NewzIntel.com

Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Inglewood celebrates momentous 160th anniversary

    Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

    Joe Watts and CFA board member Beth Davidson OAM reveal the Inglewood tanker’s new name

    Inglewood Fire Brigade marked a significant milestone over the weekend, celebrating its 160th anniversary with a special dinner to honour its long-serving members.

    The event, held at Inglewood Golf Club, featured the naming of the brigade’s two trucks. They were dedicated to Joe Watts, who served for 55 years, and former Captain Brian Rodwell. 

    Inglewood Fire Brigade Captain Andrew Smith said the event was a fitting tribute to all past and present members who have served the community since 1864. 

    “It’s hard to put into words what the 160th anniversary means to the town, and the celebrations certainly lived up to expectations,” Andrew said.  

    “Recognising the contributions of Joe and Brian was a highlight for us all.” 

    A particularly poignant moment came when the family of former member David Dowler accepted his CFA life membership on his behalf.  

    David, who dedicated a combined 32 years of service to the Inglewood and Maldon fire brigades, sadly passed away shortly before the event. 

    “Dave was always first to the station when the pager went, and first to put up his hand for strike team duties,” Andrew said. 

    “He has been an integral part of the Inglewood brigade for several years and his sudden passing has affected the entire team. 

    “Dave’s guidance and sense of humour will be sadly missed. 

    “We were privileged to have members of Dave’s family attend our 160th celebration.” 

    Additional recognition included CFA life memberships for John Little (35 years) and David Patterson (30 years). Service awards, ranging from five-year certificates to 50-year medals, were also presented. 

    Andrew, who has been with the brigade for 18 years and served as captain for eight, expressed his pride in leading the brigade through such a significant occasion. 

    “It’s an honour to lead the brigade at such an important time in its history,” he said.  

    “Living in a small country town and being part of the CFA is about giving back to the community.” 

    Established in 1864, following a meeting of 150 locals at the Royal Hotel in Inglewood, the brigade operated from its Grant Street station for 154 years before moving to a new station on Southey Street in 2019. 

    “We’ve been fortunate to move into a brand new station, and we’ve recently added a new heavy tanker,” Andrew said.  

    “The old station, designed for horse-drawn vehicles, will always be part of our history, but the new facility is a huge boost.” 

    Inglewood itself was devastated by a fire in 1862, two years before the brigade was formed. The townspeople managed to stop the fire by tearing down buildings and ferrying water from a nearby dam. More recently, the brigade responded to a major shop fire on the town’s main street in late August this year. 

    With 30 members currently on the roster, Inglewood Fire Brigade is well positioned for its next 160 years, although Andrew said there is always room for more recruits. 

    “We’re always on the lookout for people willing to help protect their local community. If you’re interested, we’d love to hear from you.” 

    If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a CFA volunteers, you can find out more here. 

    Submitted by CFA Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Carolina Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Keith Deshon Adams, 39, of Statesville, North Carolina, was sentenced today to 13 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 7, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in Oak Hill in which Adams was a passenger. Adams admitted that he tried to flee on foot after he was asked to exit the vehicle and stand at the front of an officer’s cruiser. An officer deployed a taser to stop Adams. While struggling with the officer, Adams opened a cross-body bag he was wearing and retrieved a plastic baggy containing fentanyl powder from it. Adams tore open the bag, causing the fentanyl to spill out of the bag and onto the officer’s clothing, face and mouth. The officer ingested some of the fentanyl and began suffering an apparent overdose.

    Other officers secured Adams. A second officer suffered an apparent overdose after ingesting some of the spilled fentanyl. Both officers were taken to the hospital and treated with naloxone.

    Adams admitted that the cross-body bag contained controlled substances including methamphetamine, fentanyl and tablets containing methamphetamine and ecstasy.

    Adams has a long criminal history with prior convictions for such offenses as unlawful transport of firearms, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and failure to register as a sex offender.

    United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Oak Hill Police Department, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

    Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-152.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Anthem Celebrates Opening of First Phase of Cornerstone Regional Park

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anthem Properties Group, development manager of the master planned community of Cornerstone in NE Calgary, today celebrated the opening of the first phase of a multi-phase, multi-amenity regional park system that is being constructed in collaboration with The City of Calgary.

    The regional park system, which is being built for the benefit of all residents in the region, completed its first round of online and in-person engagement in Winter 2023 and has four areas of public use surrounding a central 120-acre Environmental Reserve area protecting an existing natural wetland complex. The wetland will feature sustainable and integrated amenities like boardwalks, observation decks, trails and pathways connecting visitors to the four feature parks.

    Other options for the active public use areas of the park, pending final design work, include recreational amenities like volleyball or tennis courts, barbecue and campfire site areas, a bike park, climbing wall, spray park, playgrounds, flexible picnic space, and pavilion seating.

    Today marked the opening of the first park space at the end of 128th Avenue which boasts a completed outdoor hockey rink and basketball court, a newly installed playground, and adult fitness equipment.

    “We are thrilled about the progress made by The City in bringing the concept of Cornerstone Regional Park closer to reality, an incredible addition not for only the residents in our community, but for the region as well,” said Craig Dickie, Anthem’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Development. “Allocating green space for future park use is an important part of our planning and design process, as we know how valuable these amenities are for solidifying a sense of place and in building active, vibrant and productive communities.”

    Ward 5 Councillor Raj Dhaliwal added: “Promise made, promise delivered! As we celebrate the opening of Cornerstone Regional Park Phase 1, I couldn’t be more excited for the positive impact this much-needed amenity will have on the families and communities of Northeast Calgary. This marks a significant step toward enhancing our public spaces, and I am fully committed to accelerating the completion of the remaining phases. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Anthem for their visionary partnership and for leaving a lasting legacy that will benefit generations to come in Ward 5.”

    The new Cornerstone Regional Park will be in addition to existing completed and planned amenities in the Cornerstone community including playgrounds, storm ponds, a cricket pitch, and soccer field, with future plans for multiple schools and a 40-acre major Activity Centre with an adjacent LRT station.

    The City of Calgary has completed engagement for Cornerstone Regional Park; a report-back to Interested Parties was shared late this summer on engage.calgary.ca/cornerstonepark in the form of a What We Did Report. This report was also promoted in the community so that Interested Parties who shared their feedback during engagement could see the design concepts, ahead of final detailed design development. Construction is underway on other park phases with substantial completion of all park spaces expected by late 2025.

    About Cornerstone

    Located in Calgary’s Northeast, Cornerstone is the largest community in the city, with 2,500 homes and completed amenities including four park spaces, one wetland, one storm pond, three playgrounds and two commercial complexes. With effortless access to Stoney Trail and Country Hills, its location also ensures residents can easily access major amenities like CrossIron Mills, Peter Lougheed Hospital, and Cardel Rec Centre.

    About Anthem

    Founded in 1991, Anthem is a team of 800 people driven by creativity, passion and direct communication. Anthem has invested in, developed or managed – alone or in partnership – more than 385 residential, commercial and retail projects across North America. Anthem, with its respective financial partners, has a portfolio of current and past projects that includes more than 41,700 homes built, in design or under construction, more than 11.5 million sq. ft. of retail, industrial and office space, and 9,800 acres of land across Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and California.

    Contact:
    Elisha McCallum, Vice President, Communications
    Mobile: 778.668.0185
    Email: emccallum@anthemproperties.com

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: 
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fcf883c5-5102-49b6-8bdb-6e49ebaecd4e

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9bba23b0-8b08-45e6-a971-1c5c17365f3c

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d4462d12-2391-4ea7-a59a-51ce334ebf43

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Station Science Top News: Oct. 11, 2024

    Source: NASA

    Researchers verified that 3D micro-computed tomography scans can map the orientation of plant roots in space and used the method to demonstrate that carrots grown in actual and simulated microgravity both had random root orientation. These findings suggest that simulated microgravity offers a reliable and more affordable tool for studying plant adaptation to spaceflight.
    MULTI-TROP evaluated the role of gravity and other factors on plant growth. Plant roots grow downward in response to gravity on Earth, but in random directions in microgravity, which is a challenge for developing plant growth facilities for space. Results from this investigation could help address this challenge, advancing efforts to grow plants for food and other uses on future space missions as well as improving plant cultivation on Earth.

    For climate model simulations, researchers developed four parameters of electrical discharges from thunderclouds that produce visual emissions known as Blue LUminous Events or BLUEs. BLUEs are thought to affect regional atmospheric chemistry and climate. The parameters reported by this study could inform models that help test the global and regional effects of thunderstorm corona discharges, including how their geographic distribution and global occurrence rate will change as the atmosphere warms.
    ASIM, an investigation from ESA (European Space Agency), studies high-altitude lightning in thunderstorms and the role it plays in Earth’s atmosphere and climate. Scientists need to understand processes occurring in Earth’s upper atmosphere to determine how lightning is connected to Earth’s climate and weather so they can develop better atmospheric models to guide weather and climate predictions.

    A technique to detect sounds generated by the inner ear could be used as a non-invasive tool for monitoring changes in fluid pressure in the head during spaceflight. Increased fluid pressure in the head that occurs in microgravity can cause visual impairment and may also affect the middle and inner ear. Insight into fluid pressure changes could help scientists develop ways to protect astronauts from these effects.
    The ESA and ASI investigation Acoustic Diagnostics monitored hearing function in astronauts on long-term missions using otoacoustic emissions (sounds generated by the inner ear in response to specific tones). Researchers compared these measurements before and during flight to indirectly detect changes in fluid pressure in the head. Different body position and fit of the ear probes affected results of the test and the authors note that these issues need to be addressed.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Airservices Australia collaborates with Wisk for airspace of the future

    Source: Airservices Australia

    Airservices Australia has signed a memorandum of understanding with global aerospace manufacturer Wisk Aero which will help both organisations gain insights into the future airspace management needs of Advanced Air Mobility operations, such as air taxis. 

    Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is the next generation of aviation technology and is set to transform transportation with aircraft designed for urban and regional travel. Offering faster, cleaner, and more efficient ways to move people and goods, they have the potential to reduce congestion, cut emissions, and provide rapid, point-to-point journeys. 

    The arrangement will enable Wisk, which has developed all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to be operated as air taxis, and Australia’s air navigation service provider to share expertise which will pave the way for safe advanced air travel in the coming decades. 

    In Australia it’s predicted there’ll be approximately 1-million air taxi flights each year by 2043. Providers such as Wisk are planning to have air taxi services available for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. 

    As part of this MOU, we will be conducting a series of workshops and simulations aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of how Advanced Air Mobility systems will seamlessly integrate with Airservices systems into the national airspace.  

    Airservices Australia Interim Chief Executive Officer Rob Sharp said this partnership signified an important step towards fostering industry collaboration that would identify future requirements and ensure the successful incorporation of AAM into Australia’s airspace infrastructure. 

    “Airservices will share its air navigation technical engineering and air traffic management expertise to support design, development, and validation of air taxi operations concepts in Australia,” Mr Sharp said. 

    “The mutual benefit of this knowledge-sharing arrangement is it will help both organisations better understand industry needs and challenges and collaborate on strategies to ensure the safe and sustainable use of Australian airspace. 

    “This non-exclusive MOU is an example of Airservices’ commitment to working with industry to develop solutions that will enable emerging technologies to transform connectivity over short distances for a range of applications, including travel and emergency response.” 

    About Airservices
    Airservices Australia is the Federal Government-owned organisation responsible for the safety of 11 per cent of the world’s airspace and the provision of aviation rescue fire fighting services at Australia’s busiest airports. We work closely with our customers and industry to support the long-term growth of the aviation industry and are investing in technologies to position Australia at the forefront of innovation in the global aviation industry.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Ammunition

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    FRESNO, Calif. — Jamar Johnson, 30, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

    According to court documents, on Dec. 8, 2019, a shooting occurred at the ARCO station at Fresno and C Streets in Fresno. During the incident, Johnson drove his silver Mercedes in the ARCO lot and fired a handgun at another vehicle. After the Johnson left the area, a cellphone belonging to Johnson was found in the parking lot where the Mercedes had been parked along with .45 caliber shell casings.

    The judge noted a number of factors supporting the sentence, including this being Johnson’s third firearms-related conviction, each of the firearms-related convictions involving Johnson discharging a firearm, Johnson’s history of violating the terms of his supervision, and continued risky behavior that put the community in danger. At the time of this offense, Johnson was on federal supervised release for a federal conviction for conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He violated the terms of his supervised release on that conviction within 71 days of commencing supervision.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: West and Central Africa: About 10 million children forced out of schools by worst flooding in recent years

    Source: Save the Children

    About 10 million children across four countries in West and Central Africa are currently out of school due to massive regional flooding, which has damaged and destroyed infrastructure and displaced nearly one million people from their homes, said Save the Children.
    The unprecedented heavy rains across Nigeria, Mali, Niger and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have created a worsening education crisis with the damage or destruction of schools, the occupation of school buildings by displaced families, and the displacement of families away from schools. These kinds of extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe as a result of the climate crisis.
    While back-to-school season was expected to start at the end of September, all four countries are seeing masses of children missing out on the start of the school year. The 10 million children currently stuck at home or displaced due to floods are in addition to about 36 million children – of which over 20 million are in Nigeria – estimated to ,already be out of school in the four countries due to conflict and poverty according to the UN [1].
    At the end of September, Niger declared the postponement of the start of the school year for at least three weeks because of the floods, forcing 3.8 million learners out of school [2]. The floods have also leftover 5,520 classrooms in Niger damaged, destroyed, or occupied by displaced families [3].
    Earlier this month, Mali also declared a month’s postponement to the start of the school year. This nationwide decision is impacting some 3.8 million learners from primary and secondary schools [4].
    In Nigeria, at least 3 million children are out of school in Borno state, with 2.2 million children newly out of school due to statewide closures from flooding. [5] Heavy rains have affected 30 of Nigeria’s 36 states over the past month, killing 269 people and forcing 640,000 people from their homes [6].
    In the Democratic Republic of Congo, at the beginning of the year, flooding had resulted in the destruction of 1,325 schools and impacted over 200,000 children [7]. As of today, at least 59,000 children are out of school, with the province of Tanganyika most affected [8]. In May, at the peak of the flooding season, another 120 classrooms were destroyed in the province forcing 12,000 children to miss out on school [9].
    Before the flooding, 14,000 schools in Central and West Africa were already closed because of attacks and threats on education [10]. This catastrophic situation makes the already fragile chances of access to education for thousands of children even more dire.
    Vishna Shah-Little, Regional Director of Advocacy and Campaigns for Save the Children said, said:
    “Around the world, the start of a new school year is a time of joy and hope. For many children in West and Central Africa, the start of the school year is synonymous with sadness at the sight of their homes, schools and classrooms under water.
    “As well as seeing their families devastated and their homes destroyed, the children have to come to terms with witnessing the flooding of their education.”
    Save the Children is calling for donors to support scaling up the response to the devasting consequences of natural disasters on affected population especially children.
    Governments and partners must urgently take measure to provide alternative offers to allow children missing out on school to continue their education in this period and ensure as a way forward that schools are more resilient to extreme weather events such as flooding so that children can learn safely.
    Save the Children is responding to the situation in central and west Africa by providing emergency relief such as water, sanitation and hygiene kits, health and cash and voucher assistance support for affected families. We are also investing in strengthening national and community level early warning system for floods to better anticipate and prepare for such shocks.
    In the global response to the climate crisis, Save the Children is calling for national governments to rapidly phase out the use and subsidy of fossil fuels to limit warming temperatures to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels and to include the voices, needs and rights of children in the global response to climate change.
    Notes
    [1] UNESCO: https://education-estimates.org/out-of-school/data/. Total based on UNESCO’s middle estimate for 2023 for the four countries of DR Congo, Mali, Nigeria and Niger. Breakdown of 2023 out of school children (primary and secondary) according to the UN estimates: Nigeria: 21.4m; DRC: 6m; Niger: 5.5m; Mali: 3.3m
    [2] According to the Education cluster, 3,812,733 children were expected to go back to school at the start of the academic year in Niger.
    [3] As of 8 th October 2024, 5,520 classrooms were affected by flooding.
    [4] Based on national statistics on fundamental education from Mali’s Ministry of Education, noting that 2,972,650 children were enrolled in primary schools and 854,312 children were enrolled in secondary schools as of 2023.
    [5] In Nigeria, we estimate 2.2 million children out of school due to floods in Borno, in addition to 800,000 children already out of school in the state before the floods, according to local sources.
    [7] As of 24 February 2024, the flooding in DRC had inflicted significant damage across the DRC, resulting in the destruction of over 98,000 homes and1,325 schools. https://cerf.un.org/what-we-do/allocation/2024/summary/24-RR-COD-63589
    [8] DRC: As of July 2024, according to the Education Cluster, 10% of the 1,593 schools closed in the DRC were due to natural disaster. In total, the cluster estimates 590,000 children have been affected by school closures for all reasons in 2024.
    [9] According to the Education cluster, 117 classrooms were destroyed by flooding in Kalemi and Moba, in the province of Tanganyika, affecting 12 289 children https://reliefweb.int/map/democratic-republic-congo/republique-democratique-du-congo-alerte-sur-les-inondations-des-ecoles-dans-la-province-de-tanganyika-mai-2024
    [10] As of 9 September 2024, 14,364 schools have closed in central and West Africa because of armed violence according to the regional situation report Q2 2024 of Education in Emergencies Working Group for West and Central Africa [1]

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Cooper Surveys Storm Damage in Buncombe County as Resources Continue to Surge into Western North Carolina During Unprecedented Response to Hurricane Helene

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Cooper Surveys Storm Damage in Buncombe County as Resources Continue to Surge into Western North Carolina During Unprecedented Response to Hurricane Helene

    Governor Cooper Surveys Storm Damage in Buncombe County as Resources Continue to Surge into Western North Carolina During Unprecedented Response to Hurricane Helene
    mseets

    North Carolina’s unprecedented response to the impacts of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina remains in full force as responders at the state, federal and local levels continue efforts to surge resources and bring assistance into affected areas. This morning, Governor Cooper was joined by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and other state officials for a press briefing regarding storm recovery efforts. This afternoon, Governor Cooper traveled to Buncombe County to survey storm damage, see relief efforts, thank volunteers and speak with people impacted by the storm.

    Law enforcement is working to ensure the safety of responders amid reports of threats and misinformation. FEMA officials remain in communities and have resumed door-to-door operations to help people impacted by these storms recover as quickly as possible following reports of threats on the ground. Governor Roy Cooper has directed the Department of Public Safety to work with local law enforcement to identify specific threats and rumors and coordinate with FEMA and other partners to ensure the safety and security of all involved as this recovery effort continues.

    “Today I traveled to Asheville, Fairview and Swannanoa to see the critical work being done to get people federal assistance, hot meals and other resources they need as they deal with the impacts of Hurricane Helene,” said Governor Cooper. “I’m thankful for our law enforcement officers, first responders, volunteers and many others who are helping people in need.”

    The Governor visited a Disaster Recovery Center operating at A.C. Reynolds High School in Asheville where those affected by the storm can get assistance from FEMA and the Small Business Administration. The Governor also visited the Fairview Fire Department, which sustained major flooding and damage from the storm. Lastly, the Governor visited a Community Care Station in Swannanoa providing resources and hot meals to community members and emergency responders.

    Governor Cooper also issued an executive order today focused on addressing urgent needs related to drinking water and wastewater treatment in those counties impacted by Hurricane Helene. The Council of State concurred in a provision of the Order which allows the North Carolina Division of Water Resources to accelerate the timelines for repair to numerous facilities and other infrastructure damaged by Helene to ensure that impacted North Carolinians are able to obtain access to safe drinking water and wastewater treatment as soon as possible.

    The Order also directs NCDEQ to address the impacts of Helene on utility systems in the impacted areas. Specifically, the Order directs NCDEQ to assess the impacts of Helene across the impacted region, provide technical and financial support for drinking water systems, wastewater treatment facilities, and other infrastructure sites, and also to help expedite clean-up processes.

    In the immediate aftermath of this storm, because of massive communication outages in Western North Carolina, many people called 2-1-1 to report friends or family they couldn’t get in touch with. When phone service began to return, many people located their loved ones but that information doesn’t usually make it back to 2-1-1.

    The Department of Public Safety formed a task force to find who is still unaccounted for and focus efforts where needed. This is not a definitive count because the task force is continuing its work. This number will continue to fluctuate as more reports come in and others are resolved. As of today, the task force number of unaccounted for people is 92.

    North Carolina National Guard and Military Response

    Approximately 3,400 Soldiers and Airmen are working in Western North Carolina. Joint Task Force- North Carolina, the task force led by the North Carolina National Guard is made up of Soldiers and Airmen from 12 different states, two different XVIII Airborne Corps units from Ft. Liberty, a unit from Ft. Campbell’s 101st Airborne Division, and numerous civilian entities are working side-by-side to get the much-needed help to people in Western North Carolina.

    National Guard and military personnel are operating 11 aviation assets and approximately 1,200 specialized vehicles in Western North Carolina to facilitate these missions. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is helping to assess water and wastewater plants and dams. Residents can track the status of the public water supply in their area through this website.

    FEMA Assistance

    More than $99 million in FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western North Carolina disaster survivors and more than 174,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance. More than 1,900 households are now housed in hotels through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance.

    1,200+ FEMA staff are in the state to help with the Western North Carolina relief effort. In addition to search and rescue and providing commodities, they are meeting with disaster survivors in shelters and neighborhoods to provide rapid access to relief resources. They can be identified by their FEMA logo apparel and federal government identification.

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

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

    Help from Other States

    More than 1,500 responders from 38 state and local agencies have performed 140 missions supporting the response and recovery efforts through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). This includes public health nurses, emergency management teams supporting local governments, veterinarians, teams with search dogs and more.

    Beware of Misinformation

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

    Efforts continue to provide food, water and basic necessities to residents in affected communities, using both ground resources and air drops from the NC National Guard. Food, water and commodity points of distribution are open throughout Western North Carolina. For information on these sites in your community, visit your local emergency management and local government social media and websites or visit ncdps.gov/Helene.

    Storm Damage Cleanup

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

    Power Outages

    Across Western North Carolina, approximately 12,500 customers remain without power, down from a peak of more than 1 million. Overall power outage numbers will fluctuate up and down as power crews temporarily take circuits or substations offline to make repairs and restore additional customers.

    Road Closures

    Some roads are closed because they are too damaged and dangerous to travel. Other roads still need to be reserved for essential traffic like utility vehicles, construction equipment and supply trucks. However, some parts of the area are open and ready to welcome visitors which is critical for the revival of Western North Carolina’s economy. If you are considering a visit to the area, consult DriveNC.gov for open roads and reach out to the community and businesses you want to visit to see if they are welcoming visitors back yet.

    NCDOT currently has approximately 2,100 employees and 1,100 pieces of equipment working on approximately 6,700 damaged road sites.

    Fatalities

    Ninety-five storm-related deaths have been confirmed in North Carolina by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. This number is expected to rise over the coming days. The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will continue to confirm numbers twice daily. If you have an emergency or believe that someone is in danger, please call 911.

    Volunteers and Donations

    If you would like to donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, visit nc.gov/donate. Donations will help to support local nonprofits working on the ground.

    For information on volunteer opportunities, please visit nc.gov/volunteernc

    Additional Assistance

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

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

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

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

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    Oct 15, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Chicago and Homewood

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Chicago and Homewood

    Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Chicago and Homewood

    SPRINGFIELD – Two FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Center will open on Wednesday, October 16 to help residents kickstart their recovery after the July 13 – 16, 2024, severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding.

    Specialists from FEMA, the state of Illinois and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be at the centers to help survivors apply for federal disaster assistance, upload documents, get their questions answered in person, access other types of help that may be available and learn ways to make their property more disaster resistant.

    The centers will be open at the following location, days and hours:

    Chicago Lawn Branch Library
    6120 S. Kedzie Ave
    Chicago, IL 60629
    Hours: Mon. and Wed. 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Tues. and Thurs. 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Sun. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

    Village of Homewood Auditorium
    2010 Chestnut Road
    Homewood, IL 60430
    Hours: Mon. – Sun. 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

    Additional recovery centers will be opening in other impacted counties soon. To find the center nearest you, visit FEMA.gov/DRC. Survivors may visit any center for assistance.

    Assistance in languages other than English, including American sign language, and translated materials are available at these centers. Disaster Recovery Center locations are chosen for their accessibility, with the goal of reaching as many people as possible. Accessible parking spaces are available at all centers. 

    Survivors don’t need to visit a Disaster Recovery Center to apply for FEMA assistance. To apply without visiting a center, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, download the FEMA mobile app or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service such as video relay service, captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service when you apply.

    For even more information about the disaster recovery operation in Illinois, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4819.  

    kimberly.keblish

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Stay safe this fireworks season

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Follow OPSS guidance to purchase, use and dispose of fireworks safely and responsibly.

    The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has produced safety tips for this fireworks season on how to use fireworks responsibly and considerately to help protect both people and animals.

    You must only buy from licensed sellers

    Make sure you buy fireworks from licensed or registered in-store and online retailers. Do not buy fireworks from unknown retailers on social media sites. Remember it is illegal for under 18s to buy fireworks.

    Choose traditional dates and keep to the curfew

    People are more likely to plan to protect pets and other animals if fireworks are let off on traditional dates. The firework curfew is midnight on Fireworks Night, 1am on Diwali, New Year’s Eve and Chinese New Year, and 11pm the rest of the year. Firework timings may differ in Scotland. Search ‘fireworks’ on gov.scot for more advice.

    Follow the instructions carefully

    Before letting off fireworks, read all the safety instructions on the box, so you know important things like how far away people need to stand. If you do not understand the instructions and warnings, do not use the firework. Once any debris has cooled down, tidy it up and soak it in water overnight. Then put it in a rubbish bag and in the bin.

    Check what fireworks you can use at home

    Category F1, F2 and F3 fireworks are on sale to the public depending on the safety distance required. Check the labelling to ensure you have enough space to safely use a firework before you buy it.

    Always follow the Firework Code. Search ‘fireworks’ on GOV.UK for more advice.

    Think of local animals before setting off fireworks

    If you plan to let off any fireworks, let your neighbours know in advance so they can plan for pets that might be affected.

    If you live close to horses, let their owners know well in advance that you are letting fireworks off. Site your fireworks well away from them and aim them in the opposite direction. It is important to be considerate to horse owners as they cannot easily move horses away from fireworks.

    Notify nearby farms and stables if you are planning to use fireworks. Do not let off fireworks if they will disturb wildlife habitats, or roosting bats and birds.

    Keep your pet safe

    On nights where fireworks are being let off, keep dogs and cats inside with somewhere to hide and give small outdoor pets extra bedding and nesting material to burrow in.

    Download content from our fireworks campaign page, including a video, poster, leaflet and social media materials.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Month of Discovery: Nadine Noaman ‘26, Uncovering UConn Muslim History

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The contributions of the Muslim community at UConn — from the Arabic language program, to partnerships with international universities, to the Muslim Student Association and the Islamic Center at UConn (ICUC) — are now so integral to the University that a newly arrived first-year student might not think twice about how they all came to be, says Nadine Noaman ’26 (CLAS).

    But Noaman knows exactly how much work went into creating today’s community.

    “The impact of these generations should not go unnoticed. We are part of UConn history,” she says.

    Noaman is currently producing a docuseries entitled “Tracing the Trailblazers: UConn’s Muslim Community, Accommodations, and Activism Journey,” funded by the UConn IDEA grant and UConn BOLD Women’s Leadership Network.

    The impact of these generations should not go unnoticed. We are part of UConn history.

    For the project, Noaman is collecting oral histories from alumni and students who span the last half-century of Muslim life at UConn. The earliest interviewees were doctoral students at UConn in the 1970s; the most recent are current undergraduates, Noaman’s peers.

    The series has three major aims, says Noaman: to preserve this rich community history, to highlight strides made by Muslims at UConn, and to track the impact of Muslim student activism on the university.

    For Noaman, this history is personal. She herself is a third-generation leader in UConn’s Muslim community: both her maternal grandparents received their PhDs from UConn in the 1980s, and her mother received a Pharm.D. from the school. (Her aunt and uncle are also alumni.)

    The UConn International House in the 1950s. (Jerauld A. Manter/Department of Archives & Special Collections/UConn Library)

    From the Ashes

    In late 2023, a fire destroyed the Whitney House on the edge of the UConn Storrs campus – an iconic white building near Mirror Lake that had variously served as UConn’s International House and the home of the Rainbow Center over the past 50 years. The house was dismantled after the University deemed it beyond repair.

    “One of the earliest memories that I have that sparked the idea [for ‘Tracing the Trailblazers’] was when my mom and I were passing by the International House when they were about to take it down,” Noaman remembers. “And she started to recall how impactful that building was on campus. She shared how there were communal prayers and Eid celebrations – so many initiatives and events took place there that brought communities together.”

    “It’s unfortunate that the building is no longer physically there,” she continues. “In that moment, I realized I want to honor and preserve the legacy and experiences of these past generations at UConn.”

    UConn’s Muslim students tabling at the International Fair in the 1980s. (Courtesy of Nadine Noaman)

    Though the International House is no longer standing, UConn’s Muslim community has found other venues for sharing space and strengthening community ties. The Islamic Center at UConn (ICUC) hosts daily prayers, holiday festivities, and weekly halaqas, or lecture circles, to discuss Islam-related topics. It also accommodates the Muslim Student Association (MSA), of which Noaman is the Islamic Education Chair.

    “I love when I have the opportunity to do tabling; I get to talk to other amazing Huskies on campus and clear up misconceptions about Islam or provide accurate knowledge,” she says.

    In addition, Noaman also currently works as a coordinator for UConn Salaam, a program within the Asian American Cultural Center. Salaam develops programming that increases accurate knowledge of Islam, strives to dismantle Islamophobia, and builds coalitions amongst various student organizations.

    Muslim community members participate in a weekly halaqa, 2024. (Photo by Nadine Noaman)

    What Changes, What Stays the Same

    MSA table set up for an event informing the student community about Muslim life (Photo by Nadine Noaman)

    As a prominent player in these spaces, Noaman was curious about how Muslim life at UConn had evolved from the experiences of her grandparents to her own. While working on “Tracing the Trailblazers,” she learned that the reasons for this evolution were twofold.

    There were societal issues: the early interviewees recalled hostile jokes about Muslims all living in the desert, while current students report having to counter misconceptions that Islam promotes violence. Though the trends changed over time, they all fall “under the same iceberg: lack of knowledge,” notes Noaman.

    Second, there was the dynamic way the UConn Muslim community advocated for their needs, encouraging the University to be a more positive and inclusive place. Community organizing and solidarity established more accommodations for Islamic worship and holidays for generations to come.

    Celebrating the Diversity of Islam

    By engaging with the stories in “Tracing the Trailblazers,” Noaman says, viewers will be able to appreciate a rich array of perspectives and backgrounds.

    “There is such diversity in our Muslim community – in one Friday prayer, we realized that we had over 40 different nationalities represented,” she says.

    Muslim Huskies go on to make a difference for the University and the world, contributing in diverse ways, too.

    “We are a religion of peace,” says Noaman. “There’s a strong emphasis on being active in our community and helping others. So, many of my friends are in fields like healthcare and engineering because they want to embody those specific Islamic values.”

    Editing “Tracing the Trailblazers.” (Courtesy of Nadine Noaman)

    Noaman herself (who is double-majoring in Psychological Sciences and Spanish) wants to go into education – a field for which her coursework, student leadership, and independent research have well prepared her.

    Once complete, “Tracing the Trailblazers” will be available to stream online, and Noaman hopes to be able to host an on-campus premiere as well. She extends her gratitude to God, as well as her family, peers, and the BOLD network and IDEA grant team who supported this independent project.

    Having the funding was “affirming and motivating, and it gave me the resources to be detailed in the research aspect,” Noaman says. “I’ve done traditional research before, but embarking on this project has expanded my understanding of what I see as research, and so I’m grateful for this experience – times a gazillion-fold.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New guide lets you plan your Walled City Trail experience at Derry Halloween

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    New guide lets you plan your Walled City Trail experience at Derry Halloween

    15 October 2024

    The ultimate guide to all the ghoulish goings on in Derry this Halloween launched today, helping visitors plan ahead for the biggest Halloween celebration in Europe, now just weeks away.

    The Derry Halloween Awakening the Walled City Trail details all the best activities and highlights of the trail which runs this year from Monday October 28th – Thursday October 30th from 6pm – 9pm.

    It is available on the DerryHalloween.com website and printed copies will be available to pick up from Council buildings, Visit Derry and other venues in the week before Halloween.

    This year the trail is packed full of all sorts of spooky spectacles, weaving its magic throughout the city centre at haunted hotspots including the Upper City Walls, the Diamond, Cathedral Quarter, Guildhall Square, Waterloo Place and Ebrington Square.

    Visit the Witchy Wonderland where In Your Space Circus will create an eerie walk-through experience full of mischief and mayhem on Derry’s historic Walls.

    The ramparts will provide the perfect atmospheric backdrop for some dazzling fire performance and ghostly goings on. 

    This year the Guildhall Production Studio will bring the worlds of old and new together with the latest technology to animate the iconic Austins building and Bishop Street Court House, bringing some local ghost stories to life.

    Enter the ethereal Elemental Garden set to take over Ebrington Square, an ambient and mesmerising celebration of darkness and light, as visualised by landscape spectacle specialists LUXE, in a piece supported by The Executive Office.

    A number of exciting new highlights feature in the trail this year, including the debut appearance of the weird and wonderful Rodafonio, created by renowned designer and musician Cesar Alvarez and brought all the way from Barcelona.

    Also adding an international flavour to the festivities are the Stelzen-Art Time Travellers, bringing their enchanting illuminations all the way from Germany to the city’s Cathedral Quarter.

    Take care not to fall under a spell as the bewitching Hocus Pocus bring their spellbinding show to the City of Bones at Waterloo Place, 28th – 30th October, with an interactive, child friendly performance by the Studio 2 Sanderson Sisters, back after 300 years.

    Then step back in time to the 1980s as the New Gate Arts Group take you Back to the Future with a special street performance featuring a DeLorean Car and the renowned Sollus Highland Dancers.

    Add to this the Monster Fun Fair at Ebrington, the sensational Spark Drummers, Uncle Doom and his Organ of Doom, Street Walkabouts, Haunted Houses, Live Music, creepy Arts & Crafts, Kids Halloween Disco, Wailing Nuns, Wicked Windows, City Dance’s Walter on the Dance Floor, Interactive Kids Shows in the Guildhall and a city centre Trick or Treat Trail – and you will find plenty to keep you busy in the home of Halloween.

    Head of Culture with Council, Aeidin McCarter, said now was the time to plan your visit.

    “There is so much going on this year, we would really encourage people to plan ahead and familiarise themselves with the event map and programme information to ensure they get to see everything that’s happening,” she stressed.

    “The great thing is that from Monday – Wednesday we have a full programme of entertainment and activities in the build up to Halloween, so any night is a good time to visit!

    “The Awakening the Walled City Trail offers the chance to explore the city centre by night and experience some of the myth and magic that makes this place so special at this time of year.
    “I am thrilled that we are back on the City Walls this year for part of the trail – it’s the perfect place to capture the real essence and atmosphere of Halloween through the centuries.

    “There will be lots of activities for younger children throughout the day as well, so please check out the programme online or download our app for the latest updates.”

    The Derry Halloween festival is led by Derry City and Strabane District Council, supported by Tourism Northern Ireland and The Executive Office, with additional support from Ulster University and Air Coach.

    Download the Awakening the Walled City Trail at DerryHalloween.com and don’t forget that Derry Halloween is also on WhatsApp.
    Get the latest updates, exclusive sneak peeks, and instant info right on your phone.
    Don’t miss any of the spooky surprises in store at https://bit.ly/halloweenwhatsapp

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Science expeditions in snow, hail and air pollution

    Source: US Government research organizations

    NSF celebrates the 2024 Earth Science Week theme ‘Earth Science Everywhere’ with 3 upcoming field campaigns across the country

    Starting this winter through next summer, the U.S. National Science Foundation is supporting three field campaigns, or collaborative research activities, to study atmospheric phenomena. The first will take place in Colorado and focus on snowstorms. Soon after that wraps up, another group of researchers will gather in the Great Plains to study hailstorms. Finally, a team of scientists will take to the skies above New York City to look at air pollution drivers.

    Winter snowstorms from a cloudy perspective

    Credit: Melissa Dobbins

    From their perch in a wind vane atop the Storm Peak Laboratory, several cloud probes measure the properties of snowflakes and aerosols.

    Claire Pettersen and a group of researchers will spend 4 1/2 months working at a lab atop a Colorado mountain this coming winter as part of an NSF-funded field campaign to improve snowfall forecasts and climate change projections in the western U.S. mountains.

    The team includes scientists from multiple universities gathering at NSF-supported Storm Peak Lab, which sits atop Mount Werner next to a chairlift in the Steamboat Ski Resort, about an hour northwest of Denver. “Storm Peak Lab is a really cool place to design a field campaign,” Pettersen, a professor at the University of Michigan, said. “The lab actually sits inside a cloud when it snows on the mountain.”

    The lab’s unique location and cutting-edge meteorological instruments make it an ideal location to study how mountains impact winter clouds and snowfall. The upcoming effort, called the Snow Sensitivity to Clouds in a Mountain Environment (S2noCliME) field campaign, will leverage many NSF-funded resources in addition to the lab’s instruments, including the Colorado State University Sea-Going Polarimetric Radar, which will help the team study how storms can strengthen or weaken as they move through the region, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook radar observatory, which will help the team investigate cloud and ice particles during a snowstorm.

    The team is working with scientists at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) to put together a public field catalog that holds its data and observations. The team is also connecting with the community, including the local airport and nearby schools, to share weather forecasts and raise awareness of the campaign. “We want to provide something to the community that’s useful,” Pettersen said.

    Springing into hailstorms in the Plains

    After the snow melts and spring turns to summer next year, hail scientist Becky Adams-Selin of the company Atmospheric and Environmental Research, along with 14 collaborating institutions from 11 states and four countries, will spend six weeks in the Great Plains and Front Range studying hailstones falling from the sky.

    Hail can destroy buildings and devastate crops. To better understand the science behind the ice, Adams-Selin is leading an upcoming field campaign called In-situ Collaborative Experiment for the Collection of Hail In the Plains (ICECHIP), which will use a variety of instruments and techniques to study hail processes in thunderstorms in the Great Plains and Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.

    Credit: Becky Adams-Selin, AER

    A 3D-printed replica of the 7-inch hailstone that fell in Aurora, Nebraska on June 22, 2003.

    “It’s been a few decades since the last major field campaign focused on hail,” Adams-Selin.

    ICECHIP plans to make up for the long gap with a multipronged approach. The team will send out four mobile radars to characterize hailstones’ physical characteristics, like their size and shape. During a hailstorm, the team will use custom-designed equipment to capture the stones as they fall and redirect them into a cooler. Other plans include creating 3D printed hail models and then using drones to drop them to see how fast they fall.

    “Hail science is having a renaissance moment,” Adams-Selin said. Not only will this campaign provide valuable data for researchers and weather forecasters, but it will also aid insurance companies trying to set rates and mitigate damage, roofing companies, farmers and other entities affected by hail. “We are very integrated with the people who will use our science,” she said.

    City air in the summertime

    In the height of summer next year, John Mak and a team of researchers will spend four to six weeks studying what happens in the air above and around New York City.

    “New York City is a unique environment with a lot of relevance to the American population,” Mak, a professor at Stony Brook University, said. “We will fly the NSF NCAR C-130 aircraft and collect gases and particles to study this densely populated area that has a forest to its north, ocean to its south and large urban center in its center.” The resulting information will inform future research on ozone and air pollution and provide important information to air quality agencies to help them make decisions on methodologies for mitigating air pollution.

    The Greater New York Oxidant, Trace gas, Halogen and Aerosol Airborne Mission (GOTHAAM) will focus on the summer months. The warmer temperatures and longer days make for a unique laboratory setting to see how both urban and natural emissions from surrounding forests and water bodies create unique chemical reactions that can impact air quality and public health.

    “You can get a really interesting ‘soup’ of different kinds of compounds that can change throughout the day,” Mak said. “We’ll be exploring the interplay among the different pots, looking at how they mix throughout the day and what happens overnight, and how this impacts the next day’s chemistry as the sun comes up.”

    Earth Science Week activities

    Whether they’re studying snow in Colorado, hail in the Great Plains or air pollution in New York City, NSF-supported scientists are supporting the 2024 Earth Science Week theme, ‘Earth Science Everywhere.’

    Here are some activities related to each field campaign for K-12 students and educators:

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: South Africa’s 36.1% electricity price hike for 2025: why the power utility Eskom’s request is unrealistic

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Steven Matome Mathetsa, Senior Lecturer at the African Energy Leadership Centre, Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand

    South Africa’s state-owned electricity company, Eskom, has applied to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to approve a 36.1% electricity price hike from April 2025, a 11.8% price increase in 2026 and an 9.1% increase in 2027. Steven Mathetsa teaches and researches sustainable energy systems at the University of the Witwatersrand’s African Energy Leadership Centre. He explains some of the problems with the planned tariff increase.

    Why such a big hike?

    Eskom says the multi-year price increase is because of the need to move closer a cost-reflective tariff that reflects the actual costs of supplying electricity.

    However, Eskom’s electricity tariff increases have been exorbitant for several years – an 18% increase in 2023 and a 13% increase in 2024. This is a price increase far above inflation, which is currently at 4.4%.

    Some companies have installed their own generation capacity, and individuals have moved to rooftop solar systems. As a result electricity sales have fallen by about 2% , resulting in a drop in revenue.

    There’s a knock on effect for municipalities, the biggest distributors of electricity, which have also been forced to hike tariffs in line with Eskom’s increases.

    All these costs are passed onto the consumers.

    What will the impact be on South Africans?

    If the hike is approved it will certainly worsen the economic difficulties facing
    South Africa. One of the most unequal countries in the world, South Africa has an extremely high unemployment rate – 33.5%at the last count.

    Economic growth is also very slow, at a mere 0.6% in 2023. The cost of living is high.

    Exorbitant increases in electricity costs aggravate these problems.

    South Africans and businesses in the country have little choice about where they source their energy. Eskom is still the sole supplier for nearly all the country’s electricity needs. This means that ordinary citizens are likely to continue relying on electricity supplied by Eskom, irrespective of the costs.

    The high costs affect businesses negatively. Large industrial and small, medium, and micro enterprises have all highlighted that costs associated with utilities, mainly electricity, are affecting their sustainability.



    Read more:
    Competition in South Africa’s electricity market: new law paves the way, but it won’t be a smooth ride

    The Electricity Regulation Amendment Act implementation will make major changes to Eskom. The reforms establish an independent Transmission Systems Operator tasked with connecting renewable energy providers to the grid. This will allow the creation of a competitive market where renewable energy providers can sell power to the grid.

    But it’s not yet clear if these changes will address the issue of exorbitant electricity price rises.

    What are the problems?

    The country’s energy frameworks are drafted on the basis of the World Energy Trilemma Index. The index promotes a balanced approach between energy security, affordability, and sustainability. In other words, countries must be able to provide environmentally friendly and reliable electricity that their residents can afford.

    South Africa is currently unable to meet these goals because of different energy policies that do not align, a lack of investment in electricity and dependency on coal-fired power. Electricity is increasingly becoming unaffordable in the country. Although there’s been a recent reprieve from power cuts, security of supply is still uncertain.



    Read more:
    South Africa’s new energy plan needs a mix of nuclear, gas, renewables and coal – expert

    Furthermore, over 78% of the country’s electricity is produced by burning coal. This means South Africa is also far from attaining its 2015 Paris Agreement greenhouse gas reduction goals.

    Compounding this problem is that Eskom is financially unstable – it needed R78 billion from the government in debt relief in 2024. For years, there was a lack of effective maintenance on the aging infrastructure.

    The country has made some inroads into improving security of supply. To date, recent interventions have resulted in over 200 days without power cuts. This should be commended. The same focus must be placed on ensuring that electricity remains affordable while giving attention to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

    What needs to change?

    South Africa’s 1998 Energy Policy White Paper and the new Electricity Regulation Amendment Act promote access to affordable electricity. However, they’ve been implemented very slowly. Affordable electricity needs to be taken seriously.

    The question is whether the country’s electricity tariff methodology is flexible enough to accommodate poor South Africans, especially during these challenging economic times.

    In my view, it is not. In its current form, vulnerable communities continue to foot the bill for various challenges confronting Eskom, including financial mismanagement, operational inefficiencies, municipal non-payment, and corruption.

    I believe the following steps should be taken.

    Firstly, South Africa should revise its tariff application methodologies so that consumers, especially unemployed and impoverished people, are protected against exorbitant increases.

    Secondly, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa should strengthen its regulations to ensure its compliance and enforcement systems are effective. For example, Eskom should be held accountable when it does not deliver efficient services or mismanages funds, and be transparent about costs associated with its processes. Municipalities should also be held accountable for non-payment and other technical issues they regularly struggle with. Both affect the revenue of the power utility.



    Read more:
    South Africa’s economic growth affected by mismatch of electricity supply and demand

    Thirdly, the government must make sure that price increases are affordable and don’t hurt the broader economy. It can do this by adjusting its policies to make sure that increases in electricity tariffs are in line with the rate of inflation.

    Fourthly, communities can play a vital role in saving electricity at a household level. This will reduce the country’s overall energy consumption. Furthermore, both small and large businesses should continue to consider alternative energy technologies while implementing energy saving technologies.

    Lastly, the level of free-basic electricity is not sufficient for poor households. Subsidy policies should also be reviewed to allow users access to affordable electricity as their financial situation changes negatively.

    Steven Matome Mathetsa 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. South Africa’s 36.1% electricity price hike for 2025: why the power utility Eskom’s request is unrealistic – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-36-1-electricity-price-hike-for-2025-why-the-power-utility-eskoms-request-is-unrealistic-240941

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa’s 36.1% electricity price hike for 2025: why the power utility Eskom’s request is unrealistic

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Steven Matome Mathetsa, Senior Lecturer at the African Energy Leadership Centre, Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand

    South Africa’s state-owned electricity company, Eskom, has applied to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to approve a 36.1% electricity price hike from April 2025, a 11.8% price increase in 2026 and an 9.1% increase in 2027. Steven Mathetsa teaches and researches sustainable energy systems at the University of the Witwatersrand’s African Energy Leadership Centre. He explains some of the problems with the planned tariff increase.

    Why such a big hike?

    Eskom says the multi-year price increase is because of the need to move closer a cost-reflective tariff that reflects the actual costs of supplying electricity.

    However, Eskom’s electricity tariff increases have been exorbitant for several years – an 18% increase in 2023 and a 13% increase in 2024. This is a price increase far above inflation, which is currently at 4.4%.

    Some companies have installed their own generation capacity, and individuals have moved to rooftop solar systems. As a result electricity sales have fallen by about 2% , resulting in a drop in revenue.

    There’s a knock on effect for municipalities, the biggest distributors of electricity, which have also been forced to hike tariffs in line with Eskom’s increases.

    All these costs are passed onto the consumers.

    What will the impact be on South Africans?

    If the hike is approved it will certainly worsen the economic difficulties facing South Africa. One of the most unequal countries in the world, South Africa has an extremely high unemployment rate – 33.5%at the last count.

    Economic growth is also very slow, at a mere 0.6% in 2023. The cost of living is high.

    Exorbitant increases in electricity costs aggravate these problems.

    A 2023 protest against electricity prices hikes. Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp

    South Africans and businesses in the country have little choice about where they source their energy. Eskom is still the sole supplier for nearly all the country’s electricity needs. This means that ordinary citizens are likely to continue relying on electricity supplied by Eskom, irrespective of the costs.

    The high costs affect businesses negatively. Large industrial and small, medium, and micro enterprises have all highlighted that costs associated with utilities, mainly electricity, are affecting their sustainability.

    Read more: Competition in South Africa’s electricity market: new law paves the way, but it won’t be a smooth ride

    The Electricity Regulation Amendment Act implementation will make major changes to Eskom. The reforms establish an independent Transmission Systems Operator tasked with connecting renewable energy providers to the grid. This will allow the creation of a competitive market where renewable energy providers can sell power to the grid.

    But it’s not yet clear if these changes will address the issue of exorbitant electricity price rises.

    What are the problems?

    The country’s energy frameworks are drafted on the basis of the World Energy Trilemma Index. The index promotes a balanced approach between energy security, affordability, and sustainability. In other words, countries must be able to provide environmentally friendly and reliable electricity that their residents can afford.

    South Africa is currently unable to meet these goals because of different energy policies that do not align, a lack of investment in electricity and dependency on coal-fired power. Electricity is increasingly becoming unaffordable in the country. Although there’s been a recent reprieve from power cuts, security of supply is still uncertain.

    Read more: South Africa’s new energy plan needs a mix of nuclear, gas, renewables and coal – expert

    Furthermore, over 78% of the country’s electricity is produced by burning coal. This means South Africa is also far from attaining its 2015 Paris Agreement greenhouse gas reduction goals.

    Compounding this problem is that Eskom is financially unstable – it needed R78 billion from the government in debt relief in 2024. For years, there was a lack of effective maintenance on the aging infrastructure.

    The country has made some inroads into improving security of supply. To date, recent interventions have resulted in over 200 days without power cuts. This should be commended. The same focus must be placed on ensuring that electricity remains affordable while giving attention to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

    What needs to change?

    South Africa’s 1998 Energy Policy White Paper and the new Electricity Regulation Amendment Act promote access to affordable electricity. However, they’ve been implemented very slowly. Affordable electricity needs to be taken seriously.

    The question is whether the country’s electricity tariff methodology is flexible enough to accommodate poor South Africans, especially during these challenging economic times.

    In my view, it is not. In its current form, vulnerable communities continue to foot the bill for various challenges confronting Eskom, including financial mismanagement, operational inefficiencies, municipal non-payment, and corruption.

    I believe the following steps should be taken.

    Firstly, South Africa should revise its tariff application methodologies so that consumers, especially unemployed and impoverished people, are protected against exorbitant increases.

    Secondly, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa should strengthen its regulations to ensure its compliance and enforcement systems are effective. For example, Eskom should be held accountable when it does not deliver efficient services or mismanages funds, and be transparent about costs associated with its processes. Municipalities should also be held accountable for non-payment and other technical issues they regularly struggle with. Both affect the revenue of the power utility.

    Read more: South Africa’s economic growth affected by mismatch of electricity supply and demand

    Thirdly, the government must make sure that price increases are affordable and don’t hurt the broader economy. It can do this by adjusting its policies to make sure that increases in electricity tariffs are in line with the rate of inflation.

    Fourthly, communities can play a vital role in saving electricity at a household level. This will reduce the country’s overall energy consumption. Furthermore, both small and large businesses should continue to consider alternative energy technologies while implementing energy saving technologies.

    Lastly, the level of free-basic electricity is not sufficient for poor households. Subsidy policies should also be reviewed to allow users access to affordable electricity as their financial situation changes negatively.

    – South Africa’s 36.1% electricity price hike for 2025: why the power utility Eskom’s request is unrealistic
    – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-36-1-electricity-price-hike-for-2025-why-the-power-utility-eskoms-request-is-unrealistic-240941

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Israel/ OPT: Israel must rescind latest ‘evacuation’ orders for North Gaza and allow immediate, unhindered humanitarian access

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Israeli authorities must rescind the cruel and unlawful “evacuation” orders – Israel’s euphemism for forced displacement –   issued over the past week to residents of the North Gaza governorate and immediately allow the unhindered entry of essential supplies, including food and fuel to the area, said Amnesty International, as fears grow for the fate of civilians trapped under siege.

    In recent days, the civilian death toll across the occupied Gaza Strip has continued to mount and horrifying scenes have emerged following deadly Israeli air strikes, particularly in the North Gaza governorate. Civilians have had to endure relentless Israeli bombardment and shelling, without access to basic supplies critical for the survival of the civilian population, including food and clean water. 

    It has been nine months since the ICJ warned the risk of genocide in Gaza is real yet Israeli authorities continue to violate the provisional measures ordered by the court.

    Heba Morayef, Amnesty International

    The latest “evacuation” orders issued by the Israeli military to cities and camps across the North Gaza governorate on 7, 10 and 12 October and the tightened siege on the area are a terrifying escalation of the long list of horrors inflicted on people living in the area north of Wadi Gaza since October 2023. 

     “The Israeli military has intensified its efforts to forcibly displace the entirety of the civilian population in the area north of Wadi Gaza to the south, starting with the North Gaza governorate, forcing civilians to choose between starvation or displacement, while their homes and streets are relentlessly pounded by bombs and shells,” said Heba Morayef, Middle East and North Africa’s Regional Director at Amnesty International. 

    “The world must stop standing by while Israel uses siege, starvation and atrocity crimes to forcibly displace and destroy civilians and civilian life.  These orders must be rescinded and there must be an immediate ceasefire by all parties to halt the avalanche of suffering that has been engulfing civilians in Gaza for over a year.”

    A year ago, on 12 October 2023, an estimated 1.1 million Palestinians living in the area north of Wadi Gaza were subjected to an unlawful mass “evacuation” order, which forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee south, seeking safety. For many months, the hundreds of thousands of people who remained north of Wadi Gaza were largely cut off from the rest of the Strip by a fortified Israeli military zone. In December 2023, the world’s leading experts on famine reported that hunger was particularly widespread and severe there, yet Israeli authorities repeatedly obstructed and denied humanitarian access to the area. In recent days the situation has grown even more desperate following the Israeli military’s tightened siege on the area. All three partially functioning hospitals in the north – Kamal Adwan, Al-Awda, and the Indonesian hospital – face “evacuation” orders. 

    “After a year of death and destruction, it is agonizing to hear from doctors in North Gaza that they have to perform multiple amputations every day, or from families trapped under siege that dozens of unrecognisable bodies are scattered on the streets or that people are unable to bury their loved ones amidst ceaseless bombardment. The scenes coming out of Jabalia refugee camp have been especially harrowing, for over a week, residents of the camp have been scared to leave their homes, even to look for a bag of flour for fear of being shot by the omnipresent quadcopter drones. What remains beyond any comprehension is how the international community has let this horror continue to happen again and again,” said Heba Morayef.

    “It has been nine months since the ICJ warned the risk of genocide in Gaza is real yet Israeli authorities continue to violate the provisional measures ordered by the court.”

    Global leaders must demand an immediate ceasefire to alleviate the unprecedented suffering that we have been witnessing over the past year. Israel has been emboldened, with the help of arms transfers from states like the US, to continue its destructive course in Gaza with total impunity.

    “As well as an immediate ceasefire and an end to Israel’s cruel and inhuman blockade on Gaza and its siege in the north, Israel must grant independent monitors immediate access to Gaza to investigate all attacks. There must be accountability for the devastation that has been waged against the people of Gaza over the past year,” said Heba Morayef. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI: Blackford Capital Expands Its Patio Consolidation Platform with the Acquisition of Empire Distributing

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blackford Capital (“Blackford”), a leading lower middle market private equity firm, today announced the acquisition of Empire Distributing, an outdoor living and hearth distributor. This marks the latest add-on to the Patio Consolidation Platform (the “Platform”) and expands its operations to provide full product breadth with outdoor living and hearth items and achieve Blackford’s goal of creating an omnichannel platform to being a one-stop-shop for the backyard. The terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

    Co-Founded in 1978 by Mike and Lois Rupp in Arcade, New York, Empire Distributing is a premier distributor of hearth and outdoor living products servicing more than 780 dealers across the Northeast and Midwest US. Empire Distributing’s hearth product offerings include fireplaces, stoves, gas logs, inserts; and its outdoor living items include fire pits, fire tables, BBQ grills, kitchen islands, outdoor heaters and fireplaces. With more than 75 product lines from over 100 industry-leading hearth and outdoor living manufacturers, and with nearly 200,000 square feet of office and warehouse space across three facilities, Empire Distributing brings extensive scaling capabilities and a dealer distribution channel to the Patio Consolidation Platform.

    Blackford’s vision has been to build an asset-light, multiproduct, omnichannel marketing Platform for the outdoor living market. To build it into a comprehensive one-stop-shop, Blackford acquired Starfire Direct and Artificial Turf Supply in 2022 and, subsequently, LTD Online in 2023. The acquisition of Empire Distributing is expected to dramatically increase the Platform’s size and add a new distribution channel as well as new geographies.

    “We are impressed by Empire Distributing’s strong sales talent and processes and are excited to welcome the company to the Patio Consolidation Platform,” said Martin Stein, Founder, and Managing Director of Blackford Capital. “With Empire we’re positioned to enhance our distribution channels, broaden our product offerings, capture synergy and build operational efficiencies. We believe the outdoor living segment of the residential homeowner market has strong growth potential, and this acquisition strengthens our ability to lead in that space.”

    Jeremy Rupp, President of family-and founder-owned Empire Distributing, is the son of the co-founders, and will continue to lead the company following the acquisition. Jeremy has 25 years of experience managing distribution and sales operations, and oversees warehouse management, logistical operations, purchasing/receiving and IT. His brother, Jason, will assume the role of New Business Development. The Rupps will remain employed at Empire Distributing through the acquisition and employees will retain their current positions as the company focuses on growth within the consolidation platform and in the broader hearth and outdoor living market.

    “We are delighted to join forces with Blackford and be part of Patio Consolidation Platform,” said Jeremy. “Partnering with their experienced management team will allow us to diversify our product lines and expand into new markets. We are excited to gain Blackford’s sourcing expertise and to partner with the existing Patio Platform companies.”

    Paramax served as the exclusive financial advisor to Empire Distributing on the transaction.

    Loeb & Loeb and Varnum LLP served as legal counsel for Blackford Capital. Mercantile Bank and Energy Impact Partners provided financing for the acquisition. Grant Thornton, Hilco Global and Plante Moran advised on financial and tax diligence.

    About Blackford Capital
    Founded in 2010, Blackford Capital is a private equity investment firm headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Blackford acquires, manages, and builds founder and family-owned, lower middle-market companies, with a focus on the manufacturing, industrial and distribution industries. Blackford has a track record of exceptional returns, a disciplined and relentless approach to value creation, and a focus on operational excellence and a compelling culture. In 2023, Blackford Capital was named to Inc’s list of Founder-Friendly Investors, was recognized by ACG Detroit with the 2023 M&A Dealmaker of the Year Award and awarded the 2023 Small Markets Deal of the Year award by both Buyouts Magazine and the Global M&A Network Atlas Awards. For more information, visit http://www.blackfordcapital.com.

    About Empire Distributing
    Empire Distributing began as a small regional hearth distributor in the 1980’s supplying a handful of independent hearth dealers with one appliance product line. From modest beginnings, our company has grown to be recognized in the Northeast as a premier distributor of both hearth and outdoor living products. Much has changed throughout our company’s 30-year history, but our dedication to providing customers with the best products and service remains constant. Our dedicated staff, humble beginnings, and desire for enriching our customers lives, drives our quest to remain a premier distributor in the hearth and outdoor living industries. To learn more about the company, visit https://www.empiredistributing.net.

    Media Contact: Jackson Lin Lambert
    (646) 717-4593
    jlin@lambert.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0a642076-38f3-42b9-9c79-7d2283658745

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: HashiConf 2024 brings community and customers together to do cloud right with best practices for cloud infrastructure automation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HashiCorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: HCP), The Infrastructure Cloud™ Company, is hosting its annual flagship conference, HashiConf, beginning today in Boston. More than 1,400 in-person attendees and 5,000 virtual viewers will join HashiConf to learn about new product announcements supporting enterprises as they scale their platform teams with comprehensive Infrastructure (ILM) and Security (SLM) Lifecycle Management. These new capabilities address Day 0 concerns related to launching enterprise cloud programs and adopting automation workflows like infrastructure as code (IaC) and identity-based access control, through Day 2+ concerns related to standardization, optimization, security, and compliance.

    With ILM and SLM on the HashiCorp Cloud Platform (HCP), enterprises can use shared services that bridge silos across infrastructure, security, and development teams, helping reduce technology costs, mitigate security concerns, and ship new applications faster. Today’s announcements build on over 10 years of work with more than 4,700 customers, and further enhance their ability to tackle the ongoing challenges of delivering successful cloud programs.

    Infrastructure Lifecycle Management
    Infrastructure Lifecycle Management uses infrastructure as code workflows and capabilities to build, deploy, and manage the full lifecycle of cloud infrastructure. ILM product announcements cover HashiCorp Terraform, Packer, Nomad, and Waypoint, including:

    • HCP Terraform Stacks (public beta) helps users coordinate, deploy, and manage interdependent Terraform configurations within IaC workflows and eliminates the need to manually track and manage cross-configuration dependencies.
    • Terraform migrate (public beta) automates the migration of common DIY workflows from Terraform Community Edition to HCP Terraform or Terraform Enterprise.
    • HCP Waypoint (generally available) is an internal developer portal with announcements for templates to codify golden patterns for Day 0 provisioning, add-ons for Day 1 updates, and actions (public beta) to manage Day N operations.
    • Nomad GPU enhancements in 1.9 (generally available) adds advanced GPU scheduling to support demanding AI workloads. This includes support for multi-tenant workloads sharing GPUs to maximize utilization and resource quotas to efficiently broker access to shared resources.

    Security Lifecycle Management
    Security Lifecycle Management uses identity-based security workflows and capabilities to protect, inspect, and connect the full lifecycle of secrets and data. SLM product announcements cover HashiCorp Vault, Boundary, and Consul, including:

    • HCP Vault Secrets adds new lifecycle management features, including auto-rotation (generally available), dynamic secrets (public beta), and dynamic cloud credentials for HCP Terraform (public beta) to support secrets lifecycle management for enterprises.
    • HCP Vault Radar (public beta) provides secret scanning and adds new features for unmanaged secrets prevention, hybrid agents, and guidance for remediation of a leaked secret.
    • Boundary transparent sessions (public beta) let authorized remote users securely connect to privileged resources without adding friction for end users.
    • Vault 1.18 (generally available) brings additional hardening for high-scale and high-throughput workloads. Additionally, enhanced PKI support for protocols like CMPv2 enables workloads such as 5G networks to automatically retrieve and rotate certificates.
    • Consul DNS views in 1.20 (generally available) allow secure and transparent service discovery between applications that are running on shared infrastructure using DNS. This makes it easier for application and service owners to migrate their applications from single-tenant clusters to a shared multi-tenant environment.

    HashiConf 2024 has five content tracks, with keynotes, sessions for practitioners, and sessions for business decision makers. In-person attendees can participate in HashiCorp Learn Labs focused on new product enhancements, as well as sit for a HashiCorp Cloud Engineer certification test for Terraform, Vault, or Consul. HashiConf sessions feature talks from leading global enterprises, including:

    • The Hartford accelerated its time to market by streamlining its cloud journey with HashiCorp products for faster deployment and improved agility.
    • Canva enhanced security and scalability by using dynamic secrets to manage third-party Kubernetes applications more efficiently, reducing operational complexity.
    • Adobe achieved greater scalability and resilience by using a cell architecture to scale Vault Enterprise, ensuring secure, high-availability environments for its global operations.
    • Skechers USA simplified its cloud provisioning processes with the combined power of HCP Terraform and ServiceNow, increasing operational efficiency and reducing manual efforts.
    • Toyota scaled cloud onboarding across global teams by using HCP Terraform and AWS Control Tower Account Factory for Terraform (AFT) for faster cloud adoption and more streamlined infrastructure management.
    • Clover achieved more efficient and flexible deployments with Nomad, implementing rainbow deployments to support rapid and reliable application updates.
    • Duke Energy will discuss its approach to Infrastructure Lifecycle Management in a fireside chat as part of the Day 1 (Oct. 15) keynote.
    • SAP will share insights from its deployment of Security Lifecycle Management practices in a fireside chat as part of the Day 2 (Oct. 16) keynote.

    “I’m excited to welcome our community to HashiConf 2024, where we’re unveiling new features and capabilities that respond to our customers’ need for Infrastructure and Security Lifecycle Management as they scale their cloud environments,” said Armon Dadgar, CTO and Co-Founder, HashiCorp. “With Terraform Stacks, we’re reimagining infrastructure as code, making it easier to build and deploy the same infrastructure multiple times, across multiple environments, regions, landing zones, or accounts within a cloud provider. And with new features across Vault and Boundary, we’re bringing important management capabilities to our security portfolio, including auto-rotation, dynamic secrets, and secret scanning to provide full lifecycle management for security.”

    “As organizations advance their cloud strategies, managing the complete application lifecycle is critical. While IaC has enabled enterprises to deploy applications quickly, the challenge now lies in managing and optimizing cloud environments at scale,” said Jevin Jensen, Research Vice President, Intelligent CloudOps and Edge, IDC. “HashiCorp’s platform approach to Infrastructure Lifecycle Management (ILM) helps organizations streamline their cloud operations and improve governance across diverse application landscapes, regions, and landing zones. This ensures security, cost efficiency, and agility throughout their cloud journey.”

    For more information and detailed coverage of all Infrastructure and Security Lifecycle Management announcements at HashiConf 2024, please visit the HashiCorp blog.

    About HashiConf
    HashiConf is HashiCorp’s global cloud conference, featuring 2+ days of conversations on the future of cloud automation with product announcements, technical sessions, hands-on labs, certifications, social events, and more. HashiConf 2024 is sponsored by AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Akamai, Carahsoft, Coder, Datadog, Palo Alto Networks, River Point Technology, TeraSky, Wiz, Atyeti, and Checkly. To register for a free virtual pass to HashiConf — with access to a dedicated platform to view the live streamed keynotes, educational content, and live chat with online attendees, as well as access to all virtual sessions on demand after the event — visit the conference website.

    About HashiCorp
    HashiCorp is The Infrastructure Cloud™ Company, helping organizations automate multi-cloud and hybrid environments with Infrastructure Lifecycle Management and Security Lifecycle Management. HashiCorp offers The Infrastructure Cloud on the HashiCorp Cloud Platform (HCP) for managed cloud services, as well as self-hosted enterprise offerings and community source-available products. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California. For more information, visit hashicorp.com.

    All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

    Media and analyst contact
    Kate Lehman
    Senior Director, Corporate Communications
    media@hashicorp.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Congress.gov Interview with Wade Ballou, the Legislative Counsel of the House of Representatives

    Source: US Global Legal Monitor

    Today’s interview is with Wade Ballou, the Legislative Counsel of the House of Representatives.

    As Legislative Counsel, Wade Ballou oversees the House Office of the Legislative Counsel (HOLC). HOLC provides legislative drafting services to the committees and Members of the House of Representatives on a nonpartisan, impartial, and confidential basis.

    Recent recognition of Wade’s service to Congress includes the 2024 Democracy Award for Lifetime Achievement by Congressional Staff and exceptional leadership and contributions, including through the development of the Comparative Print Suite for the U.S. House of Representatives. 

    Describe your background.

    I am from Roanoke, Virginia. During my youth I was active in sports, Scouting, and the YMCA. I earned a B.S. in forestry (industrial forestry operations with cooperative education certificate) from Virginia Tech in 1980. At Tech, I was active in Alpha Phi Omega. APO is the coed national service fraternity affiliated with Scouting. I met my wife in APO. We’ve been married for 41 years and have two married sons and two grandchildren. I am an Eagle Scout and have served as an adult leader in Scouting, both as cubmaster and scoutmaster.

    What is your academic/professional history?

    After Virginia Tech, I went to the University of Virginia School of Law and earned a J.D. in 1983. I joined the Office of the Legislative Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives in the fall of 1983, where I am presently employed. The Office is a non-partisan, career office responsible for drafting legislation for the House, its committees, members, and leadership. After completing training, during which I drafted federal law generally, I worked with foreign affairs legislation. Due to needs of the Office, in 1986, I moved into the areas of Native American issues (including health care and land claims), federal land issues (including natural resources, water reclamation and irrigation, public lands, and forestry), and intelligence, and later picked up parts of veteran’s affairs. In 1996, I changed to the tax team, again due to the needs of the Office. As a member of the team, I drafted in all areas of federal tax law, specializing in pensions, health care, bonds, and excise taxes. Alongside of tax, I have worked in public debt, ERISA, health care, and social security.

    I earned a graduate certificate in spiritual direction studies from Washington Theological Union in 2013 and a certificate in spiritual formation from the Avila Institute in 2015.

    In 2016, I was appointed the 8th Legislative Counsel of the House of Representatives, effective August 1. During my time as the head of the Office, there has been significant change in both the House and the Office, including a 45% increase in the number of attorneys and a significant increase in demand for draft legislation. The Office now has some 90 personnel, including 68 attorneys. Some of the changes include improving the recruiting system and modifying the training methodology for new attorneys and transitioning the Office to a new Sharepoint site and digital leave management system.

    I have also been fortunate to be able to work with other institutions in the legislative branch, especially through participation in the Congressional Data Task Force. This includes:

    1. Partnering with the Clerk of the House and the Government Publishing Office to develop and update the Comparative Print Suite, a software tool that provides on-demand comparisons of how a bill changes law, how amendments change a bill, bill-to-bill differences, and a bill viewer; and

    2. Working to provide educational opportunities concerning the legislative process and drafting software applications.

    How would you describe your job to other people?

    My official job title is Legislative Counsel of the House of Representatives. The fun way to describe my job is that I am responsible for producing paper for the House. This is a throwback to my forestry days where the job of a procurement forester is to ensure that the mill never runs out of timber.

    Additionally, I meet with members and staffs of parliaments around the world to discuss and share ideas for improvements in legislative process and drafting. These opportunities include working through the House Democratic Initiative, the National Democratic Institute, and the International Republican Institute. I am an associate member of the Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel and a frequent speaker and contributor to webinars on improving legislative drafting organized by Bússola Tech, an international leader in this arena.

    What is your role in the development of Congress.gov?

    I do not think of this as a role, but I brought to the attention of Congress.gov various research and document needs that are useful to drafters. They developed features to meet those needs. It is interesting to me that most of my draft files are on Congress.gov in the form of bills and resolutions.

    What is your favorite feature of Congress.gov?

    Well, there are two features that I use a lot. Whenever a drafting request requires beginning with a public version of a bill or resolution (introduced, reported, passed, etc.), we begin with the version that is posted on Congress.gov in the XML format. So, the download feature that allows me to save this version on my computer system is a big hit for me. In addition, I use the tables of public laws and appropriations a lot. I will get to these either from links on the website or from searches and filters.

    What is the most interesting fact you’ve learned about the legislative process while working for Congress?

    Ha. The legislative process happens. Sometimes it is textbook. Sometimes it is a bit convoluted. Sometimes a bill is conferenced before it is introduced. But, the formal steps are acknowledged, even if it is by discharge or unanimous consent. So, it is important to know the ideal path to how a bill becomes law so that you can place a question in the context of this ideal.

    What’s something most of your co-workers do not know about you?

    During high school and college, I was a member of forest fire fighting teams. Today we would call these wildland fire teams.

    Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson Joins Multiple Sunday Shows

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

    WASHINGTON — This morning, Speaker Johnson joined CBS News’ Face the Nation and NBC News’ Meet the Press to discuss the ongoing federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The Speaker also discussed election security and the 2024 election process. 

    Click here to watch the NBC interview, and here to watch the CBS interview

    On the ongoing federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton:

    Remember, the day before Hurricane Helene hit and made landfall in Florida, and then went up through the states and wound up in Senator Tillis’ state of North Carolina, Congress appropriated $20 billion additional to FEMA so that they would have the necessary resources to address immediate needs, and so we put that into the coffers. I just checked Margaret, as of this morning, less than 2% of that funding has actually been distributed, right around 2% of it, so we need FEMA to do its job. Those funds, that money, is provided so that storm victims can have the immediate necessities met. And then what happens after every storm is that the states have to assess and calculate the actual needs, and then they submit to Congress that request. As soon as that is done, Congress will meet and in bipartisan fashion, we will address those needs. We’ll provide the additional resources. 

    But it would be premature to call everyone back now, because these storms are so large in their scope and magnitude, it’s going to take a little bit of time to make those calculations. In North Carolina, I was there in the worst hit areas around Asheville with Senator Tillis and Senator Budd, Chuck Edwards, the congressman that represents that area. The devastation is broad, and people were still being rescued 13 days out from the storm. That was just a few days back. So, they still have a lot to do. It’s going to take a long time to make those calculations, but Congress is ready to act, and we will.

    On the SBA Loan program:

    Congress will not leave small business owners wanting. I am a small business owner and I’m from a hurricane prone state, Louisiana. We’re kind of experts in this disaster recovery. The SBA loan, as you indicated, is a small interest loan that helps people bridge the gap and get back on their feet. But importantly about that program, it is a supplement to private insurance and other disaster relief funding. And so, by definition and necessity, it takes a few weeks to calculate it. Now, Congress is expected to come back. We’re already scheduled to come back right after the election. We’re 23 days out from the election. That will coincide almost perfectly, I think with the time for most of these applications to even begin and many of them to be processed. Now, FEMA has received thousands of applications already, and they’re going through that laborious process of affirming and confirming it.

    But when the time is needed, we will cover the needs of small businesses. Congress is all on board. Remember, one day before Helene made landfall, we appropriated $20 billion additional dollars to FEMA so they would have the resources to address urgent needs. But I’ll say this, it’s very important to note. As of yesterday, roughly 2% of those funds had been distributed. We need the Biden-Harris administration to get about the business of distributing the funds that Congress has already set aside. That is a really important thing. People are hurting. I’ve been on the ground in the most affected disaster areas, Florida, North Carolina. They really need the help.

    On 2024 election security: 

    I’m a constitutional law attorney. I’ve dedicated my life, devoted my life and demonstrated every day that I will uphold the Constitution. We are going to do our job in Congress. A free and fair and legal election will be certified. And that is our hope and prayer across the board. Of course, I’m going to follow the constitution. I’m going to follow the law. That’s my job. It’s my duty. I took an oath to do that. And I’ll fulfill my oath.

    The point is the process works. We had the peaceful transfer of power, we did in 2020. We will in 2024. Everybody can sigh and take a deep breath. Our system is going to work. We have the greatest system in the history of the world because we live in the greatest country in the world. But that last part is in jeopardy right now. This is a decisive election, and everybody knows it. And that’s why we’re going to be given the chance to run this country again. We’re going to turn it around and I can’t wait.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: This Week in NJ – October 11th, 2024

    Source: US State of New Jersey

    Biden-Harris Administration Issues Final Rule Requiring Replacement of Lead Pipes Within 10 Years, Announces $44M in Funding to New Jersey to Provide Clean Water to Schools and Homes

    The Biden-Harris Administration issued a final rule requiring drinking water systems across the country to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years. The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) also require more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold for communities to take action on lead in drinking water to protect people from lead exposure. In addition, the final rule improves communication within communities so that families are better informed about the risk of lead in drinking water, the location of lead pipes, and plans for replacing them. This final rule is part of the President’s commitment to replace every lead pipe in the country within a decade, making sure that all communities can turn on the tap and drink clean water.

    Alongside the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, the EPA announced $44,199,000 in newly available drinking water infrastructure funding for New Jersey through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding will flow through the drinking water state revolving funds (DWSRFs) and is available to support lead pipe replacement and inventory projects. Additionally, 49% of the funding must be provided to disadvantaged communities as grant funding or principal forgiveness that does not have to be repaid. The EPA also announced the availability of $35 million in competitive grant funding for reducing lead in drinking water. Communities are invited to apply directly for grant funding through this program. Additional federal funding is available to support lead pipe replacement projects and EPA has developed a website identifying available funding sources.

    “We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration, New Jersey’s congressional delegation, and the Environmental Protection Agency for their continued support in helping us build a cleaner and healthier Garden State through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said Governor Murphy. “This newly announced funding will help New Jersey communities with the vital task of replacing all lead pipes within the next ten years as we work to ensure that everyone in New Jersey has access to clean, safe drinking water. These critical investments in our drinking water infrastructure will help protect our children from lead exposure, create good-paying jobs for New Jerseyans, and ensure a stronger drinking water system for generations to come.”

    READ MORE

    First Lady Tammy Murphy Hosts 21st Successful Family Festival in Vineland

    First Lady Tammy Murphy hosted her 21st Nurture NJ Family Festival in Vineland on Saturday, October 5, creating a one-stop-shop for 1,500 attendees to access crucial resources to aid them in growing their families and raising children in the Garden State. The event connected families with information on accessing state, county and local resources spanning from health and child care to housing support and food assistance, among many more supports to help new parents.

    “Our Family Festivals have proven to be a powerful tool in connecting New Jerseyans with the resources necessary to help support their growing families,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy. “We know that raising children comes with a whole host of challenges and rewards, and we are committed to being there every step of the way through our innovative initiatives to uplift mothers and babies. In a rural county like Cumberland, accessing care can be burdensome. That’s why I am thankful to our dedicated partners for helping to make today a success and for their constant partnership as we all work to make Cumberland County – and all of New Jersey – the safest and most equitable place  in the nation to have a baby and raise a family.”

    Vineland has a 43 percent Hispanic and Latino population. New Jersey’s Maternal Mortality Report for the years 2016-2018 showed that Hispanic mothers were three and a half times more likely to die of maternity-related complications than white mothers. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the mortality rate for Hispanic babies is nearly one and a half times that of white babies. Among all demographics, Cumberland County has the highest infant mortality rate and teen pregnancy rate in the state.

    READ MORE

    New Jersey Army National Guard Prepares for Hurricane Milton Support to Florida Division of Emergency Management

    The New Jersey Army National Guard announced the deployment of approximately 80 Soldiers and 30 military vehicles to support Hurricane Milton response operations in Camp Blanding, Florida. A convoy from the 143d Transportation Company and 253d Transportation Company, 42d Regional Support Group arrived in Florida following the landfall of Hurricane Milton.


    “Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Florida as a second massive storm in as many weeks bears down on our nation’s Gulf Coast,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “New Jersey is committed to doing everything possible to assist Floridians impacted by Hurricane Milton—including sending a convoy to support the Florida Division of Emergency Management.”

    Upon arrival to Camp Blanding, the unit coordinated with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida National Guard. Tasks include transportation of Florida National Guard personnel into weather-impacted areas and delivery of commodities to or from points of distribution.

    “Floridians are family, and we know from personal experience what hurricane recovery means for our communities,” said Colonel Yvonne L. Mays, Acting Adjutant General of New Jersey. “Our Soldiers are trained and ready to support our neighbors in need.”

    New Jersey responded to Florida’s request for support through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), the nation’s state-to-state mutual aid agreement. EMAC matches personnel, equipment, and commodities to assist response and recovery efforts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four territories.

    READ MORE

    AG Platkin Sues TikTok for Unlawful Practices That Harm NJ Youth

    Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Consumer Affairs announced that after a multiyear investigation, they are suing social media giant TikTok for deceptive, unconscionable, and abusive business practices that harm the health and safety of New Jersey’s youth.

    The complaint, which was filed temporarily under seal in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Essex County, alleges multiple violations of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act (CFA). Other Attorneys General are filing similar lawsuits across the country.

    “Our investigation shows that TikTok knows about the dangerous effects of its platform on young users, and can mitigate these harms, but has deliberately chosen not to do so,” said Attorney General Platkin. “As a parent and as the chief law enforcement officer for New Jersey, I’m here to tell TikTok, as I have told other social media companies in the past, that our kids are more than just data points to be monetized to advertisers to the detriment of their mental and physical health.”

    READ MORE

    New Jersey’s Minimum Wage to Increase to $15.49/Hour for Most Employees on Jan. 1

    New Jersey’s statewide minimum wage will increase by $0.36 to $15.49 per hour for most employees, effective January 1, 2025.

    Pursuant to Article 1, Paragraph 23, of the New Jersey Constitution, and N.J.A.C. 12: 56-3.1(c), the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) sets the minimum wage for the coming year based on any increase in Consumer Price Index (CPI) data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    “Aligning the state minimum wage with any increases in the cost of living is a critical step towards economic fairness and security for all New Jersey workers,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “This adjustment fosters a more equitable economy and ensures our workforce can continue to thrive.”

    READ MORE

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Suhaimi Ali: Transcending boundaries – advancing Takaful for sustainable growth

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    This year is particularly momentous as we commemorate four decades of takaful since the enactment of the Takaful Act 1984. From a modest beginning, the size of takaful contribution has expanded nearly three times compared to a decade ago. Players have become more diverse and products have expanded to address different needs of households and businesses. The industry has also demonstrated resilience against challenging economic and financial conditions, while continuing to scale up and improving efficiency in delivering financial protection. This progress is imperative to respond to the higher expectations that stakeholders have on the industry to better serve the protection needs of society. Ahead of us, challenges remain significant – climate risk, ageing nation, cost of living pressures, advancement of technologies – all of which requires the industry to continue to innovate and be responsive to these needs. The adoption of VBIT principles is crucial to better align and guide the industry’s efforts to catalyse growth while contributing meaningfully to society.

    Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

    I am certainly pleased to be here, to see progress in the Value-Based Intermediation Takaful (VBIT) journey that began five years ago in 2019. I am delighted to be part of this important occasion and witness the collective commitment by industry players to foster a more ethical and impactful approach to takaful.

    Advancing value-based with clear demonstration of impactful outcomes

    As today’s conference is focused on Shariah values and measurements, I would like to highlight three imperatives that should guide industry’s efforts to implement the VBIT framework:

    • First, is the diversity and inclusivity of protection solutions, with alignment to national strategies and aspirations;
    • Second, is improvements to quality of services and conduct that reflects the fundamental values of Shariah; and
    • Third, is impact reporting guided by clear outcomes.

    Diversity and inclusivity of protection solutions

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    We acknowledge the ongoing exemplary efforts by takaful operators to improve financial well-being and inclusion. For example, expansion in the range of microtakaful products catering to the underprivileged segments, has been flourishing in the recent years. In 2023, these affordable and accessible protections have provided coverage to almost 970,000 individuals.

    We are also pleased to observe developments within the industry that support Bank Negara Malaysia’s Financial Sector Blueprint 2022-2026 vision to mainstream social finance, which now has use cases in the takaful sector. Before this, it is predominantly use cases in the banking sector. The innovative offerings of social blended takaful products enables a confluence of private and social funds where participants have the option to use their takaful benefits to contribute towards creation of a sustainable community.1

    We hope to see more synergistic collaborations where philanthropic capital blends with commercial funding to develop impactful protection solutions. These efforts would ensure continuous protection for vulnerable segments, including micro-entrepreneurs, gig workers, and the ageing population.

    Limited access to insurance and takaful for climate adaptation and resilience poses a significant challenge for Malaysian businesses, particularly SMEs. This limitation hinders their ability to effectively manage flood risks-Malaysia’s most frequent natural disaster- and slows recovery efforts, as insurance payouts are a crucial source of funding. Furthermore, common obstacles such as lengthy payout processes, inadequate product offerings, and insufficient coverage exacerbate the problem.2

    At our end, Bank Negara Malaysia remains committed to providing an enabling environment for the industry to test and introduce innovations. Industry players are urged to embrace the aspirations of the recently issued Exposure Draft on Broader Application of Ta`awun in Takaful. This provides a facilitative framework for industry players to explore new takaful models in promoting social cohesion and wealth distribution. For areas that may require regulatory flexibility, we welcome interest in tapping the Financial Technology Regulatory Sandbox. This allows innovations to be piloted and refined, thus accelerating the integration of VBIT in product solutioning. You may be interested to note that the Sandbox now incorporates a Green Lane. This accelerated track offers a simpler and quicker path for financial institutions with a strong track record in risk management to test innovative solutions that are facing regulatory impediments.

    For industry players aspiring to drive greater market competition via digitalisation, the formal application window to carry digital takaful business will be open on 2 January 2025 until 31 December 2026. We welcome prior consultation for those interested.

    Improvements to quality of services and conduct

    Efforts to diversify products and solutions must be paired with improvements in service quality and responsible conduct by market players and their intermediaries. The Customer Satisfaction Survey 2022 for the takaful and insurance industry revealed that while 74% of customers provided positive feedback on their experience, 23% expressed concerns, particularly on inefficiencies in claims processes and poor response from industry players and agents when reached for assistance.3 In Malaysia, the motor, medical and health segments have seen progress on this front through the roll out of digital roadside assistance solutions and the work to establish a central medical claims data platform, respectively. Malaysia’s experience in these two sectors illustrates that there is much to benefit from leveraging on technology.

    With technology, not only will the end-to-end experience of consumers – from securing access to takaful cover to the claims and settlement process – be elevated, but digital takaful solutions can go a long way towards increasing consumer trust on the value of takaful protection, enhancing product affordability through better risk pricing and expediting purchasing and claims experiences.

    Advancing impact reporting

    The VBIT value proposition through exemplary industry practice, is best showcased through meaningful disclosure, and this brings me to my next point, our aspirations for the Maqasid Shariah Scorecard (MSS), that will be launched today.

    I am encouraged to witness the industry’s efforts in developing the MSS, which I believe supports the Bank’s call for better impact creation through meaningful disclosures. While the scorecard is a measurement tool to demonstrate and validate VBIT based on Maqasid al-Shariah, it ultimately seeks to drive positive change in behaviour and measure broader outcomes to the community served by the takaful industry.

    Globally, impact-based reporting has grown in importance as more stakeholders demand for greater transparency in assessing performance beyond financial reporting. Impact reporting is most commonly demonstrated in the climate and sustainability space, where such reporting serves to demonstrate how companies and financial institutions support the broader ESG goals and SDG agenda.

    So given its pivotal role in the operationalisation of VBIT, it is crucial for the MSS to be well executed with clear alignment to operators’ business plans and operations. The successful implementation of MSS will facilitate ambitions for it to play a larger and deeper role, with the goal of elevating MSS as the benchmark reference for impact reporting, domestically and globally. As the next step, we urge the industry to consider what needs to be done for the MSS to be effectively implemented, commencing with strategies to ensure firm understanding of its objectives and measurement methodology by each industry player.

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    Before I conclude, may I remind ourselves that in implementing VBIT and MSS, the issues of skills and professionalism must be addressed. It is, therefore, critical for the industry to diligently build up expertise, thereby unlocking the full potential of its contribution towards amplifying social and economic impact. We commend efforts such as the VBIT Training Module launched today and hope that MTA and members continue to exert energy to address talent gaps towards building a highly capable and adaptable workforce.

    I trust the industry will maintain the momentum to continue accelerating the development of the takaful and retakaful industry through VBIT. May we all be guided by Surah An- Najm, verses 39 and 40, which mean: “And that man shall have nothing but what he strives for, and that his effort will soon be seen.”

    With that, I wish you a successful conference ahead. Thank you.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City celebrates unique green awards hat-trick

    Source: City of Liverpool

    Liverpool has scored a unique treble at a major international climate change awards ceremony.

    Liverpool City Council’s Urban GreenUP project, which was recently shortlisted for a world Green City Award, won big at the CIRIA 2024 Big Biodiversity Awards.

    Held in London, the city’s innovative nature-based solution programme secured awards in the following categories:

    • CIRIA Innovation Award
    • CIRIA Habitat Creation Project of the Year Award
    • CIRIA Biodiversity Overall Winner

    The EU-funded programme, which has introduced urban raingardens, green walls and pollinators posts around the city centre as well as a number of floating islands in the city’s docks and parks, was also Highly Commended in the ‘Living Green for Climate Change’ category at the World Green City Awards 2024 held in Utrecht.

    The accolades follow hot on the heels of the programme scooping a golden pineapple trophy for its Climate Resilience submission at the 2024 Festival of Place.

    Liverpool has also recently become the world’s first ‘Accelerator City’ for climate action, under UN Climate Change’s Entertainment and Culture for Climate Action (ECCA) programme.

    The title comes in recognition of Liverpool’s impressive commitment to innovation and smart regulation to rapidly decarbonise the live music and TV/Film production sectors – both vital parts of the city’s economy – following several years of developmental work by ACT 1.5, an artist-led research and action effort, and climate scientists from the  Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

    • Liverpool’s Urban GreenUP programme involves a collaboration between the Council, the Mersey Forest and the University of Liverpool. It has set a number of goals to mitigate climate change impact on the city, such as enhancing air quality, reducing flooding risks, improving water management, and increasing urban sustainability.

    For more information go to: https://www.urbangreenup.eu/cities/front-runners/liverpool/liverpool-uk-re-naturing-urban-plan-with-nbs.kl

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council pledges to plant 8,000 trees by 2028

    Source: City of Salford

    Salford City Council has pledged to support the planting of 8,000 trees by 2028, as part of their commitment to fighting climate change.

    The council will work with the Greater Manchester community forest and charity, City of Trees, to identify planting sites for street trees and new woodland areas, and work together to plant the trees over the next four years.

    They will also work with developers in the planning process to plant new trees as part of new developments.

    Trees have a host of benefits, from improving air quality by taking up pollutants and helping to reduce flood risk by intercepting water in their leaves and roots, to releasing chemicals which strengthen people’s immune, hormonal and nervous systems.

    Importantly, they absorb carbon dioxide, helping us in the fight against climate change. A single, fully-grown tree can absorb up to 22kg of carbon every year. 

    Cllr Jane Hamilton, Executive Support Member for Climate Change, Low Carbon and Green Agenda at Salford City Council said “the council declared a climate emergency in 2019 in recognition of the need for more urgent action to combat climate breakdown and ensure the city is as resilient as possible. Responding to climate change is one of the key priorities in our corporate plan, This is our Salford, which aims to create a fairer, greener, healthier and more inclusive city for all.

    “Our pledge to plant 8,000 trees by 2028 is just one of the practical steps we are taking to protect current and future generations from the impacts of climate change.”

    Kevin Wigley from City of Trees said “We have the funding for trees and woods, and so finding suitable locations for them to be planted is a priority of ours. We’re pleased to be working with Salford City Council to identify the best place for the new trees to be planted so their benefits can be enjoyed by residents for generations to come.

    “We would  encourage any other landowners in Salford to get in touch about planting woodlands on their land. Each wooded area contributes to creating a greener, more climate-resilient Salford.”

    To find out more about how Salford is responding to climate change visit Greener Salford.

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    Date published
    Tuesday 15 October 2024

    Press and media enquiries

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Electric blanket testing sessions15 October 2024 Jersey Fire and Rescue Service (JFRS) will once again be supporting Jersey Electricity’s (JE) annual electric blanket safety testing on Thursday 17th October and Friday 18th October 2024. ​No need to book,… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    15 October 2024

    Jersey Fire and Rescue Service (JFRS) will once again be supporting Jersey Electricity’s (JE) annual electric blanket safety testing on Thursday 17th October and Friday 18th October 2024.

    ​No need to book, simply take your electric blanket along on:

    • Thursday 17th October to Western Fire Station, between 10am and 3pm

    Or,

    • Friday 18th October 2023 to Fire Headquarters, Rouge Bouillon, between 10am and 3pm.

    The free safety test will be completed by Jersey Electricity’s electrical engineers.

    If it can’t be tested on the spot while you wait, they will tell you what time you can collect it if it passes the test.

    If your blanket fails the safety test, Jersey Electricity will keep and dispose of it. You will receive a Powerhouse 10% discount voucher, which can be redeemed against the purchase of a new one.

    JFRS recommend that all electric blankets over 10 years old should be replaced. For this reason, JE staff will not test any blankets over 10 years old but will provide a Powerhouse 10% discount voucher in return for your old electric blanket.

    A Community Fire Safety Officer will also be on hand throughout the testing to offer advice on fire safety in the home.

    Here are some simple tips to stay safe when using electric blankets:

    • Regular Inspections: Examine your electric blanket for any signs of wear, fraying, or damage before use.
    • Follow Manufacturer Instructions: Adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions regarding usage, washing, and storage of electric blankets.
    • Avoid Overheating: Never leave an electric blanket turned on for an extended period, and switch it off before getting into bed.
    • No Pets or Heavy Objects: Keep pets and heavy objects off the electric blanket to prevent damage.
    • Replace Old Blankets: If your electric blanket is more than ten years old or shows signs of wear, consider replacing it with a newer model.

    ​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Oat Ready for Active Duty Against Crown Rust Disease

    Source: US Agriculture Research Service

    New Oat Ready for Active Duty Against Crown Rust Disease

    Contact: Jan Suszkiw
    Email: Jan.Suszkiw@usda.gov

    October 15,2024

    A team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and university scientists has released two new oat germplasm lines to shore up the cereal crop’s defenses against its most devastating fungal disease, known as “crown rust.”

    The team specifically created the oat lines so that they can be crossed with elite commercial varieties to fortify them with new genetic sources of resistance to crown rust, which is caused by the fungus Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae. Crown rust is a plague of oat worldwide and can inflict grain yield losses of up to 50 percent in unprotected crops.

    The team announced its development of the resistant oat germplasm lines—dubbed CDL-111 and CDL-167—in the May 2024 issue of the Journal of Plant Registration, culminating more than 25 years of germplasm screening, plant genetic mapping, selective breeding and evaluation in greenhouse and field trials.

    “Currently, the majority of the oat varieties with rust resistance carry a gene or two for resistance (often referred to as seedling resistance) to a specific isolate of crown rust,” said Shahryar Kianian, a co-author on the journal paper and research leader of the ARS Cereal Diseases Laboratory in St. Paul, Minnesota.

    However, the crown rust fungus is a genetically diverse pathogen and highly adept at evolving into virulent new forms, called races. This can happen so quickly that the average productive life of an oat variety with seedling resistance is between three and five years, necessitating the use of chemical fungicides in conventional production systems.

    Unchecked, the fungus infects the lower leaves and sometimes the sheafs of vulnerable oat plants, forming round- to oval-shaped pustules packed with masses of orangish spores that can be carried away by wind or rain. Damage to leaves can diminish photosynthesis and disrupt the movement of sugars from the leaves to developing grain, shriveling it and reducing feed value.

    . ARS and university scientists have released two new lines of oat to better fortify this important grain crop’s defense against the fungus that causes “crown rust” disease.

    To even the odds in the oat plant’s favor, the team resorted to a plant breeding strategy called “gene stacking” (or “pyramiding”). A key part of that strategy involved making a series of crosses between a cultivated oat variety and wild relatives, one known as lopsided oat, which carry genes for “adult plant resistance.”

    “Adult plant resistance, sometimes referred to as ‘slow rusting,’ provides the oat plant some immunity—but not complete immunity,” Kianian said. “In this case, the selection pressure on the pathogen to change is reduced, and the plant is not damaged much so that it can still produce and yield grain for the growers.”

    All told, the team stacked offspring plants derived from crosses with three genes for adult plant resistance to crown rust. They then subjected the offspring plants to a trial by fire, of sorts, starting in 2020. In essence, this involved growing them in nursery plots of common buckthorn, a secondary host for crown rust and known source of outbreaks. In the plots, under intense pressure from the disease, two lines of offspring plants consistently fared better than the others, namely, CDL-111 and CDL-167.

    The sturdy oat lines have since been propagated for their seed, which is available for use in variety development programs under a material transfer agreement with ARS, Kianian said. This is to ensure the effectiveness of the gene-stacking strategy if the oat lines are crossed with commercial varieties—regardless of whether they already possess seedling resistance to crown rust.

    By adhering to this requirement, plant breeders can arm elite oat varieties adapted to particular production regions with a one-two punch against the crown rust fungus—a “jab” via seedling resistance and a “right hook” with adult plant resistance.

    “For this, we are also providing molecular markers linked to the three genes that can be used in selecting the lines that carry them,” added Kianian, who collaborated with Eric Nazareno and Kevin Smith—both with the University of Minnesota—Melanie Caffe (South Dakota State University), Roger Caspers (ARS), Howard Rines (ARS, deceased) and Marty Carson (ARS, deceased). Carson started some of the oat work 20 years ago, continuing much of it after retirement, Kianian noted.

    The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in U.S. agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: People displaced by hurricanes face anxiety and a long road to recovery, US census surveys show − smarter, targeted policies could help

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Trevor Memmott, Assistant Professor of Policy and Public Affairs, UMass Boston

    Hurricane Helene flooded homes with water and mud in Marshall, N.C. Many people will be out of their homes for months or longer. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

    The trauma of natural disasters doesn’t end when the storm or wildfire is gone, or even when communities are being put back together and homes have been rebuilt.

    For many people, being displaced by a disaster has long-term consequences that often aren’t obvious or considered in disaster aid decisions.

    We study public policy and disaster response. To get a better understanding of the ongoing challenges disaster victims face – and how officials can respond more effectively – we analyzed U.S. Census Bureau surveys that ask people nationwide about their disaster displacement experiences, as well as their stress and anxiety.

    The results show how recovery from disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and flooding involves more than rebuilding, and how already vulnerable groups are at the greatest risk of harm.

    Millions are displaced every year

    The Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey has been continually collecting data on people’s social and economic experiences since 2020. Since late 2022, it has specifically asked respondents whether they had been displaced from their homes because of natural disasters.

    Nearly 1.4% of the U.S. adult population reported being displaced in the previous year, equating to more than 3 million Americans. The most common cause of those displacements was hurricanes, responsible for nearly one-third of the displacements.

    Some groups faced a higher chance of being displaced by a natural disaster than others.

    The likelihood of displacement was above average for people with incomes of less than $50,000 (1.9% of that population was displaced), disabled people (2.7%), African Americans (2.3%) and Latinos/Hispanics (1.8%), as well as for those who identified their sexual orientation as gay/lesbian, bisexual, something else, or said that they don’t know (2.2%).

    The problems of displacement go beyond immediate evacuation. People may have to stay in temporary shelters such as stadiums, churches or disaster relief areas. During this time, they are likely unable to work and earn income. Others with nowhere else to go may return to still-damaged homes after the storm passes.

    Many people who were displaced by a hurricane faced weeks without power or lacked access to enough food, clean water or other basic necessities. After being displaced, 64% of adults said they lacked electricity some or all of the time, 37% lacked enough food, 29% lacked drinkable water, and 25% indicated that they experienced unsanitary conditions some or all of the time.

    Going without enough clean water or electricity can expose people to diseases and other health risks, on top of the stress of dealing with the damage, displacement and uncertainty about the future.

    About 36% of those displaced were out of their homes for more than one month. Nearly 16% of them indicated that they never were able to return. Vulnerable groups, especially people of color and disabled people, were least likely to return home quickly.

    Impacts on health

    Being displaced also piles on stress and creates instability. People displaced by storms may bounce among family members’ houses, hotel rooms or even vehicles as they wait to return to a home that has been damaged. They may have lost jobs or be unable to find temporary housing nearby, creating feelings of uncertainty about the future.

    People who feel that their safety or security is threatened are more likely to experience mental stress and, potentially, post-traumatic stress disorder. The effects can accumulate over time and have long-term health consequences. Chronic stress can contribute to hypertension and heart disease and make rebuilding lives even harder as people struggle with more than just the damage around them.

    The Household Pulse Survey also collects information on the symptoms of anxiety and depression that individuals experience.

    Among those who have been displaced by a hurricane, 38% indicated experiencing generalized anxiety, a much higher percentage than the 23% of the population who did not experience displacement.

    Similarly, 33% of those who were displaced experienced symptoms of major depressive disorder compared with 18% of the population who did not face displacement.

    Better policies for long-term recovery

    The survey results highlight the need to restore water and power to homes quickly after disasters. The results also point to prioritizing communities that are least able to afford being displaced.

    Studies have shown that low-income communities often wait longest for power to be restored after hurricanes. The survey shows that these communities and other disadvantaged groups also face higher levels of displacement after disasters.

    Beyond the immediate responses to a disaster, the survey suggests that federal, state and local policymakers will have to consider long-term assistance for both housing recovery and for health care.

    A young man stares at what is left of his family’s homes after Hurricane Helene flooded parts of Hendersonville, N.C., in September 2024.
    AP Photo/Brittany Peterson

    Currently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency primarily focuses on providing short-term disaster relief. The large majority of its disaster funding goes toward evacuation, temporary shelter for people displaced, emergency supplies, insurance and rebuilding community infrastructure. While other federal programs provide rebuilding assistance for individuals, they don’t sufficiently address the long-term challenges, in our view.

    Some ways government could help include providing targeted cash transfers to ensure vulnerable households can rebuild, investing in affordable and climate-resilient housing that can limit losses in future disasters, and funding long-term mental health services for disaster survivors at free or reduced cost.

    As the climate warms, extreme storms are becoming more common in every region of the country. That’s raising the risks and the need for policymakers to prepare communities to limit harm from disasters and recover afterward. We believe rebuilding lives will require support long term, both for building more resilient homes and infrastructure and for recovering from the trauma.

    Christian Weller is affiliated with the Center for American Progress (Senior Fellow)

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

    – ref. People displaced by hurricanes face anxiety and a long road to recovery, US census surveys show − smarter, targeted policies could help – https://theconversation.com/people-displaced-by-hurricanes-face-anxiety-and-a-long-road-to-recovery-us-census-surveys-show-smarter-targeted-policies-could-help-241189

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fresno Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Series of Vehicle Pipe-Bombings

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    FRESNO, Calif. — Scott Eric Anderson, 46, of Fresno, was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison for conspiracy to destroy property, malicious destruction by means of an explosive device and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

    According to court documents, between November 2022 and February 2023, Anderson committed a series of pipe-bombings on unoccupied vehicles and property in Fresno. The bombings damaged vehicles belonging to two auto-related businesses on Clinton Avenue in Fresno. On Feb. 19, 2023, a bomb heavily damaged a vehicle used by a home health care business on Fallbrook Avenue in Fresno. Anderson sometimes recorded his crimes by video. Law enforcement also recovered a pistol in Anderson’s bedroom. Anderson was previously convicted of carrying a loaded and concealed weapon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael G. Tierney prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Dan Corry appointed to lead Defra regulation review

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Defra announces internal regulatory review led by economist Dan Corry

    The economist Dan Corry has been appointed to carry out an internal review into the regulation and regulators at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).

    The review will examine whether the inherited regulatory landscape is fit for purpose and develop recommendations to ensure that regulation across the Department is driving economic growth while protecting the environment.

    The review will explore:

    • Whether Defra regulators are equipped to drive economic growth, secure private sector investment and protect the environment
    • The customer and stakeholder experience of regulation, including the impact on those who are regulated.
    • The efficiency of regulation, in particular whether the current regulatory landscape involves any duplication and/or contradiction, and whether there are opportunities to make improvements.

    The review is part of wider work to position Defra as a key economic growth department with regulatory reform to:

    • Boost private sector investment into the water sector, creating tens of thousands of jobs and speeding up the delivery of infrastructure to clean up water pollution and enable economic growth. 
    • Transform regional economies across the country through the development of a circular economy by reusing more existing materials, driving down waste across key sectors such as construction and packaging, reducing import costs for businesses and cutting carbon emissions.
    • Develop pragmatic solutions that are needed to build the homes and infrastructure this country needs, while protecting and improving environmental outcomes.
    • Strengthen economic resilience in communities that need better flood defences.
    • Drive rural economic growth by cutting red tape for farmers and boosting Britain’s food security.

    Dan Corry brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously served as Head of the No10 Policy Unit under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and adviser in many Government departments where he was involved in regulatory reform. 

    It comes as yesterday (14 October) the government hosted the International Investment Summit with 300 industry leaders, where the Prime Minister set out billions worth of investment deals, as well as plans to tackle unnecessary regulation. This is part of the government’s growth mission to create jobs, improve living standards, and make communities and families across the country better off.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada Carbon Rebate rural top-up, 2024 and 2025

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Backgrounder

    Ensuring carbon pollution pricing helps make life more affordable

    A price on pollution is widely recognized as the most efficient means to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are contributing to the more intense wildfires, droughts, and floods caused by climate change. Canada’s approach to pollution pricing is also designed to put money back into people’s pockets.

    Putting a price on pollution is a cornerstone of Canada’s plan, which is working to tackle climate change.

    Quarterly Canada Carbon Rebate for individuals—increased rural top-up

    The climate crisis is affecting all of Canada, but especially rural and small communities. They frequently face environmental, social, economic, cultural, and health impacts from climate change that are more intense than those in urban areas. Despite these challenges, these communities show remarkable resilience and often lead the way in adaptation efforts across Canada.

    Canadians living in rural and small communities are on the front lines of climate change, witnessing firsthand the devastating impacts of intensified wildfires, droughts, and floods. A price on pollution is found to be one of the most efficient ways that Canada is reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute significantly to the frequency and severity of these impacts caused by climate change. The Canada Carbon Rebate both puts money back into people’s pockets and also stimulates investment in clean alternatives.

    In provinces where the federal fuel charge applies, most households get back more than they pay through the Canada Carbon Rebate for individuals, as a result of the federal carbon pollution pricing system, with lower- and middle-income households benefitting the most.

    To further recognize rural Canadians’ higher energy needs, particularly for home-heating and transportation, the Government of Canada has doubled the rural top-up available for households in rural areas and smaller communities from 10 percent to 20 percent of their Canada Carbon Rebate base amount, as of April 2024.

    This October, eligible Canadians will receive the enhanced rural top-up for the first time. The increase will be retroactive to April 1, 2024, so those households can expect an increased top-up amount for October 2024 with a one-time boost due to the increased top-up amounts for April and July.

    The top-up will apply to residents of provinces where the federal fuel charge applies, that is, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia whose primary residence is outside a Census Metropolitan Area, as defined by Statistics Canada. All rebate recipients in Prince Edward Island are eligible for the rural top-up, and it is included in their base amount. Determine if you qualify for the rural top-up.

    The table below shows the amount a family of four can expect to receive each quarter in 2024–2025. As all proceeds are returned in the province they were collected in, the rebate amount varies between provinces. It is higher in provinces with more consumption of fossil fuels.

    Table 1

    Quarterly Canada Carbon Rebate amounts for families of four for 2024 and 2025
    Province Family of four Rural
    Alberta $450.00 $540.00
    Manitoba $300.00 $360.00
    Ontario $280.00 $336.00
    Saskatchewan $376.00 $451.20
    New Brunswick $190.00 $228.00
    Nova Scotia $206.00 $247.20
    Prince Edward Island* $220.00 $220.00
    Newfoundland and Labrador $298.00 $357.60

    *As all residents of Prince Edward Island are eligible for the 20 percent rural top-up, it is reflected in the base amount for that province.

    Table 2

    Annual Canada Carbon Rebate amounts for families of four for 2024 and 2025
    Province Family of four Rural
    Alberta $1,800.00 $2,160.00
    Manitoba $1,200.00 $1,440.00
    Ontario $1,120.00 $1,344.00
    Saskatchewan $1,504.00 $1,804.80
    New Brunswick $760.00 $912.00
    Nova Scotia $824.00 $988.80
    Prince Edward Island* $880.00 $880.00
    Newfoundland and Labrador $1,192.00 $1,430.40

    *As all residents of Prince Edward Island are eligible for the 20 percent rural top-up, it is reflected in the base amount for that province.

    Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses

    Canada’s small- and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the Canadian economy and the heart of our communities. Across the country, they keep main streets flourishing, create good jobs, and deliver on the dream of entrepreneurship. Through the new Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses, the Government of Canada is delivering on its commitment to return proceeds from the price on pollution directly to small- and medium-sized businesses with employees in the provinces where the federal fuel charge applies.

    This accelerated and automated return process will deliver over $2.5 billion directly to an estimated 600,000 small- and medium-sized businesses with employees in provinces where the pollution pricing system applies through a refundable tax credit. By receiving direct payments from the Canada Revenue Agency, separate from tax refunds, this simple process for returning fuel charge proceeds will help eligible small- and medium-sized businesses to focus on what matters most—driving their businesses forward.

    The Canada Revenue Agency plans to issue the rebate to eligible Canadian-controlled private corporations (CCPCs) that filed their 2023 tax return no later than July 15, 2024, by the end of the calendar year. Most businesses should receive their payment by:

    • December 16, 2024, if registered for direct deposit
    • December 31, 2024, if receiving payment by cheque

    On October 1, 2024, the Government of Canada specified payment rates, on a per employee basis, for the 2019–2020 to 2023–2024 fuel charge years, and the designated provinces in which these payment rates will apply.

    Table 3

    Specified payment rates per employee for the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses, 2019 and 2020 to 2023 and 2024
    – 2019 to 2020 2020 to 2021 2021 to 2022 2022 to 2023 2023 to 2024
    Alberta* n/a $147 $123 $140 $181
    Saskatchewan $110 $271 $244 $298 $233
    Manitoba $48 $99 $77 $89 $168
    Ontario $26 $68 $75 $86 $146
    New Brunswick* n/a n/a n/a n/a $87
    Nova Scotia* n/a n/a n/a n/a $119
    Prince Edward Island* n/a n/a n/a n/a $82
    Newfoundland and Labrador* n/a n/a n/a n/a $179

    *As the federal fuel charge only came into effect as of January 1, 2020, in Alberta, and as of July 1, 2023, in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, small businesses in these provinces will receive payments for proceeds collected as of those respective dates.

    Table 4

    Example payment amounts for businesses, by number of employees, 2019 to 2023
    – 10 employees 25 employees 50 employees 100 employees 499 employees
    Alberta* $5,910 $14,775 $29,550 $59,100 $294,909
    Saskatchewan $11,560 $28,900 $57,800 $115,600 $576,844
    Manitoba $4,810 $12,025 $24,050 $48,100 $240,019
    Ontario $4,010 $10,025 $20,050 $40,100 $200,099
    New Brunswick* $870 $2,175 $4,350 $8,700 $43,413
    Nova Scotia* $1,190 $2,975 $5,950 $11,900 $59,381
    Prince Edward Island* $820 $2,050 $4,100 $8,200 $40,918
    Newfoundland and Labrador* $1,790 $4,475 $8,950 $17,900 $89,321

    *As the federal fuel charge only came into effect as of January 1, 2020, in Alberta, and as of July 1, 2023, in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, small businesses in these provinces will receive payments for proceeds assessed after those respective dates.

    Additionally, to allow more businesses to receive a payment, it is also being proposed that corporations that file their tax return for 2023 after July 15, 2024, and on or before December 31, 2024, would be eligible for a payment. Legislation enacting these changes requires Royal Assent before payments can be issued to businesses filing after the initial July 15 deadline.

    More information on the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses payment amounts from 2019 and 2020 to 2023 and 2024 has been published by Finance Canada.

    Pollution pricing relief for farmers and fishers

    Farmers are on the frontlines of climate change, facing ever-increasing risks of floods, droughts, and storms to their operations. Canada’s approach to pollution pricing offers targeted support to farmers, who are also investing to deploy cost-saving and job-creating clean technology solutions. Farmers generally do not pay the fuel charge for gasoline and light fuel oil (diesel) used in eligible farming machinery on farms. Additionally, biological emissions are not priced under this federal system, totalling roughly 97 percent of on-farm emissions.

    Greenhouse operators also receive upfront relief of 80 percent of the fuel charge on propane and marketable natural gas used to heat an eligible greenhouse or to supplement carbon dioxide in eligible greenhouses to grow or produce plants.

    Additionally, farm businesses that operate in provinces where the federal fuel charge is in place can generally receive a refundable tax credit, the purpose of which is to return fuel charge proceeds related to farm use of natural gas and propane in heating and drying activities in those provinces to help farmers transition to lower-carbon ways of farming.

    Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System also provides an economic incentive for farmers to undertake innovative greenhouse gas reduction and removal projects.

    As part of the strengthened climate plan and the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, the Government of Canada committed over $1.5 billion to accelerate the agricultural sector’s progress on reducing emissions while remaining a global leader in sustainable agriculture. This includes $470.7 million for the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program to create an enabling environment for developing and adopting clean technology. This will help drive the changes required to achieve a low-carbon economy and promote sustainable growth in Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector.

    Fishers are also provided with relief from paying the federal fuel charge on gasoline and light fuel oil (diesel) used in fishing vessels for eligible fishing activities.

    Industrial pollution pricing system

    Industrial pollution pricing systems are designed to ensure there is a price incentive for industrial emitters to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and spur innovation while remaining competitive. Not only does pollution pricing ensure big polluters pay their fair share, it is also helping Canada attract new major projects that are creating good paying jobs.

    Canada’s approach to pollution pricing gives major heavy industries certainty on the price they pay for the pollution they generate, helping to bring forward investments in job-creating cleaner alternatives to meet their business needs. This helps them make informed decisions and is also designed to protect against the risk of industrial facilities moving to another region to avoid paying a price on carbon pollution.

    All proceeds generated from the federal industrial pollution pricing system in backstop jurisdictions are returned in the jurisdiction of origin to support industrial projects in cutting emissions and using new, cleaner technologies and processes.

    The Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS) Proceeds Fund returns proceeds collected under the federal OBPS and is comprised of two streams: the Decarbonization Incentive Program and the Future Electricity Fund. Further information on projects being funded by federal industrial pollution pricing proceeds has been published on the Open Government Portal.

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