NewzIntel.com

Category: Climate Change

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The Government of Canada Announces New Intake for Clean Electricity Program With $500 Million in Additional Funding

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources announced up to $500 million in funding for the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways program (SREPs) Utility Support Stream. SREPs was recapitalized with nearly $2.9 billion in Budget 2023 and supports clean electricity infrastructure — such as renewable energy technologies, energy storage and grid modernization technologies — that strengthen the electricity grid. Through the program, the federal government will support even more clean electricity projects.

    October 10, 2024                                             Toronto, Ontario                          Natural Resources Canada

    The Government of Canada is supporting Canadian utilities and system operators that are working to clean their electricity, integrate clean solutions such as utility storage systems and micro grids, and meet the demands of increased electrification at the least cost to rate payers. These measures are enabling clean growth and ensuring a healthier environment for our communities. Canada’s electricity systems will be the backbone of Canada’s clean economy and central to our efforts to fight climate change and build a more prosperous economy for Canadian workers and businesses. 

    Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources announced up to $500 million in funding for the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways program (SREPs) Utility Support Stream. SREPs was recapitalized with nearly $2.9 billion in Budget 2023 and supports clean electricity infrastructure — such as renewable energy technologies, energy storage and grid modernization technologies — that strengthen the electricity grid. Through the program, the federal government will support even more clean electricity projects.

    This latest round of the SREPs program is launching its first of several intake processes today. The Request for Expressions of Interest for the Utility Support Stream (USS) is now open to utilities, system operators and industry organizations seeking to modernize to enable greater renewable energy integration or expand transmission and distribution systems while maintaining reliability and affordability. This represents an additional step in the Government of Canada’s work to support provinces and territories, as well as electricity operators, to achieve a clean grid in line with industry and government goals. This work — which reflects mutual objectives reached through the Regional Energy and Resources Tables — is injecting much-needed funds into the Canadian electricity sector to modernize and future-proof grids as they withstand growing populations, high demand and increasing extreme weather events.

     Projects funded under the USS will: 

    • improve the utilization and efficiency of existing assets;
    • increase the reliability, resiliency, and flexibility of the power system;
    • increase the integration and use of renewable resources and non-conventional infrastructure solutions;
    • generate economic and social benefits; and
    • help accommodate growing demand for clean and affordable electricity.

    More intake processes for other types of projects will be launched over the next few months.  

    Today’s announcement took place at the University of Toronto, host of Canada’s future first grid modernization centre that previously benefited from $10 million in federal government funding, where the Minister also took the opportunity to announce the YMCA of Greater Toronto’s Energy and Climate Strategies Project, which previously received $768,750 in SREPs funding to complete studies and to explore renewable technologies, including geothermal, solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal, microgrid and battery storage. Investments like this lead to renewable energy projects that clean the air in our communities.

    The Government of Canada is taking every step to build a clean, reliable and affordable electricity system across the country. 

    “By making historic investments in clean electricity, this government is positioning Canadians to take advantage of the economic opportunities presented by the clean economy, now and into the future. The Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways program is already providing Canadian communities across the country with affordable and clean power while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I am pleased to celebrate the ongoing successes of this program and to announce the opening of the Utility Support Stream as of today. This next step will allow us to support even more projects as we work with provinces, territories, Indigenous governments and non-governmental partners as we work toward our common goal of an energy-efficient and money-saving clean grid. I look forward to seeing the results of this new funding as it improves energy infrastructure from coast to coast to coast.”

    The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson

    Minister of Energy and Natural Resources 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, on the margins of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.

    Prime Minister Trudeau offered condolences to Prime Minister Chinh and the people of Vietnam following the devastating impact of Typhoon Yagi, and Prime Minister Chinh thanked Canada for its support in the aftermath of the typhoon.

    The prime ministers discussed the ongoing implementation of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and the Canada-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership. They underlined areas for enhanced co-operation, including regional security, trade and investment, climate change, clean energy, and sustainable development.

    Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Chinh highlighted the Team Canada Trade Mission to Vietnam that took place in March of this year and discussed ways to expand bilateral trade and investment through the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. They also underscored the centrality of ASEAN to the Indo-Pacific region.

    Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Chinh reaffirmed the strong partnership between Canada and Vietnam, including through strong people-to-people ties, and they agreed to remain in close and regular contact. Prime Minister Trudeau indicated that Canada looks forward to hosting Vietnam’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Nguyen Hong Dien, next month.

    Associated Links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks Announcing TD Bank’s Guilty Plea for Bank Secrecy Act and Money Laundering Conspiracy Violations in $1.8B Resolution

    Source: United States Attorneys General 2

    Remarks as Delivered

    Good afternoon everyone. Before we get started today, I want to extend my sympathy to the millions of Americans who’ve had their lives turned upside down by Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene.

    I know I speak for all of us in expressing my gratitude to the first responders on the ground who are carrying out rescue missions. And I want to thank all of the volunteers who are helping their neighbors get through these storms.

    And now to the subject of today’s announcement.

    Today, TD Bank pled guilty to multiple felonies, including conspiring to violate the Bank Secrecy Act and commit money laundering. TD Bank has also agreed to a $1.8 billion criminal penalty. Combined with civil enforcement actions announced today by other agencies, the United States will be imposing a total [penalty] of approximately $3 billion against TD Bank.

    TD Bank created an environment that allowed financial crime to flourish. By making its services convenient for criminals, it became one.

    Today, TD Bank became the largest bank in U.S. history to plead guilty to Bank Secrecy Act program failures and the first U.S. bank in history to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

    This is also the largest-ever penalty under the Bank Secrecy Act and the first time the Justice Department has assessed a daily fine against a bank.

    As part of the plea agreement, TD Bank will fundamentally restructure its corporate compliance program at its U.S.-based bank, which is the 10th largest in the United States.

    The bank has also agreed to the imposition of a three-year monitorship and a five-year term of probation. While the bank has started its remediation, it will continue to remediate and improve its anti-money laundering compliance program to ensure that the bank operates lawfully and safely moving forward.

    In addition to obtaining today’s corporate felony pleas, the Justice Department has also prosecuted two dozen individuals for their involvement in money laundering schemes that moved over $670 million in illicit funds through TD Bank accounts. So far, the Justice Department has charged two TD Bank employees for their involvement in one of these schemes.

    Pursuant to the plea agreement, TD Bank is required to fully cooperate with the Justice Department’s investigation of the bank and any of its officers, directors, and employees. If the bank fails to do so, it will again be subject to criminal prosecution, in which the statement of facts that are part of the plea agreement may be used as evidence against it.

    Our criminal investigations into individual employees at every level of TD Bank are active and ongoing.

    As is the case in all corporate criminal matters, no one involved in TD Bank’s illegal conduct will be off limits. We will follow the evidence wherever it leads.

    Federal anti-money laundering laws are designed to prevent criminals from using U.S. banks to fuel their crimes.

    Our laws dictate that the narcotics traffickers who flood our communities with deadly drugs cannot use American financial institutions to move their money.

    And our anti-money laundering laws dictate that a bank that willfully fails to protect against criminal schemes is also a criminal.

    That is what TD Bank was, because it failed to maintain an adequate anti-money laundering program between January 2014 and October 2023.

    Over a six-year period, TD Bank failed to monitor $18.3 trillion in customer activity.

    As TD Bank admitted in its plea agreement, this allowed three money laundering networks to transfer over $670 million through TD Bank accounts. At least one of those schemes involved five TD Bank employees.

    The bank maintained an automated transaction monitoring system that was supposed to detect and generate alerts on suspicious transactions and activities. But that system was willfully deficient.

    As the bank admitted in the statement of facts, which it filed today, at various times high-level executives, including the person who became the bank’s chief anti-money laundering officer, knew there were serious problems with the bank’s anti-money laundering program. But the bank failed to correct them.

    Three money laundering networks took advantage of TD Bank’s failed anti-money laundering system.

    First, over the course of a three-year period, a person who TD Bank employees knew as David moved over $470 million in illicit funds through TD Bank branches in the United States.

    David has separately pled guilty to laundering drug proceeds through the bank.

    David had attempted to launder money through numerous financial institutions. But he found that TD Bank had the most permissive policies and procedures and chose to launder most of his funds there.

    He also bribed TD Bank employees with more than $57,000 in gift cards in furtherance of his scheme.

    David’s illegal conduct was obvious, to say the least. On more than one occasion, he deposited more than $1 million in cash in a single day. He then immediately moved the funds out of the bank using official bank checks and wire transfers.

    TD Bank employees at many levels understood and acknowledged the likely illegality of David’s activity.

    In August 2020, one TD Bank store manager emailed another store manager and remarked, “You guys really need to shut this down LOL.”

    In late 2020, another store manager implored his supervisors — several TD Bank regional managers — to act, noting that “[i]t is getting out of hand and my tellers are at the point that they don’t feel comfortable handling these transactions.”

    In February 2021, one TD Bank store employee saw that David’s network had purchased more than $1 million in official bank checks with cash in a single day. The employee asked: “How is that not money laundering.” A back-office employee responded, “oh it 100% is.”

    In a second, separate money laundering scheme, five TD Bank employees conspired with criminal organizations to open and maintain accounts at the bank that were used to launder $39 million to Colombia, including drug proceeds.

    That money laundering organization reused the same Venezuelan passports to open multiple accounts at TD Bank. It sometimes used the same passport to obtain multiple debit cards for a single account.

    Despite significant internal red flags, the bank did not identify that its own employees were conspiring to launder tens of millions of dollars to Colombia, until law enforcement arrested one of them.

    In yet a third scheme, outlined in today’s charges, a money laundering network maintained accounts at TD Bank for at least five shell companies. It used those accounts to move over $100 million in illicit funds through the bank.

    Even though retail employees flagged suspicious activity connected to those accounts, the bank did not file a suspicious activity report until law enforcement alerted the bank to the money laundering network’s activity. By that time, the accounts had been open for over 13 months and had been used to transfer nearly $120 million.

    On multiple occasions, bank employees openly joked about the bank’s enabling of criminal activity.

    In one instance a compliance employee asked a manager what “the bad guys” thought about the bank. The manager replied: “Lol. Easy target.”

    Other employees consistently joked on the bank’s instant messaging platform about the bank’s motto, “America’s Most Convenient Bank.” They linked it to the bank’s approach to combating money laundering.

    For example, a compliance employee asked a colleague why “all the really awful ones bank here lol.”

    The colleague replied: “because … we are convenient.”

    There is nothing wrong with a bank that tries to make its services convenient for its honest customers.

    But there is something terribly wrong with a bank that knowingly makes its services convenient for criminals.

    The Bank Secrecy Act requires financial institutions like TD Bank to establish and maintain compliance programs that guard against money laundering.

    But TD Bank chose profits over compliance, in order to keep its costs down.

    That decision is now costing the bank billions of dollars in criminal and civil penalties.

    Less than a year ago, the Justice Department secured felony guilty pleas from Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, and from its founder and CEO. We also obtained one of the largest corporate penalties in U.S. history.

    The Department’s actions against both Binance and TD Bank are a reminder that financial institutions in this country have an obligation to guard against criminals exploiting their services.

    The Justice Department will aggressively prosecute any company that fails to do so.

    I want to express my gratitude to the public servants of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and the DEA for their extraordinary work on this case. We are also grateful to IRS Criminal Investigation, the FDIC’s Office of Inspector General, FinCEN, and our other federal, state, and local partners for their work.

    I am proud of them.

    I will now turn the podium over to Deputy Attorney General Monaco.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Humanity’s future depends on our ability to live in harmony with nature

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Liette Vasseur, Professor, Biological Sciences, Brock University

    The world is facing multiple — potentially catastrophic — crises, including inequality, poverty, food insecurity, climate change and biodiversity loss. These issues are interconnected and require systemic solutions, as changes in one system affects others.

    However, human systems have largely failed to acknowledge their connection to ecological systems. Most modern societies have dominating and exploitative relationships with nature, which are underpinned by imperialist and dualistic thinking that divides living beings into racial, gender, class or species hierarchies.

    Our current mindset, with its focus on competition, growth and profit, has been a key contributor to social and ecological crises. Even more alarming is that this mindset has depleted nature to the point that it may soon fail to sustain human and non-human lives entirely.

    Sustainable and equitable well-being

    Policies for future survival and prosperity must address the interconnected crises affecting the world today. These challenges are pushing social and economic systems beyond their sustainable limits.

    While current sustainability efforts, such as those outlined in Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity — a collaboration between scientists and economists from around the world — and the United Nations’ Pact for the Future offer pathways for action, they often fall short. These initiatives, though well-intentioned, remain rooted in a business-as-usual approach.



    Read more:
    Have we reached the end of nature? Our relationship with the environment is in crisis

    This isn’t enough. What’s needed is a transformative shift in how we interact with the natural world. A reciprocal relationship between humans and nature, where humans give back to the environment as much as we take, is essential. Sustainable and equitable well-being must be placed at the centre of human societies.

    Central to this transformation is the need to ensure good lives for all while staying within the Earth’s planetary boundaries. These boundaries are the limits within which humanity can safely operate without causing irreversible environmental harm. This will require a new economic mindset that enables people to live with nature, instead of destroying it.

    Change is daunting, but possible

    Though the scale of change needed may seem daunting, it’s achievable and already in motion in some places. In many communities around the world, like Puget Sound on the northwestern coast of Washington state, people are already living in ways that allow humans and ecosystems to flourish.

    In other regions, like Ecuador and Sumas First Nation, new possibilities are emerging for building human societies that operate within the planetary boundaries. Humans are exceptionally adaptable and have the advantage of foresight and the ability to transform entire systems through ethical collaboration.

    Individual action is one necessary element to accelerate this shift. Change often starts small, with individuals and small groups adjusting their lives. But while personal choices do matter, individuals must also push for systemic changes in their communities, organizations, and broader society.

    To make nature-connected living more widely accessible, collaborative, equitable and intentional efforts are needed. This involves intercultural communication, collaboration and open dialogue to ensure diverse perspectives are considered in decision-making processes.

    Thoughtfully considering the direct and indirect impacts of our action, including the immediate and long-term consequences of any decisions, will create more equitable and sustainable systems.

    People looking to create meaningful change should seek to support a range of groups and organizations dedicated to environmental and social justice. This includes Indigenous leaders and treaty protocols, local authorities, environmental advocacy groups, community organizations or labour unions. A good example of this is the work being done by the UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserves.

    Alternative ways of knowing

    The problems facing the world today are vast and multifaceted, and need to be addressed in multiple ways. Both formal knowledge, like scientific research, and informal knowledge, through the Two-Eyed Seeing principle have roles to play in fostering more equitable nature-human relationships.

    Although western scientific knowledge is often centred in evidence based discussion, many valuable solutions stem from alternative ways of knowing, such as Indigenous ecological knowledge. By welcoming and supporting diverse knowledge holders in creating solutions, we can expand the range of approaches, successes and failures from which humanity can learn.

    Creativity — the essence of adaptability — flourishes when different knowledge systems are woven together. However, this must be done ethically and involve consensual and collaborative exchanges to ensure no knowledge system is exploited or undervalued. We must be careful to avoid repeating the mistakes of imperialism and domination that have created our current planetary crises.

    In addition to rethinking how we approach knowledge, rebuilding strong, interconnected relationships between humans and nature also means rethinking our technological systems.

    Technological innovation has been used to exploit the Earth for short-term gains, but it also holds great potential for positive change. It can either maintain or disrupt the status quo, depending on how we use it.

    To build healthier relationships between people and nature, human societies need to adopt a systems thinking approach. This approach looks at the bigger picture, considering the ecological, cultural, political and social aspects of technology in an integrated manner. It ensures that innovation is guided by principles of sustainability and equity.

    What the future holds

    The future will bring massive changes to Earth’s natural environments, accompanied by shocks to political economic and social systems. The survival of human and non-human beings depends on our ability to plan for these challenges.

    Climate change, biodiversity loss and resource depletion are not isolated problems — they are part of an interconnected web of crises that demand urgent and comprehensive action.

    Incremental approaches are not enough to address the scale of these looming threats. Purposefully co-ordinated actions are needed to shift the current trajectory away from exploitation to one of mutual benefit for humans and the natural world.

    What is needed is radical transformation aimed at creating just and flourishing relationships between nature and humanity for the benefit of all current and future life on Earth.

    Christie Manning, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Macalester College; Jacqueline Corbett, Professor of Information Systems, Université Laval; and Simone Bignall, Senior Researcher at the University of Technology Sydney, co-authored this article.

    Liette Vasseur receives funding from New Frontiers Research Program Exploration program in Canada.

    Anders Hayden and Mike Jones do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Humanity’s future depends on our ability to live in harmony with nature – https://theconversation.com/humanitys-future-depends-on-our-ability-to-live-in-harmony-with-nature-233042

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Arrington Introduces Resolution Exposing Kamala Harris’ Disastrous Energy Policies

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19)

    Washington, D.C. – House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) introduced a resolution “strongly condemning Vice President Kamala Harris for championing policies that would exacerbate the national debt and reduce energy independence.”

    “Issuing 250 anti-energy executive orders, the Biden-Harris Administration led a whole-of-government attack on the oil and gas industry – an industry that employs 10 million people and accounts for almost 10 percent of our total economy – which have resulted in higher gas prices, a weaker economy, and more dependence on foreign sources of fuel,” said Chairman Arrington. “A Kamala Harris presidency would be much worse. As Senator, she was an original cosponsor of the Green New Deal, which would cost the federal government $93 trillion over 10 years and increase annual household energy costs by 31%. As a presidential candidate, she advocated to ban fracking, and, as Vice President, supported an $800 billion dollar EV mandate. I introduced this legislation to remind the American people that Kamala Harris’ energy policies would be disastrous for the American economy, threaten our energy and national security, and significantly increase energy costs for American consumers.” 

    “From day one, the Biden–Harris administration has been obsessed with banning gas stoves, gas cars, and other sources of clean, affordable energy—no matter the cost for families,” said Ryan Walker, Executive Vice President, Heritage Action. “Americans shouldn’t forget: Vice President Kamala Harris is a vocal supporter of radical ‘Green New Deal’ policies that lower energy efficiency and drive up costs. Conservatives in Congress must follow Rep. Arrington’s lead and continue to call out Harris’s climate alarmist agenda and fight back against her war on American energy independence.”  

    Background:

    Chairman Arrington’s resolution lays out:

    • The Federal Government has a debt of $35 trillion, amounting to a 120 percent debt-to-gross domestic product ratio not seen since World War II;
    • Energy independence and security in the United States is critical to the national security of the United States;
    • In 2019, then-Senator from California, Kamala Harris, was an original cosponsor of S. Res. 59, a resolution recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal, a proposal which, if implemented in its entirety, would cost the Federal Government $93,000,000,000,000 over 10 years;
    • A July 2019 analysis found that through 2040, the Green New Deal would reduce the annual employment in the United States by 1,200,000, reduce average annual household incomes by $7,964, and increase annual household energy costs by 31-percent, while having a negligible effect on reducing global surface temperatures;
    • Then-Senator Harris, as a candidate for the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination, proposed her own climate plan that would cost American taxpayers approximately $10,000,000,000,000 over 10 years; 
    • Then-Senator Harris’s climate plan called for a 100 percent electric vehicle mandate by the year 2035, banning combustion-engine vehicles, reducing automotive supply employment, and becoming more reliable on battery component and critical mineral imports from China;
    • Then-Senator Harris’s climate plan would significantly increase energy costs for consumers in the United States by banning extraction on Federal lands and phasing out all oil and natural gas production, even if renewable alternatives are not readily available to make up the energy demand needs of the United States;
    • Then-Senator Harris’s climate plan would double the financial contributions of the United States to the international Green Climate Fund;
    • Then-Senator Harris’s climate plan calls for the Federal Government to acquire millions of acres of private land in the United States; and
    • Then-Senator Harris said during a CNN town hall that she was ‘‘in favor of banning fracking.’’

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Transcript: World Mental Health Day Festival

    Source: US State of New York

    Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul participated in a fireside chat at The Project Healthy Minds World Mental Health Day Festival. World Mental Health Day was established on October 10, 1992 by the World Federation for Mental Health. Since then, it has been observed every year with the aim of raising awareness in the global community about critical mental health agendas through collaboration with various partners to take action and create lasting change.

    VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and available in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.

    AUDIO of the Governor’s remarks is available here.

    PHOTOS of the event are available on the Governor’s Flickr page.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

    Linsey Davis, ABC News: Good morning, everyone. Good morning, and thank you so much for joining us on this World Mental Health Day. We are excited to have this conversation with regard to mental health — America’s fraying social fabric — which is such a necessary and worthwhile conversation to have. And we are so glad to have with us Kathy Hochul, the 57th Governor of New York — first female Governor of New York.

    Governor Hochul: Yes. Thank you, everybody.

    Linsey Davis, ABC News: And not only do we have in her an advocate when it comes to mental health reform, but also with abortion rights and gun safety and beyond. But in particular, today we’re going to really talk about the status of mental health when it comes to our youth both in the State of New York and beyond, because a number of the initiatives that you’ve actually started are really a model that the rest of the country is looking at and implementing. And so, we just thank you so much for taking the time to have this really critical and necessary conversation.

