NewzIntel.com

Category: Environment

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gun Violence in New York Has Declined to Lowest on Record

    Source: US State of New York

    October 17, 2024

    Albany, NY

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced new data that shows reported gun violence in New York State is at its lowest point since the state started tracking this data in 2006. Shooting incidents with injury declined 26 percent through September 2024 compared to the same nine-month period last year, as reported by the 28 police departments outside of New York City that participate in New York State’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative. A total of 170 fewer individuals were injured by gun violence in Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative communities, with significant decreases in shooting incidents with injury reported in Niagara Falls, Rochester, Syracuse, Troy, Utica and on Long Island. Since taking office, Governor Hochul has secured record-level funding for local law enforcement and district attorneys’ offices, from $30 million during State Fiscal Year 2022 to $392 million in the current fiscal year. At the same time, the New York State Police budget has increased by 30 percent, allowing the agency to hire and train additional troopers, and significantly expand its support to local law enforcement agencies to address major crimes, gun violence and retail theft. Additionally, Governor Hochul directed state landmarks to be lit purple in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

    “Public safety is my number one priority, and New York is leading the nation with proven initiatives that are making communities safer,” Governor Hochul said. “Our record investments in law enforcement and in critical programs like the GIVE initiative are making a real difference in every corner of our state, and my administration will continue fighting to keep New Yorkers safe.”

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    The 26 percent decline reflects 476 shooting incidents with injury from January 1 through September 30, 2024, compared to 646 incidents from January 1, through September 30, 2023, and represents the fewest reported since the state began tracking this data in 2006. At that time, only 17 police departments reported this data and received state funding to reduce gun and violent crime. The Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative (GIVE) provides nearly $36 million to 28 police departments, as well as district attorneys’ offices, probation departments and sheriffs’ offices, in 21 counties outside of New York City. The following police departments reported particularly significant declines:

    • Utica: 52 percent
    • Troy: 48 percent
    • Niagara Falls: 40 percent
    • Rochester: 38 percent
    • Nassau County, Hempstead, Suffolk County (Long Island): 36 percent
    • Syracuse: 29 percent

    Shooting incidents with injury, shooting victims and shooting homicide data for each of the 28 police departments participating in GIVE are available on the State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) website. In addition, the 476 shooting incidents with injury reported by these 28 police departments are the fewest reported since 2006.

    In addition to the collective decrease in gun violence in GIVE communities, the New York City Police Department reported a nearly 9 percent (723 v. 791) decrease in shooting incidents through Oct. 13, 2024.

    Overall crime outside of New York City also has declined. The 57 counties outside of the five boroughs collectively reported a 9 percent decrease in index crime during the first five months of 2024, the most recent data available, when compared to the same time in 2023. There are seven index crime categories that are used to gauge overall crime trends: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft. The most significant declines were reported in motor vehicle theft (-27 percent), followed by rape (-14 percent), and murder (-12 percent) when comparing January 1, through May 31, 2024, to that five-month period last year. The NYPD also reported a 2 percent decrease in crime complaints through Oct. 13, 2024.

    Earlier this month, Governor Hochul also announced another record-level state investment to further improve public safety: $35 million to strengthen the law enforcement response to intimate partner abuse and domestic violence and better address the needs of survivors. DCJS will administer $5 million to the five New York City District Attorneys’ Offices, and $23 million to law enforcement agencies and service providers in 20 counties outside of the five boroughs to implement the Statewide Targeted Reduction in Intimate Partner Violence (STRIVE) initiative. Up to $7 million will allow the State to provide training and technical assistance, risk assessment tools, and investigative support to participating agencies and improve the domestic violence reduction efforts of state agencies.

    STRIVE is modeled after GIVE and plans developed by participating counties must use evidence-based strategies and ensure that community members and programs that serve victims and survivors are actively involved in strategy selection and implementation. One or more of the following strategies must be used: domestic violence high-risk team model, lethality assessment program or intimate partner violence intervention.

    Our record investments in law enforcement and in critical programs like the GIVE initiative are making a real difference in every corner of our state”

    Governor Kathy Hochul

    New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rosanna Rosado said, “These reductions in gun violence show that our evidence-based approaches like our street outreach programs, our GIVE Initiative, hot-spots policing and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design are effective. I’d like to thank Governor Hochul, our community partners and law enforcement across the state for investing in our communities and for the work they do to improve public safety for all New Yorkers.”

    New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “Over the years, law enforcement has learned that we are most effective when we work together. Combating gun violence is no small matter and we are fighting this battle on many fronts along with our local, state, and federal partners. The decrease in numbers shows progress is being made and I thank Governor Hochul for her continued support of these integral efforts to tackle gun violence.”

    New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Executive Director Kelli Owens said, “Today’s announcement comes as we mark Purple Thursday here in New York, a day to show support for survivors during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The color purple has long been a symbol of peace, courage, survival, honor, and dedication to ending violence. Thank you, Governor Hochul, for standing with survivors and for your continued efforts in finding innovative, effective ways to combat domestic violence and keep all New Yorker’s safe.”

    New York State Office of Victim Services Director Bea Hanson said, “We at OVS are proud of the work we do to help prevent violence and to support victims and survivors of crime and their families, including funding victim assistance programs in communities across the state and reimbursing eligible individuals affected by crime for out-of-pocket expenses such as medical care, counseling, lost wages and funeral arrangements. It is great news that our state’s gun violence numbers are decreasing, and we thank Governor Hochul for her successful leadership and her steadfast commitment to supporting survivors.”

    NYS Troopers PBA President Charles W. Murphy said, “On this day on which we celebrate the 215th New York State Police Graduation, the New York State Troopers PBA appreciates Governor Hochul’s funding of two additional police academies so that we increase our membership numbers to respond to the needs of all New Yorkers.”

    NYC PBA President Patrick Hendry said, “The road to a safer New York starts with strong support for police officers on the streets. We look forward to continuing to work with Governor Hochul and all of our state partners to tackle the challenges facing New York City police officers.”

    New York State Police Investigators Association President Tim Dymond said, “We appreciate Governor Hochul’s support for the New York State Police. The additional funding and resources that she has provided over the last two years have made a positive impact on our members and their ability to do their jobs. We look forward to continue working with her and her staff on improving recruitment and finding a solution to retain our most senior experienced members. Together we are making progress on these issues and ensuring that the New York State Police remains as the top law enforcement agency in the country.”

    Since Governor Hochul took office, funding for the State Police has increased by $264 million (30 percent) to support additional staffing and an increase in police services. The agency’s budget for FY 2025 is $1.14 billion. This funding supports the hiring and training of nearly 1,000 new Troopers and allows the State Police to address major crime and support local police agencies. This includes $25 million to target and retail theft, and expansion of Community Stabilization Units, which use a multi-pronged approach to interdicting illegal firearms and provide local police agencies with resources to proactively address surges in crime. Other programs that are part of the Governor’s comprehensive plan to improve public safety include:

    • $21 million for the SNUG Street Outreach program, which uses a public health approach to address gun violence by identifying the source, interrupting transmission, and treating individuals, families and communities affected by violence. Community-based organizations and hospitals operate the program in 14 communities and employ nearly 200 outreach workers, social workers and case managers. Outreach workers are credible messengers who have lost loved ones to violence or have prior justice system involvement. They respond to shootings to prevent retaliation, detect conflicts and resolve them peacefully before they lead to additional violence. Social workers and case managers work with individuals affected by community violence, including friends and family. DCJS also supports New York City’s violence interruption efforts, providing $5 million for its Crisis Management System (CMS) so it can bring those programs to scale.
    • $18 million for the state’s unique network of Crime Analysis Centers, which analyze, compile and distribute information, intelligence and data to local law enforcement agencies statewide. No other state has anything similar and the centers — operated in partnership with local law enforcement agencies in 10 counties and New York City — are hubs of state and local efforts to deter, investigate and solve crimes. Last year alone, staff handled more than 90,000 requests for assistance, helping agencies solve everything from retail theft to murders.
    • Up to $20 million for Project RISE, a unique funding model that convenes community stakeholders to respond to gun violence, invest in solutions, sustain positive programs and empower communities. In its first year, the initiative supported 99 organizations, including 74 small, grassroots programs, many of which had never received state support for their work. Programs and services funded by RISE include academic support, employment services, mentoring and delinquency/violence prevention.
    • $10.4 million for the Supervision Against Violent Engagement (SAVE) program, overseen by the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. The program uses enhanced supervision, including active GPS monitoring; intelligence and data gathering; and cross-jurisdictional cooperation to prevent gun violence, violent crime and domestic violence among the most high-risk individuals returning to Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.

    Governor Hochul also directed landmarks to be lit purple in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The landmarks to be lit include:

    • One World Trade Center
    • Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
    • Kosciuszko Bridge
    • The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
    • State Education Building
    • Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
    • Empire State Plaza
    • State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
    • Niagara Falls
    • The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
    • Albany International Airport Gateway
    • MTA LIRR – East End Gateway at Penn Station
    • Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
    • Moynihan Train Hall
    • Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Tech bosses think nuclear fusion is the solution to AI’s energy demands – here’s what they’re missing

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sophie Cogan, PhD Candidate in Politics and Environment, University of York

    Illustration of nuclear fusion in a tokamak. John D London / Shutterstock

    The artificial intelligence boom has already changed how we understand technology and the world. But developing and updating AI programs requires a lot of computing power. This relies heavily on servers in data centres, at a great cost in terms of carbon emissions and resource use.

    One particularly energy intensive task is “training”, where generative AI systems are exposed to vast amounts of data so that they improve at what they do.

    The development of AI-based systems has been blamed for a 48% increase in Google’s greenhouse gas emissions over five years. This will make it harder for the tech giant to achieve its goal of reaching net zero by 2030.

    Some in the industry justify the extra energy expenditure from AI by pointing to benefits the technology could have for environmental sustainability and climate action. Improving the efficiency of solar and wind power through predicting weather patterns, “smart” agriculture and more efficient, electric autonomous vehicles are among the purported benefits of AI for the Earth.

    It’s against this background that tech companies have been looking to renewables and nuclear fission to supply electricity to their data centres.

    Nuclear fission is the type of nuclear power that’s been in use around the world for decades. It releases energy by splitting a heavy chemical element to form lighter ones. Fission is one thing, but some in Silicon Valley feel a different technology will be needed to plug the gap: nuclear fusion.

    Unlike fission, nuclear fusion produces energy by combining two light elements to make a heavier one. But fusion energy is an unproven solution to the sustainability challenge of AI. And the enthusiasm of tech CEOs for this technology as an AI energy supply risks sidelining the potential benefits for the planet.

    Beyond the conventional

    Google recently announced that it had signed a deal to buy energy from small nuclear reactors. This is a technology, based on nuclear fission, that allows useful amounts of power to be produced from much smaller devices than the huge reactors in big nuclear power plants. Google plans to use these small reactors to generate the power needed for the rise in use of AI.

    This year, Microsoft announced an agreement with the company Constellation Energy, which could pave the way to restart a reactor at Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island nuclear power station, the site of the worst nuclear accident in US history.

    However, nuclear power produces long-lived radioactive waste, which needs to be stored securely. Nuclear fuels, such as the element uranium (which needs to be mined), are finite, so the technology is not considered renewable. Renewable sources of energy, such as solar and wind power suffer from “intermittency”, meaning they do not consistently produce energy at all hours of the day.

    These limitations have driven some to look to look to nuclear fusion as a solution. Most notably, Sam Altman of OpenAI has shown particular interest in Helion Energy, a fusion startup working on a relatively novel technological design.

    In theory, nuclear fusion offers a “holy grail” energy source by generating a large output of energy from small quantities of fuel, with no greenhouse gas emissions from the process and comparatively little radioactive waste. Some forms of fusion rely on a fuel called deuterium, a form of hydrogen, which can be extracted from an abundant source: seawater.

    In the eyes of its advocates, like Altman, these qualities make nuclear fusion well suited to meet the challenges of growing energy demand in the face of the climate crisis –- and to meet the vast demands of AI development.

    However, dig beneath the surface and the picture isn’t so rosy. Despite the hopes of its proponents, fusion technologies have yet to produce sustained net energy output (more energy than is put in to run the reactor), let alone produce energy at the scale required to meet the growing demands of AI. Fusion will require many more technological developments before it can fulfil its promise of delivering power to the grid.

    Wealthy and powerful people, such as the CEOs of giant technology companies, can strongly influence how new technology is developed. For example, there are many different technological ways to perform nuclear fusion. But the particular route to fusion that is useful for meeting the energy demands of AI might not be the one that’s ideal for meeting people’s general energy needs.

    AI is reliant on data centres which consume lots of energy.
    Dil_Ranathunga / Shutterstock

    The overvaluation of innovation

    Innovators often take for granted that their work will produce ideal social outcomes. If fusion can be made to work at scale, it could make a valuable contribution to decarbonising our energy supplies as the world seeks to tackle the climate crisis.

    However, the humanitarian promises of both fusion and AI often seem to be sidelined in favour of scientific innovation and progress. Indeed, when looking at those invested in these technologies, it is worth asking who actually benefits from them.

    Will investment in fusion for AI purposes enable its wider take-up as a clean technology to replace polluting fossil fuels? Or will a vision for the technology propagated by powerful tech companies restrict its use for other purposes?

    It can sometimes feel as if innovation is itself the goal, with much less consideration of the wider impact. This vision has echoes of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s motto of “move fast and break things”, where short-term losses are accepted in pursuit of a future vision that will later justify the means.

    Sophie Cogan receives funding from the EPSRC Fusion Centre for Doctoral Training.

    – ref. Tech bosses think nuclear fusion is the solution to AI’s energy demands – here’s what they’re missing – https://theconversation.com/tech-bosses-think-nuclear-fusion-is-the-solution-to-ais-energy-demands-heres-what-theyre-missing-240580

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Could Life Exist Below Mars Ice? NASA Study Proposes Possibilities

    Source: NASA

    Researchers think meltwater beneath Martian ice could support microbial life.
    While actual evidence for life on Mars has never been found, a new NASA study proposes microbes could find a potential home beneath frozen water on the planet’s surface.
    Through computer modeling, the study’s authors have shown that the amount of sunlight that can shine through water ice would be enough for photosynthesis to occur in shallow pools of meltwater below the surface of that ice. Similar pools of water that form within ice on Earth have been found to teem with life, including algae, fungi, and microscopic cyanobacteria, all of which derive energy from photosynthesis.
    “If we’re trying to find life anywhere in the universe today, Martian ice exposures are probably one of the most accessible places we should be looking,” said the paper’s lead author, Aditya Khuller of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
    Mars has two kinds of ice: frozen water and frozen carbon dioxide. For their paper, published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, Khuller and colleagues looked at water ice, large amounts of which formed from snow mixed with dust that fell on the surface during a series of Martian ice ages in the past million years. That ancient snow has since solidified into ice, still peppered with specks of dust.  
    Although dust particles may obscure light in deeper layers of the ice, they are key to explaining how subsurface pools of water could form within ice when exposed to the Sun: Dark dust absorbs more sunlight than the surrounding ice, potentially causing the ice to warm up and melt up to a few feet below the surface.

    Mars scientists are divided about whether ice can actually melt when exposed to the Martian surface. That’s due to the planet’s thin, dry atmosphere, where water ice is believed to sublimate — turn directly into gas — the way dry ice does on Earth. But the atmospheric effects that make melting difficult on the Martian surface wouldn’t apply below the surface of a dusty snowpack or glacier.
    Thriving Microcosms
    On Earth, dust within ice can create what are called cryoconite holes — small cavities that form in ice when particles of windblown dust (called cryoconite) land there, absorb sunlight, and melt farther into the ice each summer. Eventually, as these dust particles travel farther from the Sun’s rays, they stop sinking, but they still generate enough warmth to create a pocket of meltwater around them. The pockets can nourish a thriving ecosystem for simple lifeforms..
    “This is a common phenomenon on Earth,” said co-author Phil Christensen of Arizona State University in Tempe, referring to ice melting from within. “Dense snow and ice can melt from the inside out, letting in sunlight that warms it like a greenhouse, rather than melting from the top down.”
    Christensen has studied ice on Mars for decades. He leads operations for a heat-sensitive camera called THEMIS (Thermal Emission Imaging System) aboard NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter. In past research, Christensen and Gary Clow of the University of Colorado Boulder used modeling to demonstrate how liquid water could form within dusty snowpack on the Red Planet. That work, in turn, provided a foundation for the new paper focused on whether photosynthesis could be possible on Mars.
    In 2021, Christensen and Khuller co-authored a paper on the discovery of dusty water ice exposed within gullies on Mars, proposing that many Martian gullies form by erosion caused by the ice melting to form liquid water.
    This new paper suggests that dusty ice lets in enough light for photosynthesis to occur as deep as 9 feet (3 meters) below the surface. In this scenario, the upper layers of ice prevent the shallow subsurface pools of water from evaporating while also providing protection from harmful radiation. That’s important, because unlike Earth, Mars lacks a protective magnetic field to shield it from both the Sun and radioactive cosmic ray particles zipping around space.
    The study authors say the water ice that would be most likely to form subsurface pools would exist in Mars’ tropics, between 30 degrees and 60 degrees latitude, in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
    Khuller next hopes to re-create some of Mars’ dusty ice in a lab to study it up close. Meanwhile, he and other scientists are beginning to map out the most likely spots on Mars to look for shallow meltwater — locations that could be scientific targets for possible human and robotic missions in the future.
    News Media Contacts
    Andrew GoodJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-393-2433andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov
    Karen Fox / Molly WasserNASA Headquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
    2024-142

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Five surprising ways that trees help prevent flooding

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martina Egedusevic, PhD Candidate, Impact Fellow (Green Futures Solutions), University of Exeter

    Think of flood prevention and you might imagine huge concrete dams, levees or the shiny Thames barrier. But some of the most powerful tools for reducing flood risk are far more natural and widely recognisable: woodlands and green spaces. Trees offer much more than beauty and oxygen. Here’s how trees help to protect us from floods.

    1. Intercepting rainfall

    Trees and green spaces hold the key to protecting us against flooding. When rain falls on a forest, trees play a vital role in managing water flow. The canopy of a forest acts like a giant umbrella, catching and holding rainwater before it hits the ground.

    This slows down how quickly rain reaches the soil, allowing water to gradually seep into the earth instead of rushing over the ground and straight into rivers and watercourses. This delayed water flow can reduce peak water levels in rivers during heavy storms, helping to prevent flash floods.

    One of us (Martina) was involved in a two-year study, which has not been peer reviewed, that used sensor equipment to measure the speed and level of surface water at various locations along two streams in the Menstrie catchment area in Scotland: one with greater tree cover and another with less.

    The stream with more trees appeared to have consistently reduced flow discharges compared with the more barren stream. This suggests that young forests may be able to dramatically reduce water runoff during rainfall, potentially preventing water from overwhelming streams and rivers.

    As trees grow and mature, their effect on water management could become even more significant. This study adds to a growing body of evidence that shows forests offer a natural defence against floods.

    Trees are one of our best allies in adapting to the increasing risks posed by climate change. Trees also remove water from catchments via evapotranspiration, whereby moisture evaporates from the surface of the soil and is released from the plant’s leaves and other surfaces.

    Importantly, these processes aren’t just relevant at the scale of rural, catchments. We can use the benefits of trees and plants in our towns and cities as targeted small-scale interventions.

    2. Keeping rivers clean

    Trees help keep rivers clean and healthy. When there are no trees, rain can wash away a lot of soil (and pollutants) into rivers. This might lead to them having a reduced capacity to convey water. But tree roots act like anchors, binding the soil in place and preventing it from flowing into rivers.

    This keeps the rivers clear and stops sedimentation, helping them cope with flood waters better. That, in turn, can prevent flooding and maintain river capacity to protect against future flooding.

    In places like the Menstrie catchment, planting trees around rivers helps trap dirt and sediment in the upper parts of the river, keeping the lower parts cleaner.

    Ploughed ground can better capture sediment across the catchment because the plough lines act as barriers. They keep the sediment in place more efficiently than other techniques, such as hand-screefing (when someone clears a small spot of ground by hand to plant a tree) and excavator mounding (a process that uses a machine to build little hills to help trees grow better in wet areas), which were less successful in containing the sediment.

    Evidence shows that trees are essential for long-term soil stabilisation. Cultivation methods and forestry practices therefore play a crucial role in managing erosion and sediment flow.

    3. Absorbing and storing water like sponges

    Trees improve the soil’s ability to soak up water. Their roots channel deep into the ground, creating preferential flow paths that allow water to absorb into the soil profile, rather than run off on the surface. This process helps reduce the amount of water rushing towards rivers and streams after a heavy rainstorm, which is a major factor in slowing the flow of water and reducing flooding.

    How trees are planted, the slope of the land and the type of soil all affect how much water runs off during rainfall. Different planting techniques affect water runoff differently depending on the amount of rain.

    During floods, some areas with trees planted (that includes plots with plough cultivation and excavation mounding) have less water runoff compared with unplanted areas without trees.

    4. Reducing surface runoff

    When heavy rain falls on bare land, water runs off quickly, which can cause floods. Trees, with their roots and fallen leaves, slow this down by helping the ground soak up more water.

    This reduces how much water flows into rivers all at once, helping to prevent floods. Planting trees using different layouts, densities and patterns can make this even more effective by helping trees grow better and absorb more water, thereby reducing runoff.

    5. Stopping floodwaters

    In Somerset, England tree planting projects along rivers, such as those under the Environment Agency’s initiative, have played a crucial role in reducing flood risks.

    Since 2020, almost 30,000 trees and shrubs were planted across multiple sites to help slow water flow and protect communities vulnerable to flooding. These trees were strategically placed along riverbanks, including in the Parrett catchment in Somerset, an area known to be prone to flooding.

    Underground, tree roots drink up lots of water, slowing how quickly the rainwater flows. And when floodwater hits a forest, the tree trunks act like a natural barrier or wall, slowing the water down so it doesn’t rush all at once to other areas and cause bigger floods. By planning and planting forests to build climate resilience, these positive effects can become even stronger.


    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get our award-winning weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Martina Egedusevic receives funding from the Scottish Forestry Trust.

    Daniel Green works for Heriot-Watt University as an Assistant Professor in Nature-based Solutions. He is also a Research Associate at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

    – ref. Five surprising ways that trees help prevent flooding – https://theconversation.com/five-surprising-ways-that-trees-help-prevent-flooding-240242

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada to announce support for Stratford Waterfront

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Member of Parliament for Cardigan, will make an announcement on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA.

    Connor Burton
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
    Connor.Burton@acoa-apeca.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada recognizes Peter Henderson Bryce as a person of national historic significance

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Peter Henderson Bryce played a leading role in the development of standards and codes for public health practices across Canada.

    Peter Henderson Bryce played a leading role in the development of standards and codes for public health practices across Canada.

    October 17, 2024                                  Gatineau, QC                              Parks Canada

    Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the designation of Peter Henderson Bryce (1853–1932) as a person of national historic significance under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration. 

    Born in 1853 in what is now Prince Edward County, Ontario, Bryce obtained four university degrees between 1876 and 1886 at the University of Toronto, studying groundbreaking innovations in bacteriology and becoming a medical doctor. Dr. Bryce entered the public service in 1882 as Secretary for the Board of Public Health of Ontario, where he led vital work to advance public health practices, such as implementing protocols for inspecting sanitary conditions and coordinating efforts to control the spread of infectious diseases. 

    Appointed Chief Medical Officer for the departments of the Interior and of Indian Affairs in 1904, Dr. Bryce helped guide immigration policy by using medical surveys to assess the health of recent immigrants. He also co-wrote legislation that transformed the relationship and responsibility that the Canadian government had with its residents regarding health.  At Indian Affairs, Bryce persistently called attention to the fatal consequences of tuberculosis in Indian Residential Schools, advocacy that was largely ignored by his superiors.

    The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and Parks Canada, recognizes significant persons, places, and events that have shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories, we hope to foster understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada’s past and present . 

                                                                                                        -30-

    “Dr. Bryce’s legacy awakens Canadians to the many Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples who raised the alarm throughout the history of residential schools. As Saturday Night Magazine (November 23, 1907) wrote of Bryce’s report:

    [t]he protests of medical officers buried in blue books and the complaints of missionaries lost in pigeonholes – unless public opinion takes the question up and forces it to the front. Then Parliament will show a quick interest, pigeonholes will give forth their dusty contents, medical officers will have a wealth of suggestions, and the scandalous procession of Indian children to the school and on to the cemetery may possibly be stopped.

    Our best outcome in honouring Dr. Bryce is to force to the front the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the Missing and Murdered Women and Girls Calls to Justice. Those involved in residential schools knew better, and too great of a number did not do better. We can change that today – if we learn from the past.”

    Dr. Cindy Blackstock
    Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society

    • Peter Henderson Bryce played a leading role in the advancement and application of medical knowledge on germ theory and preventing the spread of communicable diseases as Secretary of the Board of Public Health for Ontario (1882–1904) and as Chief Medical Officer in both the departments of the Interior (1904–1921) and of Indian Affairs (1904–1914). 

    • While in his role as Secretary for the Board of Public Health of Ontario, Dr. Bryce co-wrote the 1884 Ontario Public Health Act, innovative legislation that influenced regulatory health codes in the country.

    • Dr. Bryce’s appointment as Chief Medical Officer for the departments of the Interior and of Indian Affairs coincided with a national policy to increase immigration to the country’s northwestern territories and new-forming provinces. Bryce was responsible for ensuring that new immigrants met early 20th-century Canadian standards for good health.

    • The designation process under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,260 designations have been made nationwide. To nominate a person, place or historic event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information: https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/proposer-nominate.

    • Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of Environment and Climate Change regarding the national significance of persons, places, and events that have marked Canada’s history. Together with Parks Canada, the Board ensures that subjects of national historic significance are recognized under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration and that these important stories are shared with Canadians.

    • Parks Canada is committed to working with Canadians in our efforts to tell broader, more inclusive stories in the places that it manages. In support of this goal, the Framework for History and Commemoration outlines a new, comprehensive, and engaging approach to sharing Canada’s history through diverse perspectives, including shedding light on tragic and difficult periods of Canada’s past.

    Hermine Landry
    Press Secretary      
    Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
    873-455-3714
    hermine.landry@ec.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Assault Charge for Assaulting Officers During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Pled Guilty to Assaulting Officers with Insecticide and Members of the News Media

                WASHINGTON – A New York man pleaded guilty today to two assault charges – one felony and one misdemeanor – related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

                Peter G. Moloney, 60, of Bayport, New York, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of assaulting, resisting, and impeding certain officers and a misdemeanor charge of assault by striking before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols. Judge Nichols will sentence Moloney on Feb. 11, 2025.

                According to court documents, Moloney attended the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C., on the Ellipse. Moloney traveled from his home in Bayport, New York, and brought with him certain items, including a bicycle helmet, protective eyewear, hard-knuckled gloves, a face mask, and a can of “Black Flag Wasp, Hornet, & Yellow Jacket Killer” aerosol spray.

                After the rally, Moloney walked toward the U.S. Capitol building via the Maryland Walkway, put on his gear, and was part of the first group to enter the restricted permitter. Moloney was one of the first to line up against a line of U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Officers on the West Plaza. Court documents say that as tensions rose, Moloney pulled the can of wasp spray from his backpack and kept it in close proximity.

                According to the court records, on multiple occasions, Moloney held the can of wasp spray in his hands, aimed it at police, and sprayed the officers—causing the spray to make contact with the officer’s hands, arms, bodies, and heads.

                In addition to the assault on police officers, on two separate occasions, Moloney admitted to assaulting two individuals that he believed were members of the news media. On one occasion, Moloney walked up behind the victim while the victim’s back was turned and holding a camera. Moloney then swung his arm down onto the victim’s hand, grabbed the camera, and yanked it back in an attempt to pull the camera out of the victim’s hands. This act caused the victim to stumble on a flight of stairs.

                The FBI arrested Moloney on June 7, 2023, in New York.

                As a result of the plea, Moloney has agreed to pay restitution both to the victim for the repairs to his camera and to the Architect of the Capitol for the damage to the U.S. Capitol that day. 

                This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

                The case is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office (Long Island Resident Agency) and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Moloney as #199 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division.

              In the 45 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,532 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 571 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

                Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Guthrie and Griffith “The Biden-Harris EPA- From the Government Not Here to Help”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brett Guthrie (2nd District Kentucky)

    In Case You Missed It – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), recently published a joint op-ed in The Washington Reporter detailing how the Biden-Harris Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been providing solutions in search of a problem in the name of “climate justice.”

    Below are the highlights of their op-ed published by The Washington Reporter.

    Click HERE to read the full op-ed.

    “When you drive to work in the morning and drop your kids off at school, the EPA wants to make sure they can choose which vehicle you’re using. Their electric vehicle (EV) mandates, which are attempting to make two thirds of all US car sales by 2032 electric vehicles, are completely unrealistic and ignore the factors that make EVs untenable for many families across the country.  EV use is limited in mountainous regions where traversing the mountains drains batteries at a faster rate. EVs cost on average $17,000 more than their gas-powered counterparts and some EVs are suspectable to severe weather with battery range cut by up to 40% in cold conditions. This is further evidenced by the high percentage of auto-dealers’ lots filled with unsold EVs because of the continued popularity of gas-powered cars.

    The Biden-Harris hypocritical electrification strategy will increase the need for reliable baseload power generation, while at the same time they’re forcing the use of intermittent sources of wind and solar through the Clean Power Plan 2.0 that will drive out fossil fuels that are reliable and keep the lights on. But don’t just take our word for it, the very entities charged with overseeing our grid are sounding alarms about implications of EPA’s plans. Access to electricity is not a luxury, but a necessity.

    Power generation is the linchpin to economic activity in our nation. We should see this next-gen economy as an opportunity to reduce our reliance on adversarial nations like China and create stable, good paying jobs that lift up communities across the nation. Unfortunately, the Biden-Harris EPA doubled down on their radical agenda by implementing a host of regulations that target the manufacturing sector in an effort to fulfill a far-left environmentalist wish list.”

    …

    Click HERE to read the full op-ed.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Labrador Files Brief to Stop Biden-Harris Administration’s Electric-Truck Mandate

    Source: US State of Idaho

    [BOISE] – Attorney General Raúl Labrador and a coalition of 23 other states filed a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to stop the Biden-Harris Administration from imposing an electric-vehicle mandate on truck manufacturers in Nebraska v. EPA.  This coalition has joined the suit alongside Nebraska as petitioners to challenge the new rule.
    In April, the federal Environmental and Protection Agency (EPA) published a rule imposing stringent tailpipe emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles that effectively force manufacturers to produce more electric trucks and fewer internal-combustion trucks. The Attorneys General argued that EPA’s electric-truck mandate raises a “major question” that Congress has not clearly authorized EPA to decide.
    “Once again, the Biden-Harris administration is superseding their constitutional authority in a short-sighted pursuit of their green agenda,” said Attorney General Labrador.  “They are making laws and standards which are the sole purview of Congress.  This kind of reckless rulemaking will damage our national economy, infrastructure, and resiliency.”
    The brief points out that just one-tenth of one percent (0.10%) of all heavy-duty trucks sold today are powered by a battery, but that EPA’s rule would increase that number to 45 percent in less than a decade away. That massive shift in the nation’s trucking and logistics industries will slow down transportation of essential goods, stress the electric grid, and raise prices for Americans. The brief also argues that EPA has never before forced manufacturers to produce heavy-duty electric vehicles and that allowing the electric-truck mandate to stand would short circuit the ongoing policy debate that should be left to Congress and the States.
    In addition to Attorney General Labrador, attorneys general from the following States joined the suit against the Biden Administration: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, South Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: September’s Sunny Skies Make Perfect Day for Solar Calibrations

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    NREL Hosts 24th Pyrheliometer Comparisons for North American Region

    Participants from the Physical Meteorological Observatory in Davos (PMOD) attended the 24th NREL Pyrheliometer Comparisons (NPC). PMOD maintains the World Radiometric Reference. NREL visits PMOD in Switzerland every five years, and PMOD comes to Golden, Colorado, four out of every five years to participate in NPC. All photos by Gregory Cooper, NREL

    Say you are in the market for solar panels for the roof of your home. You are researching the different types, especially noticing the efficiency that they claim. How do you know that you can trust that number?

    Or let’s say you want to build an entire solar array. You need a loan from the bank, but they want to know how much energy you think you are going to get from your array to make sure they make a wise investment. How do you know how much energy you are going to get?

    The same answer applies to both of these scenarios because what we are talking about is traceability: the ability to trace your measurement back to a standard source that is common to everyone. The person who sold you the solar panels and the bank that agreed to invest in your solar farm both rely on a traceable measurement, and NREL plays a major role in providing just that.

    From Sept. 21 to 27, groups of scientists and engineers from around the globe gathered at NREL’s Solar Radiation Research Laboratory (SRRL) on the top of South Table Mountain in Golden, Colorado, for the 24th NREL Pyrheliometer Comparisons (NPC). While Colorado is a destination for many people, NPC’s participants do not just come for the stunning views and the clear skies. As the regional leader, NREL keeps its reference instruments calibrated directly to the World Radiometric Reference and World Infrared Standard Group. Since 1996, NPC has been a gathering place for people from across the globe to calibrate their reference instruments to the world standard.

    On the first day of the NPC, participants from Saudi Arabia set up their active cavity radiometers (ACRs) in the morning to begin measurements.

    Studying Solar Energy Is Part of What Unites Us

    One expert in the field, Tom Stoffel, is a former NREL employee. Tom began working at NREL when it was just beginning as the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) in the late1970s, and he played a major role in establishing NREL as the region’s leader in pyrheliometer comparisons. Tom still comes back to the comparisons every year to share his insights and to join the participants with whom he shares a passion for solar measurement.

    “Solar radiation measurements are the basis for understanding Earth’s primary energy source,” Stoffel said. Knowing how much of the sun’s power is available on Earth is crucial for solar and climate research and for the solar industry in general. Since the beginning of time, people have studied the sun and harvested its power for everything from basic needs like heating something to eat and telling time to today’s advanced uses for powering our homes and cars and, moreover, to understand and detect the changes in the Earth’s radiation budget for climate studies.

    Measuring the sun’s power remains one of the most difficult-to-define physical measurements. As researchers strive to get more and more precise measurements, they also need to ensure that the measurements used are compliant with international standards. This area of research lies at the origins of NREL’s work when it was once the Solar Energy Research Institute, and it still guides the laboratory’s mission today seeking to transform energy.

    A clock runs one hour behind Mountain Daylight Time to align with solar noon, when the sun is at maximum elevation, keeping participants aware of progression throughout the day. The number below the time indicates the current stable irradiance reading.

    What Is It Like Attending NPC?

    Affectionately referred to as the “sun nerds convention,” NPC serves as a World Meteorological Organization regional comparison for maintaining traceability, hosting participants who seek compliance with the International Organization for Standardization requirements for interlaboratory calibrations. Participants set up their instruments on the top of South Table Mountain and, beginning at sunrise, they start taking solar irradiance measurements in groups of 49 observations at 30-second intervals.

    Researchers at the SRRL analyze the data to provide participants with a ratio of their instrument’s measurement to the NREL reference group that allows them to calibrate their instruments to the World Radiometric Reference. Maintaining this traceability to the world standard allows participants to take their instruments back to their organizations and continue doing the important work of solar resource assessment, climate change studies, and atmospheric research with the assurance that their measurements are aligned with the world standard.

    As an example, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program personnel James Martin, Jim Stow, and retired Craig Webb participated in this year’s NPC to maintain its traceability of radiometric measurement. This supports the ARM program in closing the gap between the radiative transfer models and solar irradiance measurement.

    NPC participants set up and validate data collection to verify that solar alignment is not lost during the measurements. They need precise solar alignment to ensure they are measuring the full solar irradiance (i.e., the full power of the sun).

    Collaboration at the Event

    After attending this event, participants leave with more than just calibrated instruments. Collaboration and networking are an equally important part for this tight-knit industry to share valuable information about their work across all different industries and in different parts of the world.

    Logan Soldo, one participant at this year’s event from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, Colorado, commented on the value of the opportunity to collaborate.

    “Even just sitting here and learning from all of these people who have been around a lot longer than me is valuable,” Soldo said. “I feel like I’m learning so much.”

    Charles Robinson from Sandia National Laboratory remarked on how he is grateful for the mentorship he has received in this field. His mentor was mentored by one of the men who was at the very first international comparisons back in the 1960s, and Robinson was still using one of those original instruments at NREL’s comparisons.

    Participants from EKO Instruments attended this year’s NPC. EKO manufactures many of the trackers that NREL uses, which orient the ACR to point directly at the sun.

    Tom Kirk of Eppley Laboratories said that he enjoyed the opportunity to be in person with his clients who bought Eppley’s instruments and help them with their instruments in a more hands-on way.

    Erik Naranen of ISO-CAL North America, “a proud member of the sun nerds convention,” remarked on the value of being together with others in the industry. Many of the participants remarked similarly on the value of hearing from some of the experts in the field and being grateful for the chance to spend so much time with them to share their passion for accurate solar resource measurement.

    Future Directions

    The future of metrology is bright because of the work being done by NREL and many others in the field. Their goal is to have the most precise measurements possible to ensure that the research is as sound as possible. Measuring the sun’s power is still a difficult task. But when people know their instruments are sound, they can lay a strong foundation to push the envelope of climate and atmospheric research.

    More than a dozen ARCs are lined up on the top of South Table Mountain, making simultaneous solar irradiance measurements with one another. 

    The logistics associated with NPC require support from NREL’s Environment, Safety, Health, and Quality Office; Site Operations; Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness; Power Systems Engineering Center; Shipping and Receiving; DOE’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program; DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies program; and more. Thank you to all the NRELians who pitched in to help advance NREL’s leadership in this area and provide support to an event that improves research outcomes across renewable energy and atmospheric research.

    Learn more about NREL’s work in the Solar Radiation Research Laboratory, which includes the Metrology Laboratory. To find out more about attending NREL’s comparisons in 2026 or to learn more about past events, visit NPC’s website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The Government of Canada Announces Funding for Emissions Reduction Alberta Through the Green Industrial Facilities and Manufacturing Program

    Source: Government of Canada News

    News release

    October 17, 2024                    Calgary, Alberta                   Natural Resources Canada

    The Government of Canada is committed to maximizing energy performance and reducing greenhouse gas emissions while helping industry gain a competitive edge.  

    Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson announced a federal investment of $40 million from the Green Industrial Facilities and Manufacturing Program (GIFMP) to Emissions Reduction Alberta. This funding will help to develop and manage a province-wide program for industry to become more cost- and energy-efficient.

    Funding will support Emissions Reduction Alberta’s $50-Million Strategic Energy Management for Industry (SEMI) program, which will provide industrial and manufacturing facilities with expertise and training in energy management.  Industrial participants will be given the opportunity to increase profitability by reducing energy costs and to take advantage of funding to help cover the cost of capital retrofits for industrial process equipment. An additional $10 million was invested by the Government of Alberta for Emissions Reduction Alberta’s Strategic Energy Management for Industry program.   

    As Canada advances toward a net-zero future, investments like these are key to minimizing emissions while maximizing industry competitiveness. Today’s investment supports workers and industry in Alberta on the road toward a prosperous and clean future.

    Quotes

    “Energy efficiency means cost savings for Canadian business. Supporting Canadian industrial facilities with their efficiency targets is a necessary step toward improving competitiveness in the global economy. We are pleased to play a part in launching Emissions Reduction Alberta’s innovative Strategic Energy Management for Industry (SEMI) program, which helps strengthen the knowledge and expertise that Alberta industries need to keep energy-efficient and competitive. Through investments like the $40 million we are providing for SEMI, the federal government is helping provinces, territories and industry in their goal to seize the financial opportunities of a clean economy.”

    The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson

    Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

    “Improving the efficiency of industrial and manufacturing processes and facilities is the quickest, most cost-effective way to lower energy bills and stay competitive. But it takes knowledge, expertise, training and capital. With SEMI, Alberta companies now have even more opportunity to invest in energy- and cost-saving technologies, right here in the province.” 

    Justin Riemer

    CEO, Emissions Reduction Alberta

    “ERA’s SEMI program represents a pivotal opportunity for industry to further our collective mission of enhancing environmental performance and operational efficiency. By providing the necessary financial support, this program will enable companies to invest in advanced technologies and practices that significantly reduce emissions and improve efficiency and energy management solutions to contribute to a more sustainable future.” 

    Grant Wilde

    Board Chair, Spartan Controls and BlueMarvelValidator 

    “Reducing greenhouse emissions through energy efficiency is a powerful way industries can make a mark on reducing their carbon footprint while reducing energy costs. The SEMI program is an ideal opportunity for industries seeking to decarbonize through energy management and retrofits. At Lafarge, we have benefited from long standing support from ERA, and we are excited to see new opportunities put forward in energy management and conservation.”

     

    Stephanie Voysey

    Head of Sustainability and Environment, Lafarge, Western Canada

    Quick facts

    • Canada’s industrial sectors represented about 3,650 petajoules (PJ), or more than 40 percent, of Canada’s total energy use in 2021. 

    Related products

    Contacts

    Natural Resources Canada
    Media Relations
    343-292-6100
    media@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

    Cindy Caturao
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
    613-795-5638
    cindy.caturao@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

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    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Update on Hurricane Helene’s Impacts to NCEI

    Source: US National Oceanographic Data Center

    October 17, 2024

    NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, is still recovering from impacts of Hurricane Helene. NCEI has confirmed that all of its employees and staff are safe, and is continuing to support them through the storm recovery. NCEI’s data holdings — including its paper and film records — are also safe.

    Operational Updates

    NCEI’s broadband internet provider is now fully operational. In addition to the recently reestablished connectivity, NCEI is leveraging facilities and staff in Colorado, Mississippi and Maryland to bring some systems and data ingest capabilities back into operation. NCEI has resumed the majority of its data ingest streams and can confirm that data are being securely archived. All ingest data pathways are expected to be fully operational in the next two weeks.

    NCEI continues to work with data providers to recoup data that was not ingested while systems were down. This work will take up to three months to be completed. NCEI will recover as much data as possible, however some observations might eventually be unrecoverable.

    NCEI is also restarting and validating its processing systems that generate its value-added products and services that depend on these data. At this time, we do not have an estimate for when specific datasets, services, or products will be fully operational on the NCEI website. Users are encouraged to check the NCEI website for products and services that have been restored.

    NCEI archives over 229 terabytes of data each month, maintaining one of the most significant archives in the world, with comprehensive oceanic, atmospheric and geophysical data dating back to the 1700s. NCEI also develops data-driven information products and services to support decision- and policy-makers and researchers across industry, government and academia.

    NCEI and its staff are members of the Southern Appalachian communities that continue to recover from the event. NOAA continues to support federal relief efforts around the devastation of Hurricane Helene, and is committed to continuing support for impacted communities now and in the future.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Mauritania: IMF Staff Concludes 2024 Article IV Consultation Mission and Reaches Staff-Level Agreement on Third Review of Extended Fund and Extended Credit Facilities and the Second Review of Resilience and Sustainability Facility

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    October 17, 2024

    • Despite its resilience, the Mauritanian economy is expected to slow down in 2024 and in the medium term, in a context marked by the persistence of downside risks linked to an escalation of geopolitical tensions in the region, delays in the start of operation of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project, and weather shocks.
    • A prudent rule-based fiscal policy would help preserve debt sustainability. Developing the banking sector and sustaining the implementation of the national governance action plan and the new investment code would foster the role of the private sector and enhance prospects for inclusive growth.
    • IMF and Mauritania reached staff-level agreement on the Third Review of Mauritania’s economic program under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and the Second Review of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF)”

    Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, led by Felix Fischer, visited Nouakchott during October 3–16, 2024 to conduct the 2024 Article IV consultation and to hold discussions on the Third Review of Mauritania’s ECF/EFF and the Second Review of the RSF arrangement, and at the end of the mission, Mr. Fischer issued the following statement:

    “The Mauritanian economy is expected to slowdown in 2024 with a growth rate estimated at 4.6 percent (compared to 6.5 percent in 2023) reflecting sluggish extractive sector. The economic growth in 2025 is projected at 4.2 percent, reflecting a slowdown in the mining sector, moderated by the expected start of the GTA gas project. The growth outlook is subject to significant risks, including an escalation of geopolitical tensions in the region, additional delays in the start of operation of the GTA gas project, and the occurrence of weather shocks.

    “Anchoring fiscal policy to the non-extractive primary balance would reduce the impact of fluctuations in commodity prices on the economy and maintain debt sustainability. After a tightening since 2022, conditions are favorable to shift towards monetary policy easing. The mission encourages the ongoing reforms aimed at financial sector development and stability, which would enhance financial sector contribution to economic development. The timely adoption and implementation of the new investment code will contribute to level the playing field among all market participants and foster private sector-led inclusive growth.

    “IMF staff and Mauritanian authorities have reached a staff level agreement on policies to complete the Third Review of Mauritania’s blended ECF/EFF and the Second review of the RSF. Subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, Mauritania will receive a disbursement of SDR 6.4 million (about $ 8.6 million) under the ECF and EFF arrangements and SDR 29.72 million (about $ 39.7 million) under the RSF arrangement, bringing the total disbursement under the EFF/ECF and the RST to SDR 89.7 million (about $ 119.7 million).

    “Performance under the program is robust — all quantitative targets for end-June 2024 have been met. Fiscal consolidation is proceeding in line with the fiscal rule aimed at converging in the medium term towards the fiscal anchor (defined by the non-extractive primary deficit) of 3.5 percent of GDP. Capitalizing on Mauritania’s substantial tax potential, better domestic revenue mobilization will help create fiscal space to meet Mauritania’s significant development needs while preserving the medium-term budgetary framework credibility.

    “The structural reform program, integrating climate considerations, is advancing well. The mission noted the progress made in finalizing the draft laws on SOEs, asset declaration, and conflicts of interest, and encourages the authorities to finalize these important reforms in line with their Governance Action Plan.”

    “The team met with His Excellency the President of the National Assembly Mohamed Ould Megett, His Excellency, the Prime Minister Moctar Ould Diay, the Governor of the Central Bank Mohamed Lemine Dhehby, the Minister of Economy and Finance Sid’Ahmed Bouh, and the Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget Codioro N’Guenor. The team held also meetings with the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Energy and Oil, the Minister of Mining and Industry, the Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation, the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, , other senior government officials, the civil society, the banking association and other representatives of the private sector, and donor community.

    “The IMF team would like to thank the Mauritanian authorities and various stakeholders for the excellent hospitality and cooperation and candid discussions during the mission.”

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Mayada Ghazala

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    @IMFSpokesperson

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/10/17/pr-24379-mauritania-imf-concl-art-iv-consult-mission-and-3rd-rev-ef-and-ecf-and-2nd-rev-rsf

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Forest fires are shifting north and intensifying – here’s what that means for the planet

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matthew William Jones, NERC Independent Research Fellow in Climate Science, University of East Anglia

    Fires have long been a natural part of forest ecosystems, but something is changing. Our new study shows that forest fires have become more widespread and severe amid global heating, particularly in the high northern latitudes such as Canada and Siberia where fires are most sensitive to hotter, drier conditions.

    The implications of this are alarming, not just for the ecosystems affected or the cities engulfed by smoke downwind, but for the planet’s ability to store carbon and regulate the climate. The trend we discovered contrasts with declining fire extent in savannah grasslands, which may reflect the expansion of farming and changing rainfall patterns.

    We established the leading causes of forest fires in different parts of the world using an AI algorithm. It grouped forest regions into distinct zones with similar fire patterns and underlying causes, uncovering the worrying extent to which climate change is fuelling the expansion of forest fires in Earth’s high northern latitudes.

    More fires in ‘extratropical’ forests

    Since 2001, emissions from fires in forests outside of the tropics, like parts of the boreal forest in the far north of North America and Eurasia, have nearly tripled. This rise is largely the result of hotter, drier weather occurring more frequently, combined with forests growing more efficiently in places where the cold once stunted their growth.

    Climate change is creating ideal conditions for larger, more intense fires, which accelerate climate change in turn by releasing more carbon to the atmosphere. In fact, we found that global carbon emissions from forest fires have increased by 60% over the past two decades. The largest contributions come from fires in Siberia and western North America.

    A conifer forest in north-western Canada after the 2023 fire season in which more than 6,000 fires burned through 15 million hectares.
    Stefan Doerr

    This trend shifts the focus of forest fire emissions from tropical forests, where fires set to make room for farmland have long contributed carbon to the atmosphere. Conservation policies have reduced deforestation rates since the early 2000s in some regions, particularly Amazonia. By contrast, increasing fires in northern forests, such as the taiga – the forest of the cold sub-arctic region – are driven by changing climate conditions and generally started by lightning, which makes them harder to prevent.

    Not only is the area affected by fires expanding but the fires themselves are growing more severe and releasing more carbon, according to our new findings. This corresponds with an earlier study that found fires are doing more damage to ecosystems globally than in the past. Fires are burning through drier and more flammable vegetation as global temperatures rise and droughts become more frequent.

    In northern forests, more severe fires can burn deep into the soil and release carbon that has accumulated over centuries. Forests can remain net carbon emitters for decades after burning and the more severe fires become, the longer it takes forests to rebound and recapture carbon lost during the fire.

    What does this mean for the planet?

    The steep rise in fire emissions from forests outside the tropics is a clear signal that the capacity of Earth’s forest to store carbon is at increasing risk.

    Forests, particularly in northern regions, absorb and store CO₂ from the atmosphere. But as fires expand and become more severe, these vital carbon sinks are weakened. This undermines the global effort to tackle climate change as forests offset emissions from human activities that burn fossil fuels.

    Forest fires, long considered part of the natural carbon cycle, are increasingly driven by human-caused climate change. Yet, international reporting standards don’t differentiate between “natural” levels of forest fire emissions and the higher emissions we’re seeing due to climate change.

    This allows excess fire emissions caused by humans to fall outside the scope of national carbon budgets tracked by organisations like the United Nations. Gaps emerge between the carbon emissions we think we’re managing and the actual amount that’s passing between the land and the atmosphere.

    What drives fires in different regions varies, so addressing this growing threat requires tailored approaches. Outside of the tropics, proactive forest management is essential. Carefully managed fires and thinning out vegetation can mean fires ultimately cause less damage when they do ignite. Monitoring vegetation growth, alongside fire-favourable weather conditions, can help identify and prioritise areas for intervention.

    In tropical forests, reducing ignitions (especially during droughts) and preventing forest fragmentation is key to protecting these ecosystems and their carbon stocks. This may help prevent the more extreme fires that turn tropical forests from carbon sinks into sources.

    Increasing fires are a symptom of climate change

    Limiting the burning of fossil fuels is central to minimising future fire risk. Without drastic cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, more severe and widespread forest fires are likely, with increasing damage to ecosystems, biodiversity and the climate.

    Our study also highlighted the importance of updating international reporting standards on carbon emissions. As forest fires become more closely linked to human-driven climate change, it’s crucial that fire emissions be included in national carbon budgets to provide a more accurate picture of the planet’s carbon fluxes.

    There is also a risk of overestimating how much carbon is stored by reforesting areas, especially outside the tropics. Many carbon offset schemes rely on planting new trees or delaying the harvest of existing ones to absorb CO₂, but if the growing threat of forest fires isn’t properly accounted for, these projects could fail to deliver the carbon savings they promise.

    Forest fires are no longer just a natural occurrence. As they shift north and intensify, these fires are a clear symptom of human-caused climate change.

    It’s essential to recognise the growing role that fires play in the carbon cycle. By doing so, we can better manage fire risks, safeguard forests and ensure a more resilient future for the planet.


    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get our award-winning weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Matthew William Jones receives funding from the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

    Stefan H Doerr receives funding from the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the FirEUrisk project funded via the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101003890.

    Crystal A. Kolden 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. Forest fires are shifting north and intensifying – here’s what that means for the planet – https://theconversation.com/forest-fires-are-shifting-north-and-intensifying-heres-what-that-means-for-the-planet-241337

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Electric Power Annual 2023

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    Skip to sub-navigation

    Data Tables

    Expand all Collapse all

    National Summary Data

    Electricity Sales

    Net Generation

    Generation Capacity

    Consumption of Fossil Fuels

    Fossil Fuel Stocks for Electricity Generation

    Receipts, Cost, and Quality of Fossil Fuels

    Electric Power System Characteristics and Performance

    Environmental Data

    Energy Efficiency, Demand Response and Advanced Meters

    Distribution System Reliability

    U.S. Territories

    Appendices

    • Technical notes
    • Available formats: PDF

    • State Maps of Customers, Sales, & Revenue

    • Related Data

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO launches five new multinational cooperation initiatives that enhance deterrence and defence

    Source: NATO

    On Thursday (17 October 2024), NATO launched five initiatives designed to address some of the most critical areas for Allied deterrence and defence. These new multinational High Visibility Projects will involve a total of 26 Allies and will help deliver critical capabilities that will enhance interoperability among NATO forces.

    Contributing Allies took part in a signing ceremony during a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers at NATO Headquarters. NATO’s Acting Deputy Secretary General Boris Ruge welcomed “the beginning of more meaningful work in new areas, but also important milestones for existing projects,” adding that “it’s a great example of how our Alliance delivers”.

    The first project aims to accelerate the delivery of new generation Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) – such as NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) – through multinational cooperation. Thirteen Allies kicked off the project: Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. RPAS fleets are essential to a range of roles and missions including joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and electromagnetic warfare. 

    The second initiative seeks to increase the interchangeability and interoperability of key Allied artillery munitions. With initial contributions from 15 Allies – Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States – the project will contribute to harmonizing national fire testing and certification mechanisms. It will also help keep relevant standards up-to-date and support their adoption.

    The Distributed Synthetic Training Environment project aims to respond to the ever-growing demand for virtual training at the multinational level. It establishes a network of advanced and immersive multinational training opportunities for militaries. Eighteen NATO nations have joined the project: Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, United Kingdom and the United States. By leveraging national simulated training capabilities for multinational purposes, the project will bring immense operational benefits and economies of scale. 

    NATO is further stepping up its efforts to support Allied delivery of space technologies with two new projects. Through NORTHLINK, 13 Allies – Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United States – will explore the development of a secure, resilient and reliable multinational Arctic satellite communications capability. Through the STARLIFT initiative, 14 nations – Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, United Kingdom, United States – will investigate ways to strengthen NATO’s access to and use of space to deal with a range of challenges coming from operating from space. STARLIFT may help Allies to launch assets on short notice, manoeuvre a pre-positioned spare spacecraft or buy data from commercial partners during crisis or conflict 

    Further steps were also taken to advance work on two projects already underway: the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) and NATO’s cross-border airspace cooperation. Launched in 2020 and managed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), the NGRC initiative aims to replace medium multi-role capabilities ending their life cycle in 2035 and beyond. On Thursday, five of the participating Allies – France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom – committed to identify a single preferred solution for the replacement of these capabilities by the end of 2027, thereby enabling the development of this solution in 2030. 

    NATO’s cross-border airspace initiative also grew to 20 member countries with the addition of Denmark, Germany, Iceland and Portugal. First launched in October 2023, the project aims to foster civil-military cooperation on the use of airspace for NATO training and exercises, and other air activities in several regions of Europe.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Study – Issues at stake in view of the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku-Scaling up climate action and support – 17-10-2024

    Source: European Parliament

    This study provides an overview of the status of international climate negotiations and issues at stake at the COP29 climate change conference. It also addresses the current implementation of the Paris Agreement, the climate policies of key Parties and the stakeholders in the negotiations. This document was provided by the Policy Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies at the request of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI).

    External author

    Lorenz MOOSMANN, Felix FALLASCH, Hannes JUNG, Sophia LAUER, Nora WISSNER, Cristina URRUTIA, Lambert SCHNEIDER, Dietram OPPELT, Stefanie VON HEINEMANN, Neeta SHARMA, Anders MCCARTHY & Bianca KOHLER

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Draft agenda – Wednesday, 13 November 2024 – Brussels

    Source: European Parliament

    1     Resumption of session and order of business
    13   Conclusions of the European Council meetings of October and November 2024
    European Council and Commission statements
    [2024/2783(RSP)]
    4   UN Climate Change Conference 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan (COP29)
    Oral question – [2024/2718(RSP)]
             
    Antonio Decaro, Lídia Pereira, Javi López, Emma Wiesner, Lena Schilling, Nikolas Farantouris (O-000010/2024)
    Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
    Council
    2024 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan (COP29)
             
    Antonio Decaro, Lídia Pereira, Javi López, Emma Wiesner, Lena Schilling, Nikolas Farantouris (O-000009/2024)
    Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
    Commission
    2024 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan (COP29)
    2     One-minute speeches (Rule 179)

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Environment – Luxon buys massive fight with public over Fast-track projects as Select Committee set to report back

    Source: CAFT – Communities Against the Fast-track ( http://www.stopthefasttrack.com )

    Community groups across the country are gearing up for a massive fight against the Government’s decision to ram through destructive projects via the Fast-track Approvals Bill, which the Environment Select Committee is due to report back to Parliament on today.

    “Luxon’s Government has shown nothing but contempt for the public as it tries to force through projects rejected by our communities, our councils, and our courts,” says Communities Against the Fast-track (CAFT) spokesperson Augusta Macassey-Pickard.

    “Luxon, and the commercial interests he’s backing over his own citizens, have bought themselves a massive fight.”

    Communities Against the Fast-track says the response and concern to the Bill has been huge already. 27,000 submissions were made, 20,000 marched in Auckland against the Fast-track, and a hīkoi led by Ngāti Toa arrived at parliament in May to oppose the Bill.

    “And that was before the Government even released the list of 149 projects. We know now that this is every bit as destructive as we feared,” says Macassey-Pickard.

    The list of projects includes mining projects, some on conservation land and seabed mining, new motorways that lock communities into high emissions transport, more irrigation that will result in communities’ water being even more polluted, a large waste incinerator project in Waimate, new aquaculture farms that threaten marine species, and others.

    “Thousands of New Zealanders around the country are gearing up for the fight to protect the communities and places we love from destructive, exploitative projects.”

    “It’s truly sickening that our Government would hand over this much power to commercial interests, bringing in a process that strips communities, including mana whenua, of any say over their future.”

    CAFT also expressed concern about the Environmental Protection Authority’s ability to apply any rigour to the fast-track process for 149 applications, and others to follow. The already-stretched agency has had funding cuts that would see the loss of one in five jobs, according to the trade union PSA.

    “It’s a lot of work to service even one application: appointing the panel, coordinating hearings, notifications, transcripts, decisions and setting up monitoring programmes if a consent is granted. How can the EPA do anything to protect the public interest with this deluge, especially in light of its recent cuts? How can this be anything other than a rubber-stamping exercise?” asked Macassey-Pickard.

    She says any changes to the Bill are likely to be cosmetic as the Government has demonstrated its determination to allow commercial interests to exploit the country’s environment and communities.

    “Luxon and the National Party particularly have sought to distance themselves from the coal mining, seabed mining, a massive incinerator site, and other extremely destructive projects. They’ve used renewable energy and people’s need for safe, affordable housing as a smokescreen for a Bill that rots the very core of our democratic processes and the rights of the public to have a say.”

    “Luxon has bought himself a massive fight.”

    CAFT members:

    Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki, 350 Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Climate Justice Taranaki, Environment and Conservation Organisations of NZ (ECO), 350 Aotearoa, Taranaki Energy Watch, Extinction Rebellion Tāmaki Makaurau, All Aboard, Save the Basin Campaign, and individual grassroots community organisers from around the motu.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The B.C. election could decide the future of the province’s species at risk laws

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Courtney W. Mason, Professor and Canada Research Chair, Rural Livelihoods and Sustainable Communities, Thompson Rivers University

    With British Columbians going to the polls this week, a whole host of key issues are on the agenda. Among these issues stands the future of species at risk legislation in B.C. — and perhaps with it Canada as a whole.

    Canada, with its vast area, is home to 18 terrestrial and 13 aquatic ecozones and a staggering 140,000 plant and animal species. However, Canada’s abundant biodiversity is under threat from ongoing human-caused extinctions.

    As polar regions warm at an accelerated rate, Canada’s species face increased peril.

    Canada’s current laws aren’t doing enough to protect species at risk, and the time for action to make new laws or strengthen the existing ones is now.



    Read more:
    B.C. election: Party proposals on climate action point in opposite directions

    Gaps in existing law

    Now, you may be wondering, “doesn’t Canada already have species at risk laws?”

    The federal government enacted the Species at Risk Act (SARA) in 2002, however, its impacts have been far from perfect.

    A major issue with SARA is that it does not apply everywhere. Canada’s legal system divides power between federal and provincial governments. Wildlife, including species at risk, are mostly the provinces’ responsibility. SARA only applies to aquatic species, migratory birds and species on federal land (like national parks).

    Unfortunately, most animals are not adept at reading maps, and a SARA-protected species can lose its protection simply by crossing a jurisdictional boundary. SARA does include exceptions where the federal government can intervene if a province is not doing enough to protect a particular species. But in practice the provinces have mostly been left to their own devices.

    These jurisdictional dynamics, characteristic of Canadian federal politics, have created variations in species protection efforts across the country.

    Of Canada’s nine common law provinces (excluding Québec and the territories), five have designated species at risk laws. The other four — British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island — have only limited protections within other laws.

    So, does it matter that only some provinces have species at risk legislation? To address this question, we compared the protections provisions of each province, and found that those with designated species at risk laws consistently provided much more robust protection frameworks than those that didn’t.



    Read more:
    B.C. election: Debate over the rights of gender-diverse youth continues as their school safety declines

    ‘Endangered’ does not mean protected

    Species protection efforts are marked by numerous momentous decision-points. Perhaps the most significant decision of all is whether to list a species as at risk.

    Most Canadian jurisdictions use committees of experts — including Indigenous knowledge holders and conservation scientists — to evaluate the risk to a species. In some provinces, like Nova Scotia, this becomes the official species at risk list.

    In others, including federally, the committee decision is only a recommendation and the relevant minister has final discretion on listing. Ministerial discretion has led to certain types of species — particularly ones whose harvest or habitats are economically important — to repeatedly not be listed.

    Discretion is not limited to listing decisions. In jurisdictions with species at risk laws, discretion allows governments to not enforce protections that interfere with other priorities. For example, a provincial government deeply invested in forestry could use ministerial discretion to de-emphasize protections for old growth forests, despite providing critical habitats for species at risk.

    Where species at risk laws are insufficient, leaving room for discretion only weakens already limp protections. The only way to improve conditions for species at risk is to support governments that promise to prioritize the environment, and continually hold them to those promises.

    Promises without progress

    B.C. has over 2,000 plants, animals and habitats listed at risk. This is eight times more than Ontario, which has the second most listed species at risk with just over 250. Despite this, B.C. has some of the least complete legal protections, barely edging out Alberta to not come last in our scoring comparison. The province also has a history of promising species at risk law reform with no concrete action.

    B.C. clearly illustrates how promises do not always lead to results.

    In 2017, the B.C. NDP formed the province’s government under an agreement with the B.C. Green Party to prioritize environmental issues — including protecting species at risk. The 2017 mandate letter charged George Heyman, the Minister of Environment, to develop species at risk legislation.

    After 2020’s mid-coronavirus snap election, the B.C. NDP gained a majority government without needing support from the B.C. Green Party. Consequently, 2020’s mandate letter showed weakening environmental priorities. The letter signalled a move away from species at risk legislation and instead directed the minister with “continuing to work with partners to protect species at risk”.

    Perhaps realizing this language could not be further softened, new premier David Eby made no mention of species at risk or wildlife in the 2022 mandate letter.

    Nonetheless, species at risk protections are back on the political agenda in the ongoing election, with both the B.C. NDP and B.C. Conservative parties promising “made-in-B.C.” and “science-based” biodiversity initiatives and species at risk legislation.

    However, the result of the election will have a significant impact on the strength of any new laws, as the NDP’s platform focuses on overall biodiversity and increasing protection to critical habitats such as old-growth forests, while the Conservative’s seems mostly aimed at working with hunters to increase ungulate populations to allow larger hunting quotas.

    Uncertain future

    In recent legislative debates, B.C.’s ministers responsible for species at risk (and their habitats) have explained delays in making a species at risk law by increasingly emphasizing that they are taking the time to include Indigenous perspectives.

    While it is positive that legislators are acknowledging the necessity of collaborating with Indigenous Nations on environmental laws, it is hard not to read repeated references to the length of consultation as deflecting responsibility for government inaction onto Indigenous communities.



    Read more:
    Swing state voters along the Great Lakes love cleaner water and beaches − and candidates from both parties have long fished for support there

    Elections are impending across the country and environmental interests are back in the conversation. However, any progress could easily be lost if new governments are not committed to support environmental interests, both during and after the election cycle.

    It is vital to support political parties with an environmental platform aimed at protecting biodiversity. Canada’s species at risk need voters to keep them in mind at the ballot boxes.

    Courtney W. Mason receives funding from SSHRC; Canadian Mountain Network; BC Parks; Braiding Knowledge Canada.

    Jordyn Maria Bogetti receives funding from SSHRC; Canadian Mountain Network.

    – ref. The B.C. election could decide the future of the province’s species at risk laws – https://theconversation.com/the-b-c-election-could-decide-the-future-of-the-provinces-species-at-risk-laws-239550

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Natural Gas Producer Agrees to Settlement to Reduce Emissions in New Mexico

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Settlement Includes $9.4M Civil Penalty and Compliance Measures that Will Result in Reduction of Over 113,000 Tons’ Worth of CO2 Pollution

    The Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) today announced a settlement with Hilcorp Energy Company resolving Clean Air Act and New Mexico state law violations at the company’s oil and gas production operations in New Mexico.

    Under the settlement, Hilcorp agreed to pay a civil penalty of $9.4 million for violations resulting from Hilcorp’s failure to reduce emissions during well completion operations. The civil penalty will be split between the U.S. and the State of New Mexico. In addition, the company must employ an EPA-approved third-party auditor to ensure compliance with all applicable Clean Air Act and New Mexico Air Quality Control Act requirements.

    Hilcorp is further directed to account for the excess volatile organic compound (VOC) and methane emissions released through improper well completions by replacing, on a faster timeline than federal regulations require, old process control equipment with equipment that does not emit air pollution. This mitigation project will occur on Tribal lands of the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation, in Rio Arriba County, and on Navajo Nation Off-Reservation Trust Land in San Juan and Sandoval counties; all of these areas have potential environmental justice concerns.

    The work that Hilcorp will do under this agreement will result in the equivalent of over 113,000 tons of reduced carbon dioxide emissions over the next three years, similar to the number of reductions achieved by taking 24,000 cars off the road for one year. The settlement will also eliminate nearly 583 tons of VOC emissions annually.

    The case is the first to address violations of the Clean Air Act New Source Performance Standards covering well completions following hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as “fracking.”

    “Hilcorp is a large, sophisticated natural gas producer and should know better than to violate Clean Air Act requirements to capture and control gas produced as a result of fracking,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to upholding the rule of law and holding industry accountable. Today’s settlement importantly includes commitments to make infrastructure upgrades that will result in significant reductions of methane and VOC emissions.”

    “Oil and gas production results in significant air pollution, including emissions of methane that are one of the leading sources of near-term climate change, which makes today’s settlement with Hilcorp Energy a huge win for the environment and the planet,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA is requiring Hilcorp to pay a $9.4 million penalty and make substantial investments in Clean Air Act compliance, which will reduce climate damaging emissions and improve air quality for all New Mexico residents, including communities with environmental justice concerns.”

    “This settlement holds one of the San Juan Basin’s largest polluters accountable for their contribution to climate change and ozone pollution,” said Secretary James Kenney of the New Mexico Environment Department. “If we want to make New Mexico’s air safe for future generations then Houston-based Hilcorp Energy Corporation executives need to step up their game and comply with federal and state rules.”

    Federal Clean Air Act and New Mexico state air regulations require oil and gas producers to capture gas that flows back to the surface following fracking using equipment that can accommodate flowback and to implement a reduced emission completion control, commonly referred to as a green completion. Producers have several green completion options to choose from. If none are technically feasible, producers may route the captured gas to a pollution control device like a flare.

    Based on EPA’s and NMED’s investigations, the U.S. and the state allege that Hilcorp conducted at least 192 well completion operations in Rio Arriba and San Juan counties from Aug. 2, 2017, through Aug. 1, 2019.

    At 145 of these well completions, Hilcorp captured none of the gas and instead released into the atmosphere all gas that flowed back following fracking. At the remainder of well completions, Hilcorp captured a portion of the gas and directed it to a flare but did not demonstrate that all green completion options were infeasible. Hilcorp’s actions resulted in thousands of tons of harmful methane and VOC emissions being released into the environment. Methane is a climate super pollutant and potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and VOCs adversely affect human health in multiple ways, including being involved in the formation of ground level ozone.

    Hilcorp is one of the nation’s largest privately-owned oil and gas exploration and production companies, and a top producer of natural gas in New Mexico from 2018-2021. New Mexico is one of the top ten producing states for natural gas in the United States for 2018-2023. In 2022, on-shore oil and gas industry data reported to EPA showed that Hilcorp’s San Juan Basin operation emitted the most methane in the U.S. among all oil and gas operations.

    The settlement is part of EPA’s Mitigating Climate Change National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, which focuses, in part, on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas and landfill sources. Like all EPA’s national enforcement initiatives, the Mitigating Climate Change initiative prioritizes communities already overburdened by pollution and other potential environmental justice concerns.

    More information on the settlement agreement is available on EPA’s Hilcorp Energy Company webpage.

    The consent decree was filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico and is subject to a 30-day comment period. Information on providing public comment and the complaint and proposed consent decree are available on the Justice Department’s website at http://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.

    EPA and NMED investigated the case.

    Attorneys of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Casey Announces More than $18.4 Million for Workforce Development, Community Revitalization in Pennsylvania Coal Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Pennsylvania Bob Casey

    Recipient

    Grant

    Project

    Bedford County Development Association

    $498,840

    Bedford County Business Park II -Site Preparation

    Bedford County Technical Center

    $50,000

    Bedford County Technical Center: Expanding Opportunity in Coal Impacted Appalachia

    Catalyst Connection

    $2,000,000

    Pennsylvania Career Pathways to Advanced Manufacturing:  “Forging Your Future”

    Center for Employment Opportunities

    $50,000

    Transitional Employment for Justice Impacted Pittsburgh Residents

    Center for Population Health

    $751,057

    Growth of Community Health Workers inCambria/Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania

    Corry Community Development Corporation D/B/A Impact Corry (nonprofit)

    $887,000

    Corry City Center Trail Link

    Enterprise Development Center of Erie County, Inc.

    $2,000,000

    Ironworks Square: Smart Redevelopment in Coal Impacted Regions

    Greene County Commissioners

    $50,000

    Greene County Barriers to Workforce Study

    IUP Research Institute

    $452,326

    NWPAMade — Galvanizing and empowering the region’s creative economy

    JARI Growth Fund, Inc.

    $1,000,000

    Startup Alleghenies Ecosystem Capital and Technical Assistance Expansion – Capital

    JARI Growth Fund, Inc.

    $879,253

    Startup Alleghenies Ecosystem Capital and Technical Assistance Expansion- Technical Assistance

    Jewish Healthcare Foundation

    $1,990,867

    Revitalizing Community Jobs—Building, Training and Supporting the Frontline Workforce for Nursing Homes in Pennsylvania

    Lycoming County

    $1,867,395

    Susquehanna River Walk Extension Trail Construction Project

    O.S. Johnson Technical Institute

    $50,000

    Planning for Vehicle Maintenance Technology Jobs of the Future

    Office of Child Development, University of Pittsburgh

    $49,751

    Two-Generational Literacy to Strengthen the Workforce Pipeline

    Pittsburgh Robotics Network (PRN)

    $750,000

    Maturing Appalachia’s Robotics Workforce

    Saint Vincent College (SVC)

    $662,672

    Equipment and Technology for a Nursing Education and Lab Facility at Saint Vincent College

    Screen Arts Institute

    $400,000

    The Broadcast Arts Initiative

    The ClearWater Conservancy of Central Pennsylvania, Inc.

    $2,000,000

    ClearWater Community Conservation Center Ecotourism, Agritourism, and Agribusiness Hub

    The University of Scranton

    $1,321,980

    The University of Scranton: Technology Driven Transformation in Workforce Development and Innovation

    Westmoreland Hospital

    $769,193

    Building an Innovative Nursing Workforce Model: Bridging the Gap from Student to Expert

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government praises important progress on East Coast clean-up

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Important progress is being made on cleaning-up and strengthening resilience in the Tairāwhiti region, 18 months on from the devastating weather events in 2023, Forestry Minister Todd McClay said today.

    To date the Government has committed $110 million resulting in approximately 440,000 tonnes of slash and debris being removed from Tairāwhiti.

    “I want to acknowledge the significant impact on the region and local people and praise the clean-up efforts of all those involved. There is strong momentum and coordination of work in the region across local and central government, and the Forestry and Agriculture sectors in addressing the impacts of last year’s cyclones,” Mr McClay says.

    In response to Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle in January and February 2023, the previous Government initiated the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use in Tairāwhiti/Gisborne and Wairoa. It resulted in 49 recommendations to both reduce risk and strengthen resilience in the region.

    “This Government is focused on delivering tangible outcomes through the recently established Tairāwhiti Forestry Action Group and Gisborne District Council-led Transition Advisory Group.

    “The Tairāwhiti Forestry Action Group made up of forestry owners, farming interests, Māori landowners and council officials, is working to accelerate the clean-up in the region, remove debris and sediment, address the legacy issue of wood that poses future risk and help to implement best practice for forestry. 

    “The Gisborne District Council-led Transition Advisory Group is working together to support landowners make the changes required to a more sustainable land-use.

    “Central government will continue to stay closely engaged in regionally led initiatives through existing work programmes. This will ensure efforts to align with Government priorities and support the Crown’s Treaty relationships.”

    “Forestry has an important role in Tairāwhiti, but it will be done differently in the future to ensure risks are well managed. 

    “The Government recognises the importance of the forestry sector to the regional economy. Proposed changes to the National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry will enable council to implement rules to ensure land use is appropriate, but also give certainty and confidence to the forestry sector.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Natural Gas Producer Agrees to Settlement to Reduce Emissions in New Mexico

    Source: US State of California

    Settlement Includes $9.4M Civil Penalty and Compliance Measures that Will Result in Reduction of Over 113,000 Tons’ Worth of CO2 Pollution

    The Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) today announced a settlement with Hilcorp Energy Company resolving Clean Air Act and New Mexico state law violations at the company’s oil and gas production operations in New Mexico.

    Under the settlement, Hilcorp agreed to pay a civil penalty of $9.4 million for violations resulting from Hilcorp’s failure to reduce emissions during well completion operations. The civil penalty will be split between the U.S. and the State of New Mexico. In addition, the company must employ an EPA-approved third-party auditor to ensure compliance with all applicable Clean Air Act and New Mexico Air Quality Control Act requirements.

    Hilcorp is further directed to account for the excess volatile organic compound (VOC) and methane emissions released through improper well completions by replacing, on a faster timeline than federal regulations require, old process control equipment with equipment that does not emit air pollution. This mitigation project will occur on Tribal lands of the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation, in Rio Arriba County, and on Navajo Nation Off-Reservation Trust Land in San Juan and Sandoval counties; all of these areas have potential environmental justice concerns.

    The work that Hilcorp will do under this agreement will result in the equivalent of over 113,000 tons of reduced carbon dioxide emissions over the next three years, similar to the number of reductions achieved by taking 24,000 cars off the road for one year. The settlement will also eliminate nearly 583 tons of VOC emissions annually.

    The case is the first to address violations of the Clean Air Act New Source Performance Standards covering well completions following hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as “fracking.”

    “Hilcorp is a large, sophisticated natural gas producer and should know better than to violate Clean Air Act requirements to capture and control gas produced as a result of fracking,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to upholding the rule of law and holding industry accountable. Today’s settlement importantly includes commitments to make infrastructure upgrades that will result in significant reductions of methane and VOC emissions.”

    “Oil and gas production results in significant air pollution, including emissions of methane that are one of the leading sources of near-term climate change, which makes today’s settlement with Hilcorp Energy a huge win for the environment and the planet,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA is requiring Hilcorp to pay a $9.4 million penalty and make substantial investments in Clean Air Act compliance, which will reduce climate damaging emissions and improve air quality for all New Mexico residents, including communities with environmental justice concerns.”

    “This settlement holds one of the San Juan Basin’s largest polluters accountable for their contribution to climate change and ozone pollution,” said Secretary James Kenney of the New Mexico Environment Department. “If we want to make New Mexico’s air safe for future generations then Houston-based Hilcorp Energy Corporation executives need to step up their game and comply with federal and state rules.”

    Federal Clean Air Act and New Mexico state air regulations require oil and gas producers to capture gas that flows back to the surface following fracking using equipment that can accommodate flowback and to implement a reduced emission completion control, commonly referred to as a green completion. Producers have several green completion options to choose from. If none are technically feasible, producers may route the captured gas to a pollution control device like a flare.

    Based on EPA’s and NMED’s investigations, the U.S. and the state allege that Hilcorp conducted at least 192 well completion operations in Rio Arriba and San Juan counties from Aug. 2, 2017, through Aug. 1, 2019.

    At 145 of these well completions, Hilcorp captured none of the gas and instead released into the atmosphere all gas that flowed back following fracking. At the remainder of well completions, Hilcorp captured a portion of the gas and directed it to a flare but did not demonstrate that all green completion options were infeasible. Hilcorp’s actions resulted in thousands of tons of harmful methane and VOC emissions being released into the environment. Methane is a climate super pollutant and potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and VOCs adversely affect human health in multiple ways, including being involved in the formation of ground level ozone.

    Hilcorp is one of the nation’s largest privately-owned oil and gas exploration and production companies, and a top producer of natural gas in New Mexico from 2018-2021. New Mexico is one of the top ten producing states for natural gas in the United States for 2018-2023. In 2022, on-shore oil and gas industry data reported to EPA showed that Hilcorp’s San Juan Basin operation emitted the most methane in the U.S. among all oil and gas operations.

    The settlement is part of EPA’s Mitigating Climate Change National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, which focuses, in part, on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas and landfill sources. Like all EPA’s national enforcement initiatives, the Mitigating Climate Change initiative prioritizes communities already overburdened by pollution and other potential environmental justice concerns.

    More information on the settlement agreement is available on EPA’s Hilcorp Energy Company webpage.

    The consent decree was filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico and is subject to a 30-day comment period. Information on providing public comment and the complaint and proposed consent decree are available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.

    EPA and NMED investigated the case.

    Attorneys of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Pettersen Highlights Community Investments in Chaffee, Joins Reopening of Historic McGinnis Gym

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brittany Pettersen (Colorado 7th District)

    SALIDA – U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) recently stopped by Chaffee County to visit facilities that she championed through state and federal funding, including the historic McGinnis Gymnasium in Buena Vista and Solvista Health’s Regional Assessment Center (RAC) in Salida. 

    At Pettersen’s first stop in Chaffee County, she visited Solvista Health’s RAC in Salida, a substance use disorder recovery center that she helped secure funding for alongside former state Representative Jim Wilson during her time in the Colorado state legislature. As chair of the Interim Study Committee on Opioids and Other Substance Use Disorders, Pettersen helped establish the Building Substance Use Disorder Treatment Capacity in Underserved Communities Grant Program, delivering $700,000 to Solvista Health’s RAC in Salida. In Congress, Pettersen has built upon this work by calling for increased funding and expanded access to mental health and substance treatment programs.

    Following her visit to Salida, Pettersen joined the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the McGinnis Gymnasium in Buena Vista, reopening the facility after refurbishments. Originally built in 1936 through the Public Works Administration as part of the New Deal, this gym holds a unique place in Buena Vista’s history. Pettersen wrote a letter of support to the Environmental Protection Agency for a Brownfields grant that was awarded to the gym. Now, the facility will serve as a safe, indoor recreation space for children and the Chaffee community for generations to come. 

    “Projects like these are a testament to the positive difference that state and federal dollars can make in our communities,” said Pettersen. “I supported funding for these facilities because I know investments like this will elevate the entire Chaffee community. The McGinnis Gym will foster creativity and community engagement in Chaffee for generations to come.”

    Pettersen continued, “It was amazing to tour Solvista Health and see this center come to fruition after years of dedicated work during my time in the legislature with former Rep. Jim Wilson. This facility provides desperately needed care to those who have often been left behind. As the only place in this region to provide detox and withdrawal management services, Solvista has served over a thousand people in the last year and no doubt has saved hundreds of lives. I remain committed to advocating for the people of Chaffee in Congress, ensuring critical investments continue to make a lasting impact on the lives of this community.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHOTOS: Capito Visits Eastern Panhandle

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    BERKELEY COUNTY, W.Va. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), traveled to Berkeley County, W.Va. where she participated in two events.
    First, Senator Capito visited Eagle School Intermediate in Martinsburg, W.Va. where she hosted a West Virginia Girls Rise Up event. Senator Capito launched the program in 2015 to instill confidence in young West Virginia women and empower them to be strong and kind female leaders. The program focuses on three areas: education, fitness, and self-confidence. Today’s event marks the 34th event since the program’s launch in 2015.
    “It was great to meet the fifth-grade students at Eagle School Intermediate and inspire them to set goals for the future and achieve their dreams. These girls are the next generation of West Virginia leaders and I am confident that they will go on to do big things in the future,” Senator Capito said. 
    “Eagle School Intermediate is delighted that our students engaged in this unique opportunity with Senator Shelley Moore Capito today. This initiative is designed to foster self-confidence and leadership skills among our young learners. We are thrilled to see our students benefit from Senator Capito’s inspiring presence and guidance, empowering them to become the leaders of tomorrow,” Eagle School Intermediate said.
    Later, Senator Capito, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and a leader on the Senate Appropriations Committee, traveled to Bunker Hill, W.Va. to deliver remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Bunker Hill Water Treatment Plant. Through the appropriations process, Senator Capito has supported this project by successfully securing a Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) award that will help expand the clean drinking water capacity with this new facility. Once completed, the new plant will have the potential to serve more customers and meet the growing demand in Berkeley County.
    “As we see the amazing growth here in Berkeley County, it is critical that we have the infrastructure needed to reinforce it,” Senator Capito said. “After meeting with local officials and identifying critical projects, it was clear that replacing the outdated water treatment plant with a more modern facility was a priority. In the last four years, this public service district has added thousands more customers and this new plant will provide the infrastructure to meet their needs. Through my leadership on the EPW and Appropriations Committees, I will continue to identify critical projects like this in our communities and work to direct resources to meet their needs.”
    “The Water District is grateful to Senator Capito for her support of the objectives of Berkeley County and for her amazing interest and support of water and wastewater systems throughout WV. West Virginia is fortunate to have a Senator who knows firsthand that the most important public health component of any community is a safe and dependable water supply. She is quite remarkable in her knowledge of pumps, pipes and plants,” Jim Ouellet, Executive Director of the Berkeley County Public Service Water District, said.
    Photos from today’s events are below:

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) hosts a Girls Rise Up event at Eagle School Intermediate in Martinsburg, W.Va. on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) hosts a Girls Rise Up event at Eagle School Intermediate in Martinsburg, W.Va. on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) hosts a Girls Rise Up event at Eagle School Intermediate in Martinsburg, W.Va. on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) participates in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Bunker Hill Water Treatment Plant in Bunker Hill, W.Va. on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) delivers remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Bunker Hill Water Treatment Plant in Bunker Hill, W.Va. on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Activist News – Weekly protests are extending further around the country as Israel runs riot and our government’s policy of appeasement towards Israel fails dramatically – PSNA

    Source: Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa

     

    Details of our weekly solidarity protests around the country are listed at the end of this letter sent to the Prime Minister yesterday.

     

    Rt Hon Christopher Luxon

    Prime Minister

    Parliament Buildings

    Wellington

    c.luxon@ministers.govt.nz

     

    Kia ora Mr Luxon,

     

    We write to you as a matter of utmost urgency, with a rapidly deteriorating situation in the Middle East.

     

    The policy of appeasement towards Israel over the past year by western countries has failed miserably.  Israel has expanded its attacks and has abandoned all pretence of any sort of negotiated settlements.

     

    Our government is holding on desperately to a hopelessly weak and indefensible policy towards the Middle East. I have no doubt you know this.

     

    Israel is running riot with endless bombing and killing as it spreads murder and mayhem.  The majority of victims in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank are women and children – tens of thousands of children.

     

    You and I know this would never be tolerated if the victims were European.

     

    The situation has now become even more desperate and deadly with

    • Israel has refused to allow any food or supplies to be delivered since the beginning of this month to northern Gaza.  It has again unleased its firepower with absolute impunity on refugee camps and other civilian areas with the openly stated aim of ethnic cleansing of the majority of the 400,000 Palestinians who remain there.
    • Israel’s delivery of its threat to turn Lebanon into another Gaza, with attacks throughout the country, including Christian areas.
    • Israel’s endless attempts to widen the war across the region into Iran with repeated violations of its sovereignty until Iran responded – though without a single Israeli casualty.
    • Israel’s blatant attacks on UNIFIL positions and demands that UNIFIL withdraw from its mission to allow Israeli military advances further into Lebanon to achieve regime change for a Lebanese government subservient to its interests.

     

    Despite all that has happened over 12 months you have issued only platitudes “calling an all sides to exercise restraint” and condemnation of all parties Israel decides that is its enemies.

     

    You have failed to condemn Israel for anything it has ever done against the Palestinian victims of its settler colonial project and yet you have condemned every act of Palestinian resistance to Israel’s illegal occupation, genocide, and ethnic cleansing.

     

    Other countries, the UK, France, Spain, Norway, and Ireland have spoken out and taken, albeit token, action to remind Israel that it is operating outside international law.

     

    History will condemn your 12 months of complicit silence but action now can make a real difference and saves tens of thousands of innocent lives. A minimum list of actions includes:

     

    1. Condemn Israeli action against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank as war crimes
    2. Join South Africa’s case of proving genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice
    3. Implement the recent obligations specified by the ICJ under the Geneva Conventions towards ending Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Occupied Territories.
    4. Identify and ban imports of products from illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
    5. End procurement of goods and services from companies identified by the United Nations as complicit in building and maintaining illegal Israeli settlements
    6. Direct the Superfund, ACC and Kiwisaver providers to divest from companies on the UN list
    7. Investigate the export of Rakon Industry components which are incorporated into US weapons which almost inevitably end in the industrial-scale killing of Palestinians.
    8. Immediately close the Israeli embassy as Israel’s propaganda and lobby outlet in New Zealand
    9. Clearly and publicly state that NZDF personnel in the Middle East will neither participate in nor provide assistance to either US or Israel attacks or preparations for attacks on Iran
    10. Publicly join other countries in condemning the Israeli military attack on UNIFIL and demand of Israel that it will cease to demand UNIFIL withdraw from any of its positions in Lebanon
    11. Reiterate New Zealand’s participation in UNTSO and demand that Israel allow UNTSO continue its work unmolested
    12. Demand Israel revoke its declaration that the UN Secretary General is persona non grata in Israel.
    13. Note and support this UN report https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/10/un-commission-finds-war-crimes-and-crimes-against-humanity-israeli-attacks

     

    Please respond to this letter urgently.

     

    John Minto

    National Chair

    Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.

     

    Nationwide rallies/marches/MP protests/vigils this week

     

    These are on the PSNA Facebook events page here with the basic details listed below.

     

    North Island

    Opononi – Gathering for Palestine

    Sunday 20 October 

    1.30pm

    Opononi (outside the Four Square)

     

    Kerikeri – Rally

    Saturday 19 October 

    No Rally this weekend

     

    Whangarei – Rally

    Saturday 19 October 

    No Rally this weekend

     

    Auckland – Picket 

    Friday 18 October 

    12:00 noon

    New World Devonport – 

    35 Bartley Terrace, Devonport,

     

    Waiheke – Market Stall – hosted by Stand With Palestine Waiheke!

    Every Saturday

    8:00 am – 1:00 pm

    Ostend Market, Waiheke Island

     

    Auckland – Banners around Tamaki Makaurau

    Saturday 19 October 

    10:00 am

    Text John on 021 899 659 for location

     

    Auckland – Central Bike Ride for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    Meet at 12.45 to leave (ride to the rally) at 1.10pm

    Western Park. Ponsonby Road

     

    Auckland – Rally

    Saturday 19 October 

    2:00 pm

    Te Komititanga – Britomart Square, Tamaki Makaurau

     

    Then travel to Browns Bay for the Prayer Vigil for Gaza

     

    Auckland – Prayer Vigil @ Erica Stanford’s Office

    Aotearoa Christians for peace in Palestine will hold a Prayer Vigil to mark a year since the Israeli airstrike on St Porphyrius Church in Gaza City

    Saturday 19 October 

    4:00 pm

    85 Beach Front Lane, Browns Bay, Auckland

    https://www.facebook.com/events/s/vigil-for-gaza-st-porphyrius-c/1056552113142463/

     

    Auckland – Movie – The Last Sky

    Saturday 19 October 

    7:00 pm

    Trades Hall auditorium – 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn

    Limited seats. Tickets essential

    Admission by Koha

    https://events.humanitix.com/the-last-sky

    Director Nicholas Hanna will have a Q&A after the movie

     

    Thames – Vigil to Stop the war on Children

    (Hosted by The Basket – Social and Environmental Justice – Hauraki)

    First Saturday of the month

     

    Tauranga – Flag wave

    Sunday 20 October 

    11:00 am

    SH2 Bethlehem – By Woolworths

     

    Hamilton – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    1:00 pm

    Civic Square, Hamilton

     

    Whaingaroa/Raglan

    To be advised

     

    Cambridge – Rally for Palestine

    Every Saturday

    11:00 am

    Cambridge Town Hall

     

    Rotorua – Rally for Palestine

    Every Thursday

    4:00 pm

    Rotorua Lakes Council, Haupapa Street (Sir Howard Morrison Corner)

     

    Gisborne – Farmers Market – Vigil to Stop the war on Children

    Every Saturday

    9:30 – 11:30 am

    Gisborne Farmers Market

     

    Napier – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    11:30 am

    Marine Parade Soundshell Roundabout

     

    Hastings – Rally for Palestine

    Sunday 20 October

    1:00 pm

    Hastings Town Clock – Hastings CBD

     

    Palmerston North – Rally for Palestine

    Sunday 20 October

    2:00 pm 

    The Square, Palmerston North

     

    New Plymouth – Flags on the Bridge

    Friday 18 September

    4:30 pm

    Paynters Ave Bridge, New Plymouth

     

    New Plymouth – Rally and March

    Saturday 19 October 

    1:00 PM 

    The Landing, 1 Ariki Street, New Plymouth

     

    Whanganui – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    11:00 am

    Riverside Market, Whanganui

     

    Carterton – Gathering for Gaza

    Every Tuesday

    12:00 midday

    Memorial Square.

     

    Martinborough – Vigil for Palestine

    Every Wednesday

    11:00 am

    The square at the top of Kitchener St, Martinborough

     

    Masterton – Gathering for Gaza

    Every Sunday

    9:30 am

    Town Hall Lawn, Masterton

     

    Featherston – Gathering for Gaza

    Every Saturday

    11:00 am

    The Squircle (opposite the op shop).

     

    Wellington – Vigil for Palestine (by Aotearoa Healthcare Workers for Palestine)

    Every Friday

    6:00 pm

    In front of Wellington Hospital

    49 Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington

     

    Wellington – Flags on the Bridge

    (hosted by the Falastin Tea Collective)

    Every Friday

    7:15 – 8:15 am

    Hill Street bridge Overbridge, Wellington

     

    Wellington – Rally

    (hosted by the Falastin Tea Collective)

    Saturday 19 October 

    1:00 – 2:00 pm

    Meet at Glover Park and Hikoi down Cuba Mall and back to Glover Park

     

    South Island

    Nelson – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    10:30 am

    Rocks Road by the beach

     

    Blenheim – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    11:00 am

    Blenheim Railway Station

     

    Christchurch – Nobela Protest

    Thursday 17

    11:45 am

    Foodstuffs Headquarters

    167 Main North Road, Northcote, Christchurch

     

    Christchurch- Flag Waving for Palestine

    Friday 18 October 

    4:00 pm

    Bridge of Remembrance, Cashel Street, Christchurch

     

    Christchurch – Rally and March

    Saturday 19 October 

    1:00 – 2:00 pm

    Bridge of Remembrance, Cashel Street, Christchurch

     

    Timaru

    No Rally this weekend

     

    Dunedin – Rally and March

    Saturday 19 October 

    No Rally this weekend

     

    Queenstown
    No Rally this weekend

     

    Invercargill – Rally for Palestine

    Sunday 20 October

    1:00 pm

    Wachner place Invercargill.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Waste Disposal (Amendment) Bill 2024 gazetted today

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Waste Disposal (Amendment) Bill 2024 gazetted today
    Waste Disposal (Amendment) Bill 2024 gazetted today
    ***************************************************

         The Waste Disposal (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Amendment Bill) was published in the Gazette today (October 18), for implementing the relevant amendments to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (Basel Convention) on the control of transboundary movements of electrical and electronic waste (EEW) and their proper management in Hong Kong.           A spokesman for the Environment and Ecology Bureau indicated that the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention adopted the amendments to the Basel Convention in June 2022. The amendments, which will take effect from January 1, 2025, expand the control scope of the Basel Convention from hazardous EEW to all EEW. From then, the export of all EEW may only be allowed if the state of import and state(s) of transit, if any, have given their prior consent. The objective is to ensure EEW undergoing transboundary movement is properly managed in the state of import, thereby protecting the local environment and public health.           The spokesman said, “The amendments to the Basel Convention will enter into force in our country on January 1, 2025, and apply to Hong Kong. Therefore, we shall amend the Waste Disposal Ordinance (Cap. 354) (WDO) to expand the scope of import and export control to cover all EEW under the permit control system, with a view to aligning with national policy and complying with the requirements under the Basel Convention alongside with our country.”           To facilitate the trade to adapt to the new control, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has been actively explaining the implementation details and providing suitable assistance to the trade. Subject to the passage of the Amendment Bill by the Legislative Council (LegCo), a six-month phasing-in period will be put in place once the amendments to the WDO become effective. During the phasing-in period, the EPD will exercise discretion when it handles non-compliance matters. At the same time, the EPD will continue to facilitate trade compliance through further publicity and educational efforts.           The Amendment Bill will be introduced into the LegCo for first and second readings on October 30. The Government will fully complement the work of the LegCo in scrutinising the bill, and hope that the LegCo will support and approve the Amendment Bill. Subject to its passage, the relevant legislative amendments will take effect on January 1, 2025, to align with the effective date of the amendments to the Basel Convention which will be the same date when the country implements the requirement.   

     
    Ends/Friday, October 18, 2024Issued at HKT 12:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: “Environment Matters, Your Action Matters More” promoting environmental protection and sustainable development to launch on RTHK TV 31

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    “Environment Matters, Your Action Matters More” promoting environmental protection and sustainable development to launch on RTHK TV 31
    “Environment Matters, Your Action Matters More” promoting environmental protection and sustainable development to launch on RTHK TV 31
    ******************************************************************************************

         “Environment Matters, Your Action Matters More”, a television programme produced by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), will premiere on RTHK TV 31 on October 23. The programme will bring audiences to explore the new face of a green future by understanding more about environmental expertise in different areas and global trends in environmental protection.           In line with the Youth Development Blueprint, the programme covers a range of environmental protection topics, including global environmental issues and sustainable development, environmental impact assessments and planning, climate change, air quality, waste management, water quality and noise control. It introduces various environmental protection facilities and technologies in a light-hearted and humorous manner, aiming to raise awareness among youth about environmental protection and to encourage them to explore potential career paths in this field.           Consisting of 15 episodes, each lasting five minutes, the programme features two characters, an eco-friendly supporter and a young girl aspiring to pursue a career in environmental protection technology. Using everyday scenarios as an introduction, the episodes include interviews with various experts from the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the EPD, academia, and the environmental sector, showcasing how innovative technology can address environmental issues.           “Environment Matters, Your Action Matters More” will air from October 23 this year to January 29 next year, every Wednesday at 8.25pm on RTHK TV 31 for 15 consecutive weeks (see Annex for themes of each episode).

     
    Ends/Friday, October 18, 2024Issued at HKT 12:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Legislation – Fast Track Bill even worse after select committee – confirms Luxon is engaged in a War on Nature says Greenpeace

    Source: Greenpeace

    Greenpeace says the Luxon Government’s fast track bill is one of the most damaging pieces of legislation in living memory, and the changes announced today in the select committee report-back do nothing to change that.
    “The changes to the Fast Track Bill announced today will do nothing to deter the uprising of public protest that this grievously bad bill has sparked,” says Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Russel Norman.
    “This government is waging a war on nature, and the Fast Track bill is a key weapon.
    “Destructive projects like the Ruataniwha Dam and the Trans-Tasman Resources seabed mining proposal for the South Taranaki Bight are threatening to return from the dead like nightmarish zombies under the fast track bill. Both of these projects were already stopped by the courts due to their environmental harm.
    “The amendments to the Bill in the select committee reportback do not change the fundamental problems with the bill and they will not deter the groundswell of public protest that is building. In some respects they make the bill worse.
    “The purpose clause of the bill has been amended to give even greater direction to expert panels to focus on approving development projects.
    “The key part of the Fast Track Bill remains in place after the changes announced by the select committee report. Projects will still be assessed primarily on economic criteria that completely override environmental criteria and put profit before people and nature. Environmental protections and the balance in the Resource Management Act are trumped by profit under the fast track bill.
    “There are no safeguards. Projects referred to the fast track process are almost guaranteed to be rubber-stamped by the expert panels under this legislation.
    “It is also deeply disturbing that the Minister of Infrastructure, who gets to decide if a corporation gets access to the fast track rubber stamping process, is Chris Bishop, who was also the chair of National’s campaign committee at the last election.
    “We already know that $500,000 in campaign donations flowed from shareholders and companies associated with projects that have been listed for fast tracking. This creates clear risks of conflict of interest in the very heart of the fast track process.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –