters, CNN, VOANews, Bloomberg

More Chinese Hitting the Road in Their Own Cars (video)

You can also watch the video by clicking HERE

After watching the video and getting the main ideas, let's focus on vocabulary

(a) Provide the context where these words are used

Commute time
Take me
Car dealership
Within
Afford
Own
Unbelievable
Point out

(b) Do you know the following words? Go back to the video and pick up their opposites please

Decreasing
Sell
Smallest
Much more difficult
Expensive
Foreign
Awful
Subtract

(c) How many if-sentences have you heard? Can you write down at least 2?

Persecuted Journalists to Receive Awards for Their Work (video)

You can watch this video below and also by clicking HERE





After watching the video at least twice, try to get each journalist's (1) name, (2) nationality, (3) details about their job and (4) the reason for government's reaction


Then, go back to the video and get the context where the following words are used

Speak out
Prosecute
Deteriorating
Critical
Shut down
Guerilla leader
Extremist
Misunderstanding
Election violence
Even though
Encourages
Serving
Mutiny
Treatment of prisoners
Personal price
Corruption and abuse
Stop them

US Marks 47th Anniversary of Kennedy Assassination

Please read the sentences below and choose the option that best completes the idea.


A. Forty-seven years ago Monday November 22, late American president John F. Kennedy was assassinated ……………………… in downtown Dallas, Texas.

1. By his side
2. While riding a car
3. By gunshots


B. Kennedy, who is the youngest man elected U.S. president, was killed ……………………….on November 22, 1963 as he rode in an open-top car. He was 46 years old.

1. By his side
2. While riding a car
3. By gunshots


C. His wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, was …………………………… when the bullets struck.

1. By his side
2. While riding a car
3. By gunshots


D. Kennedy was pronounced dead at a Dallas hospital, and vice president Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as president ……………………………….

1. The same day
2. Alive at the time
3. Shortly after


E. The assassination is remembered vividly by many Americans ………………………….

1. The same day
2. Alive at the time
3. Shortly after


F. Investigators have concluded Lee Harvey Oswald fired the fatal shots. He was arrested ………….…….the shooting, but never faced trial. Two days after the assassination, Dallas night club owner Jack Ruby shot and killed Oswald as he was being led through a police garage.

1. The same day
2. Alive at the time
3. Shortly after


G. Kennedy's death has spawned conspiracy theories, with many people doubting …………………………………of the president's death.

1. Subjects of public interest
2. The official explanation
3. His grave site


H. His body was returned to Washington and buried at Arlington National Cemetery, overlooking the nation's capital. An eternal flame marks …………………………….

1. Subjects of public interest
2. The official explanation
3. His grave site


I. The Kennedys, including the president's siblings and children, have remained………………………………..

1. Subjects of public interest
2. The official explanation
3. His grave site

adapted from VOAnews

Do you remember the emergency landing on the Hudson River in New York City almost two years ago ? (video)

You can also watch this video by clicking HERE

Yesterday? Today? Tomorrow?

Click HERE to make the right choice

British Couple Released by Somali Pirates

Photo: A. Wehliya - Paul and Rachel Chandler stand with Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed shortly after their release from kidnappers.

After just more than a year spent in Somalia, British citizens Paul and Rachel Chandler are finally going home. After a stop in Mogadishu to meet with the Somali prime minister, the two arrived at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport en route to their final destination: London.

The Chandlers were held near Adado, a town in central Somalia along the Ethiopian border.

Somalia's newly appointed prime minister, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, welcomed the Chandlers.
and said the couple was drained by their experience, but otherwise in good health. "They were in good spirits and they were happy to be alive and to have their freedom," he said.

The Chandlers will receive full medical examinations before returning to England.

"We are feeling very happy to be alive and happy to be here... among decent everyday people," Rachel Chandler said, adding they were "desperate to see family and friends" and thanking the Somalis who worked for their release. She explained they communicated with their captors using a Somali-English phrasebook.

Somali pirates kidnapped the couple on October 23 of last year, while they were sailing in their 38-foot yacht Lynn Revival off the coast of Seychelles.

Although no official figure has been released, the ransom paid to secure the couple's release is estimated to be nearly $1 million. It was gathered by family and friends and by members of the Somali diaspora. The British government has a strict policy of not paying any ransoms. The pirates had initially demanded seven million dollars.

The Chandlers are perhaps the highest profile hostages taken by Somali pirates in recent years. However, there are hundreds of hostages being held by Somali pirates - mainly crews of large tankers crossing the Indian Ocean. Analysts say the recent spike in ransoms paid for hijacked ships has triggered more piracy and increased the amount of time ships are being held by captors.

adapted from VOA and Yahoo News

Wasted energy (audio)

You can listen to this audio by clicking HERE or close to the arrows below

Obama in Indonesia (article)

Photo AP

President Barack Obama is in Indonesia for a less than one-day stay that includes talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and a planned address to the Indonesian people.

His visit is a sweet return for the president who spent several years of his boyhood living in Indonesia.

It began amid the sound of trumpets and a military gun salute as U.S. President Barack Obama stepped out of the presidential limousine at the presidential palace, the Istana Merdeka, and received a warm welcome from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Mr. Obama shook hands with Cabinet ministers and other officials before beginning bilateral talks with President Yudhoyono.

In a joint news conference, Mr. Obama said he is glad to be back in Indonesia. He said he is focused not on the past, but on a future of building a comprehensive relationship with the world's largest Muslim majority nation.

"As one of the world's largest democracies, as the largest economy in Southeast Asia, and as a member of the G20, as a regional leader, as a vast archipelago on the front lines of climate change, and as a society of extraordinary diversity, Indonesia is where many of the challenges and of the opportunities of the 21st century come together," said the president.

As he did on his previous stop in India, Mr. Obama said the United States is looking to strengthen alliances, deepen relationships with Asia, and re-engage with regional organizations such as ASEAN 9 (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) which Indonesia will chair next year.

Issues in talks with President Yudhoyono include regional and global economic matters, counter-terrorism, security cooperation, and anti-piracy efforts. Later the two leaders announced an agreement to boost cooperation in trade, education, clean energy and security.

This is a long-awaited trip for Mr. Obama, who was forced to postpone a visit twice earlier in the year due to domestic political and other issues. He said it is his hope to return to Indonesia for a longer stay.

Wednesday he will visit the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, and make a speech to the Indonesian people at the University of Indonesia.

White House aides say President Obama's schedule will likely be shortened because ash from Mt. Merapi in central Java threatens further disruptions to air travel.

If that turns out to be the case, the president will depart earlier for Seoul South Korea, for the G20 summit.

adapted from VOA

Obama in Indonesia (video)

You can also watch this video by clicking HERE

New York Marathon

NEW YORK – A Chilean miner ……………..…… (run) and ……………………… (walk) his way to the finish line of the New York City Marathon on Sunday, showing the passion that ………………………..(help) him survive more than two months trapped underground.

Edison Pena ………………………(cross) the Central Park finish line at 3:24 p.m., with a time of 5 hours, 40 minutes, 51 seconds. He was draped in a Chilean flag as Elvis music .............................. (play) over the speakers.

The 34-year-old survivor ……………………………….(beat) his own goal — to complete the course through the city's five boroughs in six hours.

Bags of ice …………………………(cover) his swollen knees as Pena …………………………… (walk) the second half of the marathon, but he ………………………….(summon) enough energy to run the last stretch along Central Park West.

"In this marathon I ………………………….(struggle) with myself and with my own pain," he said " but I ……………………………….. (make) it to the finish line. I ………………………………………… (want) to motivate other people to also find the courage and strength to transcend their own pain."

Pena's personal victory ………………………………… (come) just weeks after he was still training in near-darkness, jogging each day 2,300 feet underground in heat and humidity.

He …………………………… (say) running was his salvation — his way of proving how much he .................................................... (want) to live.

On this sunny day in Manhattan, it …………………………………….. (not matter) to the world whether No. 7127 actually ………………………………………… (finish) the race running into Central Park. To the cheering crowds, he ……………………...... (be) already a winner among the 45,000 runners, including some of the world's best marathoners.

At a post-marathon news conference, reporters ……………………………………… (ask) Pena to compare his hours in the New York race with the days in the mines

"In the mine, I ……………………….. (run) alone," he said. He …………………………….. (call) the marathon "an incredible dream" — because of "how warm and welcoming and supportive the Americans are here," with signs along the route reading "Go, Edison!" and "Go for it!"

Pena said he also …………………….. (be) "motivated" by Chileans shouting and waving his country's flag.

Pena ………………………………….. (begin) running in Staten Island at 9:40 a.m. The trouble …………………………………. (start) about an hour into the marathon, when he …………………………………………… (slow) a bit, apparently already in pain. But surrounded by supporters , he ……………………………………… (keep) running.

Shortly after noon, "The Runner" …………………………… (make) his way into Queens, reaching the 14-mile mark of the race. Suddenly, he ………………………………………. (leave) the course, going into a medical tent for help. He ……………………………. (emerge) around 1 p.m., bags of ice tied to both his knees.

He …………………………………….. (say) later he ………………………………………… (have) a bad left knee even before the mine cave-in, which …………………………………. (worsen) it. But he …………………………… (run) anyway.

"I …………………………….. (want) to show that I …………………………… (can) do it," Pena said

NYC Marathon officials ………………………………….. (hear) about Pena's subterranean training and ………………………………………….. (plan) to invite him as an honored guest. But he ………………. (want) to actually run the race.

The miner ……………………………………… (cut) his electrician's boots down to ankle height to train each morning and afternoon along the rocky, muddy 1,000-yard corridor where the men ……………………. (be) trapped. He ………………………….. (build) up strength by dragging a large piece of wood that was attached to a cord tied to his waist.

At the news conference in Manhattan's Mandarin Oriental hotel, a very happy and tired Pena at first …………………………………….. (decline) to sing some Elvis music, but eventually …………………………………. (give in) and ……………………………. (sing) "Don't Be Cruel."

He now ……………………………………… (have) his eyes on the next prize — another marathon to "improve my time. ... I know that's a possibility."

adapted from Yahoo News

An Italian in Washington (video)

You can also watch this video by clicking HERE

Proposition 19 Audio Follow Up

Marijuana legalization measure loses in California

LOS ANGELES – California voters declined to make their state the nation's first to legalize marijuana use and sales

"Today, Californians recognized that legalizing marijuana will not make our citizens healthier, solve California's budget crisis, or reduce drug related violence in Mexico," White House Drug Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske said.

Voters in three other states cast ballots on medical marijuana-related measures.

In South Dakota, voters rejected for the second time a measure to legalize marijuana for medical use — a step taken by California in 1996 and 13 other states since. Oregon voters refused to expand their state's medical marijuana program to create a network of state-licensed nonprofit dispensaries where patients could have purchased the drug.

California's marijuana proposal would have allowed adults 21 and over to possess up to 28 grams, consume it in nonpublic places as long as no children were present, and grow it in small private plots.

AP photo

$31,000 an hour?

Take-out pizza chain hiring.
Aged over 18
No experience required.
Uniform provided.
Salary: $31,000 an hour.

TOKYO (Reuters) – As part of a series of events commemorating the 25th anniversary of its arrival in Japan, Domino's Pizza Japan will hire one lucky person at the rate of 2,500,000 yen ($31,030) for an hour's worth of work in December.

A company spokesman declined to provide further details until November 10, but the company's website said that anyone who wants the job will have to file an application. Those passing to the next stage will undergo an interview.

"Basically it's anybody over 18, no questions about education or experience," the spokesman said. "We're actually a little surprised by how much of a response it's getting."

Hourly pay for part-time jobs in Japan averages just under 1,000 yen ($12.41).

Many of the comments on a Japanese article about the offer noted that the salary was low for the probable advertising impact and that there might be better uses for the money, such as raising workers' pay overall.

In another promotion, anyone born on September 30 this year -- the actual date the first Domino's opened in Japan -- will receive a free pizza on their birthday until they turn 25.

(Reporting by Elaine Lies; editing by Paul Casciato)

adapted from NewsYahoo

Unusual hotels (video)

You can also watch this video by CLICKING HERE

Ingrid Betancourt's Memoirs

You can also watch this video by clicking HERE

World s worst commute

People who live in some of the world's most economically important cities are spending more and more of their work day getting to and from work.

IBM, which has developed new technology for predicting traffic flow, has identified the cities with the worst commutes in the world and those that are successfully easing the congestion.

The IBM Commuter Pain Study surveyed 8,000 commuters in 20 cities, from Moscow to New Delhi and Los Angeles to Johannesburg. They were asked about the length of their daily commute. IBM's Naveen Lamba says researchers also wanted to know how being stuck in traffic affected their state of mind.

"Is it causing you stress?," he says. "Does that cause you anger? How is that affecting your performance at school or at work? Have you ever just given up on your trip and gone back home?"

Lamba says about one-third of the surveyed commuters reported increased stress, increased anger, and traffic so bad in the last three years that they turned around and went home. Commuters also complained about other drivers' rude and aggressive behavior when traffic started to slow or stop.

And where was commuting pain the worst?

"The worst traffic in the cities we looked at was in Beijing and Mexico City," says Lamba. "Johannesburg in South Africa was pretty close to them as well."

Getting moving

Those cities and others around the world, he says, can learn from the top-ranked city on the list: Stockholm, Sweden.

Lamba says officials there have introduced special programs to reduce traffic problems.

"One example of what they have done is what they call a Congestion Management Program where everybody driving into central city pays a congestion fee and the idea there is to discourage people from driving, but take public transportation instead," he explains. "So what this program has done is the amount of traffic is gone down by 20 to 25 percent. So, even more people switch over to public transportation. And then in terms of providing good information to travelers as to what different travel choices based on real time conditions on the roads. There are another set of solutions deployed from that perspective also."

IBM's top-ranked U.S. city is Houston - a sprawling metropolis on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Alan Clark is the region's director of Transportation Planning.

"I'm pleased that we're making some progress towards mitigating the levels of traffic congestion in our region," says Alan Clark, the region's director of transportation planning.

But fighting traffic congestion, he adds, is an on-going challenge because this urban area continues to attract more jobs and more people.

"For example, the number of hours that we consider to be congested has grown gradually over time," he says. "Now we have what we would call rush hour conditions or peak travel conditions for as much as eight hours during the day - about three to four hours in the morning and similar time in the evening."

High cost of traffic

Clark sees traffic congestion as one of the most serious problems of our time - for a variety of reasons.

"It's estimated that the average commuter in our region, congestion costs that person in excess of $1000 per year in lost time," he says. "It also adds to our problem of air pollution. The time that we spend in congested conditions significantly adds to the amount of fuel cars and trucks are burning. And that in turn leads to additional emissions of harmful pollutants and our area is very concerned about improving air quality as one of the key ways to make our communities even better places to live and work."

To ease traffic congestion, Clark says, Houston transportation officials created special safety programs to reduce the number of accidents, which tie up traffic. They also encourage people to work from home on a regular basis and use mass transit when they do commute. That's why they support a website created by private businesses called NuRide.

"At the NuRide web, we encourage those who are looking to share a ride to be able to register for carpooling, vanpooling, and other kinds of activities or to investigate the use of transit," he explains. "On that web site, we give the participants points. They can be redeemed for discounts at restaurants, for coupons at grocery stores, those sorts of things."

The long term solution to the traffic congestion problem, Clark says, is not building more roads, but changing the way we design our cities and how we live our lives.

"I think there are many communities that have done an excellent job developing or redeveloping their communities to permit new economic growth that does not generate as much additional vehicle traffic," he says. "These ideas are probably better seen in some European communities where they have a long tradition of trying to preserve their historical development identity and had, in the past, much more orientation to walking and the use of transit. In the United States, it's newer because, for example, Houston - being a relatively new city - really was developed around the automobile."

Transportation planning expert Alan Clark says traffic congestion is a complex problem whose solution calls for a comprehensive approach.

And since it's a global problem, he adds, it will always be helpful for cities around the world to exchange ideas and experiences to benefit from each other's innovative solutions.

adapted VOA