    You know, it’s been said that if you’re not afraid, you’re not paying attention. And I think that is certainly true of these times when we think about — whether it’s natural disasters or the global conflict in Ukraine or Israel, and the slightly contentious election for President that we’re in the midst of — but all of these have ramifications when it comes to our young people. And I want to get to that larger crisis that’s taking place, but first I want to talk about — further compounding all of this — is that there are still lingering effects from COVID-19.

    Governor Hochul: That’s exactly right. I would put that at the top of the list of what maybe precipitated this unusual time in our history where we’re finding that childhood is no longer a time of joy. It is enormously stressful. And to see kids in middle school and high school in particular that are really devolving into a dark place — and this is not from me reading books. This is from me spending two years on the road convening young people in libraries and classrooms and different community centers all over the State, and asking them what’s going on. Why are these statistics that we’re seeing about — particularly young women contemplating suicide and actually following through with it — happening? The depression, the anxiety — all these parallel factors are going on at a time when people are not recovered from the pandemic.

    And I say that to adults and they don’t even think about it anymore because their resiliency was baked into them. As adults, you’ve been through a lot. When you are a 12-year-old or a 16-year-old, you don’t have those natural coping skills. And those kids today are still talking about the pandemic that we have put in the rear view mirror.

    But parallel with that was the rise in social media algorithms that are addictive. So, this was the imperfect storm that — the collision of which — has affected the mental health of our kids, and we have to do something about it because we’re the adults in the room, we’re the adults in their lives and they’re asking us, as one young woman said to me, “You have to save us from ourselves. We cannot put down the phones, we cannot break the addiction.” And I have to do something. I’m the first woman governor, but also I’m the first mom governor whose kids have gone through this, and I see so many family members and so, I applaud you. And also Project Healthy Mind for putting a spotlight on something that four or five years ago I don’t think there would have been as much interest in, but now even the Surgeon General has declared this a crisis. And we, in leadership positions, have no option but to act, and I’ve been doing this for years.

    Linsey Davis, ABC News: And when you talk about the stress, anxiety, uncertainty in particular that kids are feeling — give us an idea of some of the initiatives, some of the specific steps that your administration is taking.

    Governor Hochul: Well, number one, when I first became governor three years ago, I knew that there’s still a stigma about seeking help. I mean, I’ve been working on this in the addictive space — opioid addiction — and so people don’t want to get help. Mental health, it seems like you’re admitting a weakness if you seek help. I’m glad to see there’s been an evolution where more people are open about it and talking about it on social media platforms and podcasts, and programs like this that allow people to feel more comfortable with the fact that we’re all imperfect. Sometimes we need help at different points in our lives. But when it came down to what I could do as governor — $1 billion I put on the table. I said, “This means we’re serious.” The whole array of services, whether it’s in schools — which I think is one of the most important places [for there to be] mental health services and clinics inside our schools — to help kids who are starting to show signs of fraying from the stress. If we help them now, we don’t have to commit them to a lifetime of needing services and help later. So, it’s right in the classroom, all the way to dealing with the challenge of homelessness and mental health challenges on our subways — we have embedded teams that are professionals, they’re caring, I’ve met with them so many times, I’ve been there with them — they meet individuals who others may walk by and be afraid of and say, “You know, that person could do harm to myself or my baby in the stroller. I’m a senior citizen going to a doctor’s appointment.” There’s a fear that’s embedded in all of us when you see something that is unknown to you.

    So, let’s get people help. They do not deserve to live on the subways and in our streets; we get them supportive housing so there’s money involved in that as well; opening up more mental health beds.

    During the pandemic — people don’t know this — thousands of beds dedicated for providing mental health services in our hospitals were converted to COVID beds. And then afterward I said, “Well, why aren’t they all back online? I’m tracking the numbers. Why do we have such a shortage in places like New York City? Why is there a shortage of hospital beds available to treat people who need these services?” Well, it turns out that the reimbursement rates were higher for a hospital, more profit could be made if you kept them as non-psychiatric beds because those costs are higher.

    So I said, “That’s not okay.” I closed the gap so they can make the money they need to make on Medicaid provided beds, so that was taken care of. And also making those — bringing them back online. So it’s everything from the classroom to reducing the stigma in countless ways, programs like this, money for programming and supportive services.

    Everything we can think of, we’re trying to do. But my job is to make sure we don’t start another whole generation of young people who are held captive to these algorithms. We have nation leading legislation, and I’ll tell you, taking on the tech companies is not the easiest thing in life to do, but we forced them to adhere to what we’re saying in New York.

    In New York State, as a result of laws that I enacted just a few months ago and with the support of Common Sense Media and other great organizations and our advocates, no longer can social media companies unsolicited — and bombard young people with addictive algorithms without them asking for it. Their parents have to be okay with that. I don’t think too many parents are going to say that’s okay.

    They also cannot send notifications all night long to our kids who need a good night’s sleep. They’re exhausted. You don’t function at a high level as an adult, but certainly not a young person supposed to sit for eight hours a day and be paying attention when you haven’t slept at night because you cannot put down that addictive feature, which is your phone.

    And so that’s where we are now, and again, talking about what’s happening in schools. Stood up to the social media companies. We are a tech society. We are a tech state. We’re a tech city. I welcome the tech companies. This is not an ‘us against them,’ it is saying, “You know better. You are all executives who probably have children. Do you really want your kids to be seeing these dark images and being drawn into places?”

    You put in the word ‘suicide,’ it’s not teaching you how to get help and supportive and uplifting messages to help you heal, it teaches you how to commit suicide. That’s what I’m talking about. There are messages that are not appropriate for young people.

    They can, on their own, go to social media sites, but don’t be taking personal information you have collected about a child that you have gathered, and now use that to hold them captive. That’s the cycle we’re going to break here in the State of New York, and I hope every other state follows suit.

    Linsey Davis, ABC News: And these are, as you’ve said — yes, there’s applause there — first in the nation social media laws that you are taking to protect our children. But beyond that, you just finished a listening tour with regard to — I guess, that has informed some of your decisions to try to have this initiative to ban cell phones in schools. I’m curious what made you decide, “You know what, we have to do this,” and what has been the reaction, the feedback that you’ve been getting?

    Governor Hochul: Great question. Again, I wanted to hear from parents, teachers, students themselves, administrators, school boards, principals, everybody. So, these are the people I’ve been gathering.

    And what I have universally heard is that school districts and school boards don’t want to be the heavies. They know this should happen, and those who are courageous enough to go forward already, and some school districts have, I know Lackawanna in Western New York, where I was born in the City of Lackawanna, they’ve done it; there’s a number in Westchester; Schoharie County was the first that I could think of that had a widespread unveiling of this. They said it was hard at first, and parents were resistant. Teachers didn’t know what would happen, they didn’t want to be the cell phone police, they wanted to just teach. But they are the happiest school district in our state — I’m going to go out on a limb here. Because the school superintendent said to me, “We heard something we haven’t heard in years, children’s voices – children’s voices at lunch, physical education, in the hallways.”

    Linsey Davis, ABC News: They’re actually interacting with each other.

    Governor Hochul: They’re talking, they’re sometimes yelling at each other. Sometimes there’s things — he says, “They’re not always friendly.” But he says, “And they’re making eye contact with each other.” I mean, think about what happens when you spend your day like this. You lose those human interaction skills that we expect young people to graduate from school having developed. And what happens to an 18-year-old, who does not have that because we’ve allowed this phenomenon and this distraction all day long. And they don’t develop that. When they go to a workplace, they want to get a job at Hudson Yards and be part of a team and, and the creative collisions that come up with the brilliant ideas that New York City is known for. It’s not going to happen because we’ve not allowed them to emerge as fully functioning adults by letting this distraction – And teachers, I’ll tell you, when I say distraction — 74 percent of teachers in the United States of America say this is such a distraction they want them gone because they’re in competition. One teacher said, “I don’t even want to teach anymore. I’m in competition with this cell phone, and they’re not looking at me, they’re not paying attention. I’m trying to create a bond and a relationship with them. And I, by the end of this school year, I’ve thrown in the towel, I can’t do this anymore.” So the teachers want it. School districts want me to be the heavy. I said, “I get blamed for everything anyhow, just add it to the list, right?” It’s like, “I can take it, don’t worry about me.” So I said, “I’ll be the heavy because this is right.”

    The parents are the ones you worry about, right? And I’m a mom. My kids were in middle school during Columbine. So that shapes how you feel, that insecurity when the most, you know, your most precious person in the world to you is your child going off to kindergarten. And again, I still sometimes think about how I cried for days when my kid’s going off to kindergarten. Then they go off to college, it’s like, bye, give us a call once in a while.

    So, but, it’s hard. And when you see this — the shootings, the mass shootings, we did an event with Gabby Giffords yesterday on gun violence, and thank you for raising that. We have the toughest gun laws in the country, by the way, and the lowest — third lowest homicide rate by the — third lowest in the nation. So that’s another focus, but it ties into anxiety that parents have and they feel now that because they have to be connected with their kids all day long and, and especially if there’s a crisis on the school grounds. There’s the worst nightmare of all: a school shooter on the loose near your child. I also was thinking, well, maybe this is going be too hard for parents because, you know, it’s a lot to ask and they’re going to be worried.

    When I talk to law enforcement, and they said to me, “Tell the parents and we’ll tell them — if there is an active shooter on the grounds, in the building — the last thing you want your child to be doing is looking for their cell phone, starting to record things, talking to their friends, calling their parents.” He said, “They need to be focused on the adult in the room who will lead them to safety.” And that was my aha moment. I said, “You’re right. Parents need to know that.” So, there’s that safety issue, but also, my kids are adults now. They didn’t have cellphones in school. They’re — it did not happen during their era. Our job is not to raise kids. Our job is to raise adults. Fully functioning adults who know how to interact with others, who are not so attached to their parents every hour of the day throughout school. At some point, you do have to cut the cord. The apron strings as they used to say. No one knows what an apron is anymore, so I don’t say that. I had to make one at Home Ec because they wouldn’t teach us real skills, okay? I wanted to work on cars, with the guys in the shop, but they didn’t let us, okay? So, you have to cut the ties at some point.

    And one first grade teacher said to me, and I love talking to teachers, she says, “I’m fed up with the fact that every child, every six-year-old in my first grade class, has a smartwatch on that the parents send so they can be in touch with their child throughout the day, and they’re like, ‘Oh, the teacher was mean to me, Mommy.’”

    They said they’re getting phone calls from parents: “‘I just got sent to the office.’ Why are you sending my little girl to the office?” So, it’s not functioning. And so, parents, I know it’s hard because you need to go back to a time when you grew up, your parents did not keep track of you all day long. You did not have them as a crutch. And my God, if you forgot your lunch, two options: Borrow one of your friends, see if you can share a sandwich, or the next day, don’t forget. And you won’t forget the next day, right? Oh, because I hear that. “What if they forget their lunch? What if they have to make their after school plans?” Well, we’ll give them the phone back after school and maybe they’ll learn the skill of pre-planning their day. So, I want them to learn coping skills, resiliency and emerge as part of our New York State workforce — fully functioning — and we are the barriers because we’re not being the heavies and saying no, and that’s the path I’m on. I have to work with our Legislature. I have to do a lot more education on this because it’s a change. But, none of us had it and we turned out okay, right?

    Linsey Davis, ABC News: I want to switch gears here for a minute because we are talking about — obviously, in the news — the devastation from Hurricane Milton, and when it comes to national disaster relief, quite often we’re talking about money to build homes and jobs back again, food and all of that. But, when it comes to mental health assistance, what do you think the role of the state and federal government is at that point?

    Governor Hochul: They’re absolutely right about the devastation — so many New Yorkers have a connection to Florida, right? My father’s home, my sister’s home, my brother’s home and my aunt’s home — all in St. Petersburg, heavily damaged. My aunt’s home was already demolished two weeks ago. So, we have connections that are tighter than most other states, so I immediately sent our resources. I said, “Tell the governor we’re on our way.” And, we sent helicopters, search and rescue — 65 people are down there now, we’ll send more.

    So, there’s that side of it, but the trauma inflicted on a community after an event like this is something we cannot overlook. This is like a community that has gone through a mass shooting. I refer back to Buffalo again. We had to provide mental health services to the survivors of the Tops shooting when ten people were gunned down and slaughtered in a grocery store in 2022 because of the color of their skin, and that’s what that white supremacist 18-year-old said he was going to do.

    That community is trying to heal, but you need to provide services so we went in, our mental health teams went in to help them heal. The same thing should happen in communities where you see these people sobbing, standing their whole — everything they’ve built their whole lives, the baby pictures are in a puddle on the street and their wedding album and their clothes.

    It is so hard to see your whole life wiped away, and if we don’t think that has an effect on your mental health and your sense of security forever, then we are wrong. So, we need to be more intentional and provide resources to local social service agencies and say, “Once the storm is cleaned up, don’t assume their lives are cleaned up — that they’re back to normal.” And so, being sensitive to that in government is the smart way to do it. These people need our help and that’s what government is there to do.

    Linsey Davis, ABC News: And we’re just about out of time, but I do want to ask one last question — which I think is a large overarching issue — which is, how do you destigmatize the idea of mental health? Because, a lot of people still — there is a fear or an embarrassment that I need a little help. I need to talk to somebody about this.

    Governor Hochul: That’s when you get the validators that people trust. It’s the hip hop artists, it’s the athletes, it’s the people that, people are watching their — I watch “Only Murders in the Building.” I mean, is that building actually here? I can’t find it. I keep walking around.

    Linsey Davis, ABC News: I think it’s on the Upper West Side.

    Governor Hochul: Okay, I keep walking around trying to find it. I walk around the City all the time. No one knows it’s me, because I can put on a baseball hat and jeans and no one knows who I am, so it’s great. So, I’m always walking around doing things.

    But, more people who do that — I think because we are a society that’s impacted by influencers— Taylor Swift talks about it. I think that’s an important part of it because it’s really hard to break out of that, especially for men, I believe. But I’m really proud of even family members who say, “I have my weekly check in telehealth services with my therapist.” like, thank you. That’s smart, and tell your other friends you’re doing that.

    And I do think that the telehealth services help destigmatize. You don’t have to get up and go into an office and sit in a waiting room, and you might know somebody and you’re all kind of like — I think that’s a brilliant innovation that creates accessibility, even on your cell phone. I’ve got my appointment, I can talk to somebody.

    So, it has gotten much easier and stigma is a powerful negative force on people who should be seeking help. Whether it’s from fentanyl addiction, or opioid addiction. I did commercials on this when I was Lieutenant Governor, trying to destigmatize getting help for those addictions and services that are provided.

    Same thing with mental health. So, there’s not one answer, but forums like this, sharing information — I just talked about mental health on a podcast not long ago, and it’s getting out there. So, I will do my role. Anything I can do in state government, you know. Whether it’s public awareness campaigns, we always are doing this, but I’m open to ideas. I really am.

    We don’t have all the answers, and I want to be helpful. I want to be not just investing, the government investing the most money ever, but having the best results. And it is my state where people dealt with the epicenter of the pandemic, we have to recognize that.

    And we’re the ones who are very anxious about crime. I can tell everybody in the whole City that the crime rates, the murder rate in New York City is almost as low as it was in the 1960s. We have plummeted. Shootings are way down — but I can’t tell you to feel good about that. And that’s what we wrestle with. I want to change the psychology around this and it’s hard, but we have to take it on and say, “I want people to feel good about the City.” Not just, “I’m supposed to feel better because the numbers are down.” I don’t expect that. What I want to do is make people feel that they’re safer, that their kids are going to be okay. And just try to remove some of the stress that is part of everyday life here, because this is an extraordinary place.

    And the benefits so outweigh the negative, and we have to keep focusing on the positive — because life is good. And people sometimes just need a little bit of help, and pulling them upwards and letting them grow. Letting them just really flourish, you know? And mental health is such an important part, it’s the foundation of everything. It’s everything.

    Linsey Davis, ABC News: Well, I think that forums like this, conversations like this, are so helpful. And step one, two three, right? Just to talk about it.

    And we appreciate so much you taking this time — your leadership and the initiatives that you have in order to try to make things better in particular, not just for us, but for our youth. And by extension of our youth, for all of us as the adults. So, we thank you so much. And we thank all of you for being such very intensive listeners today.

    And we do want to remind everybody here — I say it to you as I say it to myself as well, that we have to keep mental health top of mind, right? That is just as important as any other aspect of our wellness.

    And so, again, on this mental health day. We just thank you all so much for taking the time to be together.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Update on Potential IV Fluid Shortage in New York State

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today issued an update on the State’s response to the potential disruption of intravenous fluid supply in New York State following the impact of Hurricane Helene. While there is no official shortage of IV fluid in New York State at this time, the State is actively coordinating with federal officials and local health officials to assess the impact of any current or future disruption. As this situation develops, the State stands ready to receive additional supplies of IV fluids that may be procured by the federal government based on local needs. Additionally, the State will continue to closely monitor this situation following any additional issues that may result from the impact of Hurricane Milton.

    “The safety and wellbeing of New Yorkers is my top priority – and I’m closely monitoring the supply of IV fluids in our state,” Governor Hochul said. “Our administration will work with the federal government, local counties and health care facilities across the State to ensure our medical supply needs are maintained.”

    State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “The State Health Department is working hard to ensure facilities are able to provide vital, lifesaving care amid this potential nationwide shortage of IV fluids. By issuing this guidance, we are ensuring the current supplies of IV fluids are available for the most critical patients until the supply chain is stabilized.”

    The current disruption to the IV fluid supply chain has been caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene, which forced the closure of the Baxter plant in Marion, North Carolina. Baxter is working with the federal government to manage their inventory and minimize supply disruption as they work to fully restore their manufacturing operations. Baxter supplies upwards of 60 percent of IV fluids used in the United States, including in New York State.

    The New York State Department of Health issued guidance on October 9, 2024 to health care providers statewide as part of a multifaceted response to limitations on shipments of intravenous fluid (IV) as a result of the impact of Hurricane Helene. Guidance has been distributed to hospitals and diagnostic and treatment centers, including ambulatory surgery centers and end stage renal disease facilities and clinics; long-term care facilities including nursing homes, adult care facilities and home care and hospice providers; and emergency medical services.

    While there is no official shortage in New York State at this time, these entities are being asked to adopt proactive strategies to conserve IV fluid to ensure available stock is used effectively and efficiently.

    In addition to providing guidance, the State Department of Health is gathering information from providers to assess provider supply status and identify critical needs.

    The State Department of Health is also coordinating with organizations that represent health care facilities to ensure that it has a complete picture of the situation. In addition to this, the Department has implemented its incident command system in response to this situation which allows expedited response and coordination activities to take place.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Nadler and Garamendi Introduce Legislation to Codify the EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection On Children’s Environmental Health Day

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

    Today, U.S House Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and John Garamendi (D-CA) introduced the Children’s Health Protection Act of 2024, legislation to codify into law the only office within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dedicated to children’s health, the Office of Children’s Health Protection (OCHP). This office would be responsible for rulemaking, policy, enforcement actions, research and applications of science that focuses on prenatal and childhood vulnerabilities, safe chemicals management; and coordination of community-based programs to eliminate threats to children’s health where they live, learn and play. 

    Similarly, the legislation would also make the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee a permanent advisory committee. This advisory committee will advise the EPA Administrator in regards to the activities of the Office of Children’s Health Protection, all relevant information regarding regulations, research, and communications related to children’s health, and continue to serve the EPA in protecting children from environmental harm. 

    The Children’s Health Protection Act of 2024 aims to ensure that no future President will be able to remove these safeguards that help shield children from environmental harms to their health. 

    “On Children’s Environmental Health Day, which highlights the urgent need to address the unique health risks children face from environmental factors, I am proud to introduce the Children’s Health Protection Act,” said Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY). “By codifying the 1997 Executive Order that created the EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection—the only office within the EPA dedicated to children’s health—this bill makes certain that the Office will remain a critical resource for our children, no matter who is in the White House.”

    “I am thrilled to partner with Congressman Nadler to protect children from exposure to toxic pollutants like lead and address health risks such as poor indoor air quality in our nation’s schools,” said Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA). “Our bill will ensure that the EPA prioritizes safeguarding children’s health, allowing them to grow up and become the next generation of American leaders. In 2018, the Trump Administration attempted to eliminate the EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection, which plays a crucial role in ensuring that federal regulations for chemicals and other toxic substances account for children’s unique health needs. Congressman Nadler and I have introduced this commonsense bill to prevent any future administration from making such a reckless decision.”

    In addition to Representatives Nadler and Garamendi, the bill also cosponsored by Representatives Grijalva, Evans, Watson Coleman, Holmes Norton, Salinas, Tlaib, Moulton, Kamlager-Dove, and Bush. 

    BACKGROUND:

    Since its creation in 1997 through Executive Order, the EPA’s OCHP has been crucial in protecting children, who are uniquely vulnerable, from environmental hazards. It has done so through policy, research focusing on their unique prenatal and childhood health vulnerabilities, safe chemicals management, and coordination of community-based programs to eliminate threats to children’s health.

    The OCHP also studies how natural disasters affect children’s health, not only through exposure to hazards like mold and water-borne pathogens but also by analyzing the mental toll of displacement and loss. 

    The Children’s Health Protection Act will ensure this vital work continues by strengthening and securing the OCHP and the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee.

    The Children’s Health Protection Act of 2024 is endorsed by a wide range of health advocacy groups and environmental justice organizations, including: Allergy & Asthma Network, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, American Lung Association, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, California Brain Tumor Association, Children’s Environmental Health Network, Children’s Environmental Health Network, Climate Psychiatry Alliance, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, Health Care Without Harm, International Society for Environmental Epidemiology: North America Chapter, Medical Students for a Sustainable Future, Moms Clean Air Force, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Center for Healthy Housing, National Environmental Health Association, Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Physicians for Social Responsibility – Maine, Physicians for Social Responsibility – Texas, Physicians for Social Responsibility of Pennsylvania, Prevention Institute, Rachel Carson Council, Rachel’s Network, San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility, Sears-Swetland Family Foundation, Society for Public Health Education, Toxics Information Project (TIP), and 350 Bay Area Action.

    WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:

    “It is very fitting that on Children’s Environmental Health Day, a day of action for and with our youth, Representative Nadler is introducing The Children’s Protection Act,” said Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network. “This Act would mandate that all aspects of a child’s well-being – health, education, safety, family and community unity, economic security and mobility, development, and identity – are foundational in developing new regulations that impact children in the United States and around the world. We have never seen an intention like this comprehensive approach to protecting all children, especially the most marginalized. It is critical and urgent for policy leaders to take a strong stand for the health and safety of children today and for generations to come.”

    “Children are the brightest part about our future,” said Deb Brown, Chief Mission Officer of the American Lung Association. “That’s why it’s critical to do everything we can to protect them. With lungs and other organs that are still developing, children are more vulnerable to the health harms from air pollution. Ensuring there will continue to be an office and a team dedicated to protecting the health of children from environmental hazards is a small step that will reap large benefits for our future.”

    “Nearly 5 million children in the United States have asthma, and asthma causes more missed school days than any other chronic disease,” said Kenneth Mendez, President and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). “Environmental factors such as poor indoor air quality and outdoor air pollution play a role in making asthma symptoms worse. That’s why we need the EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection – to focus attention on steps to reduce asthma triggers. We thank Rep. Nadler for introducing this legislation to make this office permanent and ensure the health concerns of children are at the forefront of the EPA’s work.”

    “There are big gaps in our understanding of the long-term health outcomes resulting from exposure to the great number of toxins we’ve dumped into the environment over the last 50+ years,” said Sydney R. Sewall, MD, MPH, Pediatrician and President of Physicians for Social Responsibility (Maine Chapter). “We do know that children are at greatest risk, and more EPA policies need to be directed at reducing this risk.”

    “Children, and especially Black and Brown children, are uniquely vulnerable to the adverse health impacts  – both physical and mental – of air pollution, extreme weather and environmental injustice,” said Almeta Cooper, National Manager for Health Equity of the Moms Clean Air Force. “Moms Clean Air Force is proud to endorse this legislation, which makes children’s health a permanent factor in EPA decision-making.”

    “Children are disproportionately impacted by their environment because their bodies are still developing,” said Dr. David Dyjack, CEO of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). “They are particularly vulnerable to air pollution, hazardous chemicals and contaminated water. This bill will help to ensure that EPA maintains an Office of Childrens’ Health Protection to ensure better health and a better future for our children.”

    “Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) commends Representative Nadler for safeguarding the health of children by introducing legislation to make the EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection and the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee permanent fixtures,” said Paige Knappenberger, Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility’s Environment and Health Program. “As physicians, PSR members know that children have unique vulnerabilities to environmental harms like climate change and air pollution and deserve special protections from these harms so they can have safe places to grow, play and learn.”

    “Pediatric nurse practitioners and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) deal every day with the harmful effects of environmental threats to the health of our nation’s children and adolescents,” said Dr. Daniel Crawford, President of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP). “The Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Children’s Health Protection and the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee play critically important roles in recognizing that children are often more likely to be at greater risk from environmental hazards than adults and that evidence-based federal policies eliminate or reduce those threats. NAPNAP applauds Congressman Nadler’s effort to permanently establish these important offices.”

    “The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments enthusiastically endorses Rep. Nadler’s bill introduced this week, the “Children’s Health Protection Act of 2024”, said Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN, Executive Director of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. “This bill aims to make the EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection (OCHP) and the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee permanent. Established in 1997, OCHP is the only office within EPA dedicated to the health of children and as such, it safeguards our children from potential environmental harms to their health. We strongly urge members of Congress to support this bill to avoid any possibility of future administrations dismantling of this crucial office.”

    “Since their inception in 1997, the EPA’s Children’s Health Protection Office (the Office) and the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee (the Committee) have been key in increasing the environmental health literacy in our country,” said the Rachel Carson Council. “Tasked with research, rulemaking, policymaking, and enforcement, the Office addresses chemical management, community programs, and more to tackle threats to prenatal and childhood environmental threats. The Committee has played an instrumental role in advising the EPA Administrator on the priorities of the Office. While the Office and Committee have been revitalized by the Biden-Harris Administration over the last four years, hostile administrations have attempted to de-staff and even dismantle these pillars of environmental justice for children, and they are susceptible to the same threats in the event of a less amenable administration taking office in the future. The Children’s Health Protection Act of 2024 will prove crucial in shielding children from the environmental harms that could affect millions across the United States. If passed, this bill would permanently establish both the Office and the Committee within the EPA, so that prenatal and childhood environmental harm reduction is a fortified, standing priority in the Agency. We applaud Representative Nadler’s recognition of the need to enshrine the work of the Office and the Committee into law so that some of the most vulnerable members of our society, children, will indefinitely enjoy protections from environmental harm.”

    ###

    The Children’s Health Protection Act of 2024 is endorsed by a wide range of health advocacy groups and environmental justice organizations, including: Allergy & Asthma Network, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, American Lung Association, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, California Brain Tumor Association, Children’s Environmental Health Network, Children’s Environmental Health Network, Climate Psychiatry Alliance, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, Health Care Without Harm, International Society for Environmental Epidemiology: North America Chapter, Medical Students for a Sustainable Future, Moms Clean Air Force, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Center for Healthy Housing, National Environmental Health Association, Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Physicians for Social Responsibility – Maine, Physicians for Social Responsibility – Texas, Physicians for Social Responsibility of Pennsylvania, Prevention Institute, Rachel Carson Council, Rachel’s Network, San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility, Sears-Swetland Family Foundation, Society for Public Health Education, Toxics Information Project (TIP), and 350 Bay Area Action.

    WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:

    “It is very fitting that on Children’s Environmental Health Day, a day of action for and with our youth, Representative Nadler is introducing The Children’s Protection Act,” said Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network. “This Act would mandate that all aspects of a child’s well-being – health, education, safety, family and community unity, economic security and mobility, development, and identity – are foundational in developing new regulations that impact children in the United States and around the world. We have never seen an intention like this comprehensive approach to protecting all children, especially the most marginalized. It is critical and urgent for policy leaders to take a strong stand for the health and safety of children today and for generations to come.”

    “Children are the brightest part about our future,” said Deb Brown, Chief Mission Officer of the American Lung Association. “That’s why it’s critical to do everything we can to protect them. With lungs and other organs that are still developing, children are more vulnerable to the health harms from air pollution. Ensuring there will continue to be an office and a team dedicated to protecting the health of children from environmental hazards is a small step that will reap large benefits for our future.”

    “Nearly 5 million children in the United States have asthma, and asthma causes more missed school days than any other chronic disease,” said Kenneth Mendez, President and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). “Environmental factors such as poor indoor air quality and outdoor air pollution play a role in making asthma symptoms worse. That’s why we need the EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection – to focus attention on steps to reduce asthma triggers. We thank Rep. Nadler for introducing this legislation to make this office permanent and ensure the health concerns of children are at the forefront of the EPA’s work.”

    “There are big gaps in our understanding of the long-term health outcomes resulting from exposure to the great number of toxins we’ve dumped into the environment over the last 50+ years,” said Sydney R. Sewall, MD, MPH, Pediatrician and President of Physicians for Social Responsibility (Maine Chapter). “We do know that children are at greatest risk, and more EPA policies need to be directed at reducing this risk.”

    “Children, and especially Black and Brown children, are uniquely vulnerable to the adverse health impacts  – both physical and mental – of air pollution, extreme weather and environmental injustice,” said Almeta Cooper, National Manager for Health Equity of the Moms Clean Air Force. “Moms Clean Air Force is proud to endorse this legislation, which makes children’s health a permanent factor in EPA decision-making.”

    “Children are disproportionately impacted by their environment because their bodies are still developing,” said Dr. David Dyjack, CEO of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). “They are particularly vulnerable to air pollution, hazardous chemicals and contaminated water. This bill will help to ensure that EPA maintains an Office of Childrens’ Health Protection to ensure better health and a better future for our children.”

    “Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) commends Representative Nadler for safeguarding the health of children by introducing legislation to make the EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection and the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee permanent fixtures,” said Paige Knappenberger, Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility’s Environment and Health Program. “As physicians, PSR members know that children have unique vulnerabilities to environmental harms like climate change and air pollution and deserve special protections from these harms so they can have safe places to grow, play and learn.”

    “Pediatric nurse practitioners and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) deal every day with the harmful effects of environmental threats to the health of our nation’s children and adolescents,” said Dr. Daniel Crawford, President of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP). “The Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Children’s Health Protection and the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee play critically important roles in recognizing that children are often more likely to be at greater risk from environmental hazards than adults and that evidence-based federal policies eliminate or reduce those threats. NAPNAP applauds Congressman Nadler’s effort to permanently establish these important offices.”

    “The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments enthusiastically endorses Rep. Nadler’s bill introduced this week, the “Children’s Health Protection Act of 2024”, said Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN, Executive Director of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. “This bill aims to make the EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection (OCHP) and the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee permanent. Established in 1997, OCHP is the only office within EPA dedicated to the health of children and as such, it safeguards our children from potential environmental harms to their health. We strongly urge members of Congress to support this bill to avoid any possibility of future administrations dismantling of this crucial office.”

    “Since their inception in 1997, the EPA’s Children’s Health Protection Office (the Office) and the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee (the Committee) have been key in increasing the environmental health literacy in our country,” said the Rachel Carson Council. “Tasked with research, rulemaking, policymaking, and enforcement, the Office addresses chemical management, community programs, and more to tackle threats to prenatal and childhood environmental threats. The Committee has played an instrumental role in advising the EPA Administrator on the priorities of the Office. While the Office and Committee have been revitalized by the Biden-Harris Administration over the last four years, hostile administrations have attempted to de-staff and even dismantle these pillars of environmental justice for children, and they are susceptible to the same threats in the event of a less amenable administration taking office in the future. The Children’s Health Protection Act of 2024 will prove crucial in shielding children from the environmental harms that could affect millions across the United States. If passed, this bill would permanently establish both the Office and the Committee within the EPA, so that prenatal and childhood environmental harm reduction is a fortified, standing priority in the Agency. We applaud Representative Nadler’s recognition of the need to enshrine the work of the Office and the Committee into law so that some of the most vulnerable members of our society, children, will indefinitely enjoy protections from environmental harm.”

    ###

    The Children’s Health Protection Act of 2024 is endorsed by a wide range of health advocacy groups and environmental justice organizations, including: Allergy & Asthma Network, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, American Lung Association, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, California Brain Tumor Association, Children’s Environmental Health Network, Children’s Environmental Health Network, Climate Psychiatry Alliance, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, Health Care Without Harm, International Society for Environmental Epidemiology: North America Chapter, Medical Students for a Sustainable Future, Moms Clean Air Force, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Center for Healthy Housing, National Environmental Health Association, Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Physicians for Social Responsibility – Maine, Physicians for Social Responsibility – Texas, Physicians for Social Responsibility of Pennsylvania, Prevention Institute, Rachel Carson Council, Rachel’s Network, San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility, Sears-Swetland Family Foundation, Society for Public Health Education, Toxics Information Project (TIP), and 350 Bay Area Action.

    WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:

    “It is very fitting that on Children’s Environmental Health Day, a day of action for and with our youth, Representative Nadler is introducing The Children’s Protection Act,” said Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network. “This Act would mandate that all aspects of a child’s well-being – health, education, safety, family and community unity, economic security and mobility, development, and identity – are foundational in developing new regulations that impact children in the United States and around the world. We have never seen an intention like this comprehensive approach to protecting all children, especially the most marginalized. It is critical and urgent for policy leaders to take a strong stand for the health and safety of children today and for generations to come.”

    “Children are the brightest part about our future,” said Deb Brown, Chief Mission Officer of the American Lung Association. “That’s why it’s critical to do everything we can to protect them. With lungs and other organs that are still developing, children are more vulnerable to the health harms from air pollution. Ensuring there will continue to be an office and a team dedicated to protecting the health of children from environmental hazards is a small step that will reap large benefits for our future.”

    “Nearly 5 million children in the United States have asthma, and asthma causes more missed school days than any other chronic disease,” said Kenneth Mendez, President and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). “Environmental factors such as poor indoor air quality and outdoor air pollution play a role in making asthma symptoms worse. That’s why we need the EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection – to focus attention on steps to reduce asthma triggers. We thank Rep. Nadler for introducing this legislation to make this office permanent and ensure the health concerns of children are at the forefront of the EPA’s work.”

    “There are big gaps in our understanding of the long-term health outcomes resulting from exposure to the great number of toxins we’ve dumped into the environment over the last 50+ years,” said Sydney R. Sewall, MD, MPH, Pediatrician and President of Physicians for Social Responsibility (Maine Chapter). “We do know that children are at greatest risk, and more EPA policies need to be directed at reducing this risk.”

    “Children, and especially Black and Brown children, are uniquely vulnerable to the adverse health impacts  – both physical and mental – of air pollution, extreme weather and environmental injustice,” said Almeta Cooper, National Manager for Health Equity of the Moms Clean Air Force. “Moms Clean Air Force is proud to endorse this legislation, which makes children’s health a permanent factor in EPA decision-making.”

    “Children are disproportionately impacted by their environment because their bodies are still developing,” said Dr. David Dyjack, CEO of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). “They are particularly vulnerable to air pollution, hazardous chemicals and contaminated water. This bill will help to ensure that EPA maintains an Office of Childrens’ Health Protection to ensure better health and a better future for our children.”

    “Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) commends Representative Nadler for safeguarding the health of children by introducing legislation to make the EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection and the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee permanent fixtures,” said Paige Knappenberger, Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility’s Environment and Health Program. “As physicians, PSR members know that children have unique vulnerabilities to environmental harms like climate change and air pollution and deserve special protections from these harms so they can have safe places to grow, play and learn.”

    “Pediatric nurse practitioners and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) deal every day with the harmful effects of environmental threats to the health of our nation’s children and adolescents,” said Dr. Daniel Crawford, President of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP). “The Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Children’s Health Protection and the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee play critically important roles in recognizing that children are often more likely to be at greater risk from environmental hazards than adults and that evidence-based federal policies eliminate or reduce those threats. NAPNAP applauds Congressman Nadler’s effort to permanently establish these important offices.”

    “The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments enthusiastically endorses Rep. Nadler’s bill introduced this week, the “Children’s Health Protection Act of 2024”, said Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN, Executive Director of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. “This bill aims to make the EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection (OCHP) and the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee permanent. Established in 1997, OCHP is the only office within EPA dedicated to the health of children and as such, it safeguards our children from potential environmental harms to their health. We strongly urge members of Congress to support this bill to avoid any possibility of future administrations dismantling of this crucial office.”

    “Since their inception in 1997, the EPA’s Children’s Health Protection Office (the Office) and the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee (the Committee) have been key in increasing the environmental health literacy in our country,” said the Rachel Carson Council. “Tasked with research, rulemaking, policymaking, and enforcement, the Office addresses chemical management, community programs, and more to tackle threats to prenatal and childhood environmental threats. The Committee has played an instrumental role in advising the EPA Administrator on the priorities of the Office. While the Office and Committee have been revitalized by the Biden-Harris Administration over the last four years, hostile administrations have attempted to de-staff and even dismantle these pillars of environmental justice for children, and they are susceptible to the same threats in the event of a less amenable administration taking office in the future. The Children’s Health Protection Act of 2024 will prove crucial in shielding children from the environmental harms that could affect millions across the United States. If passed, this bill would permanently establish both the Office and the Committee within the EPA, so that prenatal and childhood environmental harm reduction is a fortified, standing priority in the Agency. We applaud Representative Nadler’s recognition of the need to enshrine the work of the Office and the Committee into law so that some of the most vulnerable members of our society, children, will indefinitely enjoy protections from environmental harm.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson on the Ground in Storm Damaged Western North Carolina

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    Asheville, NC — Today, Speaker Johnson joined Representative Chuck Edwards (NC-11) and Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Ted Budd (R-NC) in Western North Carolina to meet with first responders and families impacted by Hurricane Helene, which devastated communities in the Southeast last week. The delegation received multiple on-the-ground tours of the hurricane damage, and afterwards gave remarks to assembled local media.

    “I think it’s important for the Speaker of the House to come,” Speaker Johnson said to reporters. “It’s symbolic to show that it’s the whole of Congress that has our eyes and our attention, our prayers on the community here and those who are affected. We want them to know they will not be forgotten and that we will get recovery dollars to these communities as is needed.”

    “Before we left Congress two Wednesdays ago — we’re on day 13 post-storm here — but the day before Helene made landfall, Congress passed an appropriations, a continuing resolution to fund the government, and we included $20 billion to go to FEMA so that they would have what was necessary for the emergent needs, the urgent needs that followed the hurricane,” Speaker Johnson continued.

    “We supplied FEMA with the resources that it needed to respond directly,” Speaker Johnson concluded. “As of Monday, only 1% of those funds had actually been distributed. There’s concern that the federal response was too slow, and that needs to be addressed. But FEMA and the administration have the resources necessary right now to address the immediate needs.”

    “What happens next after a storm like this is that the states then do their individual assessments and calculations of the damages and then they submit that need to the federal government. Then Congress acts. So as soon as those calculations are prepared, Congress will act in a bipartisan fashion to supply what is needed to help these communities recover, the appropriate amount that the federal government should do.”

    Below are Speaker Johnson’s full remarks: 

    Well, we want to thank you all for being here. We took what really was a heart-breaking tour of the disaster area here. Helene did real damage across six states. Of course, over the last week or so, I’ve been in Georgia to see some of the devastation there. I went to Florida on the coast where the hurricane made landfall and devastated communities there. 

    But I think some of the worst devastation is probably right here in North Carolina, and that may be surprising to people. We don’t think of North Carolina and the mountains here in terms of hurricanes and floods normally, but this probably has been what they refer to as a thousand-year event. It’s devastating, and it’s heartbreaking to see the families, the small business owners, just the communities that are quite literally digging out from debris and all the terrible things that have been left behind the floods. 

    We went to Swannanoa and to Biltmore Village, and we’ve seen some of the most disaster I’ve seen in my life, and that’s saying a lot. 

    I’m from Louisiana where we know hurricanes, we know disasters of this magnitude. Katrina was almost 20 years ago. We’re still recovering in some ways from that in South Louisiana. So, we know these situations well, but it’s hard to see. What is encouraging is the spirit of the people. And we were at the First Baptist Church in Swannanoa there, and it’s become sort of a hub of a community activity where people and organizations and volunteers from all over the nation have come in to lend supplies and support and diapers and baby formula and medicine. 

    They set up what is effectively a makeshift hospital in the parking lot, and they have done such extraordinary work of serving and reaching people up into the hills and the mountains who were unreachable because bridges and roadways have been washed out. Some of the estimates we heard today that there may be as many as 615 roads and major thoroughfares in the state in western North Carolina that are severely damaged, and many will need to be rebuilt and replaced.

    You have bridges out all over the place. You’ve seen the devastation here in Biltmore Village where we are today. Historic levels of flooding and up to 20 feet in some places in these buildings and it will take a long, long time to recover. But the people are very resilient, and they remind us of what is best about America. And that’s the encouraging thing. 

    I came here, we wanted to be here to let them know that not only do they have extraordinary leadership in Congress, Congressman Chuck Edwards here and the Senators Ted Budd and Thom Tillis, also you have Virginia Foxx and Richard Hudson and Patrick McHenry, everyone who has anything to do with Western North Carolina has had all hands on deck working to serve the needs of their constituents and to be on the ground and deeply involved in what’s happening here. 

    But I think it’s important for the Speaker of the House to come as well. It’s symbolic to show that it’s the whole of Congress that has our eyes and our attention, our prayers on the community here and those who are affected. We want them to know they will not be forgotten and that we will get recovery dollars to these communities as is needed. 

    I want to point out that before we left Congress two Wednesdays ago, we’re on day 13 post-storm here, but the day before Helene made landfall, Congress passed an appropriations, a continuing resolution to fund the government, and we included $20 billion to go to FEMA so that they would have what was necessary for the emergent needs, the urgent needs that followed the hurricane. We knew that it would be a large one. Of course, we saw it. We had more than a week’s notice that that would happen. 

    And so, we supplied FEMA with the resources that it needed to respond directly. When I last checked, as of Monday, only 1% of those funds had actually been distributed. There’s concern that the federal response was a little too slow, and that needs to be addressed. But FEMA and the administration have the resources necessary right now to address the immediate needs. 

    What happens next after a storm like this is that the states then do their individual assessments and calculations of the damages and then they submit that need to the federal government. Then Congress acts. So as soon as those calculations are prepared, Congress will act in a bipartisan fashion to supply what is needed to help these communities recover, the appropriate amount that the federal government should do. 

    But it will take some time, sadly and unfortunately, for those calculations to be made. In the meantime, again, literally billions of dollars are sitting in accounts at FEMA with the administration to address the immediate needs. So, we’re hopeful that that can be done. I’ll just say this, and I want to yield to my colleagues here to say a word here to give the local perspective. 

    I want to tell you that one of the encouraging things is to see these valiant, heroic first responders, to see volunteers from churches and private organizations. Samaritan’s Purse has been on the ground, of course. Mercury One, there’s all these outside organizations. We saw the Red Cross here. There’s a lot of really good people, a lot of great Americans doing a lot of important work here. We saw people hugging one another and just leaning on one another and that’s what reminds you about what’s great about our country. We do this better than anybody. The private sector, neighbors, communities are the best in sticking together at a time like this. I was heartened to see state police troopers from Louisiana, my home state, who are here and those friends, they know hurricanes and disaster recovery really well. But there’s law enforcement from all around the country. There’s over a thousand troops deployed right now out of Fort Liberty and out of Kentucky that are out here in the mountains and doing what they do, recovery and rescue and removal of debris and anything that’s needed. So, we’ve seen the best of America. That’s what’s encouraging. We will rebuild, and better days are ahead.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Rebuilding after the fire: Government of Canada announces rent relief for Jasper National Park lessees and licensees

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Up to $15.2 million in rent relief for affected businesses and the Municipality of Jasper allowing them to redirect financial resources towards recovery and rebuilding efforts.

    Up to $15.2 million in rent relief for affected businesses and the Municipality of Jasper allowing them to redirect financial resources towards recovery and rebuilding efforts

    October 10, 2024                           Jasper, Alberta                              Parks Canada

    Residents and local business owners of Jasper are doing their best to get back on their feet in the face of the devasting impacts from the wildfire that went through Jasper in July 2024. The Government of Canada is working hard to help the community rebuild after the fire to restart economic activity and deal with the costs they face.

    Today, in his new role as Ministerial Lead to Jasper, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages and Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced rent relief for Parks Canada administered leases and licences in Jasper National Park. This rent forgiveness of up to $15.2 million provides financial relief to business owners, tenants and residents impacted by the wildfire.

    The Government of Canada, through Parks Canada, along with the Government of Alberta and the Municipality of Jasper, have been coordinating efforts from the initial incident response to the subsequent recovery and rebuilding efforts in Jasper. In early August, Parks Canada announced a pause to all rent collection from lessees and licensees in Jasper and began working towards providing more formal rent relief measures. While most leases and licences within the Town of Jasper have a nominal annual rent, with no money formally exchanged with Parks Canada, this rent relief will be of significant benefit to the Municipality of Jasper and lessees and licensees outside of the townsite allowing them to redirect resources towards recovery or rebuilding efforts, rather than on immediate financial obligations. In parallel, Parks Canada jointly with the Municipality of Jasper are working to ensure efficient processes that will lessen the burdens and stresses related to the loss of residential homes and commercial businesses.

    Rent relief is another important step in delivering on the Government of Canada’s commitment to support the community and local businesses in the National Park as they rebuild over the coming years. In mid-September, the Government introduced new legislation to enable the transfer of land use planning and development authorities to the Municipality of Jasper, aimed at giving the town, businesses and residents greater control to shape the future of Jasper, in partnership with Parks Canada.

                                                                                                             -30-

    Oliver Anderson
    Director of Communications      
    Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
    819-962-0686
    oIiver.anderson@ec.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Rebuilding after the fire: Reopening attractions to welcome visitors for the winter season

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Reopenings support businesses and residents whose livelihoods rely directly and indirectly on hosting and guiding visitors to Jasper National Park.

    Reopenings support businesses and residents whose livelihoods rely directly and indirectly on hosting and guiding visitors to Jasper National Park.

    October 10, 2024                          Jasper National Park, Alberta              Parks Canada

     

    This week, some of the most visited places in Jasper National Park are reopening! Visitor experiences that have reopened since the Jasper Wildfire Complex required closing the entire park include: Miette Hot Springs, the Columbia Icefields, Sunwapta Falls, Pyramid Lake, Athabasca Falls, Old Fort Point and Lake Annette.

    Today, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, as Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages and in a newly appointed role as Ministerial Lead to Jasper, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced fall and winter backcountry camping availability, an update on winter activities expected in Jasper, and the reopening of Maligne Road on Friday, October 11, 2024. The Parks Canada Reservation System will have select backcountry sites available to book on October 10, 2024 at 14:00 p.m. MST.

    The economy of Jasper depends on visitors and the Government of Canada is committed to welcoming tourists to Jasper National Park following the Jasper Wildfire Complex. As one of the hardest hit areas during the wildfire, Maligne Road is a significant reopening—in addition to all the incredible work to open many other popular areas. Parks Canada will continue to reopen areas of Jasper National Park as soon as it is safe to do so.

    The reopening of the major visitor experience areas within Jasper National Park ensures that Jasper residents, Canadians and international visitors alike can make plans to enjoy this iconic winter destination. Winter activities this year in Jasper will include many of the beloved experiences the park is known for, including winter events and outdoor recreation experiences like cross-country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, skating, and flat-packed trails for walking and fat biking.

    Visitors are encouraged to plan their trip in advance.  Jasper National Park has launched an interactive map of what’s open to simplify trip planning. While in Jasper, visitors can stop by the Jasper National Park Visitor Information Centre in the heart of downtown for advice and recommendations on making the most of their of their Parks Canada experience.

                                                                                                           -30-

    Oliver Anderson
    Director of Communications      
    Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
    819-962-0686
    oIiver.anderson@ec.gc.ca

    Alice Hansen
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, and Ministerial Lead for Jasper
    Alice.hansen@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Vice President Harris Travels to Georgia and North Carolina in the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    While traveling to Georgia and North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Vice President Harris reaffirmed that she, President Biden, and the entire Biden-Harris Administration will be with the southeast as they rebuild and recover.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azroswL1xP8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Adds More Counties to Florida Disaster Declaration  

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today the addition of seven primary counties and ten adjacent counties to the disaster declaration for Hurricane Helene that began on Sept. 23, giving more businesses and residents eligibility to apply for SBA’s low-interest disaster loan program.  

    The declaration covers Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Franklin, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Putnam, Sarasota, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Wakulla counties which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Bay, Broward, Calhoun, Clay, DeSoto, Flagler, Gadsden, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Liberty, Marion, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Polk, St. Johns, Sumter, Volusia in Florida; Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Echols, Grady, Lowndes, Thomas and Ware in Georgia. 

    Disaster survivors should not wait to settle with their insurance company before applying for a disaster loan. If a survivor does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, SBA can make a low-interest disaster loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay the loan. 

    Businesses and private nonprofit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.   

    For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage. 

    Disaster loans up to $500,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $100,000 to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed personal property. 

    Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.25% for nonprofit organizations, and 2.813% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and monthly payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the initial disbursement. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition. 

    Building back smarter and stronger can be an effective recovery tool for future disasters. Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may include a safe room or storm shelter, sump pump, French drain or retaining wall to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.  

    “SBA’s disaster loan program offers an important advantage–the chance to incorporate measures that can reduce the risk of future damage,” said Sánchez. “Work with contractors and mitigation professionals to strengthen your property and take advantage of the opportunity to request additional SBA disaster loan funds for these proactive improvements.” 

    With the changes to FEMA’s Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and the SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover.  FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for your long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster condition.  Do not wait on the decision for a FEMA grant; apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster.  

    Applicants may also call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Nov. 27, 2024. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 30, 2025.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration 

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.sba.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Extends Renewal Period for Flood Insurance Policyholders in Seven States Affected by Helene

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA Extends Renewal Period for Flood Insurance Policyholders in Seven States Affected by Helene

    FEMA Extends Renewal Period for Flood Insurance Policyholders in Seven States Affected by Helene

    Flood insurance policyholders can receive advance payments to receive up to $20,000 for their recovery 

    WASHINGTON – FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program is taking immediate actions to help policyholders throughout the seven states recently affected by Helene. 

    While renewal dates have passed for some National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in states affected by Helene may be able to take steps that will renew their policy and receive immediate help. 

    Policyholders who received flood damage from Helene should be sure to ask their insurance agent or company about advance claims payments to help start their recovery. Advance payments may be available of up to $20,000 prior to a visit from an adjuster.

    Certain policyholders in seven states impacted by Helene now have a limited opportunity to renew their policies without a consequence of a lapse in coverage. Policyholders in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia who had flood damage now have until Nov. 26, 2024, to renew their policies, an increase from the standard 30-day renewal grace period.

    “I am deeply committed to helping our policyholders prioritize financial resources to help speed their recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s destruction,” said Jeff Jackson, the interim Senior Executive of the program. “By extending the grace period for renewing policies, we are giving our policyholders some breathing room and demonstrating that the National Flood Insurance Program stands with them at time of tremendous heartache and difficulty.”

    The extension applies to policies with policy expiration dates beginning Aug. 28, 2024, as follows: 

    If the policy term ended on: The grace period would have ended: But now runs until:
    Aug. 28, 2024 Sept. 26, 2024 Nov. 26, 2024
    Sept. 26, 2024 Oct. 25, 2024 Nov. 26, 2024
    Oct. 15, 2024 Nov. 13, 2024 Nov. 26, 2024
    Nov. 1, 2024 Nov. 30, 2024 Nov. 30, 2024
    Nov. 15, 2024 Dec. 14, 2024 Dec. 14, 2024

    Policyholders whose policy renewal date is within this range should contact their agent or insurance company.

    For example, if the original policy expiration date was Aug. 28, 2024, the policy may be renewed on or before Nov. 26, 2024. Holders of active policies can file claims for damage received from Helene if premium is paid. 

    Other Actions to Help Policyholders

    The program has extended the proof of loss requirement for policyholders who suffered flood damage from Hurricane Helene from the standard 60 days to 120 days from the date of loss.

    FEMA also authorized its Write Your Own insurance company partners and the direct to pay claims based on the adjuster’s report without requiring policyholders to sign a proof of loss. When a policyholder seeks additional payment for any reason or disagrees with the adjuster report, they may still submit a signed proof of loss to the insurer along with supporting documentation, such as a contractor’s estimate, bills, receipts, photographs and other related documents. 

    Anyone affected by Helene who has a National Flood Insurance Program flood insurance policy and has suffered flood damage should begin filing their claim now. Evacuated policyholders can still start their claim and provide specifics later once local officials say it’s safe to return home.

    Policyholders who wish to take advantage of the grace period should contact their agent or insurance company. Those who don’t have their insurance agent or company’s contact information should call 877-336-2627 for assistance.

    To learn more about how to file a flood insurance claim visit floodsmart.gov.

    amy.ashbridge

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disaster Recovery Center in Tazewell, Va. will Open on Oct. 11

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Disaster Recovery Center in Tazewell, Va. will Open on Oct. 11

    Disaster Recovery Center in Tazewell, Va. will Open on Oct. 11

    BRISTOL, Va.– A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will be opening in Tazewell County at the County Administration Building at 197 Main Street in Tazewell, Va. Friday, Oct. 11, at 8 a.m. 

    The center is located at:

    Tazewell County  

    County Administration Building 

    197 Main Street 

    Tazewell, VA 24651

    Hours of operation:

    Monday – Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

    Closed Sundays

    Disaster survivors can visit any DRC to receive assistance. Additional DRCs will be opening in the coming weeks throughout southwest Virginia.

    Survivors do not have to visit a DRC to register with FEMA. You can call 800-621-FEMA (3362). The toll-free telephone line operates seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. You can also register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or through the FEMA App on your phone.

    The deadline to apply for FEMA disaster assistance is Dec. 2, 2024.

    If you have received a letter from FEMA about your application status, visit a DRC to learn more about next steps. DRC staff can help you submit additional information or supporting documentation for FEMA to continue to process your application and answer any questions you may have.

    FEMA staff member at a Disaster Recovery Center in Damascus, Va. assists a survivor on Oct. 7, 2024 (FEMA photo by Nicholas Monteleone)

    FEMA has set up a rumor response webpage to clarify our role in the Helene response. Visit Hurricane Helene: Rumor Response.

    For more information on Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit vaemergency.gov, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Facebook page , fema.gov/disaster/4831 and facebook.com/FEMA.  

    ###

    FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Follow us on X at x.com/FEMAregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3. 

    To apply for FEMA assistance, please call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362, visit https://www.disasterassistance.gov/, or download and apply on the FEMA App. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages). Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status.

    connor.dacey

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: AMD Launches 5th Gen AMD EPYC CPUs, Maintaining Leadership Performance and Features for the Modern Data Center

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    — New EPYC processors deliver record breaking performance and efficiency for a wide range of data center workloads —

    — AMD EPYC CPUs continue momentum, with more than 950 AMD EPYC-powered public instances available globally and more than 350 platforms from OxMs —

    SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today announced the availability of the 5th Gen AMD EPYC™ processors, formerly codenamed “Turin,” the world’s best server CPU for enterprise, AI and cloud1.

    Using the “Zen 5” core architecture, compatible with the broadly deployed SP5 platform2 and offering a broad range of core counts spanning from 8 to 192, the AMD EPYC 9005 Series processors extend the record-breaking performance3 and energy efficiency of the previous generations with the top of stack 192 core CPU delivering up to 2.7X the performance4 compared to the competition.

    New to the AMD EPYC 9005 Series CPUs is the 64 core AMD EPYC 9575F, tailor made for GPU powered AI solutions that need the ultimate in host CPU capabilities. Boosting up to 5GHz5, compared to the 3.8GHz processor of the competition, it provides up to 28% faster processing needed to keep GPUs fed with data for demanding AI workloads.

    “From powering the world’s fastest supercomputers, to leading enterprises, to the largest Hyperscalers, AMD has earned the trust of customers who value demonstrated performance, innovation and energy efficiency,” said Dan McNamara, senior vice president and general manager, server business, AMD. “With five generations of on-time roadmap execution, AMD has proven it can meet the needs of the data center market and give customers the standard for data center performance, efficiency, solutions and capabilities for cloud, enterprise and AI workloads.”

    The World’s Best CPU for Enterprise, AI and Cloud Workloads

    Modern data centers run a variety of workloads, from supporting corporate AI-enablement initiatives, to powering large-scale cloud-based infrastructures to hosting the most demanding business-critical applications. The new 5th Gen AMD EPYC processors provide leading performance and capabilities for the broad spectrum of server workloads driving business IT today.

    The new “Zen 5” core architecture, provides up to 17% better instructions per clock (IPC) for enterprise and cloud workloads and up to 37% higher IPC in AI and high performance computing (HPC) compared to “Zen 4.”6

    With AMD EPYC 9965 processor-based servers, customers can expect significant impact in their real world applications and workloads compared to the Intel Xeon® 8592+ CPU-based servers, with:

    • Up to 4X faster time to results on business applications such as video transcoding.7
    • Up to 3.9X the time to insights for science and HPC applications that solve the world’s most challenging problems.8
    • Up to 1.6X the performance per core in virtualized infrastructure.9

    In addition to leadership performance and efficiency in general purpose workloads, 5th Gen AMD EPYC processors enable customers to drive fast time to insights and deployments for AI deployments, whether they are running a CPU or a CPU + GPU solution.

    Compared to the competition:

    • The 192 core EPYC 9965 CPU has up to 3.7X the performance on end-to-end AI workloads, like TPCx-AI (derivative), which are critical for driving an efficient approach to generative AI.10
    • In small and medium size enterprise-class generative AI models, like Meta’s Llama 3.1-8B, the EPYC 9965 provides 1.9X the throughput performance compared to the competition.11
    • Finally, the purpose built AI host node CPU, the EPYC 9575F, can use its 5GHz max frequency boost to help a 1,000 node AI cluster drive up to 700,000 more inference tokens per second. Accomplishing more, faster.12

    By modernizing to a data center powered by these new processors to achieve 391,000 units of SPECrate®2017_int_base general purpose computing performance, customers receive impressive performance for various workloads, while gaining the ability to use an estimated 71% less power and ~87% fewer servers13. This gives CIOs the flexibility to either benefit from the space and power savings or add performance for day-to-day IT tasks while delivering impressive AI performance.

    AMD EPYC CPUs – Driving Next Wave of Innovation
    The proven performance and deep ecosystem support across partners and customers have driven widespread adoption of EPYC CPUs to power the most demanding computing tasks. With leading performance, features and density, AMD EPYC CPUs help customers drive value in their data centers and IT environments quickly and efficiently.

    5thGen AMD EPYC Features
    The entire lineup of 5th Gen AMD EPYC processors is available today, with support from Cisco, Dell, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Lenovo and Supermicro as well as all major ODMs and cloud service providers providing a simple upgrade path for organizations seeking compute and AI leadership.

    High level features of the AMD EPYC 9005 series CPUs include:

    • Leadership core count options from 8 to 192, per CPU
    • “Zen 5” and “Zen 5c” core architectures
    • 12 channels of DDR5 memory per CPU
    • Support for up to DDR5-6400 MT/s14
    • Leadership boost frequencies up to 5GHz5
    • AVX-512 with the full 512b data path
    • Trusted I/O for Confidential Computing, and FIPS certification in process for every part in the series
    Model
    (AMD EPYC)    		 Cores CCD
    (Zen5/Zen5c)    		 Base/Boost5
    (up to GHz)    		 Default
    TDP (W)    		 L3 Cache
    (MB)    		 Price
    (1 KU, USD)
    9965 192 cores “Zen5c” 2.25 / 3.7 500W 384 $14,813
    9845 160 cores “Zen5c” 2.1 / 3.7 390W 320 $13,564
    9825 144 cores “Zen5c” 2.2 / 3.7 390W 384 $13,006
    9755
    9745    		 128 cores “Zen5”
    “Zen5c”    		 2.7 / 4.1
    2.4 / 3.7    		 500W
    400W    		 512
    256    		 $12,984
    $12,141
    9655
    9655P
    9645    		 96 cores “Zen5”
    “Zen5”
    “Zen5c”    		 2.6 / 4.5
    2.6 / 4.5
    2.3 / 3.7    		 400W
    400W
    320W    		 384
    384
    384    		 $11,852
    $10,811
    $11,048
    9565 72 cores “Zen5” 3.15 / 4.3 400W 384 $10,486
    9575F
    9555
    9555P
    9535    		 64 cores “Zen5”
    “Zen5”
    “Zen5”
    “Zen5”    		 3.3 / 5.0
    3.2 / 4.4
    3.2 / 4.4
    2.4 / 4.3    		 400W
    360W
    360W
    300W    		 256
    256
    256
    256    		 $11,791
    $9,826
    $7,983
    $8,992
    9475F
    9455
    9455P    		 48 cores “Zen5”
    “Zen5”
    “Zen5”    		 3.65 / 4.8
    3.15 / 4.4
    3.15 / 4.4    		 400W
    300W
    300W    		 256
    192
    192    		 $7,592
    $5,412
    $4,819
    9365 36 cores “Zen5” 3.4 / 4.3 300W 256 $4,341
    9375F
    9355
    9355P
    9335    		 32 cores “Zen5”
    “Zen5”
    “Zen5”
    “Zen5”    		 3.8 / 4.8
    3.55 / 4.4
    3.55 / 4.4
    3.0 / 4.4    		 320W
    280W
    280W
    210W    		 256
    256
    256
    256    		 $5,306
    $3,694
    $2,998
    $3,178
    9275F
    9255    		 24 cores “Zen5”
    “Zen5”    		 4.1 / 4.8
    3.25 / 4.3    		 320W
    200W    		 256
    128    		 $3,439
    $2,495
    9175F
    9135
    9115    		 16 cores “Zen5”
    “Zen5”
    “Zen5”    		 4.2 / 5.0
    3.65 / 4.3
    2.6 / 4.1    		 320W
    200W
    125W    		 512
    64
    64    		 $4,256
    $1,214
    $726
    9015 8 cores “Zen5” 3.6 / 4.1 125W 64 $527

    Supporting Resources

    About AMD
    For more than 50 years AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics, and visualization technologies. Billions of people, leading Fortune 500 businesses, and cutting-edge scientific research institutions around the world rely on AMD technology daily to improve how they live, work, and play. AMD employees are focused on building leadership high-performance and adaptive products that push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information about how AMD is enabling today and inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) website, blog, LinkedIn and X pages.

    Cautionary Statement
    This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) such as the features, functionality, performance, availability, timing and expected benefits of AMD products including AMD EPYC™ processors, which are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are commonly identified by words such as “would,” “may,” “expects,” “believes,” “plans,” “intends,” “projects” and other terms with similar meaning. Investors are cautioned that the forward-looking statements in this press release are based on current beliefs, assumptions and expectations, speak only as of the date of this press release and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. Such statements are subject to certain known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond AMD’s control, that could cause actual results and other future events to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. Material factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, without limitation, the following: Intel Corporation’s dominance of the microprocessor market and its aggressive business practices; Nvidia’s dominance in the graphics processing unit market and its aggressive business practices; the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry; market conditions of the industries in which AMD products are sold; loss of a significant customer; competitive markets in which AMD’s products are sold; economic and market uncertainty; quarterly and seasonal sales patterns; AMD’s ability to adequately protect its technology or other intellectual property; unfavorable currency exchange rate fluctuations; ability of third party manufacturers to manufacture AMD’s products on a timely basis in sufficient quantities and using competitive technologies; availability of essential equipment, materials, substrates or manufacturing processes; ability to achieve expected manufacturing yields for AMD’s products; AMD’s ability to introduce products on a timely basis with expected features and performance levels; AMD’s ability to generate revenue from its semi-custom SoC products; potential security vulnerabilities; potential security incidents including IT outages, data loss, data breaches and cyberattacks; uncertainties involving the ordering and shipment of AMD’s products; AMD’s reliance on third-party intellectual property to design and introduce new products; AMD’s reliance on third-party companies for design, manufacture and supply of motherboards, software, memory and other computer platform components; AMD’s reliance on Microsoft and other software vendors’ support to design and develop software to run on AMD’s products; AMD’s reliance on third-party distributors and add-in-board partners; impact of modification or interruption of AMD’s internal business processes and information systems; compatibility of AMD’s products with some or all industry-standard software and hardware; costs related to defective products; efficiency of AMD’s supply chain; AMD’s ability to rely on third party supply-chain logistics functions; AMD’s ability to effectively control sales of its products on the gray market; long-term impact of climate change on AMD’s business; impact of government actions and regulations such as export regulations, tariffs and trade protection measures; AMD’s ability to realize its deferred tax assets; potential tax liabilities; current and future claims and litigation; impact of environmental laws, conflict minerals related provisions and other laws or regulations; evolving expectations from governments, investors, customers and other stakeholders regarding corporate responsibility matters; issues related to the responsible use of AI; restrictions imposed by agreements governing AMD’s notes, the guarantees of Xilinx’s notes and the revolving credit agreement; impact of acquisitions, joint ventures and/or investments on AMD’s business and AMD’s ability to integrate acquired businesses;  impact of any impairment of the combined company’s assets; political, legal and economic risks and natural disasters; future impairments of technology license purchases; AMD’s ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; and AMD’s stock price volatility. Investors are urged to review in detail the risks and uncertainties in AMD’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to AMD’s most recent reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q.

    AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, EPYC and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

    1 EPYC-029C: Comparison based on thread density, performance, features, process technology and built-in security features of currently shipping servers as of 10/10/2024. EPYC 9005 series CPUs offer the highest thread density [EPYC-025B], leads the industry with 500+ performance world records [EPYC-023F] with performance world record enterprise leadership Java® ops/sec performance [EPYCWR-20241010-260], top HPC leadership with floating-point throughput performance [EPYCWR-2024-1010-381], AI end-to-end performance with TPCx-AI performance [EPYCWR-2024-1010-525] and highest energy efficiency scores [EPYCWR-20241010-326]. The 5th Gen EPYC series also has 50% more DDR5 memory channels [EPYC-033C] with 70% more memory bandwidth [EPYC-032C] and supports 70% more PCIe® Gen5 lanes for I/O throughput [EPYC-035C], has up to 5x the L3 cache/core [EPYC-043C] for faster data access, uses advanced 3-4nm technology, and offers Secure Memory Encryption + Secure Encrypted Virtualization (SEV) + SEV Encrypted State + SEV-Secure Nested Paging security features. See the AMD EPYC Architecture White Paper (https://library.amd.com/l/3f4587d147382e2/) for more information.

    2 AMD EPYC™ 9005 processors utilize the SP5 socket. Many factors determine system compatibility. Check with your server manufacturer to determine if this processor is supported in systems configured with previously launched AMD EPYC 9004 family CPUs.

    3 EPYC-022F: For a complete list of world records see: http://amd.com/worldrecords.

    4 9xx5-002C: SPECrate®2017_int_base comparison based on published scores from http://www.spec.org as of 10/10/2024.

    2P AMD EPYC 9965 (3000 SPECrate®2017_int_base, 384 Total Cores, 500W TDP, $14,813 CPU $), 6.060 SPECrate®2017_int_base/CPU W, 0.205 SPECrate®2017_int_base/CPU $, https://www.spec.org/cpu2017/results/res2024q3/cpu2017-20240923-44833.html)

    2P AMD EPYC 9755 (2720 SPECrate®2017_int_base, 256 Total Cores, 500W TDP, $12,984 CPU $), 5.440 SPECrate®2017_int_base/CPU W, 0.209 SPECrate®2017_int_base/CPU $, https://www.spec.org/cpu2017/results/res2024q4/cpu2017-20240923-44837.pdf)

    2P AMD EPYC 9754 (1950 SPECrate®2017_int_base, 256 Total Cores, 360W TDP, $11,900 CPU $), 5.417 SPECrate®2017_int_base/CPU W, 0.164 SPECrate®2017_int_base/CPU $, https://www.spec.org/cpu2017/results/res2023q2/cpu2017-20230522-36617.html)

    2P AMD EPYC 9654 (1810 SPECrate®2017_int_base, 192 Total Cores, 360W TDP, $11,805 CPU $), 5.028 SPECrate®2017_int_base/CPU W, 0.153 SPECrate®2017_int_base/CPU $, https://www.spec.org/cpu2017/results/res2024q1/cpu2017-20240129-40896.html)

    2P Intel Xeon Platinum 8592+ (1130 SPECrate®2017_int_base, 128 Total Cores, 350W TDP, $11,600 CPU $) 3.229 SPECrate®2017_int_base/CPU W, 0.097 SPECrate®2017_int_base/CPU $, http://spec.org/cpu2017/results/res2023q4/cpu2017-20231127-40064.html)

    2P Intel Xeon 6780E (1410 SPECrate®2017_int_base, 288 Total Cores, 330W TDP, $11,350 CPU $) 4.273 SPECrate®2017_int_base/CPU W, 0.124 SPECrate®2017_int_base/CPU $, https://spec.org/cpu2017/results/res2024q3/cpu2017-20240811-44406.html)

    SPEC®, SPEC CPU®, and SPECrate® are registered trademarks of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation. See http://www.spec.org for more information. Intel CPU TDP at https://ark.intel.com/.

    5 GD-150: Boost Clock Frequency is the maximum frequency achievable on the CPU running a bursty workload. Boost clock achievability, frequency, and sustainability will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to: thermal conditions and variation in applications and workloads. GD-150.

    6 9xx5-001: Based on AMD internal testing as of 9/10/2024, geomean performance improvement (IPC) at fixed-frequency.

    – 5th Gen EPYC CPU Enterprise and Cloud Server Workloads generational IPC Uplift of 1.170x (geomean) using a select set of 36 workloads and is the geomean of estimated scores for total and all subsets of SPECrate®2017_int_base (geomean ), estimated scores for total and all subsets of SPECrate®2017_fp_base (geomean), scores for Server Side Java multi instance max ops/sec, representative Cloud Server workloads (geomean), and representative Enterprise server workloads (geomean).

    “Genoa” Config (all NPS1): EPYC 9654 BIOS TQZ1005D 12c12t (1c1t/CCD in 12+1), FF 3GHz, 12x DDR5-4800 (2Rx4 64GB), 32Gbps xGMI;

    “Turin” config (all NPS1): EPYC 9V45 BIOS RVOT1000F 12c12t (1c1t/CCD in 12+1), FF 3GHz, 12x DDR5-6000 (2Rx4 64GB), 32Gbps xGMI

    Utilizing Performance Determinism and the Performance governor on Ubuntu® 22.04 w/ 6.8.0-40-generic kernel OS for all workloads.

    – 5th Gen EPYC generational ML/HPC Server Workloads IPC Uplift of 1.369x (geomean) using a select set of 24 workloads and is the geomean of representative ML Server Workloads (geomean), and representative HPC Server Workloads (geomean).

    “Genoa” Config (all NPS1) “Genoa” config: EPYC 9654 BIOS TQZ1005D 12c12t (1c1t/CCD in 12+1), FF 3GHz, 12x DDR5-4800 (2Rx4 64GB), 32Gbps xGMI;

    “Turin” config (all NPS1): EPYC 9V45 BIOS RVOT1000F 12c12t (1c1t/CCD in 12+1), FF 3GHz, 12x DDR5-6000 (2Rx4 64GB), 32Gbps xGMI

    Utilizing Performance Determinism and the Performance governor on Ubuntu 22.04 w/ 6.8.0-40-generic kernel OS for all workloads except LAMMPS, HPCG, NAMD, OpenFOAM, Gromacs which utilize 24.04 w/ 6.8.0-40-generic kernel.

    SPEC® and SPECrate® are registered trademarks for Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation. Learn more at spec.org.

    7 9xx5-006: AMD internal testing as of 09/01/2024, on FFMPEG (Raw to VP9, 1080P, 302 Frames, 1 instance/thread, video source: https://media.xiph.org/video/derf/y4m/ducks_take_off_1080p50.y4m).

    System Configurations: 2P AMD EPYC™ 9965 reference system (2 x 192C) 1.5TB 24x64GB DDR5-6400 running at 6000MT/s, SAMSUNG MZWLO3T8HCLS-00A07, NPS=4, Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS, Kernel Linux 5.15.0-119-generic, BIOS RVOT1000C (determinism enable=power), 10825484.25 Frames/Hour Median

    2P AMD EPYC™ 9654 production system (2 x 96C) 1.5TB 24x64GB DDR5-5600, , SAMSUNG MO003200KYDNC, NPS=4, Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS, Kernel Linux 5.15.0-119-generic, BIOS 1.56 (determinism enable=power) , 5154133.333 Frames/Hour Median

    2P Intel Xeon Platinum 8592+ production system (2 x 64C) 1TB 16x64GB DDR5-5600, 3.2 TB NVME, Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS, Kernel Linux 6.5.0-35-generic), BIOS ESE122V-3.10, 2712701.754 Frames/Hour Median

    For 3.99x the performance with the AMD EPYC 9965 vs Intel Xeon Platinum 8592+ systems

    For 1.90x the performance with the AMD EPYC 9654 vs Intel Xeon Platinum 8592+ systems

    Results may vary based on factors including but not limited to BIOS and OS settings and versions, software versions and data used.

    8 9xx5-022: Source: https://www.amd.com/content/dam/amd/en/documents/epyc-technical-docs/performance-briefs/amd-epyc-9005-pb-gromacs.pdf

    9 9xx5-071: VMmark® 4.0.1 host/node FC SAN comparison based on “independently published” results as of 10/10/2024.  
    Configurations:

    2 node, 2P AMD EPYC 9575F (128 total cores) powered server running VMware ESXi8.0 U3, 3.31 @ 4 tiles,
    https://www.infobellit.com/BlueBookSeries/VMmark4-FDR-1003

    2 node, 2P AMD EPYC 9554 (128 total cores) powered server running VMware ESXi 8.0 U3, 2.64 @ 3 tiles,
    https://www.infobellit.com/BlueBookSeries/VMmark4-FDR-1002

    2 node, 2P Intel Xeon Platinum 8592+ (128 total cores) powered server running VMware ESXi 8.0 U3, 2.06 @ 2.4 Tiles,
    https://www.infobellit.com/BlueBookSeries/VMmark4-FDR-1001

    VMmark is a registered trademark of VMware in the US or other countries.

    10 9xx5-012: TPCxAI @SF30 Multi-Instance 32C Instance Size throughput results based on AMD internal testing as of 09/05/2024 running multiple VM instances. The aggregate end-to-end AI throughput test is derived from the TPCx-AI benchmark and as such is not comparable to published TPCx-AI results, as the end-to-end AI throughput test results do not comply with the TPCx-AI Specification.

    2P AMD EPYC 9965 (384 Total Cores), 12 32C instances, NPS1, 1.5TB 24x64GB DDR5-6400 (at 6000 MT/s), 1DPC, 1.0 Gbps NetXtreme BCM5720 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe, 3.5 TB Samsung MZWLO3T8HCLS-00A07 NVMe®, Ubuntu® 22.04.4 LTS, 6.8.0-40-generic (tuned-adm profile throughput-performance, ulimit -l 198096812, ulimit -n 1024, ulimit -s 8192), BIOS RVOT1000C (SMT=off, Determinism=Power, Turbo Boost=Enabled)

    2P AMD EPYC 9755 (256 Total Cores), 8 32C instances, NPS1, 1.5TB 24x64GB DDR5-6400 (at 6000 MT/s), 1DPC, 1.0 Gbps NetXtreme BCM5720 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe, 3.5 TB Samsung MZWLO3T8HCLS-00A07 NVMe®, Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS, 6.8.0-40-generic (tuned-adm profile throughput-performance, ulimit -l 198096812, ulimit -n 1024, ulimit -s 8192), BIOS RVOT0090F (SMT=off, Determinism=Power, Turbo Boost=Enabled)

    2P AMD EPYC 9654 (192 Total cores) 6 32C instances, NPS1, 1.5TB 24x64GB DDR5-4800, 1DPC, 2 x 1.92 TB Samsung MZQL21T9HCJR-00A07 NVMe, Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS, BIOS 1006C (SMT=off, Determinism=Power)

    Versus 2P Xeon Platinum 8592+ (128 Total Cores), 4 32C instances, AMX On, 1TB 16x64GB DDR5-5600, 1DPC, 1.0 Gbps NetXtreme BCM5719 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe, 3.84 TB KIOXIA KCMYXRUG3T84 NVMe, , Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS, 6.5.0-35 generic (tuned-adm profile throughput-performance, ulimit -l 132065548, ulimit -n 1024, ulimit -s 8192), BIOS ESE122V (SMT=off, Determinism=Power, Turbo Boost = Enabled)

    Results:

    CPU Median Relative Generational
    Turin 192C, 12 Inst 6067.531 3.775 2.278
    Turin 128C, 8 Inst 4091.85 2.546 1.536
    Genoa 96C, 6 Inst 2663.14 1.657 1
    EMR 64C, 4 Inst 1607.417 1 NA

    Results may vary due to factors including system configurations, software versions and BIOS settings. TPC, TPC Benchmark and TPC-C are trademarks of the Transaction Processing Performance Council.

    11 9xx5-009: Llama3.1-8B throughput results based on AMD internal testing as of 09/05/2024.

    Llama3-8B configurations: IPEX.LLM 2.4.0, NPS=2, BF16, batch size 4, Use Case Input/Output token configurations: [Summary = 1024/128, Chatbot = 128/128, Translate = 1024/1024, Essay = 128/1024, Caption = 16/16].

    2P AMD EPYC 9965 (384 Total Cores), 6 64C instances 1.5TB 24x64GB DDR5-6400 (at 6000 MT/s), 1 DPC, 1.0 Gbps NetXtreme BCM5720 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe, 3.5 TB Samsung MZWLO3T8HCLS-00A07 NVMe®, Ubuntu® 22.04.3 LTS, 6.8.0-40-generic (tuned-adm profile throughput-performance, ulimit -l 198096812, ulimit -n 1024, ulimit -s 8192) , BIOS RVOT1000C, (SMT=off, Determinism=Power, Turbo Boost=Enabled), NPS=2

    2P AMD EPYC 9755 (256 Total Cores), 4 64C instances , 1.5TB 24x64GB DDR5-6400 (at 6000 MT/s), 1DPC, 1.0 Gbps NetXtreme BCM5720 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe, 3.5 TB Samsung MZWLO3T8HCLS-00A07 NVMe®, Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS, 6.8.0-40-generic (tuned-adm profile throughput-performance, ulimit -l 198096812, ulimit -n 1024, ulimit -s 8192), BIOS RVOT1000C (SMT=off, Determinism=Power, Turbo Boost=Enabled), NPS=2

    2P AMD EPYC 9654 (192 Total Cores) 4 48C instances , 1.5TB 24x64GB DDR5-4800, 1DPC, 1.0 Gbps NetXtreme BCM5720 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe, 3.5 TB Samsung MZWLO3T8HCLS-00A07 NVMe®, Ubuntu® 22.04.4 LTS, 5.15.85-051585-generic (tuned-adm profile throughput-performance, ulimit -l 1198117616, ulimit -n 500000, ulimit -s 8192), BIOS RVI1008C (SMT=off, Determinism=Power, Turbo Boost=Enabled), NPS=2

    Versus 2P Xeon Platinum 8592+ (128 Total Cores), 2 64C instances , AMX On, 1TB 16x64GB DDR5-5600, 1DPC, 1.0 Gbps NetXtreme BCM5719 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe, 3.84 TB KIOXIA KCMYXRUG3T84 NVMe®, Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS 6.5.0-35-generic (tuned-adm profile throughput-performance, ulimit -l 132065548, ulimit -n 1024, ulimit -s 8192), BIOS ESE122V (SMT=off, Determinism=Power, Turbo Boost = Enabled).
    Results:

    CPU 2P EMR 64c 2P Turin 192c 2P Turin 128c 2P Genoa 96c
    Average Aggregate Median Total Throughput 99.474 193.267 182.595 138.978
    Competitive 1 1.943 1.836 1.397
    Generational NA 1.391 1.314 1

    Results may vary due to factors including system configurations, software versions and BIOS settings.

    12 9xx5-087: As of 10/10/2024; this scenario contains several assumptions and estimates and, while based on AMD internal research and best approximations, should be considered an example for information purposes only, and not used as a basis for decision making over actual testing.

    Referencing 9XX5-056A: “2P AMD EPYC 9575F powered server and 8x AMD Instinct MI300X GPUs running Llama3.1-70B select inference workloads at FP8 precision vs 2P Intel Xeon Platinum 8592+ powered server and 8x AMD Instinct MI300X GPUs has ~8% overall throughput increase across select inference use cases” and 8763.52 tokens/s (9575F) versus 8,048.48 tokens/s (8592+) at 128 input / 2048 output tokens, 500 prompts for 1.089x the tokens/s or 715.04 more tokens/s.

    1 Node = 2 CPUs and 8 GPUs.
    Assuming a 1000 node cluster, 1000 * 715.04 = 715,040 tokens/s

    For ~700,000 more tokens/s

    Results may vary due to factors including system configurations, software versions and BIOS settings.

    13 9xx5TCO-001a: This scenario contains many assumptions and estimates and, while based on AMD internal research and best approximations, should be considered an example for information purposes only, and not used as a basis for decision making over actual testing. The AMD Server & Greenhouse Gas Emissions TCO (total cost of ownership) Estimator Tool – version 1.12, compares the selected AMD EPYC™ and Intel® Xeon® CPU based server solutions required to deliver a TOTAL_PERFORMANCE of 39100 units of SPECrate2017_int_base performance as of October 10, 2024. This scenario compares a legacy 2P Intel Xeon 28 core Platinum_8280 based server with a score of 391 versus 2P EPYC 9965 (192C) powered server with an score of 3030 (https://spec.org/cpu2017/results/res2024q3/cpu2017-20240923-44833.pdf) along with a comparison upgrade to a 2P Intel Xeon Platinum 8592+ (64C) based server with a score of 1130 (https://spec.org/cpu2017/results/res2024q3/cpu2017-20240701-43948.pdf). Actual SPECrate®2017_int_base score for 2P EPYC 9965 will vary based on OEM publications.

    Environmental impact estimates made leveraging this data, using the Country / Region specific electricity factors from the 2024 International Country Specific Electricity Factors 10 – July 2024 , and the United States Environmental Protection Agency ‘Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator’.

    For additional details, see https://www.amd.com/en/claims/epyc5#9xx5TCO-001a

    14 9xx5-083: 5th Gen EPYC processors support DDR5-6400 MT/s for targeted customers and configurations. 5th Gen production SKUs support up to DDR5-6000 MT/s to enable a broad set of DIMMs across all OEM platforms and maintain SP5 platform compatibility

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3bb614ee-e307-43a7-a36b-f5bd02ed1335

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Capgemini’s World Energy Markets Observatory annual report 2024: The Paris Agreement’s goals are no longer achievable, but net zero is still in sight with accelerated efforts

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press contact:
    Florence Lievre
    Tel.: +33 1 47 54 50 71
    Email: florence.lievre@capgemini.com

    Capgemini’s World Energy Markets Observatory annual report 2024:
    The Paris Agreement’s goals are no longer achievable, but net zero is still in sight with accelerated efforts

    • Despite impressive strides in 2023 and positive projections for 2024, the pace of renewable development isn’t fast enough
    • The critical role of nuclear energy to addressing increased clean energy demands is now recognized, but construction of new large power plants takes time and industrialization of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) is proving complex
    • Addressing the complexity of energy transition challenges will require new market mechanisms encouraging further innovation, choosing appropriate measures, and accelerated public and private investment in low carbon technologies and the power grid

    Paris, October 10, 2024 – Capgemini has published the 26thedition of its annual World Energy Markets Observatory (WEMO), created in partnership with Hogan Lovells, Vaasa ETT and Enerdata. The report takes stock of the current state of the energy transition. Despite progress being made, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are continuing to increase, reaching a new record high of 37.4 billion tonnes (Gt) in 20231, confirming that the path to the reach Paris Agreement’s objectives is not on track. The report provides insights on what the key focus areas would need to be, moving forward, to address the complex energy transition challenges, including a change in the measurement of clean energy progress, as well as accelerated investment in the power grid and clean technologies.

    James Forrest, Global Energy Transition & Utilities Industry Leader at Capgemini says: “Despite an historical spike in renewable penetration, the pace of development isn’t fast enough to close the gap. There is still much to do in the next decade to get closer to net zero by 2050 and achieve a successful energy transition: whether it be in the field of low carbon technologies, R&D efforts, nuclear or grid flexibility and storage. In addition, beyond the necessary adoption of new market mechanisms, a shift away from measuring energy based on primary consumption is needed. This measurement was relevant during past energy crises, but it is now time to adopt a more holistic approach. Moving to a final energy demand measurement would better assess clean energy progress and ensure more accurate projections.”

    Key observations from the 2024 report include:

    • There is a need to hasten the deployment of renewable energy globally, and to accelerate in developing countries, to deliver the 2030 and 2050 decarbonization goals. The total amount of final energy provided by renewable energy is likely to be limited to about 40% of global needs. In 2023, total renewable energy capacity increased by 14% year on year with a larger capacity expansion of solar (32%) than wind (13%). But, whilst 2024 is promising to hit another record, as this was the case for the 22nd previous years, this growth is far below what is needed to achieve net zero carbon in 2050. Moreover, while the renewable penetration rate increases, they are impacting grid stability and association with stationary batteries will become compulsory. According to the report, storable renewable energies development, such as biomass or geothermal energy, should be accelerated.
    • Hydrogen is now a strategic lever in the decarbonization path. The number of projects reaching final investment decision has quadrupled over the last two years. However, a refocus of applications has been observed due to the increasing costs of low-carbon hydrogen production, competition between uses, and regulations. Only certain uses in ‘Hard to Abate’ industries, such as heavy industry and maritime mobility, have strong potential.
    • Global nuclear capacity needs to triple to ensure stable, low-carbon power. COP28 has recognized the critical role of nuclear energy for reducing the effects of climate change. While there is some promising progress in nuclear renaissance, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), development of new nuclear power plants is still difficult. In 2023, 440 nuclear reactors (390 GW) provided 9% of the world’s electricity, 25% of the world’s low-carbon electricity. SMRs are in the planning or early construction stages with many years before they are deployed at scale as their industrialization can prove to be complex. According to the report, more focus needs to be placed on extending the life of existing nuclear plants.
    • The power grid plays a fundamental role to accelerate clean energy transitions. Grid investment is starting to pick up and is expected to reach USD 400 billion in 20242, with Europe, the United Sates, China and parts of Latin America leading the way. According to the report, better forecasting electricity consumption and finer optimization scenarios thanks to technologies such as AI will help to improve grid balancing.
    • Whilst AI has the potential to significantly accelerate decarbonization, a lack of skills and a focus on short-term proof of concepts is hampering adoption to date. However, AI coupled with GenAI in agentic LLM (Large Language Model) workflows3 has a clear role to play as a catalyst to improve grids efficiency, e-fuel discovery; new battery or wind turbine design; synthetic biology; and augmented insights from many data sources for better informed decision making.
      • Protectionist approaches to increasing energy sovereignty may have undesirable implications. Ongoing geopolitical uncertainties are affecting energy markets and systems. To ensure security of supply, the use of embargoes, tariffs and subsidies in almost all jurisdictions is distorting energy markets and threatens efficient allocation of capital. According to the report, embargoes are proving ineffective, and decreasing the transparency and traceability of energy supplies, which is essential to tracking decarbonization efforts. Denying access to the cheapest sources of energy equipment and energy supplies drives up prices for consumers and reduces funding available for the energy transition.
      • According to the report, ‘Primary Energy Demand’ is an outdated concept for energy transition. There is a need to move from primary to final energy consumption measurement (in kWh) to ensure accurate projections, and clean energy progress. Measuring energy based on primary consumption ignores that: for the same end-energy services, new electric services are generally more efficient; a lot of fossil fuels are wasted in the generation of electricity; energy is also wasted on finding and processing fossil fuels.

    The World Energy Markets Observatory (WEMO) is Capgemini’s annual thought leadership and research report created in partnership with Hogan Lovells, Vaasa ETT and Enerdata, that tracks the transformation of global energy markets, including Europe, North America, Australia, Southeast Asia, India, and China. Now in its 26th edition, the report has been prepared by a global team of over 100 experts, and includes 15 articles, all backed with rigorous analysis. The report begins with a global outlook, then covers the topics pivotal to the energy transition including geopolitical impacts, demand side energy transition, batteries, renewables, SMRs, Hydrogen, Industrial Heat, GenAI and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
    For more information and to get access to the report, click here

    About Capgemini
    Capgemini is a global business and technology transformation partner, helping organizations to accelerate their dual transition to a digital and sustainable world, while creating tangible impact for enterprises and society. It is a responsible and diverse group of 340,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong over 55-year heritage, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to unlock the value of technology to address the entire breadth of their business needs. It delivers end-to-end services and solutions leveraging strengths from strategy and design to engineering, all fueled by its market leading capabilities in AI, cloud and data, combined with its deep industry expertise and partner ecosystem. The Group reported 2023 global revenues of €22.5 billion.
    Get The Future You Want | http://www.capgemini.com

    1 Source: IEA- CO2 Emissions in 2023
    2 Source IEA: Electricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitions

    3 GenAI in agentic LLM (Large Language Model): iterative and collaborative model that transforms the interaction with LLMs into a series of manageable, refinable steps.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘Cajun Navy’ volunteers who participate in search-and-rescue operations after hurricanes are forming long-lasting organizations

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kyle Breen, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Texas A&M International University

    Volunteers with Savage Freedoms Relief Operation coordinates aid in Swannanoa, on Oct. 7, 2024, after Hurricane Helene severely damaged the North Carolina town. Allison Joyce/AFP via Getty Images

    The volunteers who take part in search-and-rescue operations and then support disaster survivors belong to organizations that have become more formal and established over the past decade. That’s what we found after spending more than four years volunteering alongside eight of these groups to better understand their role and the motivations of the people who participate in these efforts.

    We did this research as part of a larger team of sociologists, an urban planning scholar and emergency management specialists. All of us worked alongside civilian volunteer search-and-rescue groups from Louisiana and Texas between 2017 and 2022 during and after many hurricanes, including Harvey and Laura, the winter storm known as Uri and other major disasters.

    While we volunteered with these organizations, we observed them in action and interviewed their leaders and volunteers to learn why they were making the time and taking personal risks to save others. Many cited their personal values, expressed their need to belong to a group, and said it had helped them find a sense of purpose. Others shared that they were motivated by their personal circumstances and experiences or feelings of guilt, or that this kind of volunteering gave them a deep sense of satisfaction.

    “I lost everything I owned in Katrina. They deemed my family’s property uninhabitable,” said a boater we’ll call Dylan to protect his anonymity. “I can’t sit here after knowing what it is to lose everything.”

    Some volunteers said that one reason why they have repeatedly done this work is to counter stereotypes about people who engage in these efforts. When he’s heard people say, “Oh you’re just out there, doing it for the spotlight,” said Roger, he told us he wants to respond by saying, “Yeah, dude. If you flood, call me, I’ll come get you.”

    While the organizations we researched were based in Louisiana and Texas, the volunteers who participate in these efforts come from across the U.S. and, in some cases, other countries. One volunteer we met was from the United Kingdom.

    After Hurricane Helene destroyed roads in western North Carolina, rescue squads delivered aid by donkey and helicopter.

    Why it matters

    Since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, volunteers have been participating in search-and-rescue efforts after big disasters – especially in that region. But these volunteers come from all over.

    Many of these groups are known as “Cajun Navy” organizations. Whether or not these organizations use the Cajun Navy branding in their names they share, a common mission of helping others in emergencies.

    These volunteers aren’t just operating boats and helicopters. Others serve as dispatchers, handle logistics, and run social media operations.

    Over time, some of the organizations have begun to team up with local emergency responders, signing memorandums of understanding with them. They partner with government agencies while assisting in disaster response and relief efforts, but they primarily operate with autonomy and are able to travel where they perceive the need is greatest.

    This kind of group tends to dissolve after a disaster is over, instead of evolving into an established nonprofit.

    But many of the eight groups we studied have become nonprofits or are in the process of doing so.

    How we do our work

    We were able to do this research by becoming volunteers ourselves. We took part in dispatch operations on the ground and remotely, and we supported logistics planning. We also observed and, in some cases, participated in search-and-rescue training and operations in the water and on land.

    The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

    Kyle Breen received funding from the National Science Foundation for this research. He currently holds funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for other research projects.

    J. Carlee Purdum received funding from The National Science Foundation for this research and for other ongoing projects.

    – ref. ‘Cajun Navy’ volunteers who participate in search-and-rescue operations after hurricanes are forming long-lasting organizations – https://theconversation.com/cajun-navy-volunteers-who-participate-in-search-and-rescue-operations-after-hurricanes-are-forming-long-lasting-organizations-240769

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal Disaster Assistance for Connecticut Tops $6 Million

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Federal Disaster Assistance for Connecticut Tops $6 Million

    Federal Disaster Assistance for Connecticut Tops $6 Million

    Two weeks after President Joseph R. Biden declared a major disaster for the state of Connecticut following the August 18-19, 2024 severe storm, flooding, landslides and mudslides, more than $6 million in federal assistance has been provided by FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to support disaster recovery. 

    Homeowners and renters whose homes and property were damaged by the storm, and who still need to apply for federal assistance, have until November 19, 2024, to do so.

    As of October 8, Connecticut’s recovery assistance includes:

    • More than $5 million in FEMA’s Individual and Households Program (IHP) grants awarded to eligible homeowners and renters in three Connecticut counties. These grants help pay for uninsured and underinsured losses and storm-related damage, including:
      • More than $3.9 million in FEMA housing grants to help pay for home repair, home replacement and rental assistance for temporary housing.
      • More than $1.1 million in Other Needs Assistance grants to help pay for personal property replacement and other serious storm-related needs—such as moving and storage fees, transportation, childcare, and medical and dental expenses.
      • More than $1 million in long-term, low-interest disaster loans has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for homeowners and renters to help repair, rebuild or replace disaster-damaged physical property and to cover economic injury for businesses of all sizes and non-profit organizations.

    The three Connecticut counties designated for FEMA assistance in this disaster are: Fairfield, Litchfield, and New Haven. 

    FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams have been visiting storm-affected neighborhoods in the designated counties to help residents apply for FEMA assistance, identify and address immediate needs, and make referrals to other local, state and voluntary agencies for additional support. To date, DSA personnel have visited more than 8,803 households and 697 businesses to connect survivors with assistance.

    In addition to FEMA’s $5 Million in grants and SBA’s $1 Million in loans, the National Flood Insurance Program has also helped survivors whose homes were affected by the disaster, paying more than $2.4 million in claims to policy holders for flood damage related to the storm.

    FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) have been opened in Fairfield and New Haven counties to provide one-on-one support to survivors. At the centers, recovery specialists from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration provide information on available services, explain assistance programs, and help survivors complete or check the status of their applications for assistance. A FEMA Hazard Mitigation Community Education Outreach Specialist will also be on site to assist survivors in preparing for future incidents. No appointment is necessary to visit a Disaster Recovery Center. Walk-ins are welcome.

    The DRC in Fairfield County is located at: 

    Our Lady of Fatima Church

    229 Danbury Road 

    Wilton, CT 06897 

    The DRC in New Haven County is located at: 

    Southbury Town Hall

    501 Main Street S

    Southbury, CT 06488 

    Operating Hours: 

    Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

    Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

    Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

    Note: Open on the holiday – Monday, October 14

    To apply for FEMA assistance without visiting a center, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, download the FEMA mobile app or call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362. If you use a relay service such as video relay service, captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service when you apply.

    adrien.urbani

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States to Provide Php28M in Humanitarian Aid, Logistics Support for Super Typhoon Julian Response

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    MANILA, Philippines  –  

    In response to a request from the Philippine government, the United States government intends to provide Php28 million ($500,000) in humanitarian supplies and logistical support to communities affected by Super Typhoon Julian in Northern Luzon.

    Through this funding, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide emergency shelter and water, sanitation, and hygiene support for more than 4,000 households, or 16,000 people, in typhoon-affected areas.

    Since October 7, the U.S. Department of Defense has mobilized multiple military assets to provide logistics support to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Office of Civil Defense in transporting humanitarian supplies from Manila to Batanes.

    “My heart goes out to everyone affected by Super Typhoon Julian, especially those living in the most devastated areas, including hard-to-reach Batanes,” U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said.  “The United States is working closely with our Filipino friends, partners, and allies to provide life-saving assistance to enable those in disaster areas to recover as quickly as possible.” 

    This assistance builds on the U.S. government’s previous support to Philippine government’s disaster response efforts, such as during the massive flooding in Mindanao in February and Super Typhoon Carina in July. 

     Since 2010, the U.S. government has invested Php21.8 billion ($388 million) for disaster response, preparedness, and early recovery in the Philippines.  USAID works year-round to help communities build resilience in preparing for, and responding to, the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard prepares personnel, resources for Hurricane Milton response

    Source: United States Coast Guard

    News Release  

    U.S. Coast Guard 7th District PA Detachment Jacksonville
    Contact: Coast Guard PA Detachment Jacksonville
    Office: 904-714-7606/7607
    After Hours: 786-393-4138
    PA Detachment Jacksonville online newsroom

     

    10/09/2024 03:48 PM EDT

    MIAMI — The Coast Guard District Seven Area Command pre-staged and prepositioned personnel, aircraft, and boats in advance of Hurricane Milton expected to make landfall late Wednesday evening.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Unprecedented Response to Hurricane Helene Continues as State, Local and Federal Resources Work to Help those Impacted in Western North Carolina

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Unprecedented Response to Hurricane Helene Continues as State, Local and Federal Resources Work to Help those Impacted in Western North Carolina

    Unprecedented Response to Hurricane Helene Continues as State, Local and Federal Resources Work to Help those Impacted in Western North Carolina
    mseets

    Today, Governor Roy Cooper held a briefing with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to provide updates on North Carolina’s unprecedented response to Hurricane Helene. They were joined by Adjutant General of the North Carolina National Guard Major General Todd Hunt, North Carolina Director of Emergency Management Will Ray, NCDOT Secretary Joey Hopkins, NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley and NCDEQ Secretary Mary Penny Kelley to share an update as response and recovery operations continue in Western North Carolina. 

    “Hurricane Helene was a powerful reminder of nature’s might, but it also revealed the unbreakable spirit of our people,” said Governor Cooper. “In the face of adversity, we have seen neighbors helping neighbors, volunteers stepping up, and first responders risking their lives to ensure our safety. This has been a massive, unprecedented state, local and federal response and I am grateful to all of those working tirelessly. Your bravery and selflessness embody the very essence of our community.”

    Goods and services continue to flow into impacted communities through state, federal and local partners.  The North Carolina National Guard and the Joint Task Force- North Carolina have assisted thousands of people who needed rescue, evacuation and other assistance.

    North Carolina National Guard and Military Response

    More than 3,000 Soldiers and Airmen are now working in Western North Carolina. Joint Task Force- North Carolina, the task force led by the North Carolina National Guard is made up of Soldiers and Airmen from 12 different states, two different XVIII Airborne Corps units from Ft. Liberty, a unit from Ft. Campbell’s 101st Airborne Division, and numerous civilian entities are working side-by-side to get the much-needed help to the citizens in western North Carolina.

    National Guard and military personnel are operating more than 40 helicopters and more than 1,200 specialized vehicles in Western North Carolina to facilitate these missions. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is helping to assess water and wastewater plants and dams. Residents can track the status of the public water supply in their area through a website launched on Saturday.

    FEMA Assistance

    More than $60 million in FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western NC disaster survivors and more than 134,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance. Approximately 2,600 people are now housed in hotels through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance. Federal partners have delivered approximately 9.78 million liters of water and approximately 7.7 million meals in North Carolina to support both responders and people living in the affected communities.

    More than 900 FEMA staff are in the state to help with the western North Carolina relief effort. In addition to search and rescue and providing commodities, they are meeting with disaster survivors in shelters and neighborhoods to provide rapid access to relief resources. They can be identified by their FEMA logo apparel and federal government identification.

    The Major Disaster Declaration requested by Governor Cooper and granted by President Biden now includes 27 North Carolina counties (Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey) and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

    North Carolinians can apply for Individual Assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362 from 7am to 11pm daily or by visiting www.disasterassistance.gov, or by downloading the FEMA app. FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs.

    Help from Other States

    More than 1,300 responders from 35 state and local agencies have performed 118 missions supporting the response and recovery efforts through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). This includes public health nurses, emergency management teams supporting local governments, veterinarians, teams with search dogs and more.

    Beware of Misinformation

    North Carolina Emergency Management and local officials are cautioning the public about false Helene reports and misinformation being shared on social media. NCEM has launched a fact versus rumor response webpage to provide factual information in the wake of this storm. FEMA also has a rumor response webpage.

    Food, Water and Commodity Points of Distribution

    Efforts continue to provide food, water and basic necessities to residents in affected communities, using both ground resources and air drops from the NC National Guard. More than 20,000 hot meals a day are being prepared and served by mobile kitchens. Food, water and commodity points of distribution are open throughout western North Carolina. For information on these sites in your community, visit your local emergency management and local government social media and websites or visit ncdps.gov/Helene.

    Missing Persons

    To report a missing person or request non-emergency support, please call NC 211 or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from out-of-state. NC 211 also has a registry page for missing persons and welfare check requests.

    Shelters

    A total of 17 shelters are open in Western North Carolina serving 715 people and 102 pets.

    Storm Damage Cleanup

    If your home has damages and you need assistance with clean up, please call Crisis Cleanup for access to volunteer organizations that can assist you at 844-965-1386.

    Power Outages

    Across Western North Carolina, more than 86,000 customers remain without power as of Tuesday, down from a peak of more than 1 million. Overall power outage numbers will fluctuate up and down as power crews temporarily take circuits or substations offline to make repairs and restore additional customers.

    Road Closures

    Travel remains dangerous, with hundreds of roads closed. Many of these roads are primary routes connecting the region. As connectivity and reporting measures improve, these number may increase.

    NCDOT is asking people to avoid unnecessary travel to or in Western North Carolina. NCDOT has posted at ncdot.gov an interstate detour map for travelers to avoid western N.C. NCDOT currently has more than 2,100 employees and 1,100 pieces of equipment working on approximately 4,700 damaged road sites.

    Fatalities

    Eighty-nine storm-related deaths have been confirmed in North Carolina by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. We expect that this number will continue to rise over the coming days. The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will continue to confirm numbers twice daily. If you have an emergency or believe that someone is in danger, please call 911. To report that you have been unable to reach a person in Western North Carolina, please call 211.

    Volunteers and Donations

    Due to dangerous road conditions and the need to maintain open routes for emergency operations, travel to Western North Carolina is strongly discouraged. Instead, consider the following options for donations and volunteer opportunities:

    • If you would like to donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, visit nc.gov/donate. Donations will help to support local nonprofits working on the ground.
    • For information on volunteer opportunities, please visit nc.gov/volunteernc

    Additional Assistance

    There is no right or wrong way to feel in response to the trauma of a hurricane. If you have been impacted by the storm and need someone to talk to, call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990. Help is also available to anyone, anytime in English or Spanish through a call, text or chat to 988. Learn more at 988Lifeline.org.

    If you are seeking a representative from the North Carolina Joint Information Center, please email ncempio@ncdps.gov or call 919-825-2599.

    For general information, access to resources, or answers to frequently asked questions, please visit ncdps.gov/helene.

    If you are seeking information on resources for recovery help for a resident impacted from the storm, please email IArecovery@ncdps.gov.

    ###

    Oct 9, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Donating, Volunteering amid the New Mexico Fires and Floods

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Donating, Volunteering amid the New Mexico Fires and Floods

    Donating, Volunteering amid the New Mexico Fires and Floods

    After every major disaster — no less after the South Fork and Salt Fires and flooding — people come together to help. A couple of popular ways to do this is to make a donation and to volunteer your time. To make the most of your contributions and your valuable time, it’s important for New Mexicans to follow guidelines for donating and volunteering responsibly,  

    Cash is Best 

    Financial contributions to recognized disaster relief organizations are the fastest, most flexible and most effective method of donating. Organizations on the ground know what items and quantities are needed, often buy in bulk with discounts and, if possible, purchase through businesses local to the disaster, which supports economic recovery. 

    Cash, check or online donations offer voluntary agencies the most flexibility in obtaining the most-needed resources. Many charities specialize in providing relief in disaster areas, yet they face significant financial barriers to getting their staff, equipment, and supplies into impacted areas. 

    Your donation helps put experienced disaster responders on the ground and gives them the tools they need to help New Mexico residents recover. 

    More than $2 million has been donated to the Community Foundation of Lincoln County that’s being used to assist residents impacted by the fires and floods with immediate needs. In addition, the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico has raised more than $1 million and has already distributed more than $350,000 to non-governmental organizations and communities in Lincoln, Otero, Rio Arriba and San Juan counties including the Mescalero Apache Reservation. These funds will provide financial resources to support immediate and long-term recovery needs. 

    Monetary donations can be made to the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico by visiting their website  Greatest Needs Impact Fund for Lincoln & Otero (fcsuite.com). In addition, donations can be made to the Community Foundation of Lincoln County by visiting their website, The Shelter Fund | Community Foundation Of Lincoln County | Ruidoso (cfolc.org). 

    Beware of Bogus Solicitations  

    Unscrupulous solicitors for phony scam charities may play on your sympathy for your New Mexico neighbors whose homes and property have been damaged in the fires and floods. Be wary of any solicitation that may come to you by phone, letter, email or a face-to-face visit.

    Under New Mexico law, charitable organizations existing, operating, or soliciting in the state must register with the New Mexico Department of Justice and file annual reports with the Attorney General’s office. You can check to see if a charity is registered with the state by visiting https://secure.nmag.gov/CharitySearch/.

    In-Kind Donations 

    Yes, many kinds of donated items are needed. However, without thoughtful planning, donated goods can further burden a community that is already in crisis. Knowing what is needed, where it is needed and getting it there at the right time are the keys to successful donating. Critical needs change rapidly. Before collecting, confirm the need:

    • Not everything is needed. Used clothing is never needed.  
    • Bulk donations are best. Pallet loads of a single item, sorted, and boxed. 
    • Timing is important. Too soon or too late and no one wins. 
    • Transportation needs to be worked-out. How will it get to where it is needed? 

    If you have questions about in-kind donations or to make an in-kind donation, email fema-ruidoso-wildfires-val@fema.dhs.gov and nmvoad@nvoad.org. 

    Voluntary Agencies Active in New Mexico

    FEMA’s Voluntary Agency Liaisons (VALs) in New Mexico serve as an important link between FEMA programs and community partners. They have engaged with nearly 200 affiliates of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOADs), non-profits, government, faith-and community-based organizations to identify survivor resources, unmet needs, and provide critical information on FEMA and it’s programs. The VALs have also identified more than 170 survivor resources being provided from local, state, national VOADs as well as faith- and community-based organizations and government entities. 

    The VALs have also been working with State Disaster Case Management (DCM) to assist with identifying survivor resources in Lincoln, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Juan counties and the Mescalero Apache Reservation, as well as connections to other agencies to assist with unmet needs. Lastly, the FEMA VALs have been coordinating with the Village of Ruidoso and local stakeholders in Lincoln County to develop a Community Organization Active in Disaster (COAD) and Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG) that will help assist with long-term recovery efforts for individuals and households with disaster-related, unmet needs. 

    The numerous operations VALs have coordinated in this disaster include:

    • The American Red Cross sheltered nearly 800 New Mexicans and distributed 17,331 meals and 18,846 snacks to people. They also distributed 7,983 clean-up kits and other emergency supply items to 588 households.
    • Twenty-six donation centers and points of distribution (PODs) in Lincoln County, Mescalero, and surrounding counties were identified. The Salvation Army assisted with more than 11 donation centers and PODs in areas affected by the fires and floods. It also managed donation warehouses in Roswell and Ruidoso Downs and distributed more than 130,000 relief items and supplies to impacted families. 
    • More than 5,100 individual volunteers affiliated with Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) such as the American Red Cross, Samaritan’s Purse, Team Rubicon, and Southern Baptists Disaster Relief have contributed more than 110,000 hours to the response and recovery. Nearly 30 local, regional, state, and national organizations have reported volunteers and volunteer hours to FEMA and the Village of Ruidoso. 
    • Samaritan’s Purse, Team Rubicon, Southern Baptists Disaster Relief, and other local faith-based groups assisted nearly 400 households with flood and fire cleanup, content recovery, debris removal, etc. 

    How to Volunteer 

    Volunteers can expect to be called on to work in a variety of disaster relief situations. Nonprofits and volunteers often distribute bottled water and nonperishable food; help demolish homes and businesses damaged in the disaster, and clear out fallen trees and other debris. 

    Rule Number One: Do Not Self-Deploy 

    Do not just “show up” to volunteer. Trusted organizations operating in New Mexico’s affected areas know where volunteers are needed. Depending on the current phase of the fires and flooding, volunteers can be extremely helpful to ensure citizens can return to their new normal. By working with an established nonprofit organization, the appropriate safety, training and skills are considered. 

    And remember, recovery lasts a lot longer than media attention. There will be volunteers needed in parts of New Mexico for many months — perhaps many years. 

    Here’s How You Can Help 

    If you have items to donate, time to volunteer in support of a nonprofit, or cash to give and have questions, email fema-ruidoso-wildfires-val@fema.dhs.gov and nmvoad@nvoad.org. 

    FEMA wants to help you help others. 

    To find a list of trusted organizations, additional information on donations, volunteering and other resources, visit National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. 

    angela.ambroise

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Hurricane Milton: Flooded industrial sites and toxic chemical releases are a silent, growing threat

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By James R. Elliott, Professor of Sociology, Rice University

    An industrial storage tank overturned by Hurricane Helene in Asheville, N.C., shows the power of fast-moving floodwater. Sean Rayford/Getty Images

    Hundreds of industrial facilities with toxic pollutants are in Hurricane Milton’s path as it heads toward Florida, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene flooded communities across the Southeast.

    Milton, expected to make landfall as a major hurricane late on Oct. 9, is bearing down on boat and spa factories along Florida’s west-central coast, along with the rubber, plastics and fiberglass manufacturers that supply them. Many of these facilities use tens of thousands of registered contaminants each year, including toluene, styrene and other chemicals known to have adverse effects on the central nervous system with prolonged exposure.

    Farther inland, hundreds more manufacturers that use and house hazardous chemicals onsite lie along the Interstate 4 and Interstate 75 corridors and their feeder roads. And many are in the path of the storm’s intense winds and heavy rainfall.

    Black dots indicate facilities in EPA’s 2022 Toxic Release Inventory within Hurricane Milton’s projected impact zone.
    Rice University Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience, CC BY-ND

    Helene’s heavy rainfall in late September 2024 flooded industrial sites across the Southeast. A retired nuclear power plant just south of Cedar Key, Florida, was flooded by Helene’s storm surge.

    In disasters like these, the industrial damage can unfold over days, and residents may not hear about releases of toxic chemicals into water or the air until days or weeks later, if they find out at all.

    Yet pollution releases are common.

    After Hurricane Ian broadsided Florida’s western coast in 2022, runoff that included hazardous materials from damaged storage tanks and local fertilizer mining facilities, in addition to millions of gallons of wastewater, was visible from space, spilling across the coastal wetlands into the Gulf of Mexico. A year earlier, Hurricane Ida triggered more than 2,000 reported chemical spills.

    During Hurricane Harvey in 2017, floodwater surrounded chemical facilities near Houston. Some caught fire as cooling systems failed, releasing huge volumes or pollutants into the air. Emergency responders and residents, who didn’t know what risks they might face, blamed the chemicals for causing respiratory illnesses.

    Many types of toxic material can spread, settle and change the long-term health and environmental safety of surrounding communities – often with little notice to residents. Our team of environmental sociologists and anthropologists has mapped hazardous industrial sites across the country and paired them with hurricanes’ projected impact maps to help communities hold nearby facilities accountable.

    Major polluters on Gulf Coast at high risk”

    The risks from industrial facilities are most obvious along the U.S. Gulf Coast, where many major petrochemical complexes are clustered in harm’s way. These refineries, factories and storage facilities are often built along rivers or bays for easy shipping access.

    But those rivers can also bring storm surge flooding that can raise the ocean by several feet during hurricanes. The storm surge from Helene was over 10 feet above ground level in Florida’s Big Bend and over 6 feet in Tampa Bay. With Milton, forecasters warning of a 10- to 15-foot storm surge at Tampa Bay.

    A boom surrounds flooded railcars to try to contain leaks at a chemical plant in Braithwaite, La., after Hurricane Isaac in 2012.
    AP Photo/David J. Phillip

    A recent study found evidence of two to three times more pollution releases during hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico than during normal weather from 2005 to 2020.

    The effects of these pollution releases fall disproportionately on low-income communities and people of color, further exacerbating environmental health risks.

    Why residents may not hear about toxic releases

    The statistics are disconcerting, yet they get little attention. That is because hazardous releases remain largely invisible due to limited disclosure requirements and scant public information. Even emergency responders often don’t know exactly which hazardous chemicals they are facing in emergency situations.

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires major polluters to file only very general information about chemicals and on-site risks in their risk management plans. Some large-scale fuel storage facilities, such as those holding liquefied natural gas, are not even required to do that.

    These risk management plans outline “worst-case” scenarios and are supposed to be publicly accessible. But, in reality, we and others have found them difficult to access, heavily redacted and housed in federal reading rooms with limited access. The reason local officials and national scientific review panels often give for the secrecy is to protect the facilities from terrorist attack.

    Oil storage tanks and industrial facilities line the Houston Ship Channel, which is vulnerable to storm surge from Gulf of Mexico hurricanes.
    AP Photo/David J. Phillip

    Adding to this opacity is the fact that many states – including those along the Gulf – suspend restrictions on pollution releases during emergency declarations. Meanwhile, real-time incident notifications from the National Response Center – the federal government’s repository for all chemical discharges into the environment – typically lag by a week or more,

    We believe this limited public information on rising chemical threats from our changing climate should be front-page news every hurricane season. Communities should be aware of the risks of hosting vulnerable industrial infrastructure, particularly as rising global temperatures increase the risk of extreme downpours and powerful hurricanes.

    Mapping the risks nationwide to raise awareness

    To help communities understand their risks, our team at Rice University’s new Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience investigates how industrial communities in flood-prone areas nationwide can better adapt to such threats, socially as well as technologically.

    Our interactive map shows where elevated future flood risks threaten to inundate major polluters that we identify using the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory.

    The U.S. has several hot spots with clusters of flood-prone polluters. Houston’s Ship Channel, Chicago’s waterfront steel industries and the harbors at Los Angeles and New York/New Jersey are among the biggest.

    Three of the biggest hot spots, where large numbers of industrial facilities with toxic materials face elevated future flood risks, are in the Northeast, the northwestern Gulf Coast and the southern end of the Great Lakes.
    Rice University Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience, CC BY-ND

    But, as Helene revealed, there can also be great concern in less obvious spots. Inland, particularly in the mountains, runoff can quickly turn normally tame rivers into fast-rising torrents. The French Broad River at Asheville, North Carolina, rose about 12 feet in 12 hours during Helene and set a new flood stage record.

    When hurricanes and tropical storms are headed for the U.S., our interactive maps show where major polluters are located in the storm’s projected cone of impact. The maps identify hazardous flood-prone facilities down to the address, anywhere in the country.

    Knowledge is the first step

    Knowing where these sites are located is only the first step. Often, it’s up to communities themselves, many of them already overexposed and historically underserved, to raise concerns and demand strategies for mitigating the health, economic and environmental risks that industrial sites at risk of flooding and other damage can pose.

    These discussions can’t wait until a disaster is on the way. By knowing where these risks may be, communities can take steps now to build a safer future.

    This article, originally published Sept. 30, has been updated with Hurricane Milton.

    James R. Elliott receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Renewable Energy Lab.

    Dominic Boyer receives funding from the National Science Foundation, NOAA and Texas Sea Grant.

    Phylicia Lee Brown has nothing to disclose.

    – ref. Hurricane Milton: Flooded industrial sites and toxic chemical releases are a silent, growing threat – https://theconversation.com/hurricane-milton-flooded-industrial-sites-and-toxic-chemical-releases-are-a-silent-growing-threat-239977

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: First Federal Savings Bank Partners with Gibco Motor Express, LLC to Help Those Affected by Recent Hurricanes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EVANSVILLE, Ind., Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Federal Savings Bank has partnered with Gibco Motor Express, LLC to help those affected by the recent hurricanes. To make it easier for our community to contribute, Gibco has parked a semi-truck at First Federal Savings Bank’s Operations Center at 4920 Davis Lant Drive and is accepting donations of essential items. The semi will remain on site until it is full and will then be transferred to the disaster areas for donation drop-off.

    Donation Details:

    • Location: First Federal Savings Bank Operations Center: 4920 Davis Lant Drive Evansville, IN 47715
    • Dates: Starting October 09, 2024 – until truck is full
    • Hours: Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM CST
    • Items Accepted: Non-perishable food, water, diapers, baby formula, clothing, toiletries, batteries, flashlights, blankets, or anything camping-related

    First Federal Savings Bank has established a fund on behalf of NewSong Church in North Carolina. We will be accepting monetary donations via check made payable to First Federal Savings Bank with Hurricane Relief and Last Name in the memo or sent digitally using Zelle by searching donations@fbei.net. At the end of the campaign, the money collected will be transferred to NewSong Church to provide humanitarian relief in the disaster areas.

    Every donation, big or small, will make a difference. Let’s come together as a community to support those in need.

    About First Federal Savings Bank Member FDIC
    First Federal Savings Bank was established on Evansville, Indiana’s Westside in 1904. A community bank offering eight locations in Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Henderson County. First Federal Savings Bank is also proud to offer Home Building Savings Bank locations in Daviess and Pike County.

    About Gibco Motor Express, LLC
    The foundation for Gibco Motor Express, LLC was laid in 1930 by a man named Vern Gibson. Since then, Gibco has forged a reputation as an industry leader in the transportation of bulk commodities. Based at four locations in Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, Gibco is strategically located to meet the transportation needs of its valued customers.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sorensen Calls on Congress to Return to Washington to Help Impacted Americans and Pass Disaster Relief

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17), the only meteorologist in Congress, is calling on Congress to return to Washington to help impacted Americans and pass much-needed disaster relief as Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida and in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.    

    “As a meteorologist for over two decades, I have witnessed up-close massive floods, tornados, hurricanes, derechos, and other extreme weather events that have destroyed homes, shuttered businesses, and harmed livelihoods. With Milton and Helene, we are seeing these types of hurricanes intensify at a more rapid pace, leaving us with little time to prepare for the road to recovery,” said Sorensen. “Congress has the responsibility to be good neighbors, step in, and help those communities across the country that are struggling to rebuild in the aftermath of natural disasters, including right here in Illinois. I am calling on Speaker Johnson to bring the House back into session, set partisan politics aside, and do the work that the people sent us here to do: help impacted Americans by making sure FEMA and the Small Business Administration have disaster relief funds.”

    While the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has stated they have enough funding to meet the needs of Hurricane Helene and Milton victims, the severity of Milton may prevent FEMA from assisting other disaster relief efforts across the nation.  

    In addition to supporting small businesses, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) can issue loans to help homeowners and businesses recover after a disaster. According to the SBA, they have only a few weeks of funding left. 

    Last month, Congress set aside an additional $20 billion for disaster relief in a short-term government funding package through December 20, 2024. Damage from these storms could be in the hundreds of billions of dollars.  

    Congressman Eric Sorensen serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: United States: Hurricane Milton

    Source: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Safe Travel

    United States: Hurricane Milton

    Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida today as a Category 4 hurricane or stronger.  The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) is issuing advice on their website: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ and additional information is available on the State of Florida’s website: https://www.stateofflorida.com/articles/hurricane-preparedness-guide

    We also advise New Zealanders in the affected areas to follow the advice of local authorities at all times (including any evacuation orders) and seek suitable shelter. Visitors and tourists staying in travel accommodation should follow the guidance of hotel/resort management. It is considered sensible practice not to venture outdoors during a hurricane and remain well away from the sea and rivers. We recommend you stay informed of developments by monitoring local news and weather reports.

    Please also ensure you keep your family and friends in New Zealand informed of your safety and well-being, including after the hurricane has passed.

    New Zealanders in Mexico or the United States requiring emergency assistance should contact the local emergency services by calling 911.

    We encourage all New Zealanders in the United States to register their travel on SafeTravel.

    If you require consular assistance, please contact:

    New Zealand Embassy in Mexico City on: +52 55 5283 9460 or nzmexico@mfat.govt.nz

    New Zealand Embassy in Washington DC on: +1 202 438 4800 or WSHinfo@mfat.govt.nz

    For consular emergencies only after-hours on +64 99 20 20 20.

    Associated Advisories:

    Updated:10 Oct 2024, 10:26

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    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government advances Made-in-Canada sustainable investment guidelines and mandatory climate disclosures to accelerate progress to net-zero emissions by 2050

    Source: Government of Canada News

    News release

    October 9, 2024 – Toronto, Ontario – Department of Finance Canada

    The federal government is leading the world with a bold climate plan to grow our economy and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Achieving this goal will require between $125 billion and $140 billion in investment into Canada every year. As a cornerstone of Canada’s net-zero economic plan, the federal government’s $93 billion suite of major economic tax credits are already available to help attract this investment.

    Beyond incentives to attract investment to Canada, investors need robust and transparent guidelines to credibly classify their investments into the clean economy on the path to net-zero. That is why in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement and Budget 2024, the government committed to develop a sustainable finance taxonomy identifying “green” and “transition” investments and to expand the coverage of mandatory climate disclosure requirements to private companies. Moving forward with these commitments is essential for market certainty, for Canada to unlock net-zero investments, and to uphold the Paris climate target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

    Today in Toronto at the Principles for Responsible Investment conference, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, announced:

    • A plan to deliver Made-in-Canada sustainable investment guidelines; and,
    • Mandatory climate-related financial disclosures for large, federally incorporated private companies.

    The Made-in-Canada sustainable investment guidelines will become an important, voluntary tool for investors, lenders, and other stakeholders navigating the global race to net-zero by credibly identifying “green” and “transition” economic activities. These guidelines will provide the certainty needed to accelerate the flow of private capital into sustainable activities across the Canadian economy. From building electric vehicle batteries, to generating clean energy, to decarbonizing emissions-intensive heavy industries, these guidelines will identify job-creating activities in a way that is scientifically credible and aligned with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The Canadian taxonomy will be developed and governed by an external, third-party organization(s).

    To attract more private capital into Canada’s largest corporations and ensure Canadian businesses can continue to effectively compete as the world races towards net-zero, the government is also moving forward with mandating climate-related financial disclosures for large, federally incorporated private companies. These disclosures will help investors better understand how large businesses are thinking about and managing risks related to climate change, ensuring that capital allocation aligns with the realities of a net-zero economy. Specifically, the government intends to bring forward amendments to the Canada Business Corporations Act that will require these disclosures. The government will launch a regulatory process to determine the substance of these disclosure requirements and the size of private federal corporations that would be subject to them. As small- and medium-sized businesses will not be subject to the requirements, the government is considering ways to encourage those businesses to voluntarily release climate disclosures, if they wish.

    The federal government is ready to work with provincial and territorial partners to ensure broad disclosure coverage across the Canadian economy. The government will seek to harmonize its regulations with those that will be required from public companies by securities regulators. More details will be released in due course.

    These two sustainable finance initiatives will mobilize further private sector capital towards activities essential to building a net-zero economy. More private sector capital will enable businesses to grow the economy, create more good-paying jobs for Canadians, and boost their resiliency against the risks posed by climate change.

    In addition to these announcements, today, the federal government successfully issued an additional $2 billion in green bonds, through a re-opening of Canada’s second green bond issued in February.

    Together, today’s progress is about building a flourishing Canadian sustainable finance industry and sending a clear signal to corporate boards and shareholders, at home and around the world, that Canada is their trusted partner for putting private capital to work in the race to net-zero.

    Quotes

    “In the 21st century, a competitive economy is a net-zero economy. We are seizing Canada’s economic advantages to attract investment and ensure Canadian workers benefit their fair share in the global race to net-zero. Today’s release of a path for Made-in-Canada sustainable investment guidelines and climate disclosures from large companies will accelerate the flow of private capital into Canada, in turn growing our economy, creating good jobs, and advancing our progress to net-zero emissions by 2050.”

    The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

    “Building a cleaner economy is not only an environmental imperative, it is a major economic opportunity. The development of a sustainable investment taxonomy, paired with heightened transparency on climate disclosures, amounts to an important stepping stone for Canada on the path towards that cleaner economy. These initiatives will help mobilize needed private sector financial flows to build a cleaner economy and give investors who are looking for the sustainable option the clear direction they seek.”

    The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

    “Canadian workers and businesses are already attracting historic investment in areas such as clean energy, critical minerals, and electric vehicles, and seeing the associated benefits for job creation and economic growth. With changes announced today, investors will have more certainty that companies are taking real and serious action to address the climate crisis and drive down emissions, while building a strong economy.”

    The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

    “Fighting climate change as well as protecting the economy and Canadians from the costs of climate inaction is a priority for our government. It’s important to send a clear signal to Canadian companies and organizations that climate risks and opportunities are critical to integrate into corporate culture and decision making, and that’s what we’re doing.”

    The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

    “Creating a financial system that is sustainable and globally competitive is essential for Canada’s economic future. In order to compete both at home and abroad, we are moving forward with sustainable investment guidelines and mandatory climate disclosures to help provide credibility, accountability, and transparency in the marketplace. These are essential conditions for investors and companies to fill the investment gap necessary to meet the climate challenge while seizing generational opportunities for clean prosperity.”

    Ryan Turnbull, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

    Quick facts

    • In Budget 2024, the federal government committed to provide an update by the end of 2024 on the development of Made-in-Canada sustainable investment guidelines, in recognition that promoting credible climate investment and combatting greenwashing are critical to fostering investor confidence and mobilizing the private investment Canada needs to achieve net-zero by 2050. 

    • In the 2023 Fall Economic Statement, the federal government committed to develop options for making climate disclosures mandatory, as part of expanding mandatory climate disclosures across the Canadian economy. It also first announced the government’s commitment to developing a Made-in-Canada taxonomy. 

    • The development of a Made-in-Canada sustainable finance taxonomy and regulations to require climate disclosures from large companies builds on the important work done by the Sustainable Finance Action Council.

    • The federal government is investing over $160 billion in its net-zero economic plan, including through a $93 billion suite of tax credits for major economic investments in:

      • Carbon capture, utilization, and storage;
      • Clean technology;
      • Clean hydrogen;
      • Clean technology manufacturing;
      • Clean electricity; and,
      • Electric vehicle (EV) supply chains.

    • In addition to tax credits for major economic investments, the federal government is attracting net-zero private sector investment by:

      • Catalyzing private investment in low-carbon projects, technologies, businesses, and supply chains through the $15 billion Canada Growth Fund, which has already invested over $2 billion across eight deals, including three novel Carbon Contracts for Difference;
      • Leveraging at least $20 billion from the Canada Infrastructure Bank to build major clean electricity and clean growth infrastructure projects;
      • Securing Canada’s advantage as the world’s supplier of choice for critical minerals and the clean technologies they enable, by further developing supply chains through a $3.8 billion Critical Minerals Strategy; and,
      • Building more clean, affordable, and reliable power, and supporting innovation in electricity grids, including offshore wind, through the $3 billion recapitalization of the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program.

    • The third-party, arm’s-length organization(s) will further develop and implement the taxonomy.

    • The Department of Finance, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada will work together to make the required legislative and regulatory changes for mandatory climate disclosures.

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    Contacts

    Media may contact:

    Katherine Cuplinskas
    Deputy Director of Communications
    Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
    Katherine.Cuplinskas@fin.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Department of Finance Canada
    mediare@fin.gc.ca
    613-369-4000

    General enquiries:

    Phone: 1-833-712-2292
    TTY: 613-369-3230
    E-mail: financepublic-financepublique@fin.gc.ca

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    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government advances Made-in-Canada sustainable investment guidelines to accelerate progress to net-zero emissions by 2050

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Backgrounder

    October 9, 2024

    The Government of Canada supports the development of voluntary Made-in-Canada sustainable investment guidelines (otherwise known as a taxonomy) that would categorize investments based on scientifically determined eligibility criteria that are consistent with the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

    This is a high standard that will be important for building and maintaining the credibility of a Canadian taxonomy, which will mobilize private capital for low- or non-emitting activities with a “green” category.

    Importantly, the Canadian taxonomy would also establish a “transition” category to identify, and boost funding for, scientifically credible pathways to rapidly decarbonize Canada’s emissions-intensive sectors. Canada’s leadership in the transition aspect of taxonomy will be a notable and valuable contribution to the international dialogue on transition finance.

    The development of the metrics-based Canadian taxonomy would first focus on the following sectors for the Canadian economy: electricity, transportation, buildings, agriculture and forestry, manufacturing, and extractives, including mineral extraction and processing, and natural gas. A taxonomy for two to three priority sectors will be released within 12 months of the arm’s-length, third-party organization(s) beginning its work.

    Once finalized, the Canadian taxonomy would be available for entities such as financial institutions, lenders, and companies to use on a voluntary basis. It would not be mandatory.

    Details of the Canadian Taxonomy

    This backgrounder outlines the government’s expectations for the development and implementation of the Canadian taxonomy, including:

    1. Guiding Principles
    2. Defining green and transition investments
    3. Priority Sectors
    4. Company-level expectations
    5. Governance and Funding

    Background on Taxonomy

    To close the climate financing gap, financial market participants, including banks, insurers, pension plans and asset managers, have indicated that they need clarity about what economic activities are considered “green” or “transition.” A taxonomy is a tool that can provide this clarity by promoting a shared understanding or classification system that defines or categorizes these activities.

    Like the proposed Canadian taxonomy, many international taxonomies also use detailed eligibility criteria, anchored in climate science, to support the taxonomy’s credibility among international investors. These eligibility criteria often involve the use of performance-based metrics and thresholds to demonstrate what economic activities are aligned with pathways to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, in line with the Paris Agreement. These taxonomies likewise aim to preserve interoperability with other jurisdictions to reflect the global nature of financial and capital markets.

    A taxonomy supports a wide range of use cases. For example, taxonomies can be used to set standards for classifying climate-related financial instruments (e.g., bonds or loans), and/or to evaluate the green or transition credentials of financial instruments and issuers.
    The aim of the Canadian taxonomy would be to mobilize investment in support of Canada’s net-zero transition by enabling investors to understand and communicate which key activities and investments will deliver a Canadian net-zero economy.

    Over 40 jurisdictions worldwide are developing or have implemented taxonomies, which generally are calibrated to a particular country’s domestic economic reality and priorities. This is an opportunity to develop a Made-in-Canada taxonomy that aligns with Canada’s net-zero pathways and drives transformational investments within Canada’s economy that will also create good-paying, sustainable jobs.

    The Sustainable Finance Action Council (SFAC), which was composed of 25 of Canada’s leading deposit-taking institutions, insurance companies, and pension funds, was launched by the Government of Canada in May 2021 to help lead the Canadian financial sector towards integrating sustainable finance into standard industry practice. The SFAC’s recommendations on taxonomy, including its Taxonomy Roadmap Report, have been important inputs for informing the Government of Canada’s next steps on taxonomy. The Government of Canada thanks the SFAC for its advice on taxonomy and its valuable contribution to building a sustainable finance market in Canada throughout its mandate, which concluded on March 31, 2024.

    i. Guiding Principles

    The Canadian taxonomy would be developed and maintained in accordance with the following principles (Guiding Principles), which draw from the recommendations of the SFAC and international organizations, as well as from international taxonomy precedents.

    These Guiding Principles are intended to ensure that the Canadian taxonomy fulfills its objective of being a credible and usable tool for financial market participants and others to identify green and transition investments.

    Guiding Principles

    • Usable

      Mobilize capital toward the net-zero transition.

    • Credible

      Clear, rigorous, and credible science-based criteria that align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.‍5°C above pre-industrial levels, with no or low overshoot and all relevant emissions scopes considered.​ Any activity which receives the green or transition taxonomy label must be scientifically defensible as being aligned with this.

    • Comprehensive

      Cover transition and green activities that make a material positive contribution to climate change mitigation, addressing high-emitting sectors.

    • Interoperable

      Be interoperable and broadly compatible with other major science-based taxonomies and frameworks globally, while reflecting Canada’s own economic context.

    • Transparent

      A governance structure that is transparent, efficient, adaptive, and results-oriented; safeguards scientific integrity; and engages with key stakeholders, including provincial and territorial governments, civil society, financial market participants, industry, and Indigenous partners.

    • Dynamic

      A built-in review process to ensure the Canadian taxonomy is updated as the landscape evolves.

    • Holistic

      Do-No-Significant-Harm criteria addressing environmental, social, and Indigenous objectives.

    ii. Defining green and transition investments

    At a high level, the Canadian taxonomy would define which economic activities are green or transition in line with SFAC recommendations, as follows:

    • Green: low-or zero-emitting activities, such as green hydrogen, solar, and wind energy generation, or those that enable them, such as electricity transmission lines and hydrogen pipelines; and,
    • Transition: decarbonizing emission-intensive activities that are critical for sectoral transformation and consistent with a net-zero, 1.5°C transition pathway, such as installing lower-emitting (electric) furnaces to produce steel.

    Activities are expected to be classified according to a categorization framework to be confirmed and operationalized. The figure below shows an example of such a framework proposed by the SFAC.

    SFAC Taxonomy Roadmap Report Categorization Framework

    For clarity, in this framework:

    Green activities are expected to be those that:

    • Do not have material scope 1 and 2 emissions;
    • Have low or zero downstream scope 3 emissions; and,
    • Sell into or benefit from markets that are expected to grow in the global
      net-zero transition.

    Transition activities are expected to be those that:

    • Have material scope 1 and 2 emissions but make significant emission reductions;
    • Have low or zero scope 3 emissions; and,
    • Do not create carbon lock-in and path dependency.

    As well as activities that:

    • Have material scope 3 emissions but significantly reduce their scope 1 and
      2 emissions;
    • Do not face immediate demand-side risk (i.e., market contraction); and,
    • Have lifespans proportionate to when global demand for their products is expected to decline.

    iii. Priority Sectors

    The initial phase of taxonomy development would focus on developing eligibility criteria for the following priority sectors. A taxonomy for two to three priority sectors will be released within 12 months of the arm’s-length, third-party organization(s) beginning its work. The final determination of eligible activities would rest with the third-party organization(s) which will develop, implement, and maintain the Canadian taxonomy, and align with the guiding principles, including scientific credibility and alignment with limiting global warming to 1.5°C:

    Electricity, which could include activities related to low- and zero-emitting electricity generation, electricity storage, and grid infrastructure improvements.

    Transportation, which could include low- and zero-emitting passenger and freight transportation activities in a variety of transportation modes (e.g., road, rail, marine transport) as well as enabling infrastructure (e.g., electric vehicle charging).

    Buildings, which could include the construction and operation of high-performance buildings, the retrofitting of buildings to improve their performance, and the installation of equipment to reduce the emissions of buildings and their occupants.

    Agriculture and Forestry, which could include the sustainable production of crops and livestock, activities to decarbonize agricultural production, and the planting, sustainable management, and restoration of forests.

    Heavy Industry:

    These important sectors of the Canadian economy have been prioritized based on the following criteria:

    • Anticipated future levels of green and transition investment opportunity, including as assessed by market participants;
    • Importance of their decarbonization for decarbonizing the Canadian economy, based on current sectoral emissions and projections of future emission reductions; and
    • Economic significance to Canada, including current levels of investment and economic activity.

    Further below is a list of examples of activities within these sectors that may be eligible for a green or transition taxonomy label, subject to the development of activity-specific performance criteria and Do-No-Significant-Harm requirements.

    iv. Company-level expectations

    The Government of Canada supports the adoption of net-zero targets, credible transition plans, and robust climate disclosures by Canadian companies. These are key infrastructure elements of a robust sustainable finance market and are essential to achieving net-zero goals, fostering transparency, and enabling informed decision-making.

    The Government of Canada has committed to moving towards mandatory climate-related financial disclosures across a broad spectrum of the Canadian economy. Mandatory disclosure requirements are already in place for federal Crown corporations and federally regulated financial institutions. The Government of Canada intends to bring forward amendments to the Canada Business Corporations Act to enable climate-related financial disclosure requirements for large, federally incorporated private companies.

    The Government of Canada encourages the developers of the taxonomy to consider including these company-level requirements as part of the eligibility criteria for green and transition labelling in the Canadian taxonomy, in line with SFAC’s recommendations.

    Potential Company-Level Actions for Taxonomy Users

    • Net-Zero Targets

      A commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 or earlier, usually with interim targets.​

    • Credible Transition Plans

      A strategy that lays out the company’s targets, actions, and/or resources for its transition toward a lower-carbon economy, including actions such as reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.​

    • Robust Climate Disclosure

      The provision of information about a company’s climate-related governance, risk management, strategy, and metrics and targets.​

    v. Governance and Funding

    Developing a taxonomy requires significant climate science and sectoral expertise and engagement with stakeholders, including financial market participants, industry, civil society, governments, regulators, and Indigenous partners. In addition, good governance practices are needed to oversee the development and implementation of a Canadian taxonomy that safeguards scientific integrity and meets market needs. The guiding principle of scientific credibility will ensure that the taxonomy’s green and transition labels are only applied to activities that are in line with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C with no or limited overshoot.

    The Canadian taxonomy would be developed, implemented, and maintained at arm’s length to the Government of Canada by an organization or organizations external-to-government.

    The final determination of guiding principles, eligible activities, priority sectors and company-level expectations would rest with the external-to-government organization.

    The Government of Canada would contribute funding to support the technical work to develop the eligibility criteria for the taxonomy.

    Examples of Potential Taxonomy Eligible Activities

    Under the Canadian taxonomy, a range of economic activities that contribute to Canada’s net-zero transition will be eligible for a “green” or “transition” label, which, for example, could be used in the context of labelled bond issuances. Not all economic activities will be eligible.

    Through a survey of international taxonomies, the following examples of activities in priority sectors that may be eligible for a green and/or transition label were identified. These examples are in no way intended to direct the work of the arm’s length organization or organizations who will develop, implement, and maintain the Canadian taxonomy, who would make final determinations with respect to the inclusion of and criteria for these example activities, in line with the guiding principles, including alignment with limiting global warming to 1.5°C. As such, these examples should be considered indicative only, not prescriptive.

    It is expected that activity-specific performance criteria would be developed for each activity included in the Canadian taxonomy along, with Do-No-Significant-Harm requirements, to define the circumstances under which that activity would be eligible for green or transition labelling. That is, only some forms of a given activity might be eligible while other forms of the same activity might be ineligible. Some forms of an eligible activity may be green-eligible while other forms would be transition-eligible. As such, the examples below show activities that may  be eligible, subject to activity-specific criteria and Do-No-Significant-Harm requirements.

    These examples are not intended to be exhaustive. The international taxonomies surveyed to identify these examples reflect the economic and net-zero transition needs of other jurisdictions, which may be different from those of Canada, so it is to be expected that the Canadian taxonomy could break new ground and include sub-sectors or activities not covered in these examples. For example, it could include green and transition activities in the agricultural sector such as certain forms of crop and livestock agriculture.

    In consideration of Canada’s economic makeup, the taxonomy could potentially include activities that significantly reduce the emissions of existing natural gas production and/or the emissions associated with a limited buildout of existing production sites. The technical drafters may also consider a broad range of possible eligibility criteria for existing natural gas production, such as the displacement of more polluting fuels internationally, provided they are aligned with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Based on the Guiding Principles, the Government does not anticipate new natural gas production to be eligible. The final determination of eligible activities across all sectors will be made by the arms length, external organization(s).

    In the electricity sector, examples of potentially eligible green or transition activities include:

    • Co-generation of heating or cooling and electricity from solar energy;
    • Electricity generation from bioenergy;
    • Electricity generation using concentrated solar power (CSP) technology;
    • Electricity generation from geothermal energy;
    • Electricity generation from hydropower;
    • Electricity generation from ocean energy technologies;
    • Electricity generation using solar photovoltaic technology;
    • Electricity generation from wind power;
    • Storage of electricity; and,
    • Transmission and distribution of electricity.

    In the transportation sector, examples of potentially eligible green or transition activities include:

    • Low carbon transport infrastructure, such as electric vehicle charging.
    • Zero-emission and low-emission operations of the following modes of transportation:
      • Air transport, including ground handling operations;
      • Freight transport by road;
      • Inland water transport;
      • Road passenger transport;
      • Sea and coastal water transport;
      • Railway transport; and,
      • Urban and suburban passenger land transport.

    In the buildings sector, examples of potentially eligible green or transition activities include:

    • Acquisition and ownership of low-emitting and energy-efficient buildings;
    • Construction of low-emitting and energy-efficient new buildings;
    • Installation of energy efficiency equipment;
    • Installation of renewable energy technologies; and,
    • Renovation of existing buildings to reduce emissions and/or improve energy efficiency.

    In the agriculture and forestry sectors, examples of potentially eligible green or transition activities include:Footnote 1

    • Afforestation;
    • Conservation, restoration, and maintenance of natural forests; and,
    • Sustainable forest management.

    In the heavy industry sector, examples of potentially eligible green or transition activities include:

    • The low-emission or energy-efficient manufacturing of:
      • Aluminum;
      • Basic chemicals, such as ammonia, aromatics BTX, carbon black, chlorine, nitric acid, and soda ash;
      • Cement;
      • Hydrogen;
      • Iron and steel; and,
      • Plastics in primary form.
    • The manufacturing of:
      • Batteries;
      • Energy efficiency equipment for buildings, such as energy-efficient appliances and light sources, energy-efficient HVAC systems, heat pumps, and energy-efficient building automation and control systems;
      • Equipment for the production of hydrogen through electrolysis;
      • Low-carbon technologies for household sector;
      • Low-carbon technologies for transport, such as low-carbon vehicles that meet transportation sector criteria; and,
      • Renewable energy technologies.
    • The mining of:Footnote 2
      • Copper;
      • Iron ore;
      • Lithium; and,
      • Nickel.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Case Condemns Misinformation On Federal Disaster Relief For Current And Pending Disasters

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Representative Ed Case (D-HI-01), a member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security with authority over the budget of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal disaster relief efforts, today condemned deliberate misinformation that FEMA and related disaster assistance is being diverted from current and pending disasters to other sources.

    “Not only is this misinformation fully inaccurate, but it is deliberately harming people and communities in most need of relief by leading them to believe incorrectly that they cannot access critical and available federal assistance,” said Case, whose own state of Hawai‘i continues to be critically impacted by the Maui wildfires of August 2023.

    “In fact, Congress just approved and the President just signed into law an additional $20 billion for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF), the federal government’s main channel of disaster relief, and all of those funds have been delivered to FEMA. These funds will fully continue FEMA’s disaster assistance efforts for all of Maui, recent Hurricane Helene and pending Hurricane Milton and other federally declared disasters until they require further replenishment.”

    Case noted that in North Carolina alone, which was heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene on September 27th of this year, FEMA continues full efforts on the ground along with some two thousand other federal employees. He further noted that on Maui, FEMA and other federal partners have now provided approximately $3 billion in Maui wildfire efforts and continues its assistance with ongoing DRF funding.

    FEMA’s DRF is the principal fund for immediate and ongoing disaster relief to affected communities. In the recent Continuing Resolution, which continued federal government funding into current Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 commencing October 1st and was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President on September 26th, the DRF, which was running low, was re-funded at $20 billion. Additionally, although federal government funding was continued through December 20, 2024 to allow for completion of the FY 2025 appropriations process and funding for most federal departments was prorated only through that date, Congress specifically authorized a full FY 2025 funding of $20 billion for the DRF and the money is fully available to FEMA.

    “The misinformation that FEMA does not have available federal disaster relief, and that these monies have instead been diverted to ‘illegal immigrants’, Ukraine, and elsewhere, is completely false,” said Case. “Not only do the perpetrators and amplifiers know that it is false, not only are they making these statements for political purposes, but they are also deliberately harming the people and communities who most need this assistance as they are effectively being told it’s useless to seek assistance when they most need it.”

    The Administrator of FEMA, Deanne Criswell, has called the misinformation a “truly dangerous narrative,” adding that it’s not just inconvenient, it is actively hindering disaster relief efforts by “creating this fear of trying to reach out and help us or register to help.”

    To counter misinformation, FEMA has also launched a Hurricane Rumor Response webpage, which you can view here: https://www.fema.gov/disaster/current/hurricane-helene/rumor-response

    U.S. Representative Chuck Edwards, a Republican representing one of the districts most heavily impacted by Helene, also issued a press release dispelling misinformation from “untrustworthy sources trying to spark chaos,” assuring people that Hurricane Helene was not geoengineered by the government, FEMA is not turning away donations, FEMA has not diverted disaster response funding to the border or foreign aid, FEMA is not going to run out of money and FEMA cannot seize property or land, among other things.

    Case continued: “To be clear, there are areas where disaster assistance is running dangerously low, in particular Small Business Administration loan relief, and it is also very clear that even the $20 billion of new appropriations into the DRF will not be sufficient to indefinitely continue disaster assistance to Maui, the communities affected by Helene and Milton and other impacted communities across the country. 

    “This is why I have joined colleagues on my House Appropriations Committee and otherwise in strongly advocating for an emergency supplemental disaster relief package to be passed as soon as Congress reconvenes this November after the elections.  My full efforts are devoted to passage of that package and to continued relief for Maui and all other communities affected by disasters.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –