NewzIntel.com

Category: Energy

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s efforts on environment inspire countries

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    China Daily | June 6, 2025

    In Minchinabad, Pakistan’s Punjab province, Muhammad Basit Ghauri, a keen observer of the country’s energy transition, is excited about the progress made there.

    Nearly every home, public building, shop and mosque in the city is adorned with glistening solar panels, many of which were imported from China. This scene was something Ghauri didn’t expect to see in areas so far away from major cities, but the sight of solar panels is becoming ever more common in Pakistan.

    “What used to be a luxury — solar energy — has now become a practical solution for the lower-middle and even lower income households,” said Ghauri, who works for Renewables First, a Pakistani think tank, in an interview ahead of World Environment Day, which fell on Thursday.

    As China pioneers the development of an ecological civilization, the ripple effects of the unwavering commitment of the world’s largest developing nation have extended far beyond its borders, notably benefiting other developing countries like Pakistan.

    Experts and officials are envisioning greener, more sustainable futures for countries in the Global South, drawing inspiration from China’s pioneering advancements in environmental and climate initiatives.

    This resonates strongly with one of the key tenets of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, which emphasizes China’s commitment to jointly promote the construction of a global ecological civilization and get deeply involved in global environmental governance, in order to come up with a worldwide solution for environmental protection and sustainable development.

    For Ghauri, the ongoing energy transition in Pakistan has primarily been propelled by the declining costs of solar energy and the increasing prices of electricity from the country’s unreliable grid, with solar panels from China playing a crucial role in facilitating this shift.

    Pakistan purchased some 16 gigawatts of solar panels from China last year at a cost of more than $2 billion, Ghauri said.

    According to the International Energy Agency, China accounts for approximately 80 percent of global solar photovoltaic module manufacturing and has driven a more than 80 percent reduction in the price of solar panels over the past decade.

    Ghauri said that instead of just importing its solar products, Pakistan can also learn from China’s experiences in developing its solar energy industry.

    “No one has built a stronger solar supply chain than China. They dominate global manufacturing not by accident, but through smart investments and a long-term strategy,” he said.

    Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif visited China in December, engaging in an in-depth discussion with Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu.

    While praising China’s significant achievements in air pollution control, Sharif expressed a sincere desire to strengthen communication and collaboration with China on air quality management, the renewable energy industry and low-carbon development, according to the ministry.

    In interviews with China Daily during the COP29 United Nations climate change conference in Azerbaijan late last year, the environment ministers of Cambodia and Nigeria also expressed their hopes of learning from China’s experiences to advance environmental and climate initiatives in their respective countries.

    Eang Sophalleth, Cambodia’s minister for the environment, said: “China has been through so much in the past 20 years. Those experiences are very rich. Cambodia is going through the same phase of developing. And with that experience, it can help us to minimize the impact on the environment in Cambodia.”

    Balarabe Abbas Lawal, Nigeria’s minister for the environment, underscored that there is significant potential for China to assist developing nations in addressing their climate challenges.

    “China is a country that understands what we are going through because they have gone through it,” he said.

    Dimitri de Boer, director for China at ClientEarth, an environmental law organization, said there is a major opportunity for developing countries to learn from how China is moving toward green and low-carbon development.

    While China has enjoyed impressive economic growth, with people’s living standards having improved significantly, the country has also experienced significant environmental improvement in the past decade, he said.

    “Air pollution dropped by more than half, surface water quality is much better, and cities are becoming greener. China’s carbon emissions are starting to plateau, even while power demand continues to increase every year,” he said.

    De Boer emphasized China’s potential to collaborate with other developing nations in advancing their green and low-carbon development initiatives.

    Solar and wind power are now often more affordable than fossil fuels, with their cost continuing to drop, and electric vehicles are becoming very competitive, de Boer said.

    “Countries with a decent level of industrialization could be very well placed to start producing these green technologies in their countries, providing major new business and employment opportunities,” he added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Schrier’s Legislation to Improve Hydropower Relicensing Transparency, Support Clean Energy Production Passes Energy Subcommittee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Kim Schrier’s M.D. (WA-08) bipartisan bill, the Hydropower Relicensing Transparency Act (H.R. 3657), passed through the Energy Subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This bill will support clean, reliable, and affordable energy for Washington state ratepayers by enhancing efficiency and transparency for all parties involved in the hydropower dam relicensing process. Hydropower dams must relicense their dams with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in order to continue operating a facility every 30 to 50 years.  Congresswoman Schrier introduced this bill alongside Congressman Russ Fulcher (ID-01).

    “Over half of the energy produced in Washington State comes from hydropower, making it an essential part of our state’s economy, future, and clean energy goals,” said Congresswoman Schrier. “Chip manufacturing and data center expansion are driving energy demand through the roof, and it’s critical that we meet the moment. By providing transparency on the hydropower dam relicensing process, we can better inform all parties and streamline the process. I’m thrilled to work with both parties on this to bring this closer to the President’s desk.”

    “Hydropower is an essential and dependable baseload energy source for the Northwest,” said Congressman Fulcher. “I am proud to support the Hydropower Relicensing Transparency Act, H.R. 3657, with my colleague Representative Kim Schrier of Washington. This legislation requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to report annually—rather than every three years—on its progress in getting crucial hydropower facilities relicensed. FERC has not demonstrated its ability to license and relicense facilities in a timely manner to meet the growing demands of the region and support this clean energy. More congressional oversight is needed to increase transparency, address bottlenecks, and help ensure applicants can move through FERC’s process more efficiently.”

    According to a DOE report, FERC relicensing activity is set to more than double in the coming decade. On average, relicensing a hydropower facility takes between seven to ten years to complete. This legislation will help maintain resource adequacy in the Pacific Northwest by requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to provide an annual report to Congress on the status of the relicensing process for each application for a renewed hydropower dam license. The bill now moves to the Full Committee of Energy and Commerce for consideration. 

    “The Hydropower Relicensing Transparency Act is a commonsense, bipartisan step toward greater accountability and public trust in how our rivers are managed,” said Thomas O’Keefe, PhD, Director of Policy and Science, American Whitewater. “By requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to provide annual updates on the status of pending hydropower relicensing proceedings, this bill empowers communities, Tribes, resource agencies, and stakeholders with the information they need to ensure that these critical decisions reflect today’s environmental values, energy priorities, and public interests.” 

    “I thank Rep. Schrier and the Energy Subcommittee of E&C for advancing this important legislation for the hydropower industry. At a time of rising energy demand, we need to protect as much clean energy as we can,” said Malcolm Woolf, President and CEO of the National Hydropower Association. “Hydropower can help ensure Americans’ electricity is reliable and affordable for decades to come, but it’s hampered by a prohibitively long, costly, and disorganized relicensing process that could ultimately take many GW of energy off the grid. This bill is a good first step to ensuring a more transparent regulatory process, and we urge the full House to pass it swiftly.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Schrier, Ranking Member Pallone introduce Legislation to Protect Children and Mothers, Strengthen our Nation’s Vaccine Infrastructure

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) and Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) introduced the Family Vaccine Protection Act to remove politics from the life-saving immunization schedule, stand up to RFK Jr.’s dangerous anti-vaccine actions, and protect children, expectant mothers, and other vulnerable members of the community from vaccine-preventable diseases.

    “Our current Secretary of Health and Human Services continues to undermine science and peddle conspiracy theories. This nation’s physicians and public health system have relied upon the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) for 61 years to evaluate scientific evidence, ask questions, and ultimately make a determination about whether to recommend a vaccine and for whom. This bill ensures that physicians and other scientific experts are the ones who evaluate those studies and make those decisions, as has always been the case. Recent efforts to undermine the ACIP by pressuring physicians like Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos to parrot RFK Jr. talking points have unfortunately made this bill necessary,” said Congresswoman Schrier, M.D. “I will continue to stand up for scientific integrity and fight RFK Jr.’s peddling of conspiracy theories.”

    “Secretary Kennedy is governing by conspiracy theory and putting the health of our children at risk,” said Ranking Member Pallone. “After just a few months in office, he’s already broken the promise he made during his Senate confirmation hearing to not interfere with the lifesaving childhood vaccine schedule. He’s simultaneously presided over the largest measles outbreak in decades while actively undermining vaccination efforts for COVID-19, measles, polio, and the flu—especially for pregnant women and the tiniest infants, two of the highest risk populations. Enough is enough—it’s time to take politics out of medicine and ensure all families have access to affordable life-saving vaccines. Dr. Schrier and I are introducing this legislation to keep Secretary Kennedy’s conspiracy theories out of the doctor’s office and to protect moms and their kids.”

    The Family Vaccine Protection Act comes on the heels of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s unilateral withdrawal of COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women. This reckless decision—circumventing science-based approval—begins a slippery slope toward a sicker America where Kennedy alone decides what’s best for American children.

    For months, RFK, Jr.’s HHS and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have ignored science-based recommendations by the independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). In April, ACIP voted unanimously to expand its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine recommendation and to provide a meningococcal vaccine to healthy teens and college-aged kids—but Kennedy ignored these recommendations. These actions are setting a dangerous precedent and jeopardizing access through critical programs like the Vaccines for Children program.

    Secretary Kennedy is actively backtracking on his own promise in November 2024 that he wouldn’t “take away anybody’s vaccines” and contradicting his own Food and Drug Administration’s framework. His brazen undermining of ACIP’s independence and persistent spreading of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories threatens decades of public health progress—and will put the lives of pregnant women and unvaccinated infants at risk. 

    The Family Vaccine Protection Act protects access to affordable vaccines by: 

    • Codifying current practices of a rigorous, science-based system for recommending vaccines:
      • This bill sets a timeline for new vaccine consideration by ACIP and requires that both the CDC Director and HHS Secretary adopt such recommendations if supported by a preponderance of scientific evidence.
    • Strengthening the independence of the Advisory Committee:
      • This bill writes the role of ACIP into statute and specifies its structure, its membership selection processes, meeting frequency, and expertise requirements—protecting it from dissolution or undue interference by the HHS Secretary.
    • Keeping politics out of medicine by ensuring the Secretary cannot unilaterally make or withdraw vaccine recommendations contrary to the advice of scientific experts:
      • This bill requires the HHS Secretary to adopt the official vaccine decision as set by ACIP—and if the Secretary chooses to depart from an ACIP recommendation, it requires the Secretary to publish the basis for the agency action, including an explanation as to how the action is supported by the best available, peer-reviewed scientific evidence.
    • Establishing guardrails to ensure vaccines remain accessible to all:
      • This bill protects the role of ACIP in making immunization recommendations for the Vaccines for Children Program as well as for the purposes of cost-free coverage of vaccines by health insurance plans—ensuring continued widespread access to life-saving vaccines.

    The Family Vaccine Protection Act has received the support of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Public Health Association, Infectious Disease Society of America, and Vaccinate Your Family.

    Read the full bill text HEREand a section-by-section summary HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Energy and Development – Cambridge is open for business with $45M energy boost

    Source: Waipa Networks

    This morning, Waipā Networks cut the ribbon on its newly commissioned 33kV zone substation alongside Transpower’s Grid Exit Point (GXP) – a combined investment of over $45 million.
    With Waipā’s population set to grow to around 75,000 over the next 25 years and another 13,200 homes to be built in and around the area, Waipā Networks’ new substation will significantly enhance resilience and future capacity to support our rapidly growing district.
    Over 200 attendees gathered in Hautapu to mark the commissioning of the two projects, with the event opening with a karakia and the gifting of a special taonga by Ngāti Korokī-Kahukura and Ngāti Hauā mana whenua.
    Waipā Networks Chief Executive Sean Horgan acknowledged everyone involved, including key partners, Transpower, and his team, for their mahi. He described the completion of this major infrastructure project as a landmark achievement and a first for Waipā Networks.
    “This milestone represents a solid step forward for our business and the district’s energy future, supporting our growing business community by enhancing our ability to connect large new electricity loads to the network.
    “It’s more than a technical achievement – it’s a declaration of intent. It strengthens our network, enables growth within Waipā, and lays the foundation for a low-carbon, electrified future.”
    Horgan noted the timing was especially meaningful as the company celebrates over a century of service to the Waipā district and its communities.
    “We are 100% owned by our customers, and it is an honour to look back at 100 years of service, while at the same time looking ahead to the future. Our mission remains the same: to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable electricity and to do it in a way that unlocks opportunities for our community.
    Located in one of Waikato’s fastest-growing industrial zones, the new substation is designed to power the future, enabling electrified transport, low-carbon agriculture, regional manufacturing, and greater integration of solar, battery, and smart grid technologies.
    “This is modern infrastructure, designed for a modern district that’s ready for growth.”
    Transpower Executive General Manager Grid Delivery Mark Ryall says that Waipa is just one of many regions where demand for electricity is rapidly growing.
    “Across the motu, we expect demand to grow around 70% by 2050 as Kiwis increasingly electrify the way we live and work. Transpower has a key enabling role for this energy transition as the owner and operator of our electricity transmission grid, working with our electricity sector partners across Aotearoa to deliver the reliable power system that our communities need to thrive and prosper.”
    Transpower has completed 20 customer projects to connect new demand or relocate existing assets to make way for development over the last 18 months, not including new generation. During the same time, a further 15 projects have progressed to delivery, which involves detailed design or construction, and 23 have entered the investigation stage.
    “These projects mean our local lines company partners like Waipā Networks can provide more power to their communities and big industrial users can electrify their operations. The future is bright, renewable and affordable, but getting there will require a heap of investment from Transpower and our partners across the industry. That’s an investment in our prosperity and energy security, and the hard mahi is well underway.”
    Waipā is growing faster than ever before, and so is the need for a reliable and resilient electricity network.
    Waipā Mayor Susan O’Regan said it was a significant milestone not just for Cambridge, but for the entire Waipā district.
    “It’s more than the completion of a critical infrastructure project, it’s a powerful symbol of growth, progress and foresight, and represents confidence in our district’s future,” she said.
    “We’re building real communities – connected, thriving places where people can live and raise families, and where businesses can grow and succeed. Energy is a critical part and enabler of this.”
    As the district steps into a new age of electricity, Horgan said the new substation is only the beginning.
    “We’re also defining the design of our future network architecture for Te Awamutu and Kihikihi, harnessing new technology to provide practical and reliable solutions for our customers,” he adds.
    “It’s about delivering for all of our communities; past, present, and future”.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘There are too many unpleasant things in life without creating more’: why Impressionism is the world’s favourite art movement

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sasha Grishin, Adjunct Professor of Art History, Australian National University

    Installation view of French Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston on display from June 6 to October 5, at NGV International, Melbourne. Photo: Sean Fennessy

    Impressionism is the world’s favourite art movement.

    Impressionist paintings create an oasis of beauty into which a viewer can escape from a sometimes dark and troubling world, or simply from the mundane boredom of urban living.

    The Impressionist master, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, once famously observed:

    To my mind, a picture should be something pleasant, cheerful, and pretty. Yes, pretty! There are too many unpleasant things in life as it is without creating still more of them.

    The new Impressionism exhibition at the National Gallery of Victory brings together over a 100 of these pleasant, cheerful and pretty paintings and graphics. It features some of the greatest names in French Impressionism, including Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Édouard Manet, Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot, Paul Signac and Alfred Sisley.

    Claude Monet French, 1840–1926 Water lilies, 1905. Oil on canvas. 89.5 x 100.3 cm. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Edward Jackson Holmes.
    Photography © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved

    For the first time in Australia

    Initially, the Impressionist painters had difficulty in selling their work amid the torrent of negative criticism.

    But then their Parisian art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel established a gallery in New York City, and the American artist Mary Cassatt – who worked with the Impressionists in Paris – found increasing popularity. By the 1880s and 1890s, American collectors started to buy Impressionist paintings by many of the top French artists.

    This explains why the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston possesses such an outstanding collection of Impressionist paintings. Yet, unlike the museums in New York, the Boston museum is less well known and Australians are seeing many of these paintings for the first time.

    Mary Stevenson Cassatt American, 1844–1926 Ellen Mary in a white coat, c. 1896. Oil on canvas 81.3 x 60.3 cm. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Gift of Charles, Hope, and Binney Hare in honor of Ellen Mary Cassatt.
    Photography © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved

    To say that most works in this exhibition have never been previously seen in Australia is only partially true. Four years ago, just before Melbourne was locked down for COVID, the NGV launched a similar show. Apart from a handful of art lovers posing as media, that show expired under lockdown and was packed up and returned to Boston without being widely exposed to Australian audiences.

    The new reiteration is supplemented with six additional paintings, including the early and deeply moving painting by Degas of Degas’s Father Listening to Lorenzo Pagans Playing the Guitar (1869–72).

    Edgar Degas, French, 1834–1917, Degas’s Father Listening to Lorenzo Pagans Playing the Guitar, about 1869–72.
    Museum of Fine Arts Boston

    The whole exhibition has been totally reimagined as part of an immersive interior design. It moves far away from the clinical white cube of a modern exhibition space and closer to the 19th century posh domestic interiors in which the paintings first appeared.

    An extensive and in-depth exhibition

    Chronologically, the exhibition charts the development of French Impressionism from the mid-19th century and the so-called Barbizon school and realism, through to late Impressionism in the early 20th century.

    It includes the great paintings by Cézanne and Manet, and memorable paintings from early to late Impressionism. There is an abundance of important works by the main Impressionist masters including Monet (16 of his canvases in one room), Degas, Sisley, Renoir, Pissarro, Cassatt and Morisot, and a few unexpected gems by van Gogh and Signac.

    Installation view of French Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston on display from June 6 to October 5, at NGV International, Melbourne.
    Photo: Sean Fennessy

    It is an extensive and in-depth exhibition.

    The depth of the Boston collection enables rare insights. For example, when we see Édouard Manet’s Street Singer (1862), we may be aware that he employed his favourite model Victorine Meurent. Apart from being a model, Meurent was also an artist in her own right and in the same exhibition there is a self-portrait of her from 1876.

    Left: Edouard Manet, French, 1832–1883. Street singer, c. 1862. Oil on canvas. 171.1 x 105.8 cm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Bequest of Sarah Choate Sears in memory of her husband, Joshua Montgomery Sears. Right: Victorine Meurent, French, 1844–1927. Self-portrait c. 1876. Oil on canvas 35 × 27 cm. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Arthur Gordon Tompkins Fund.
    Photography © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved.

    Strictly speaking, perhaps neither painting can be described as “Impressionist”. But it is a wonderful encounter of a woman being observed and, in the same exhibition, this woman looking out of the picture space and doing the observing. The self-portrait is one of those additions that was not in the original show.

    If we glance at a handful of some of the outstanding paintings in the show – including Monet’s Grainstack (snow effect) (1891), The water lily pond (1900), or Water lilies (1905); Renoir’s Dance at Bougival (1883) or The Seine at Chatou (1881); Pissarro’s Spring pasture (1889); Degas’s Racehorses at Longchamp (1871/1874); and Morisot’s Embroidery (1889) – we have all of the beloved features of French Impressionism.

    Camille Pissarro French (born in the Danish West Indies), 1830–1903 Spring pasture, 1889. Oil on canvas, 60 x 73.7 cm. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Deposited by the Trustees of the White Fund, Lawrence, Massachusetts.
    Photography © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved

    Light and bright

    While the French Impressionists were not a monolithic group, their art was generally characterised by three things.

    Firstly, a lighter and brighter palette with a conscious move to the ultraviolet end of the colour spectrum.

    Secondly, a divisionist application of colour with juxtaposed dabs of pigment allowing for colour to blend in the eye rather than on a mirror-smooth surface of the canvas.

    Finally, a move to a more democratic subject matter with landscapes, gardens, drinking parties, picnics and street scenes easily outnumbering images of pagan gods in complicated embraces.

    Paul Signac, French, 1863–1935. Port of Saint-Cast, 1890. Oil on canvas, 66 x 82.5 cm. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Gift of William A. Coolidge.
    Photography © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved

    Australian audiences never seem to tire of French Impressionism. This exhibition brings a fresh crop of rarely seen major paintings and graphics of the highest order.

    If you love Impressionism, French Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is a must-see exhibition. This new exhibition will change the history of Australian art exhibitions from Australia’s greatest Impressionist show that no one had seen, to Australia’s greatest Impressionist exhibition that everyone has seen.

    French Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is at the National Gallery of Victoria until October 5.

    Sasha Grishin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. ‘There are too many unpleasant things in life without creating more’: why Impressionism is the world’s favourite art movement – https://theconversation.com/there-are-too-many-unpleasant-things-in-life-without-creating-more-why-impressionism-is-the-worlds-favourite-art-movement-253031

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Energy Sector – Strengthening UK energy security with new gas sales agreement – Equinor

    Source: Equinor

    05 JUNE 2025 – Equinor and Centrica sign long-term gas sales agreement of 55 TWh of natural gas per year (around 5 billion cubic meters – bcm) for a period of 10 years starting 1 October 2025 at terms reflecting market prices. The total contract value would be around £20 billion assuming current prices.

    “I am very pleased to strengthen the energy partnership with the UK and our longstanding partner and customer Centrica. This agreement will continue to support the UK’s energy security with reliable gas supplies from the Norwegian continental shelf. The flexibility that natural gas offers will play a key role in enabling further development of renewable power and decarbonisation in the UK”, says Equinor’s president and CEO Anders Opedal.

    For nearly 50 years, Equinor and partners have developed the Norwegian Continental Shelf to be the largest and most reliable provider of energy to Europe. Britain currently imports nearly 2/3 of its gas requirements from Norway, with Equinor being the major supplier. The annual volumes under this agreement will cover nearly 10% [1] of total annual UK gas demand which makes the agreement among the largest in Equinor bilateral portfolio.

    “The UK and the North Sea is a core area in our long-term ambitions to remain a supplier of reliable energy and to help decarbonise societies and industries. The new gas sales agreement with Centrica will be a key element in this. Energy security and decarbonisation must go hand in hand, and I am proud that Equinor is actively delivering both”, says Equinor’s UK Country Manager Alex Grant.

    Beyond investments in the UK’s oil and gas production, Equinor already operates three offshore wind farms at Sheringham Shoal, Dudgeon and Hywind Scotland, the world’s first floating offshore wind farm. Dogger Bank is under development and will be the world’s largest offshore windfarm once completed. Together with partners Equinor is also developing the UK’s first CO2 transport and storage project and a gas power plant with CO2 capture.

    Chris O’Shea, Group Chief Executive of Centrica, commented: “Equinor is a valued partner, and this landmark agreement underscores the vital role that natural gas plays as a transition fuel as we navigate towards a low carbon energy future. The enduring partnership between Centrica and Equinor exemplifies the strong and strategic relationship between the UK and Norway and I’m immensely proud that we’ve agreed this deal.

    “Over the last few years, we’ve seen first-hand how important energy security is. Today’s deal not only ensures the UK’s energy security has improved but also paves the way for a burgeoning hydrogen market. The deal represents a significant investment in the UK’s future, showing that Centrica will make bold investments that drive forward the energy transition while delivering value for our shareholders. We will continue to focus on further improving energy security by working with the UK Government to ensure the right levels of gas storage are in place to complement this landmark gas importation agreement.”

    [1] Total UK demand in 2024 at 55.8 bcm

    About Centrica

    Centrica is an international energy and services company, founded on a 200-year heritage of serving customers in homes and businesses. The company supply energy and services to over 10 million residential and business customers, mainly in the UK and Ireland, through brands such as British Gas, Bord Gáis Energy and Centrica Business Solutions. Centrica has a role at every step of the energy transition. When it comes to energy, Centrica make it, store it, move it, sell it and mend it. The company’s strategy is driven by the purpose of energising a greener, fairer future.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Consumer NZ test reveals danger of unregulated online plumbing products

    Source: Master Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers

    Master Plumbers’ concerns that cheap online plumbing products will not comply with new regulations to make drinking water safer have proven justified.
    A recent test undertaken by Consumer NZ showed that one of six kitchen tap mixers purchased from a variety of retailers resulted in lead levels in the water higher than is permitted in the Australian/New Zealand testing standard.
    Lead is a cumulative toxin, which makes ongoing exposure through drinking water a particular concern.
    “No level of lead is acceptable,” says Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace. “Young children are especially vulnerable to the toxin, with even low levels of exposure linked to learning disabilities and nervous system damage.”
    The tap mixer that failed was purchased from global retailer Amazon, which ships a wide range of product to New Zealand. This highlights the dangers of buying tapware online where the market is largely unregulated and unpoliced.
    From May 2026, new requirements for plumbing products that deliver drinking water come into force, in line with an update to the building code. These products, which include kitchen and bathroom tapware, as well as valves and fittings connected to domestic drinking water pipes, must not contain more than 0.25% lead.
    Master Plumbers welcomes the transition to lead free plumbing products in New Zealand but wants more to be done to give consumers confidence.
    “We want to see compulsory ‘lead free’ marking being placed either on the product or the packaging of relevant plumbing products, to allow consumers and tradespeople to easily identify that they are lead-free,” says Wallace. “It is the plumber installing the product who is held responsible, so installers should have a way to easily determine if the product is compliant.”
    Compulsory marking would allow for the policing of non-compliant or falsely declared products through Commerce Commission regulations. As it stands, the current building product information requirement (BPIR) regulations rely on self-reporting and do not have a proactive enforcement system in place-which is particularly concerning for the regulation of online retailers that may be importing international products.
    Master Plumbers has been raising the alarm about lead in tapware for years. In 2018, the organisation commissioned independent testing of five tapware products sold in this country and found the level of lead leaching from one product to be 70% higher than the allowable limit in drinking water product standard AS/NZS 4020.
    The full details of the test conducted by Consumer NZ are included in their online report and published in the latest issue of Consumer magazine. (ref. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/is-the-water-from-cheap-imported-tapware-safe )
    Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ Inc (Master Plumbers) is the national membership organisation for plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying businesses, with 18 regional Associations and Branches across New Zealand. Companies go through a Quality Assurance programme in order to become a member. We provide members with a wide range of resources and training opportunities to support them in staying up with the latest technologies, products and compliance requirements. We advocate on behalf of our members and our industry.
    About Masterlink:
    Masterlink, a group training scheme owned by Master Plumbers, provides managed mentored apprenticeships across New Zealand, with Regional Managers supporting the apprentices and the businesses who host them during their training.
    About NZ Plumber:
    NZ Plumber is the award-winning, bi-monthly magazine for New Zealand’s plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers. It is owned by Master Plumbers.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Friday, June 6, 2025

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    National Capital Region, Canada

    Note: All times local

    10:10 a.m. The Prime Minister will deliver remarks and meet with community members at an Eid al-Adha celebration.

    EY Centre

    Note for media:

    • Pooled coverage

    12:30 p.m. The Prime Minister will hold a media availability. He will be joined by the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy, Dominic LeBlanc, the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, Chrystia Freeland, and the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Tim Hodgson.

    Third Floor Foyer
    West Block
    Parliament Hill

    Notes for media:

    • Open coverage

    • Media wishing to cover the event must be accredited with the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Heinrich, Huffman Call on Trump Admin to Reverse Unlawful Approval of Mining in Mojave National Preserve

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Schiff, Heinrich, Huffman Call on Trump Admin to Reverse Unlawful Approval of Mining in Mojave National Preserve

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate ENR Committee, and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.-02), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, expressed serious concern over the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) unlawful approval of mining activities by Dateline Resources inside the Mojave National Preserve and demanded they rescind their approval. In their letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, the lawmakers also called on Interior to comply with federal mining law, conduct a full mineral validity exam, reaffirm the National Park Service’s (NPS) authority over mining operations in the Preserve, and explain their legal rationale for permitting Dateline Resources mining activity.

    “We write with serious concern regarding the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) recent press release announcing BLM’s ‘approval’ of mining activity by Dateline Resources within Mojave National Preserve,” wrote the lawmakers. “This action appears to violate federal law, disregards National Park Service (NPS) authority, and sets a dangerous precedent for industrial development in lands that Congress has designated as worthy of inclusion in the National Park System.”

    Congress created the Mojave National Preserve in 1994 through the late Senator Dianne Feinstein’s California Desert Protection Act (CDPA), which transferred the land from BLM to NPS, helping support rare plant species and vital wildlife corridors. The law clearly states that any mining within the Preserve must comply with the Mining in the Parks Act, meaning companies with preexisting claims must conduct a mineral validity exam and obtain an NPS-approved plan of operations before any surface-disturbing activity can occur.

    Despite these requirements, BLM recently approved rare earth mineral exploration by Dateline Resources, an Australian company, based on a 1985 BLM plan of operations that predates the Preserve’s creation and only covers the extraction of gold. Dateline recently announced plans to begin exploratory drilling, despite lacking a valid NPS-approved plan or proof of the existence of a valuable mineral deposit, as the Mining in the Parks Act requires.

    “Congress set aside these lands and entrusted them to the NPS for permanent protection, not as a zone for future industrial exploitation,” continued the lawmakers.

    The lawmakers also criticized Secretary Burgum for backtracking on his commitments to safeguard America’s national parks.

    “This is not only illegal, but it directly contradicts a commitment you made during your confirmation hearing to ‘protect every inch of our national parks.’ Approving a foreign-owned company’s speculative mining project inside a national park in this way is clearly inconsistent with that promise and threatens future speculative actions across other national parks,” added the lawmakers.

    Local leaders expressed their strong support for Padilla, Schiff, Heinrich, and Huffman’s effort to protect the Mojave National Preserve from this unlawful mining activity.

    “We applaud Senator Padilla and congressional leaders for defending our beloved Mojave National Preserve from unchecked destruction by the Trump administration,” said Chance Wilcox, California Desert Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association. “In promoting speculative, damaging mining in our National Park System, the administration is pushing aside not only the legal protections afforded to this biodiverse landscape, but also the American people who love their parks. The administration’s misguided effort gives an Australian company a free pass to mining in one of America’s largest national park sites while saddling taxpayers with the clean-up costs.”

    “I spent my entire career in the National Park Service and was Superintendent of Mojave National Preserve for over a decade,” said Mary Martin, Retired National Park Service Official. “Speculative mining should have no place in our country’s most spectacular places – our national parks. It is infuriating that the Trump administration is urging an Australian mining company to drill and bulldoze this national park. This is nothing short of illegal and a betrayal of all Americans who own these national parks.”

    “The Clark mountain range is one of California’s most botanically important areas, estimated to harbor the second-highest density of rare plants of any of the state’s mountain ranges,” said Jim Andre, Director of UC Riverside’s Granite Mountains Desert Research Center. “The eastern Mojave Desert is also a global hotspot for new species discovery, where 15% of the vascular plant species have yet to be discovered. Will we know what we’ve lost if we bulldoze this area? They’re not just prized luxury items, they’re actually a functional part of the ecosystem that are supposed to be protected for the benefit of all Americans.”

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Burgum,

    We write with serious concern regarding the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) recent press release announcing BLM’s “approval” of mining activity by Dateline Resources within Mojave National Preserve. This action appears to violate federal law, disregards National Park Service (NPS) authority, and sets a dangerous precedent for industrial development in lands that Congress has designated as worthy of inclusion in the National Park System.

    Congress created the Mojave National Preserve in 1994 via the California Desert Protection Act (CDPA), elevating this cherished landscape to a National Park because of its outstanding ecological and cultural values, including in the Clark Mountain region, which supports rare plant species and critical wildlife corridors. Congress set aside these lands and entrusted them to the NPS for permanent protection, not as a zone for future industrial exploitation.

    The CDPA clearly states that any mining within the Mojave Preserve must comply with the Mining in the Parks Act, which requires a mineral validity examination and an NPS-approved plan of operations. However, it appears that BLM is attempting to circumvent this law and instead authorize Dateline’s project based on a 1985 plan originally approved by BLM for different minerals, under different ownership, and issued before the Preserve existed.

    To date, no mineral examination has been completed to validate Dateline Resource’s claims. Meanwhile, the NPS has repeatedly objected to Dateline’s unauthorized activities on lands within the Mojave National Preserve, including road grading and vegetation clearing, and requested over $200,000 in damages. Still, BLM appears to have acted unilaterally, greenlighting the company’s efforts to evade the law and ignore NPS oversight and review. In May, Dateline announced plans to begin exploratory drilling, despite lacking a valid NPS-approved plan of operations or proof of a valuable mineral deposit, as required by the Mining in the Parks Act. The original 1985 plan was for gold extraction, but Dateline is now touting rare earth elements – a major pivot that lacks any new environmental review or mineral validity determination.

    This is not only illegal, but it directly contradicts a commitment you made during your confirmation hearing to “protect every inch of our national parks.” Approving a foreign-owned company’s speculative mining project inside a national park in this way is clearly inconsistent with that promise and threatens future speculative actions across other national parks.

    Therefore, we urge you to:

    • Revoke BLM’s reliance on the outdated 1985 plan;
    • Affirm NPS’s jurisdiction and require compliance with the Mining in the Parks Act;
    • Conduct a full mineral validity exam; and
    • Provide, by June 20, 2025, the Department’s legal rationale for this decision, a copy of the 1985 plan of operations, and a clear statement on whether the Department supports industrial mining within national parks.

    We strongly urge you to reverse this decision and uphold the integrity of the Mojave National Preserve and the National Park System.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New digital service will help lower home-energy bills

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The Province is giving people a free digital tool to help make their homes more energy-efficient and reduce heating bills.

    The BC Home Energy Planner makes it simple for people to save energy and reduce their environmental footprint at the same time.

    “Many British Columbians, especially those in older homes, may be needlessly wasting energy without even realizing it,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “People want their homes to be more energy-efficient and comfortable, and reduce heating bills. The Home Energy Planner is a free and easy-to-use way to do it.”

    The Home Energy Planner provides information about each home’s energy use by identifying issues, such as old windows or poor insulation, that may be causing heating bills to be higher than they should be. The tool also provides retrofit recommendations and connects people with program offers and registered contractors.

    The planner uses public data and information to assess how well a home uses energy. Homeowners will learn about:

    • the home’s energy score (measured in gigajoules per year);
    • what kinds of home-energy upgrades will have the biggest impact;
    • how home-energy upgrades can help prepare people for extreme weather events; and
    • resources to help upgrade the home.

    The planner is available to homeowners and renters. It can be used with single-family homes, as well as most townhouses, duplexes/triplexes, rowhouses and manufactured homes. It does not support condominiums, apartments or other multi-unit residential building types.

    Quotes:

    Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness –

    “Extreme-heat events are becoming more frequent and are expected to become more severe because of climate change. The Home Energy Planner can help people make choices that protect those they care about, such as installing a heat pump, which can efficiently cool your home during the hottest days of summer, while reducing your monthly energy bill.”

    Maggie Baynham, sustainability project manager, District of Saanich –

    “As a pilot community, Saanich has had an opportunity to test the Home Energy Planner and see it as a valuable tool for helping our residents understand how to save money on their energy bills, prepare their homes for climate impacts, such as extreme heat, while also making a meaningful contribution to climate action.”

    Trevor Koot, CEO, BC Real Estate Association –

    “The BC Home Energy Planner is an important step in providing homeowners with more information and tools to better understand their home’s energy-efficiency. By recognizing the impacts of building structure and systems on the home’s operational cost, carbon emissions, comfort and air quality, homeowners can be guided to their best options for future energy-retrofit projects.”

    Chris O’Riley, president and CEO, BC Hydro –

    “The BC Home Energy Planner helps homeowners and renters improve efficiency and reduce costs. By identifying problem areas and offering solutions, it empowers British Columbians to make smarter energy choices.”

    Learn More:

    To use the BC Home Energy Planner, visit: https://bchomeenergyplanner.ca/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: June 05, 2025 Rep. Mullin Leads Clean Energy and Climate Initiatives in the FY26 Appropriations Package  Washington, D.C. – On World Environment Day, U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin announced a series of federal initiatives he’s leading to accelerate climate solutions and clean energy innovation.   As part of the House Appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2026, Rep. Mullin… Read More

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Kevin Mullin California (15th District)

    Washington, D.C. – On World Environment Day, U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin announced a series of federal initiatives he’s leading to accelerate climate solutions and clean energy innovation.  

    As part of the House Appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2026, Rep. Mullin led 21 lawmakers in submitting a range of funding requests, including several that were bipartisan, that seek to enhance America’s environmental leadership, speed our transition to clean energy, and promote the well-being of communities across the nation. 

    “We must invest in innovative, science-based solutions to help combat the climate crisis, preserve our planet and strengthen America’s global competitiveness,” said Rep. Mullin. “My funding requests reflect the urgent need to modernize our energy systems, protect public health, and lead the world in clean technology development.” 

    The House Appropriations Committee will now review these requests for consideration in the FY26 Appropriations package.   

    Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research  
    Rep. Mullin co-led a bipartisan request to increase funding for research and development of marine carbon removal technologies within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Oceans are our planet’s largest carbon sink, and advancing marine-based solutions can restore ecosystems, capture atmospheric carbon, and benefit coastal economies. 

    Solar and Wind Grid Integration Programs  
    Proposed clean energy projects could double the nation’s power supply, but it takes an average of 5 years to connect them to the grid. Rep. Mullin is requesting robust funding for Solar and Wind Energy Systems Integration programs through the Department of Energy (DOE). These funds would support technologies that enable faster, more secure integration of renewable energy into the grid, helping to meet climate goals and stabilize energy infrastructure.  

    Standardizing Communication for Grid-Connected Devices  
    Rep. Mullin is supporting efforts within the Department of Energy to standardize communication between smart devices – such as electric vehicle chargers, smart thermostats, and home batteries – and the electric grid.  Standardization will improve grid capacity and flexibility, which would boost efficiency and help avoid costly upgrades to transmission infrastructure. 

    Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers Rep. Mullin is requesting $42 million for the National Institute of Health’s Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers, which are at the forefront of research into how pollutants like PFAS and microplastics affect human health. Their work is vital to understanding and preventing chronic diseases, which are the leading cause of death and a major driver of U.S. healthcare costs. 

    Groundwater Rise Report 

    In coastal regions across the country, rising seas and extreme rainfall are causing groundwater levels to rise, which increases risks to public health, infrastructure and trillions of dollars in property. Rep. Mullin requests $2 million for the U.S. Geological Survey to  forecast groundwater rise nationally and better prepare communities.  

    Digital Coast Program  

    Rep. Mullin co-led a bipartisan request for robust funding for NOAA’s Digital Coast Program, a popular program that leverages geographical information systems (GIS) to collect and analyze data. The program consolidates and makes publicly available information that helps coastal managers better plan for storms, flooding, natural disasters and other challenges that impact vulnerable communities.  

    Next-Generation Solar Demonstrations  
    Solar energy is a critical tool for American defense applications. Rep. Mullin is requesting at least $40 million to support demonstrations of next-generation solar technology in the military. 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tiffany Demands PSC to Prioritize Baseload Power Sources, Ensure Affordable Energy for Wisconsinites

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tom Tiffany (WI-07)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) sent a letter to Summer Strand, Chair of the Public Service Commission (PSC), calling for Wisconsin to lead the way in affordable energy production. Specifically, the letter asks the PSC not to prematurely close coal-fired plants and ensure reliable baseload power to make our state more competitive. 

    In the letter, Tiffany writes, “If Wisconsin is going to maintain its role as a world-class manufacturing state, we must keep all of our current power plants online and bring new generation online for the future. This is particularly critical as we enter a new era of artificial intelligence and data centers, which require a steady supply of reliable, and low-cost energy, such as coal, natural gas, and nuclear power generation.”

    “As you evaluate the future of Wisconsin’s grid, I urge you to resist pressure to close any coal-fired plants prematurely. As you know, shuttering these facilities presents risks – which helps explain why we’ve already seen planned closures of existing coal plants delayed, such as Columbia Energy Center. In short, coal fired plants are a backbone of baseload power, and cannot simply be replaced with intermittent generation provided by wind and solar,” Tiffany added.

    “As the Trump administration removes barriers to growth and opportunity, the choice is ours. Will our state keep up with the growing demand for energy, or will we play second fiddle to other states? Will we move to shore up our state’s industrial prowess and prepare for the family-wage jobs of the future by tapping into Made in America energy, or will we allow the radical “climate” lobby to make Wisconsinites poorer while enriching the “green energy” crony capitalists who finance them? We must make sure we are in a position to win and continue to grow, otherwise we run the risk of becoming California; or even worse, Spain or Portugal,” Tiffany concluded.

    You may read the full letter here.  

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Anzana Electric and African Development Bank Power Up Burundi’s Energy Future with $600,000 Grant to Weza Power

    Source: African Development Bank Group
    At the launch of Burundi’s National Energy Compact during the Mission 300 (M300) Private Sector Consultation in London, Anzana Electric Group and the African Development Bank announced a $600,000 project development grant from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA).

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Huffman, Padilla, Schiff, Heinrich Call on Trump Admin to Reverse Unlawful Approval of Mining in Mojave National Preserve

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

    June 05, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.-02), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate ENR Committee expressed serious concern over the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) unlawful approval of mining activities by Dateline Resources inside the Mojave National Preserve and demanded they rescind their approval. In their letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, the lawmakers also called on Interior to comply with federal mining law, conduct a full mineral validity exam, reaffirm the National Park Service’s (NPS) authority over mining operations in the Preserve, and explain their legal rationale for permitting Dateline Resources mining activity.

    “We write with serious concern regarding the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) recent press release announcing BLM’s ‘approval’ of mining activity by Dateline Resources within Mojave National Preserve,” wrote the lawmakers. “This action appears to violate federal law, disregards National Park Service (NPS) authority, and sets a dangerous precedent for industrial development in lands that Congress has designated as worthy of inclusion in the National Park System.”

    Congress created the Mojave National Preserve in 1994 through the late Senator Dianne Feinstein’s California Desert Protection Act (CDPA), which transferred the land from BLM to NPS, helping support rare plant species and vital wildlife corridors. The law clearly states that any mining within the Preserve must comply with the Mining in the Parks Act, meaning companies with preexisting claims must conduct a mineral validity exam and obtain an NPS-approved plan of operations before any surface-disturbing activity can occur.

    Despite these requirements, BLM recently approved rare earth mineral exploration by Dateline Resources, an Australian company, based on a 1985 BLM plan of operations that predates the Preserve’s creation and only covers the extraction of gold. Dateline recently announced plans to begin exploratory drilling, despite lacking a valid NPS-approved plan or proof of the existence of a valuable mineral deposit, as the Mining in the Parks Act requires.

    “Congress set aside these lands and entrusted them to the NPS for permanent protection, not as a zone for future industrial exploitation,” continued the lawmakers.

    The lawmakers also criticized Secretary Burgum for backtracking on his commitments to safeguard America’s national parks.

    “This is not only illegal, but it directly contradicts a commitment you made during your confirmation hearing to ‘protect every inch of our national parks.’ Approving a foreign-owned company’s speculative mining project inside a national park in this way is clearly inconsistent with that promise and threatens future speculative actions across other national parks,” added the lawmakers.

    Local leaders expressed their strong support for Padilla, Schiff, Heinrich, and Huffman’s effort to protect the Mojave National Preserve from this unlawful mining activity.

    “We applaud Senator Padilla and congressional leaders for defending our beloved Mojave National Preserve from unchecked destruction by the Trump administration,” said Chance Wilcox, California Desert Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association. “In promoting speculative, damaging mining in our National Park System, the administration is pushing aside not only the legal protections afforded to this biodiverse landscape, but also the American people who love their parks. The administration’s misguided effort gives an Australian company a free pass to mining in one of America’s largest national park sites while saddling taxpayers with the clean-up costs.” 

    “I spent my entire career in the National Park Service and was Superintendent of Mojave National Preserve for over a decade,” said Mary Martin, Retired National Park Service Official. “Speculative mining should have no place in our country’s most spectacular places – our national parks. It is infuriating that the Trump administration is urging an Australian mining company to drill and bulldoze this national park. This is nothing short of illegal and a betrayal of all Americans who own these national parks.”

    “The Clark mountain range is one of California’s most botanically important areas, estimated to harbor the second-highest density of rare plants of any of the state’s mountain ranges,” said Jim Andre, Director of UC Riverside’s Granite Mountains Desert Research Center. “The eastern Mojave Desert is also a global hotspot for new species discovery, where 15% of the vascular plant species have yet to be discovered. Will we know what we’ve lost if we bulldoze this area? They’re not just prized luxury items, they’re actually a functional part of the ecosystem that are supposed to be protected for the benefit of all Americans.”

    Full text of the letter is available here.

    ###

    Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Pipeline project determined to be substantially started

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The chief executive assessment officer of the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) has determined that the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) natural gas pipeline project has been substantially started.

    With this decision, the certificate remains in effect for the life of the project, unless it is cancelled or suspended pursuant to the Environmental Assessment Act. The environmental assessment certificate approving the PRGT project was issued in 2014, following the EAO’s environmental assessment. The certificate required the project to have been substantially started by Nov. 25, 2024, for it to remain valid.

    The EAO undertook a detailed assessment process that started at the end of November 2024, examining all evidence relevant to the matter of whether or not the project is substantially started. First Nations potentially impacted by the project had an opportunity to provide their views.

    The EAO developed a report on its findings from a field assessment of the project site, documentation from Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Ltd. and information from First Nations, Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs, Gitxsan Wilps and members of the public for the decision-maker’s consideration. Only construction and other project-related activities by the proponent up to Nov. 25, 2024, were considered.

    As outlined in his reasons for decision, the chief executive assessment officer determined that the physical work completed is consistent with standard pipeline development, and together with other activities and investments undertaken, the company demonstrated a strong intention to advance the project in the near term.

    Substantial start determinations are made on a case-by-case basis, considering all relevant facts. Substantial start determinations are commonly delegated by the minister of environment and parks to the EAO’s chief executive assessment officer.

    EAO compliance and enforcement officers will continue to monitor the PRGT project throughout construction and operation to ensure the project meets all requirements in the project’s environmental assessment certificate.

    Quick Facts:

    • The PRGT project was approved in 2014 to run about 900 kilometres between Hudson’s Hope in northeastern B.C. and Lelu Island near Prince Rupert (the site of a previously proposed, but since cancelled, LNG processing facility). The project as approved includes both land and marine sections of pipeline, along with compressor and metering stations.
    • The PRGT project was acquired from TC Energy Corporation by Nisga’a Nation and Western LNG in March 2024, to supply natural gas to the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG facility, a project the EAO is currently assessing.
    • Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Ltd. applied to the EAO in 2024 to change the pipeline route to end on Pearse Island at the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG site. This amendment request is currently being assessed by the EAO.
    • The EAO is also assessing a separate amendment request received in 2024 to reroute the eastern portion of the pipeline between Chetwynd and Mackenzie, which includes moving the route south to follow part of an existing cleared right of way and shortening it by about 50 kilometres.
    • The PRGT pipeline project would transport approximately 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, with capacity to expand to about 3.6 billion cubic feet per day.

    Learn More:

    Reasons for Determination: Prince Rupert Gas Transmission substantial start determination:
    https://www.projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/api/public/document/6841bac274cf8a00219ff411/dowload/PRGT_Reasons_for_Decisions.pdf

    EAO’s Analysis of a Substantially Started Determination Request: PRGT Project:

    https://www.projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/api/public/document/6841bb3b74cf8a00219ff42c/download/PRGT_EAO_Substantial_Start_Determination_Report.pdf

    EAO Substantial Start Determination Policy:
    https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/environmental-assessments/guidance-documents/2018-act/substantially_started_determination_policy_final.pdf

    EAO’s Prince Rupert Gas Transmission project information webpage:
    https://projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/p/588511d9aaecd9001b826b33/project-details

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Colleagues Demand Analysis of Impact of Trump Admin’s Layoffs on Federal Water Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper

    25% staff reduction at Bureau of Reclamation threatens dam safety, water delivery

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper joined seven of his Democratic colleagues on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to call on Department of the Interior (DOI) Acting Inspector General (IG) Caryl Brzymialkiewicz to evaluate the impact of the Trump administration’s layoffs at the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) on key BOR programs, including delivering water and reliable electricity to millions of Americans.

    “Recent reductions in workforce significantly threaten BOR’s ability to safely and reliably deliver water to communities and farmers, keep waterways flowing for fish and wildlife across the western United States, and produce reliable electricity,” the senators wrote.

    The BOR is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States and delivers trillions of gallons of water to more than 31 million people. The BOR also is the second-largest producer of hydroelectric power in the country. The facilities operated by BOR generate 40 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year.

    The BOR has reportedly lost around 25% of the agency’s work force –  approximately 1,400 public servants – since the Trump administration began illegally firing federal workers.

    The senators continued: “BOR needs experienced personnel with the necessary expertise to manage critical infrastructure. We are concerned that the Administration’s actions to gut the agency of qualified public servants could leave critical water infrastructure and communities vulnerable to operational disruptions.”

    The senators requested the IG evaluate whether recent workforce reductions at BOR inhibit the Bureau from carrying out its obligations.

    The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.

    Dear Acting Inspector General Brzymialkiewicz:

    We write to request that your office evaluate the extent to which workforce reductions at the Bureau of Reclamation (“Bureau” or “BOR”) prevent the agency from fulfilling its statutory mission and implementing relevant programs and activities authorized by Congress. The Bureau is the largest wholesaler of water in the United States—delivering trillions of gallons of water to more than 31 million people. The Bureau is also the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the country. The facilities BOR operate generate 40 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year. However, recent reductions in workforce significantly threaten BOR’s ability to safely and reliably deliver water to communities and farmers, keep waterways flowing for fish and wildlife across the western United States, and produce reliable electricity.

    According to reports, BOR has lost 1,400 public servants since the administration began its assault on the federal workforce. The positions reportedly eliminated include mechanics, engineers, and fish biology specialists—personnel with considerable expertise. Through firings of probational workers, buyouts, early retirements, and other related actions, BOR has shrunk by 25 percent. This workforce reduction has lacked a coherent, mission- and safety- driven strategy and instead led to the departure of experienced personnel—some with over 20 years of experience—leaving the Bureau susceptible to operational disruptions.

    Rapid reductions to BOR’s workforce raise significant concerns about the Bureau’s ability to meet its core responsibilities, particularly inspecting dams and identifying threats to public safety. BOR manages over 450 dams throughout 17 western states. Previously, BOR’s dam safety program identified over 300 high and significant hazard dams at more than 200 facilities. The age and complex nature of dam systems necessitates having experienced staff trained in the operation of such systems. In fact, as your office identified in a September 2023 report, approximately 90 percent of BOR’s dams are more than 50 years old and “[a]ging dams increase the risk of dam failures.” BOR needs experienced personnel with the necessary expertise to manage critical infrastructure. We are concerned that the administration’s actions to gut the agency of qualified public servants could leave critical water infrastructure and communities vulnerable to operational disruptions.

    Your office is responsible for promoting “accountability, integrity, economy, efficiency, and effectiveness within” the DOI and identifying “ways to improve the DOI’s programs and operations by offering specific, actionable recommendations that lead to positive change.” We therefore urge you to evaluate whether recent workforce reductions at BOR inhibit the Bureau from carrying out its obligations.

    Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Latta’s Bills to Unleash American Energy & Power AI Advanced By House Energy Subcommittee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

    Latta’s Bills to Unleash American Energy & Power AI Advanced By House Energy Subcommittee

    Washington, June 5, 2025

    Today, the Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced two bills introduced by Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH-5) to unleash American energy as artificial intelligence technology continues to evolve and require increased energy generation: the Electric Supply Chain Act and the Researching Efficient Federal Improvements for Necessary Energy Refining (REFINER) Act.   

    The Electric Supply Chain Act directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct regular assessments and submit reports on the supply chain for electricity generation and transmission. The REFINER Act requires the National Petroleum Council to produce a report on the state of petrochemical refineries in the United States.  

    These bills aim to strengthen domestic energy production and infrastructure, an effort Congressman Latta underscored yesterday during a House Energy and Commerce Committee Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing. In his remarks, he highlighted the importance of AI permitting reform and reaffirmed the need to ensure U.S. based energy development to support AI’s energy needs. Watch Congressman Latta’s remarks HERE.   

    “Generative artificial intelligence isn’t a trend; it’s the backbone of the next industrial era. Countries around the globe are racing to build the full AI stack: data centers, chips, power, and platforms. Here in the United States, we must ensure that we have the right policies in place to have enough energy to power AI and make America an attractive place to build the entire AI supply chain. I’m grateful to my colleagues on the Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for advancing my two bills to not only support progress in the AI space but also strengthen American-led energy production across the board,” Latta said.   

    Read more about the Electric Supply Chain Act HERE. 

    Read more about the REFINER Act HERE.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCANDAL: Rep. Lori Trahan & Scandal Star Bellamy Young Take on Migraine Disorders Affecting 40+ Million Americans

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, partnered with Bellamy Young, actress in ABC’s hit show “Scandal,” The Headache Alliance, and the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy to announce their coordinated work to introduce the HEADACHE Act, the first standalone federal legislation addressing the epidemic of migraine and headache disorders. The legislation will expand research, improve access to care, and address systemic inequities affecting people living with headache disorders.
    “Headache disorders affect nearly 45 million people in the U.S., including more than 117,000 people in the district I represent,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “Behind each of those numbers is a student falling behind in school, a parent fighting to stay employed, or a veteran enduring chronic, debilitating pain. I’m proud to lead the introduction of the HEADACHE Act, a much-needed step toward expanding care, advancing research, and raising awareness for this often-overlooked condition. Together, we can ensure that no one is left behind simply because their pain is invisible.”
    “Migraine has shaped not only how I work, but how I move through this world, and I know I’m not alone. For too many, living with a headache disorder means being doubted, dismissed, and left out of the conversation. But those who suffer deserve better. The HEADACHE Act is about building the future we should’ve had all along: one with research, access to care, and understanding. I’m proud to raise my voice for a cause that touches so many millions of Americans,” said Bellamy Young, actress and migraine advocate.
    More than 40 million Americans are living with migraine and headache disorders, which are the leading cause of disability in the world and for women under 50 years old in the United States. Cluster headache, new daily persistent headache, post-traumatic headache, and other migraine disorders are disabling, stigmatized, and routinely overlooked in public health priorities and research funding.
    To raise awareness, The Headache Alliance and the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy transformed the National Mall into a sea of purple, with a visual display representing the need for greater federal attention and public awareness for the tens of millions of Americans living with migraine and headache disorders. The installation will remain on the Mall for two weeks.
    “We are so thrilled and honored to bring our message to the National Mall,” said Annika Ehrlich, President of the Board of The Headache Alliance and Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy. “This represents two decades of planning and hard work to advance headache policy and advocacy.”
    “We are putting a face, name, and voice to the lived experience of migraine and headache disorders,” said Julienne Verdi, Executive Director of The Headache Alliance and Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy. “With the anticipated introduction of the HEADACHE Act and this historic Installation project, we are demanding to be seen, heard, and taken seriously.”
    The HEADACHE Act will be introduced in the coming weeks.
    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Algeria Country Analysis Brief

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    Petroleum & Other Liquids

    Crude oil, gasoline, heating oil, diesel, propane, and other liquids including biofuels and natural gas liquids.

    Natural Gas

    Exploration and reserves, storage, imports and exports, production, prices, sales.

    Electricity

    Sales, revenue and prices, power plants, fuel use, stocks, generation, trade, demand & emissions.

    Coal

    Reserves, production, prices, employment and productivity, distribution, stocks, imports and exports.

    Total Energy

    Comprehensive data summaries, comparisons, analysis, and projections integrated across all energy sources.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Justice Advance American Energy Dominance, Prioritize Consumer Choice

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jim Justice (R-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) in introducing the Energy Choice Act of 2025. The Biden administration and many blue states took energy freedom away from consumers by restricting specific sources of energy—effectively targeting natural gas and fossil fuels. This legislation would bar states and local governments from taking away consumer choice and work toward advancing President Trump’s vision of unleashing American energy. 
    “For four years, Joe Biden and woke Democrats took a sledgehammer to American energy production,” said Sen. Tuberville. “We need to rein-in blue states who caved to the climate-cult and imposed ridiculous regulations that are deeply unpopular with hardworking Americans. Thankfully, President Trump is working around the clock to unleash America’s energy potential. I’m proud to join my colleagues to support President Trump, restore American energy dominance, and preserve consumer choice.”
    “I am an energy guy from an energy-rich state. I know how important freedom of energy production is – which is why I’m proud to introduce Energy Choice Act of 2025. President Trump has stated the need to unleash American energy, and this bill helps facilitate just that. We have too great an energy crisis in this country, and we don’t have the luxury of picking the winners and losers when it comes to energy production. Americans ought to have the right to choose what is best for their energy needs,”said Sen. Justice.
    American Exploration and Production Council, American Gas Association, American Public Gas Association, Americans for Prosperity, Consumer Energy Alliance, Energy Marketers of America, GPA Midstream Association, GPSA Midstream Suppliers, Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Oil and Energy Service Professionals, National Energy and Fuels Institute, National Propane Gas Association, Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors – National Association, Pool & Hot Tub Alliance have endorsed the bill.
    U.S. Representative Nick Langworthy (R-NY-23) is leading the effort in the House of Representatives.
    Read full text of the bill here. 
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Condemns Republicans’ Egregious Attack on Clean Air and Public Health

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Washington (June 5, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and co-chair of the Senate Climate Change Task Force, today released the following statement after Senate Republicans released the Environment and Public Works portion of their reconciliation bill text.
    “Time is revealing Senate Republicans’ willingness to abandon communities nationwide and put Oil Above All —above the law, above the economy, and above the health and wallets of working families. Their proposed cuts would eliminate the safeguards and funding needed to reduce harmful air pollution and environmental health risks. Their cuts would also destroy the $20 billion climate bank I secured in the Inflation Reduction Act, which was already at work creating jobs, lowering Americans’ energy costs, strengthening our energy independence, and combating the climate crisis. 
    “Republicans have no interest in bringing down costs or helping everyday Americans. Instead, they are picking winners and losers to deliver a big bonus to Big Oil and Gas. Republicans want to cut funding for clean energy, community resilience, and pollution reduction, all while giving polluters a golden ticket to skirt any meaningful reviews to get their projects permitted – rubberstamping dangerous polluting infrastructure.
    “These Republican cuts will ensure frontline and fenceline communities continue to bear the burden of disproportionate levels of pollution. Ripping away the tools needed to curb methane and reduce carbon and hazardous pollutants will only make Americans sicker while the rich get richer. We must say no to these dangerous cuts and stop this big billionaire sell-out once and for all.”
    Senator Markey secured numerous provisions in the historic Inflation Reduction Act, including the creation of a $27 billion national climate financing network based on his National Climate Bank Act with Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06). He also secured historic environmental justice funding for air quality monitoring, environmental inequity mapping, and addressing extreme heat.
    Senator Markey has been a champion of vehicle emission standards that would be rolled back by the Senate reconciliation text, which would increase pollution and force drivers to pay more at the pump. He has also long championed a robust National Environmental Policy Act, which the Senate Republican bill undermines with an opt-in fee for project sponsors to pay to expedite their project’s environmental review and avoid judicial review – rubberstamping potentially harmful infrastructure.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Markey, Baldwin, Rep. Carter Announce Legislation to Protect Public TV Channels

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Bill Text (PDF)
    Washington (June 5, 2025) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Representative Troy A. Carter Sr. (LA-02), member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, today announced the introduction of the Protecting Community Television Act, legislation that would undo rulemaking from the first Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that effectively limited the resources available for public, educational, and government (PEG) channels.
    Under the Communications Act, cable companies negotiate franchise agreements with local governments to provide cable services in a community. The Act caps franchise fees that a cable company pays to the local government at 5% of revenue. This revenue helps fund PEG stations, as well as other community services such as public libraries and emergency responders. In addition, cable companies historically paid up to 5% cap and provided additional, in-kind support to the community, such as free cable service to schools or access to building studios. In 2019, the FCC issued a new rule that counted those in-kind contributions towards the 5% cap, meaning cable companies could reduce their cash payments by claiming the value of those services. With fewer cash resources, local governments were forced to choose between investing in PEG programming or supporting other public services. The result has been less funding for PEG stations.
    “Millions of Americans rely on community television to keep up with the news that matters most to them, stay plugged into enriching, educational programming, and hold their local governments to account. But the Trump administration has forced communities across the country to pull the plug on public programming,” said Senator Markey. “At a time when news and media have become more consolidated than ever before, I am proud to partner with Senator Baldwin and Representative Carter to reintroduce the Protecting Community Television Act to uphold local access to public, education, and government channels for every household in our country.”
    “I’m proud to cosponsor this bill and stand with communities that depend on local media to stay informed, connected, and heard. PEG channels are lifelines for civic engagement and public education, especially in times of crisis, and they shouldn’t be collateral damage in a corporate accounting maneuver. This legislation restores the original promise Congress made: that local governments should have the tools they need to meet community needs without being forced to choose between vital services and local voices,” said Congressman Carter.
    The legislation is endorsed by Democratic Leader Schumer (D-N.Y), and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angus King (I-Me.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).
    The Protecting Community Television Act is endorsed by Alliance for Community Media, National Association of Counties, National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, National League of Cities, MassAccess, and Maine Community Media Association.
    “The Alliance for Community Media welcomes the re-introduction of the Protecting Community Television Act and want to thank Senator Markey and Representative Carter for their support for community access television. Passage of the Act will reduce fees that drain away monetary support for local community media channels across the country. At a time when we have fewer and fewer local journalists and reliable local information sources, cities and towns need community access television more than ever, and this bill will help sustain our operations,” said Mike Wassenaar, President & CEO, Alliance for Community Media.
    “Counties rely on public communications channels to disseminate local news and updates to residents in a timely manner,” said Matthew Chase, Executive Director of the National Association of Counties. “By preserving monetary support for public, educational and government channels through franchise fees, counties would ensure that essential local content remains accessible to residents. Counties thank Senators Ed Markey and Tammy Baldwin for introducing the Protecting Community Television Act and urge its swift passage”
    “The Protecting Community Television Act (PCTA) is elegant legislation that seeks to protect benefits consistent with the Cable Act and cable franchising principles since 1984.  In 2019, the Federal Communications Commission issued an order that undermines this ability by redefining the term “franchise fees” as used in the Cable Act and substituting its definition for that written by Congress in 1984. The Protecting Community Television Act remedies that altered meaning by protecting local public, educational and community access television so folks in communities across the country can continue to access relevant and timely local news that they rely on. Thanks to Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Congressman Troy Carter (D-LA) for continuing to advocate for the PCTA, which reaffirms Congress’ original intent to protect the long-standing ability of local governments to manage public property and provide for local media through public, educational and governmental access channels (PEG Access) in cable franchise agreements,” said Mike Lynch, Legislative Director for National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Introduces Legislation to Secure America’s Satellite Systems

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee and Chair of the Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, introduced the bipartisan Secure Space Act of 2025. The legislation aims to strengthen America’s national security by preventing foreign adversaries from accessing and compromising America’s satellite systems.
    U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) is co-leading the bill with Fischer. Companion legislation – sponsored by House Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) – passed the U.S. House on April 28, 2025.“Americans rely on crucial communications services provided by our satellite systems now more than ever. That’s why we must prevent foreign adversaries like Communist China and Russia from undermining our ability to utilize these services safely and reliably. My bill strengthens our communications infrastructure against these vulnerabilities to make Americans’ network access more secure,” said Fischer.
    “As satellite technology continues to advance, so do the threats to our national security. The Secure Space Act blocks satellite licenses for untrusted entities and protects our skies from foreign adversaries. This bill would help protect U.S. innovation and defend our communications networks from foreign entities that seek to hijack our future,” said Luján. Background: 
    The Secure Space Act of 2025 prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from granting satellite licenses or U.S. market access for foreign-licensed satellite systems to any entity or its affiliates that produce or provide communications equipment or services deemed a national security risk. 
    It amends the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 to extend this prohibition to both geostationary and non-geostationary orbit satellite systems and includes gateway stations within its scope. It applies to new licenses and authorizations issued after the bill’s enactment and requires the FCC to establish implementing regulations within one year.
    Click here to read text of the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: “America’s AI Arsenal Just Went Live”: AI Insider Briefs Public on Secret Supercomputer Built by Musk

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BALTIMORE, June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A newly surfaced report from bestselling author and tech insider James Altucher outlines the existence of a massive U.S.-based artificial intelligence weapon — one that could redefine America’s global standing in the AI arms race.

    According to Altucher, the project — code-named Project Colossus — is being built by Elon Musk’s company xAI, in coordination with recent policy changes made by the Trump administration. Housed in a low-profile facility in Memphis, Tennessee, Altucher says this machine is already operational — and growing more powerful by the day.

    “The Fastest Supercomputer on the Planet”

    The briefing claims the facility is equipped with 200,000 cutting-edge AI chips, making it the most powerful computing center in the Western Hemisphere.

    “It contains not just one or two… but 200,000 units of Nvidia’s all-powerful AI chips… making it the most advanced AI facility known to man.”

    “The fastest supercomputer on the planet.” — Jensen Huang, Nvidia CEO

    Altucher notes that Musk plans to expand this further in the coming weeks, with rumors of additional hardware that could multiply its power tenfold.

    Trump Cleared the Runway

    The report links the timing of Project Colossus to a major political shift. On Day 1 of his second term, Donald Trump reversed Biden-era restrictions on AI development.

    “In one of his FIRST acts as President… Donald Trump overturned Executive Order #14110.”

    Altucher claims this decision allowed developers like Musk to operate “without red tape or delay” — accelerating America’s path toward dominance in the next generation of AI systems.

    Altucher: This Is “Artificial Superintelligence”

    Altucher describes this moment not as another software release — but a seismic shift in how technology operates.

    “This second wave of ARTIFICIAL SUPERINTELLIGENCE… Will rival all of the great innovations of the past. Electricity… the wheel… even the discovery of fire.”

    His report urges Americans to understand what’s unfolding — not just in Silicon Valley, but in unmarked warehouses like the one now powering Project Colossus.

    About James Altucher

    James Altucher is a computer scientist, entrepreneur, and author who has worked on AI projects for over 40 years. A former IBM consultant and Wall Street technologist, he now focuses on breaking down emerging tech developments for a general audience. His latest briefing examines how Artificial Superintelligence is reshaping U.S. strategy and infrastructure.

    Media Contact:
    Derek Warren
    Public Relations Manager
    Paradigm Press Group
    Email: dwarren@paradigmpressgroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Binah Capital Group Announces PKS Investments as Finalist in Two Categories for the 2025 Wealth Management Industry Awards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Binah Capital Group, Inc. (“Binah Capital”) (NASDAQ: BCG), a financial services enterprise supporting the growth of independent financial advisors, today announced that PKS Investments (“PKS”), a Binah Capital Group company, has been named a finalist in two categories for the prestigious 2025 Wealth Management Industry Awards (“The Wealthies”). The categories are Transition Support / Transition Services, recognizing PKS’s excellence in advisor transition solutions, and Chief Executive Officer of the Year, recognizing Katherine Flouton, CEO of PKS Investments.

    This dual recognition underscores Binah’s unmatched commitment to leadership and operational excellence in supporting independent financial advisors through critical growth and transition stages.

    With decades of experience and a proven, scalable process, PKS has successfully supported thousands of advisor transitions, helping firms navigate change with confidence, clarity, and continuity. Through high-touch service model, operational excellence, and strategic leadership, PKS has redefined the benchmark for transition support within the wealth management industry.

    “We are incredibly proud to see Katherine Flouton and PKS Investments recognized among the industry’s top innovators,” said Craig Gould, Chief Executive Officer of Binah Capital Group. “These nominations reflect our unwavering commitment to empowering independent advisors with the leadership, infrastructure, and flexibility they need to thrive in an evolving landscape.”

    Now in its 11th year, the Wealth Management Industry Awards is the only awards program of its kind to honor outstanding achievements by companies, organizations and individuals that support financial advisor success.

    A panel of judges made up of top names in the industry, led by WealthManagement.com director of editorial strategy and operations David Armstrong, chose the finalists and will determine the winners, which each year recognizes the firms and individuals who are bringing new innovations to market that make a real difference to the daily activities of financial advisors. Winners will be announced at a gala and awards ceremony in New York City on September 4th.

    About Binah Capital Group
    Binah Capital Group (“Binah Capital”, “Binah” or the “Company,” is a financial services enterprise that owns and operates a network of industry-leading firms that empower independent financial advisors. As a national broker-dealer aggregator, Binah specializes in delivering value through its innovative hybrid-friendly model, making it an optimal platform for RIAs navigating today’s complex financial landscape. Binah’s portfolio companies are built to help advisors run, manage, and execute commission-based business seamlessly while providing best in class resources to support their advisory practice. We don’t just offer tools—we cultivate partnerships. Binah Capital Group stands alongside RIAs as a trusted ally, delivering the structure, flexibility, and cutting-edge solutions they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace. For more, please visit: www.binahcap.com.

    About Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments
    Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments (PKS) is a leading independent broker-dealer offering comprehensive support services for financial advisors nationwide. PKS’s flexible affiliation models, operational precision, and client-first philosophy enable advisors to deliver outstanding service while growing their businesses with confidence.

    Contact:

    Binah Capital Investor Relations
    ir@binahcap.com

    Binah Capital Public Relations
    media@binahcap.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: June 5th, 2025 Heinrich, Luján Introduce Legislation to Combat Obesity Epidemic

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act to combat the obesity crisis in the United States by providing regular screenings. The bill would also prevent diseases associated with obesity through expanded coverage of new health care specialists and chronic weight management medications for Medicare recipients.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diseases associated with obesity such as heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, and certain types of cancer are the leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act would work to directly prevent these comorbidities.

    The legislation is led by U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.).

    The following organizations have endorsed the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of Pas, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American Diabetes Association, American Gastroenterological Association, American Medical Group Association, American Psychological Association, American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, American Society for Nutrition, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists, Black Woman’s Health Imperative, Boehringer-Ingelheim, ConscienHealth, Currax, Diabetes Leadership Council, Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition, Eli Lilly and Company, Endocrine Society, Gerontological Society of America, Global Liver Institute, Healthcare Leadership Council, HealthyWomen, Intuitive Surgical, MedTech Coalition for Metabolic Health, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, National Consumers League, National Council on Aging, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Kidney Foundation, Novo Nordisk, Obesity Action Coalition, Obesity Medicine Association, Ro, Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, The Obesity Society, Trust for America’s Health, WW Weight Watchers International, and YMCA of the USA.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jack Kaye Retires After a Storied Career at NASA

    Source: NASA

    Jack Kaye [NASA HQ—Associate Director for Research, Earth Science Division (ESD)] has decided to retire on April 30, 2025, following 42 years of service to NASA – see Photo 1. Most recently, Kaye served as associate director for research of the Earth Science Division (ESD) within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD). In this position, he was responsible for the research and data analysis programs for Earth System Science that addressed the broad spectrum of scientific disciplines from the stratopause to the poles to the oceans.

    A New York native, Kaye’s interest in space was piqued as a child watching early NASA manned space launches on television. He would often write to NASA to get pictures of the astronauts. In high school, he started an after school astronomy club. Despite a youthful interest in Earth science, as he explained in a 2014 “Maniac Talk” at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Kaye pursued a slightly different academic path. He obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in chemistry from Adelphi University in 1976 and a Ph.D. in theoretical physical chemistry at the California Institute of Technology in 1982. For his graduate studies, he focused on the quantum mechanics of chemical reactions with an aim toward being able to understand and calculate the activity.
    Following graduate school, Kaye secured a post-doctoral position at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, where he studied the chemistry of Earth’s atmosphere with a focus on stratospheric ozone. It was while working in a group of meteorologists at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center that Kaye returned to his roots and refocused his scientific energy on studying Earth.
    “NASA had a mandate to study stratospheric ozone,” Kaye said in an interview in 2009. “I got involved in looking at satellite observations and especially trying to interpret satellite observations of stratospheric composition and building models to simulate things, to look both ways, to use the models and use the data.”
    Kaye has held numerous science and leadership positions at NASA. He began his career at GSFC as a researcher for the Stratospheric General Circulation and Chemistry Modeling Project (SGCCP) from 1983–1990 working on stratospheric modeling.  In this role, he also worked on an Earth Observing System Interdisciplinary proposal.  His first role at NASA HQ was managing  as program scientist for the Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling and Analysis Program (ACMAP), as well as numerous other missions. In this role, he was a project scientist for the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS) series of Shuttle missions. While managing ATLAS, Kaye oversaw the science carried out by a dozen instruments from several different countries. He also managed several other Earth Science missions during this time. See the link to Kaye’s “Maniac Talk.”
    Kaye entered the Senior Executive Service in 1999, where he continued to contribute to the agency by managing NASA’s Earth Science Research Program. In addition, Kaye has held temporary acting positions as deputy director of ESD and deputy chief scientist for Earth Science within SMD. Throughout his career he has focused on helping early-career investigators secure their first awards to establish their career path—see Photo 2.

    On numerous occasions, Kaye spoke to different groups emphasizing the agency’s unique role in both developing and utilizing cutting-edge technology, especially remote observations of Earth with different satellite platforms – see Photo 3. With the launch of five new NASA Earth science campaigns in 2020, Kaye stated, “These innovative investigations tackle difficult scientific questions that require detailed, targeted field observations combined with data collected by our fleet of Earth-observing satellites.”

    Kaye has also represented NASA in interagency and international activities and has been an active participant in the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), where he has served for many years as NASA principal of the Subcommittee on Global Change Research. He served as NASA’s representative to the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology and chaired the World Meteorological Organization Expert Team on Satellite Systems. Kaye was named an honorary member of the Asia Oceania Geoscience Society in 2015. He previously completed a six-year term as a member of the Steering Committee for the Global Climate Observing System and currently serves an ex officio member of the National Research Council’s Roundtable on Science and Technology for Sustainability and the Chemical Sciences Roundtable, as well as a member of the Roundtable on Global Science Diplomacy.
    NASA has honored Kaye with numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal in 2022 and the Meritorious Executive in the Senior Executive Service in 2004, 2010, and 2021. In 2024 he was awarded the NASA-USGS Pecora Individual Award honoring excellence in Earth Observation. He was named a Fellow by the American Meteorological Society in 2010 and by the American Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2014. Kaye was elected to serve as an office of the Atmospheric and Hydrospheric Science section of the AAAS (2015–2018). AGU has recognized him on two occasions with a Citation for Excellence in Refereeing.
    Over the course of his career Kaye has published more than 50 papers, contributed to numerous reports, books, and encyclopedias, and edited the book Isotope Effects in Gas-Phase Chemistry for the American Chemical Society. In addition, he has attended the Leadership for Democratic Society program at the Federal Executive Institute and the Harvard Senior Managers in Government Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
    “The vantage point of space provides a way to look at the Earth globally, with the ability to observe Earth’s interacting components of air, water, land and ice, and both naturally occurring and human-induced processes,” Kaye said in a November 2024 article published by Penn State University. “It lets us look at variability on a broad range of spatial and temporal scales and given the decades of accomplishments, has allowed us to characterize and document Earth system variability on time scales from minutes to decades.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Labubus, Sonny Angels and Smiskis: Are blind toy boxes just child’s play or something more concerning?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Eugene Y. Chan, Associate Professor of Marketing, Toronto Metropolitan University

    Collectible figurines on display at Pop Mart in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, on April 29, 2025. (Shutterstock)

    If you’ve seen videos of people tearing into tiny toy packages online, or noticed teens obsessing over pastel-coloured figurines at the mall, you’ve probably encountered the global craze for blind box toys.

    These small collectibles — usually figures of cartoonish characters — are sold in sealed packaging that hides which specific item is inside. You might get the one you want, or you might not. That uncertainty is part of the thrill.

    Unlike traditional toys, these figures are marketed as collectibles. Many are part of themed series, with some designs labelled as “rare” or “secret,” appearing in as few as one in every 144 boxes. This sense of exclusivity fuels repeat purchases and has spawned a resale market where rare figures can command hundreds of dollars.

    Popular among children and adults alike, blind box toys have grown into a billion-dollar industry. One of the more popular brands is Pop Mart, a Chinese toy company founded in 2010 known for its collectible designer toys sold in mystery packs.

    Gen Z consumers, in particular, have embraced blind box toys both as a nostalgic pastime and as a form of legitimate collecting. The proliferation of unboxing videos on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where creators open dozens of blind boxes on camera, has added to their appeal.

    For many fans, these toys offer more than just cuteness: they also provide suspense, surprise and a rush of dopamine with every box opened. But how did this niche product become a global obsession?

    From Tokyo streets to western malls

    The origins of blind box toys trace back to East Asia. Capsule toy vending machines called gashapon originated in Japan in the 1960s. By the 1980s, they had become a cultural fixture. These machines dispense small toys in opaque plastic balls, with customers never quite sure which item they’ll receive.

    In the early 2010s, Chinese companies like Pop Mart adapted the gashapon model for the mainstream retail space. Instead of vending machines, they began selling artist-designed vinyl toys in blind boxes at dedicated boutiques.

    A tourist uses a gashapon machine in Osaka, Japan, in 2024. Gashapon machines are similar to the coin-operated toy vending machines seen outside grocery stores and other retailers in North America.
    (Shutterstock)

    Pop Mart’s success helped transform the blind box into a mainstream commercial phenomenon. Characters like Molly, Skullpanda and Dimoo became instant hits, combining Japanese kawaii esthetics with western pop art sensibilities.

    Pop Mart figures have since developed a cult-like following. Many consumers treat the toys as affordable art objects, displayed in cabinets, on purses or traded online.

    Today, blind box retail stores have expanded globally from Asia to Europe and North America. In October 2024, Pop Mart opened its first store in the Midwestern United States, located on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile at The Shops at North Bridge. The store offers exclusive products and taps into the growing demand for collectibles among American consumers.

    The psychology behind the mystery

    What makes blind box toys so hard to resist?

    Their success relies on a psychological principle known as variable-ratio reinforcement — the same reward pattern that makes slot machines so addictive.

    You never know exactly when you’ll score the item you’re after, but the possibility that the next box might contain it keeps people coming back. This unpredictability keeps people engaged, especially when the potential reward is framed as rare or valuable.

    Cconsumer psychology research also suggests that anticipation plays a major role. Studies show that dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical, spikes not just when we get what we want, but when we anticipate it. The sealed packaging, the suspense of unwrapping and the hope for a rare figure all heighten this effect.

    Sonny Angels on display in a store in Shenzhen, China, in March 2019.
    (Shutterstock)

    For younger collectors, the excitement of “the chase” can foster compulsive buying habits. This effect is amplified by the social influence of watching unboxings online or seeing friends complete their sets, and it becomes a powerful loop.

    Even when buyers don’t get the figure they want, the sunk cost fallacy — the feeling that they’ve already invested too much time or money to walk away — keeps them buying more.

    The hidden costs of blind boxes

    As blind box toys surge in popularity, they have drawn criticism from consumer advocates, psychologists and environmentalists alike.

    Some worry that blind boxes normalize gambling-like behaviours, especially among children. The randomness, excitement and promise of rare rewards closely mirror the mechanisms behind loot boxes in video games — another product that has sparked global concern over youth exposure to gambling psychology.

    Several countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands, have regulated loot boxes under gambling laws. Blind boxes, though currently unregulated, may be next in line for scrutiny.



    Read more:
    Blind bags: how toy makers are making a fortune with child gambling

    There are also environmental concerns. Many blind box toys come in excessive packaging — plastic wraps, foil bags, cardboard boxes — most of which is discarded immediately. The collectibles themselves are often made of non-recyclable plastics, raising questions about sustainability in an era of rising consumer awareness over waste.

    Even among adult fans, some critics question whether blind boxes are designed less to bring joy and more to trigger compulsive consumption. The joy of collecting, they argue, is increasingly overshadowed by the mechanics of engineered desire.

    What should we make of the blind box boom?

    Blind box toys are not inherently harmful, and for many, they’re a source of fun, nostalgia and self-expression. They also offer an accessible way for consumers to engage with designer art in a collectible, miniature form, as many of them are created by individual artists.

    But blind box toys also raise deeper questions about how modern marketing leverages psychological triggers associated with gambling, especially when it comes to children.

    As these toys continue to gain traction in the West, it’s worth asking more critical questions, like: are we buying into mystery or are we being sold obsession and compulsion?

    The blind box trend reflects broader shifts in how products are marketed, how value is perceived and how consumer behaviour is shaped in a digital, attention-driven economy. Understanding the forces at play may be the first step toward more informed — and perhaps more mindful — collecting.

    Eugene Y. Chan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Labubus, Sonny Angels and Smiskis: Are blind toy boxes just child’s play or something more concerning? – https://theconversation.com/labubus-sonny-angels-and-smiskis-are-blind-toy-boxes-just-childs-play-or-something-more-concerning-257611

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Bulgaria to receive EIB support for decarbonising major site for coal-fired power production

    Source: European Investment Bank

    EIB

    • EIB’s advisory services to work with Bulgarian government on greening coal-powered Maritsa East Complex
    • Goal is to promote clean energy at site where open-pit mines operate
    • EIB assistance to extend to Bulgarian efforts to boost EU funding

    Bulgaria will receive advisory support from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for greening one of Europe’s largest sites for coal-fired electricity production – the Maritsa East Complex. Both sides today signed an agreement under which the EIB will advise the Bulgarian government as it pursues a plan to decarbonise the Maritsa East Complex, which generates up to 35% of the country’s electricity.

    EIB Advisory will work with the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy to ensure the timely development of priority projects promoting renewable energy at the Maritsa East Complex, which has among the largest open-pit coal mines operating in Europe. EIB Advisory will also help to strengthen the Ministry’s capacity to manage complex projects and expand European Union funding.

    “Fostering economic and social cohesion is at the heart of the EIB’s mission and we stand ready to support a just transition for the Bulgarian regions most affected by the shift away from mining and carbon-intensive energy production and industrial activities,” said EIB Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris. “Our approach endeavours to ensure that no people or places are left behind in the transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy and society.”

    The burning of coal to produce electricity is major source of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change and cutting emissions at Maritsa East Complex is key for the clean-economy goals of Bulgaria and the EU as a whole.

    “Efforts to decarbonise the Maritsa East Complex are key to its sustainable development and to ensuring conditions for competitiveness and growth of the economy and the better well-being of Bulgarians,” said Bulgarian Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov. “We are happy that the government has the EIB as a partner in the process. It is an institution with many years of experience and proven expertise. I am confident that this cooperation will ensure the sustainable long-term operation of the Maritsa East Complex in line with the challenges of the green future.”

    The Ministry of Energy, supported by EIB Advisory under a technical assistance accord signed in early 2024, has made substantial progress in defining a strategic pathway for the transition of the Maritsa East Complex.

    The assistance included a comprehensive analysis of the state of the complex, an assessment of existing infrastructure and the development of an investor roadmap. These efforts clarified the scope of high-impact projects that can be implemented in the near term to drive Bulgaria’s decarbonisation strategy. Investment priorities by the companies operating in the Maritsa East Complex were also identified, refining the list of strategic projects contributing to the transition efforts.

    The EIB provides its advisory support under the European Commission’s InvestEU Advisory Hub to help Bulgaria’s coal-to-clean energy transition.

    Background information  

    About the EIB  

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. The EIB finances investments in eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.  

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.    

    In addition to financing, the EIB offers advisory services that help public and private partners develop and implement high-quality, investment-ready projects. In 2024 alone, EIB advisory teams helped mobilise over €200 billion of investments across Europe and beyond.

    About the InvestEU Advisory Hub

    The InvestEU programme provides the EU with long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery and growth. It helps mobilise private investments for the EU’s policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. InvestEU brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible.

    The InvestEU Advisory Hub is the central entry point for project promoters and intermediaries seeking advisory support and technical assistance related to centrally managed EU investment funds. Managed by the European Commission and financed by the EU budget, the InvestEU Advisory Hub connects project promoters and intermediaries with advisory partners, who work directly together to help projects reach the financing stage.

    EIB Advisory provides technical and financial expertise to support the development of sustainable and bankable projects in various sectors. In Bulgaria, EIB experts are assisting public authorities and businesses in preparing infrastructure investments in energy, energy efficiency, healthcare, transport and the environment, improving project planning and enhancing access to funding through tailored services and capacity building.

    Bulgaria to receive EIB support for decarbonising major site for coal-fired power production
    Bulgaria to receive EIB support for decarbonising major site for coal-fired power production
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    Bulgaria to receive EIB support for decarbonising major site for coal-fired power production
    Bulgaria to receive EIB support for decarbonising major site for coal-fired power production
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    Bulgaria to receive EIB support for decarbonising major site for coal-fired power production
    Bulgaria to receive EIB support for decarbonising major site for coal-fired power production
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Trump’s ‘gold standard’ politicizes federal science

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By H. Christopher Frey, Glenn E. Futrell Distinguished University Professor of Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University

    President Donald Trump holds up an executive order promoting coal production, with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, left, and the secretaries of Interior and Energy behind him. AP Photo/Evan Vucci

    The first time Donald Trump was president, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed a regulation known as the “science transparency” rule. The administration liked to call it the “secret science” rule.

    “Transparency” sounds positive, but this rule instead prevented the EPA from using some of the best available science to protect human health.

    For example, it required the EPA to ignore or downplay studies that established links between exposure to chemicals and health damage if those studies were based on confidential patient information that could not be released to the public. The problem: Many health studies, including those underpinning many U.S. pollution rules, rely on confidential patient information.

    A U.S. District Court struck down the rule on procedural grounds a few weeks after it was issued. But now, the idea is back.

    Trump’s so-called Restoring Gold Standard Science executive order of May 23, 2025, resurrects many features of the EPA’s vacated rule, but it applies them to all federal agencies.

    To many readers, the executive order might sound reasonable. It mentions “transparency,” “reproducibility” and “uncertainty.” However, the devil is in the details.

    What’s wrong with transparency and reproducibility?

    “Transparency” implies that scientists should adequately explain all elements of their work, including hypotheses, methods, results and conclusions in a way that helps others see how those conclusions were reached.

    “Data transparency” is an expectation that scientists should share all data used in the study so other scientists can recalculate the results. This is also known as “reproducibility.”

    Trump’s executive order focuses on reproducibility. However, if there are errors in the data or methods of the original study, being able to reproduce its results may only ensure consistency but not scientific rigor.

    More important to scientific rigor is “replicability.” Replicability means different scientists, working with different data and different methods, can arrive at consistent findings. For example, studies of human exposure to a set of pollutants at different locations, and with different populations, that consistently find relationships to health effects, such as illness and premature death, can increase confidence in the findings.

    Replicability doesn’t require releasing confidential health data, as reproducibility would. Instead, it looks for the same results broadly from other sources.

    During the first Trump administration, people in cities across the U.S. participated in marches for science, protesting the administration’s actions to cut the use of scientific evidence out of policymaking.
    Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    The science transparency rule in the first Trump administration was intended to limit the EPA’s ability to consider epidemiologic studies like those that established the health harms from exposure to secondhand smoke and to PM2.5, fine particles often from pollution.

    Many large-scale studies that assess how exposure to pollution can harm human health are based on personal data collected according to strict protocols to ensure privacy. Preventing policymakers from considering those findings means they are left to make important decisions about pollution and chemicals without crucial evidence about the health risks.

    These attempts to create barriers to using valid science echoed tactics used by the tobacco industry from the 1960s well into the 1990s to deny that tobacco use harmed human health.

    Uncertainty: A matter of balance

    Trump’s new executive order also emphasizes “uncertainty.”

    In the first Trump administration, the EPA administrator and his hand-picked science advisers, none of whom were epidemiologists, focused on “uncertainty” in epidemiological studies used to inform decisions on air quality standards.

    The EPA’s scientific integrity policy requires that policymakers “shall not knowingly misrepresent, exaggerate, or downplay areas of scientific uncertainty associated with policy decisions.”

    That might sound reasonable. However, in the final 2020 rule for the nation’s PM2.5 air quality standard, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler stated that “limitations in the science lead to considerable uncertainty” to justify not lowering the standard, the level considered unhealthy. PM2.5 comes largely from fossil fuel combustion in cars, power plants and factories.

    In contrast, an independent external group of scientific experts, which I was part of as an environmental engineer and former EPA adviser, reviewed the same evidence and came to a very different conclusion. We found clear scientific evidence supporting a more stringent standard for PM2.5.

    Skepticism versus denial

    The executive order also requires that science be conducted in a manner that is “skeptical of its findings and assumptions.”

    A true skeptic can be swayed to change an inference based on evidence, whereas a denialist holds a fixed view irrespective of evidence. Denialists tend to cherry-pick evidence, set impossible levels of evidence and engage in logical fallacies.

    The first Trump administration stacked the EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, which advises EPA on setting health-protective air quality standards, with opponents of environmental regulation, including people connected to industries the EPA regulates. The committee then amplified uncertainties. It also shifted the burden of proof in ways inconsistent with the statutory requirement to protect public health with an adequate margin of safety.

    The current administration has been dismantling science advisory committees in various agencies again and purging key EPA committees of independent experts.

    Who decides when politics trumps science

    According to Trump, “violations” of his executive order will be determined by a “senior appointee designated by the agency head.” This means a political appointee accountable to the White House. Thus, science in each federal agency will be politicized.

    The political appointee is required to “correct scientific information.”

    Anyone can file a “request for correction” regarding a published agency report. During the first Trump administration, chemical companies or their representatives repeatedly filed requests for changes to final EPA toxicity assessments on ethylene oxide and chloroprene. The administration delayed health-protective actions, which were finally addressed during the Biden administration for both chemicals.

    The request for correction process is intended to correct errors, not to bias assessments to be more favorable to industry and to delay protective actions.

    The bottom line on Trump’s ‘gold standard’

    While the language of the executive order may seem innocuous based on a casual reading, it risks undermining unbiased science in all federal agencies, subject to political whims.

    Setting impossible bars for “transparency” can mean regulators ignore relevant and valid scientific studies. Overemphasizing uncertainties can be used to raise doubt and unduly undermine confidence in robust findings.

    A politicized process also has the potential to punish federal employees and to ignore external peer reviewers who have the temerity to advance evidence-based findings contrary to White House ideology.

    Thus, this executive order could be used to deprive the American public of accurate and unbiased information regarding chemicals in the environment. That would prevent the development of effective evidence-based policies necessary for the protection of human health, rather than advancing the best available science.

    H. Christopher Frey receives funding from the California Air Resources Board via a research grant to North Carolina State University. He was on leave from NCSU to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2021 to 2024. From 2021 to 2022, he served as Deputy Assistant Administrator of Science Policy. From 2022-20224, he served as the senate-confirmed Assistant Administrator of the Office of Research and Development and concurrently served as the EPA Science Advisor. He was a member of the EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee from 2008 to 2012, and chaired CASAC from 2012 to 2015.

    – ref. How Trump’s ‘gold standard’ politicizes federal science – https://theconversation.com/how-trumps-gold-standard-politicizes-federal-science-258277

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –