Category: Science

MIL-OSI Global: The contradictions of ‘Minnesota nice’

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Giang Nguyen-Dien, Postdoctoral Fellow in American Culture Studies, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

Members of St. Paul’s Hmong community protest in 1998 after a local radio host said on air that Hmong immigrants needed to ‘assimilate or hit the goddamn road.’ Bruce Bisping/Star Tribune via Getty Images

After Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, much of the media coverage zeroed in on Walz’s Midwestern roots, with some pundits using the phrase “Minnesota nice” to describe his appeal.

In the popular imagination, Minnesota nice describes a culture of neighborliness and amicability that’s commonly seen as characteristic of the state. In policy terms, that might mean bigger investments in education, better public health, access to affordable housing and stronger worker rights – an extension of Walz’s achievements as Minnesota governor. Many Americans would probably like to see these values have primacy in the rest of the nation.

I think Minnesota nice, whether represented in policies or in being kind to neighbors, is a worthy ideal. But as someone who has studied the experiences of Vietnamese refugees in Minnesota, I’ve written about how the trope of Minnesota nice has a more complex history – especially when it comes to nonwhite people.

Rural origins

In her book “Creating Minnesota: A History from the Inside Out,” historian Annette Atkins suggests that the trope of Minnesota nice may have its roots in the state’s Scandinavian immigrants and the influence of the Lutheran church.

According to Atkins, Minnesota nice denotes “a polite friendliness, an aversion to confrontation, a tendency toward understatement … and emotional restraints.” These traits can be found in Scandinavian literature, film and art, as well as in 19th- and early 20th-century Lutheran values.

By the turn of the 20th century, 72% of Norwegian immigrants to Minnesota and 62% of Swedish immigrants to the state resided in rural areas. And one core element of Minnesota nice is the notion that residents are welcoming to strangers from other lands.

The arrival of Southeast Asian refugees

After the Vietnam War ended in April 1975, more than 120,000 Vietnamese refugees came to the U.S. Another wave followed in 1978. Their arrival was not universally welcomed by the American public.

To ease those concerns, government officials instituted a dispersal policy to spread out Southeast Asian refugees to ensure they wouldn’t be concentrated in any one region, town or city. They implemented this policy to reduce social and economic impacts on local communities – and also compel Southeast Asian refugees to assimilate into American culture.

In Minnesota, while many newcomers were given a helping hand, many of them also experienced isolation and rejection.

From 1979 to 1999, about 15,000 Vietnamese refugees arrived in Minnesota. My research shows that media outlets often ran articles highlighting the goodwill and generosity of locals, whether they were helping these refugees learn English, acquire job training, find work or secure housing.

The Minneapolis Tribune reported in 1975 that the state was able to avoid any major public reactions against refugees because they posed “no major job threat,” since they were spread out across the state.

Even as locals seemed largely supportive, the dispersal policy wasn’t ideal for many refugees. Many of them ended up in remote areas of Minnesota, far from a familiar ethnic community that could provide much-needed psychological and emotional support. Those in isolated areas often lacked access to social services and English language programs.

For refugees, a more complicated view of Minnesota nice emerges, one that I think depends on being not too visible and not too much of a threat to the existing order. Many refugees were certainly grateful for the state and local support they received. But gratitude also became an “unspoken condition” for acceptance, as Iranian refugee Dina Nayeri reports in her book “The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You.”

In Minnesota, locals could seem largely unsympathetic to the complicated struggles of refugees trying to settle in a strange, new land. Rather than complain, they ought to be happy for the “small blessings” they received, as one local St. Cloud resident wrote to the Minneapolis Tribune in 1975.

A refugee’s drawing on display at a 2010 exhibit in Minneapolis depicts the bombing of Laos during the shadow war.
Bruce Bisping/Star Tribune via Getty Images

Minnesota too nice

When there was a sudden influx of refugees into one area, some residents could become even less welcoming.

That’s what happened with the state’s Hmong refugees.

An ethnic group originally from China, the Hmong arrived in Southeast Asia during the mid-19th century. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. government recruited the Hmong to fight in the Secret War in Laos, where the U.S. had been covertly providing aid and military assistance to anti-communist forces. After the war, some Hmong fled, fearing persecution. Many of them ended up in Minnesota. In 1980, there were about 2,000 Hmong people in Minnesota. By the end of 1981, their numbers had grown to 8,000, raising some alarm.

“Some cynics say our problem is that we are too nice and have provided too many services,” a local resettlement official was quoted saying in a 1980 State Department report. In that same report, an official with a local charity suggested that Minnesota would soon be known as “Hmong-nesota.”

In 1985, the Minnesota Star Tribune published a special report, “Hmong in Minnesota: Lost in the Promised Land,” that explored how many Hmong refugees had become “targets of racial epithets, harassment and violence” in the Twin Cities. The article noted that the Hmong came to realize that most Americans had never heard of them or their roles in the secret war in Laos. Instead, they often found themselves “resented, misunderstood and victimized by their neighbors.”

To me, the anxiety over “Hmong-nesota” recalled the history of “yellow peril” – the imagined threat of Asian invasion and cultural disruptions that first emerged in the 19th century and shaped many U.S. immigration policies.

Benevolence and violence

My own research explores how feel-good tropes that are prominent in the U.S., such as Minnesota nice, usually mask a more complicated story.

The U.S. government has often used the language of goodwill as a cover for violence – a phenomenon I call “bene/violence.”

For example, the U.S. occupation of the Philippines, which began in 1899, was sugarcoated in the rhetoric of benevolence. William McKinley, who was U.S. president at the time, insisted that “the strong arm of authority” would promote “the blessings of good and stable government upon the people of the Philippine Islands under the free flag of the United States.” The story of conquest became the story of “uplifting” those deemed less civilized and incapable of self-governance.

Two U.S. Marines stand at attention during a port call in Qingdao, China, in 1986.
Forrest Anderson/Getty Images

The same sort of talk was also used to justify U.S. military intervention in Vietnam. President Lyndon B. Johnson’s State of the Union address on Jan. 4, 1965, implored Americans to secure the “peace of Asia” and “the progress of humanity.” The government promoted the war in Vietnam as a just war, in part by claiming Americans were granting the Vietnamese the “gift of freedom,” as Asian American studies scholar Mimi Nguyen has written.

Of course, this version of events ignores the carpet bombing that killed as many as 1 million civilians. It overlooks the fact that 30% of Laos is still blanketed with 80 million unexploded bombs and other ordnance. And it forgets to mention how the extensive use of the toxic herbicide Agent Orange continues to scar the Vietnamese landscape and the country’s people.

The Minnesota paradox

In the end, Minnesota nice signals that there’s something special about the state, just as “spreading democracy” and “protecting freedom” signal American exceptionalism on the international stage.

But the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis illuminated what economist Samuel L. Myers calls the “Minnesota Paradox” – a history of inequality that is totally divorced from the way niceness operates in the cultural imagination of the state’s residents.

“African Americans are worse off in Minnesota than they are in virtually every other state in the nation,” Myers writes.

In a 2021 essay, sociologist Amy August also highlighted the state’s persistent racial disparities in housing, health care, income and education to argue that whatever progressive promises the state makes, Minnesota is not apart from America but rather a part of America.

Ultimately, I think the concept of Minnesota nice can create the illusion of a utopian society largely devoid of the ills of racism and inequality. It reinforces American kindness as a core aspect of national identity and, in doing so, I believe glosses over parts of the country’s history – while hampering its ability to address the very real problems that plague the nation today.

I don’t reject what Minnesota nice purports to offer. But it is not a simple and straightforward cultural value adopted by – and equally applied to – everyone.

Giang Nguyen-Dien 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. The contradictions of ‘Minnesota nice’ – https://theconversation.com/the-contradictions-of-minnesota-nice-236751

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Global: Afrofuturism thrives in Philly − 5 artists you should know

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Aaron X. Smith, Assistant Professor of Africology and African American Studies, Temple University

‘A Radiant Light,’ by Philly-based Afrofuturist artist Mikel Elam, celebrates cultural roots and the infinite possibilities of the future. Mikel Elam, CC BY-NC-SA

From the creation of the Liberty Bell in the 1750s to the world-famous Philadelphia Sound soul music of the 1960s and ’70s, artistic innovation has long been a staple in Philly history. Today, the city’s thriving Afrofuturist scene is continuing this legacy.

“Afrofuturism” is a term coined in the 1990s by American cultural critic Mark Dery. Dery used the label to describe “speculative fiction that treats African American themes and addresses African American concerns in the context of 20th-century techno culture.”

The aesthetic has been popularized over the years by mainstream artists, including cinematic pioneer and “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler and Grammy-winning musical artist Missy Elliott.

Author and filmmaker Ytasha L. Womack powerfully articulated the vastness of Afrofuturism in her 2013 book, “Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture.”

“Call it the power of the subconscious or the predominance of soul culture gone cyber pop,” Womack writes, “but this dance through time travel that Afrofuturists lived for is as much about soul retrieval as it is about jettisoning into the far-off future.”

As an Afrocentric scholar, professor of African American studies, hip-hop artist and scholar of Afrofuturism, I get to see the city’s growing Afrofuturist movement firsthand. I have been inspired by Afrofuturist writers and scholars from sci-fi novelist Octavia Butler to fellow Africology professors at Temple University Reynaldo Anderson and Molefi Kete Asante.

Here are five local Philly artists whose innovative aesthetics and ideas are contributing to the still-emerging field of Afrofuturistic art.

Rasheedah Phillips and Camae Ayewa

Rasheedah Phillips, an artist and housings rights attorney, and Camae Ayewa, a poet and musician who performs as Moor Mother, attended high school in Philadelphia and graduated from the Beasley School of Law at Temple University. In 2015 they founded the Black Quantum Futurism collective, which could be considered the artistic cornerstone of Afrofuturist art in Philadelphia.

Rasheedah Phillips’ latest book will be published in January 2025.
AK Press

This collective hosts various events and creative projects. On their website, Phillips and Ayewa describe their movement as “a new approach to living and experiencing reality by way of the manipulation of space-time in order to see into possible futures.” They blend ideas and beliefs from quantum physics and Black and African cultural traditions of consciousness, time and space.

Although the Black Quantum Futurism website is less active than in previous years, Phillips and Ayewa continue to organize and participate in Afrofuturist events both in Philadelphia and around the world. Phillips has a new book, “Dismantling the Master’s Clock: On Race, Space, and Time,” set for release in early 2025.

Mikel Elam

Though he’s a New York transplant, figure painter and Afrofuturist visual artist Mikel Elam has become an asset to the Afrofuturist art scene in Philadelphia.

“I have a special interest in Africa (which is) considered by many anthropologists to be the origin of all life,” he explains. “In many ways, science, spirituality and art are essential to our cultural and mental development. They are more compatible than we might think.”

In his pieces, Elam often incorporates cultural masks he’s collected from his world travels, as well as shiny metal keys. His work on display at Philadelphia International Airport combines both. The keys are positioned to reflect the flow of people in transit – sometimes they move in harmony and other times in opposite directions. Unapologetically optimistic, Elam also surrounds the heads with keys to suggest halos or auras.

‘Bliss Consciousness’ by Mikel Elam depicts the artist’s meditation practice and belief that the keys to universal connection come from within.
Mikel Elam, CC BY-NC-SA

Serena Saunders

Serena Saunders is a mural artist, Philly native and owner and operator of Passion Art Designs LLC. She transforms walls throughout Philly and beyond into futuristic visions of hope, struggle, Black joy and justice.

Her paintings emphasize the potential for a more peaceful and equitable future. Her “Camo” collection includes a painting that displays a map of Africa hovering over an ocean of streaming colors, including elements of the American flag. The continent appears to be dripping blood into the waters below.

A major component of the Afrofuturist arts movement involves reimagining existing symbols relating to Black culture and life. Saunders’ “Heart” collection incorporates elements of transhumanism – the belief that humans should use technology to enhance their minds and bodies – which are common in Afrofuturist art. Images of the precious blood-pumping organ are merged with pipes, a faucet head and even a grenade.

Saunders’ murals cover dozens of walls around the city, including at the Community Clubhouse at FDR Park, the Boys & Girls Club in Germantown, and Philadelphia International Airport.

Sun Ra

Avant-garde jazz musician Sun Ra is an Afrofuturist icon who lived in Philly for 25 years.
Leni Sinclair via Getty Images

One of the greatest avant-garde jazz musicians of the 20th century, Sun Ra is also an Afrofuturist icon who once occupied a modest Philadelphia row home at 5626 Morton St. in Germantown.

Sun Ra led the Sun Ra Arkestra, a jazz group, from the late 1950s until his death in 1993 at age 79. With songs including “Love in Outer Space,” “Door of the Cosmos,” “Saturn” and “UFO,” Sun Ra kept intergalactic reimaginings of life and love at the forefront of his creative expression. From his lavish futuristic outfits to the astrological symbolism “Astro Black,” he remains a meaningful pioneer of Afrofuturist art.

In 2022, the house where he and bandmates lived and rehearsed was designated a historic landmark. Though not open to the public, it serves as a reminder of the creative, resilient spirit that often resides in humble and unassuming environments, and why we can think of Philadelphia, the city known for being the birthplace of the United States, also as the city of tomorrow.

Aaron X. Smith 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. Afrofuturism thrives in Philly − 5 artists you should know – https://theconversation.com/afrofuturism-thrives-in-philly-5-artists-you-should-know-235069

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Global: Rising electricity demand could bring Three Mile Island and other prematurely shuttered nuclear plants back to life

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Todd Allen, Professor of Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan

Steam billows from two cooling towers serving Unit 1 of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in 2005. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Constellation, an energy company that provides electricity and natural gas to customers in 16 states and Washington, announced on Sept. 20, 2024, that it plans to restore and restart Unit 1 at Three Mile Island, a nuclear plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania, that was shut down in 2019. Microsoft has signed a 20-year agreement to purchase electricity generated by the plant to offset power demand from its data centers in the mid-Atlantic region.

Three Mile Island was the site in 1979 of a partial meltdown at the plant’s Unit 2 reactor. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission calls this event “the most serious accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating history,” although only small amounts of radiation were released, and no health effects on plant workers or the public were detected. Unit 1 was not affected by the accident. University of Michigan nuclear engineering professor Todd Allen explains what restarting Unit 1 will involve, and why some other shuttered nuclear plants may also get new leases on life.

What is the history of TMI-1?

Three Mile Island Unit 1 is a large nuclear power station with the capacity to generate 837 megawatts of electricity – enough to power about 800,000 homes. It started commercial operations in 1974 and ran until September 2019.

After the accident at Unit 2 in 1979, Unit 1 was shut down for six years, until the operator at the time, Metropolitan Edison, demonstrated to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it could operate the reactor safely.

Constellation closed Unit 1 down in 2019, even though the plant’s operating license had been extended through 2034 and it had no operational or safety problems. TMI-1 could not compete economically at that point with natural gas-fueled power plants because gas had become extremely cheap.

Pennsylvania also had a policy preference for increasing electricity generation from solar and wind power. The state legislature chose not to reclassify the plant as a carbon-free electricity source, which would have qualified it for state support.

The 1979 accident at Three Mile Island had broad, lasting effects on nuclear power regulation.

What is the reactor’s current condition?

Since the shutdown in 2019, the plant has sat idle. The NRC calls this status safe storage, or SAFSTOR. The plant is shut down, uranium fuel is removed from the reactor, and the facility is maintained in a safe, stable condition. Irradiated fuel is stored in large steel and concrete casks on a physically secured portion of the site, known as an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation.

In addition to the fuel, other materials in the plant are radioactive, such as structural channels that direct the cooling water during operation and the large vessel in which the reactor is housed. Radioactive decay occurs during the SAFSTOR period, reducing the plant’s radioactivity and making it easier to dismantle the plant later.

The United States does not have a licensed long-term disposal site for spent nuclear fuel, so it is stored in large dry casks on-site at operating and closed reactors.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, CC BY

What will Constellation need to do to prepare the reactor to restart?

Constellation will need to ensure that it has enough fuel and sufficiently trained personnel. It also will have to ensure that the reactor’s components are still in a condition that allows for safe operation.

This will require detailed inspections and mandatory maintenance actions to ensure that all components are running correctly. In some cases, the company may need to install new equipment.

The exact work will depend on the results of inspections but could include upgrading or replacing the reactor’s major components, such as the turbine and associated electricity generator; large transformers that move the electricity from the reactor out to the grid; equipment used to cool the reactor during operation; and systems for controlling the plant during startup, shutdown and power generation.

As an analogy, imagine that you move to a city and stop driving your car for five years. When you decide to resume driving, you’d need to ensure you have gas, that your driver’s license is still valid and that all of the car’s components still operate correctly. It would probably need new oil, air in the tires, new filters and other replacement parts to run well.

A nuclear plant is much more complicated than a car, so the number of checks and verifications will take longer and cost more. Constellation expects to bring the restored plant online in 2028 at a projected cost of US$1.6 billion.

What will the NRC consider as it decides whether to relicense the reactor?

The agency needs to independently confirm Constellation has enough fuel and trained personnel, and that the plant can run safely. These checks must be approved by the commission before the plant can operate.

In my view, Constellation will need to show that the plant is in a condition to operate at the same levels of safety that existed there in September 2019 when the company terminated operations.

Do you expect other utilities to try this type of restoration at closed reactors?

Constellation is not the only utility considering restarting a nuclear plant. Holtec International, an energy technology company, bought the closed Palisades nuclear plant in southwest Michigan in 2022 with the intent to decommission it, but then the company decided to restore and reopen the plant.

That work is underway now. Recently, in its first major inspection at the plant, the NRC found a number of components that it said required more testing and repair work.

Wolverine Power Cooperative, a not-for-profit energy provider to rural communities across Michigan, plans to purchase electricity from the restored Palisades plant, with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Empowering Rural America program. Holtec is receiving support for restoring Palisades from the U.S. Department of Energy and the state of Michigan.

A third company, NextEra Energy, is considering restarting its Duane Arnold nuclear plant in Palo, Iowa. And others could follow. In the past decade, a dozen nuclear plants closed before the end of their licensed operating lives because they were having trouble competing economically. But with electricity demand rising, especially to power data centers and electric vehicles, some of those plants could also become candidates for reopening.

Todd Allen is affiliated with Third Way as a Senior Visiting Fellow and the Nuclear Innovation Alliance as the Board Chair.

– ref. Rising electricity demand could bring Three Mile Island and other prematurely shuttered nuclear plants back to life – https://theconversation.com/rising-electricity-demand-could-bring-three-mile-island-and-other-prematurely-shuttered-nuclear-plants-back-to-life-239577

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Russia: “Our students will be happy to come to HSE campuses in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities”

MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

© Mikhail Dmitriev / Higher School of Economics

On September 26, a meeting of the HSE management with a delegation from Azerbaijan took place in the historic building of the National Research University Higher School of Economics on Pokrovsky Boulevard — the Durasov House. Representatives of higher education institutions discussed possible areas of cooperation. An agreement was also signed between the Higher School of Economics and Baku State University.

Before the official part, the guests were given a tour of the Pokrovka building and the Durasov House. Nikita Anisimov, Rector of the HSE, gave a welcoming speech and spoke in detail about the HSE. In particular, he noted the multidisciplinary nature of the university, drawing attention to the fact that, in addition to economic departments, the HSE has departments of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, computer science and creative industries, as well as engineering training areas. He emphasized that the Higher School of Economics is the first choice university for talented applicants from both Russia and other countries. Nikita Anisimov expressed confidence that cooperation with Azerbaijani universities will allow for the creation of high-quality academic exchange and student mobility programs.

The rector was supported by other representatives of the HSE management – the vice-rector, the head BRICS Expert Council – Russia Victoria Panova, Vice-Rector, Head of Department Laboratory of Labor Market Research Faculty of Economic Sciences Sergey Roshchin, Dean Faculty of Physics Mikhail Trunin, Deputy Director MIEM Veronica Prokhorova, Director Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies (CKEMI) Faculty of World Economy and World Politics Vasily Kashin.

Adalat Jalal oglu Muradov, Rector of the Azerbaijan State University of Economics, greeted those present and thanked them for the warm welcome. He introduced his university: “We have more than 20 thousand students. We conduct training in the main educational programs in several languages. We also have 10 training programs within the framework of two diplomas.”

He also noted that the Azerbaijan State University of Economics sees demand for education in Russian and the creation of new joint programs, including online, which could lead to increased attractiveness of education.

“We can think about creating a joint faculty, if you are interested. I am ready to transfer all powers to the HSE within the framework of this faculty. Our students will be happy to come to Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities,” Adalat Jalal ogly Muradov is confident.

Elchin Safarali oglu Babayev, rector of Baku State University, noted that HSE is famous not only for the quality of education and research, but also for its infrastructure. “We are interested in cooperation, we need to move forward and expand the horizons of interaction. We are interested in your scientists and professors to teach here,” he said.

At the same time, the rector of Baku State University emphasized that the name “Higher School of Economics” does not reflect the entire spectrum of areas of study and the diversity of levels of education that are represented at the university. “The university could be called the Higher School of All Sciences,” said Elchin Safarali oglu Babayev.

Rector of the Azerbaijan Technological University Yashar Adil oglu Omarov, in turn, expressed a desire to create dual degree programs with Russian universities, including the Higher School of Economics. “We have a faculty of economics and management, where we could establish cooperation, and there are also programs in design and IT,” he noted.

The Azerbaijani delegation expressed interest not only in opening dual degree programs, but also in joint publications.

At the end of the official part, the Higher School of Economics and Baku State University signed a cooperation agreement.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

http://vvv.hse.ru/nevs/edu/967246868.html

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL OSI Russia News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Director General at UN Summit of the Future and General Assembly

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Video of IAEA DG at UN Summit of the Future & General Assembly

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi attended the UN Summit of the Future with world leaders in New York this week and addressed its Plenary meeting. The Summit adopted a “Pact for the Future” designed to improve the present and build a better future. Mr Grossi’s speech outlined how the IAEA is a concrete instrument that can help fulfilling the goals of the Pact. While in New York, Mr Grossi also held multiple meetings with world leaders to expand the work of the IAEA in using nuclear science and technology to further peace and development.

MIL Security OSI –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Africa: Northern Cape’s Astro Tourism a first

Source: South Africa News Agency

The Northern Cape has something new to offer tourists and it is a first for the African continent, says Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille.

“Beyond all the history, culture and beauty the Northern Cape has to offer, we are here today to launch something new the Northern Cape has to offer — Astronomy or Astro Tourism. We at the Department of Tourism, along with the Department of Science and Innovation, are launching the National Astro-Tourism Strategy, the first country on the African continent to do so,” said the Minister.

She was speaking at the launch of the National Astro-Tourism Strategy on National World Tourism Day on Friday in Carnarvon, in the Northern Cape.

“The Astro Tourism Strategy also aims to enhance the synergy between humans and conservation and a creative link between our origins of life on earth and the origins of the universe,” said the Minister.

The Astro Tourism Strategy, she said, is expected to position South Africa as a world-class astro-tourism destination, focusing on infrastructure development, the optimal functioning of astronomy-tourism streams and community transformation.

The Gazetting Notice was published today.

“We invite the public, including the tourism and astronomy stakeholders to participate and contribute towards to strengthening this very important work by submitting their comments.

“Collaboration and partnership are critically important to take this work forward and we are thankful for national, provincial and local government working together as well as the private sector to ensure sustainable growth and local community development,” said the Minister.

She said the Square Kilometre Array telescope, the largest radio telescope in the world, was a remarkable leap towards the future, and all on African soil.

She said it was exciting that the province was leading South Africa’s proactive stance in leveraging the significant advances made in the development of the world’s largest space telescope array, with a comprehensive astro-tourism strategy.

“Today, we are here to cast the spotlight on these experiences and more and to invite South Africans, and indeed visitors from the rest of the world, to come explore this province and to engage with living cultures and traditions that continue to thrive here in the Northern Cape.

“We want to use the SKA and the Astro Tourism as a catalyst to develop the Karoo and provide opportunities for rural tourism as well as agri-tourism to develop rural areas further. The Northern Cape is the prime location to launch this strategy as 50% of the world’s population cannot see the beauty of the night sky but the African sky still remains at an advantage, by having the clearest and darkest night sky.”

The vision of the Astro Tourism strategy aims to develop and position an inclusive Astro-Tourism sector that will yield sustainable benefit-sharing opportunities by maximising on marketing efforts and enhancing visitor experience in South Africa.

The National Astro-Tourism strategic pillars were developed through a multi-discipline consultancy process involving both the tourism and astronomy stakeholders in South Africa.

The Implementation Plan’s goal is to grow astro-tourism in South Africa will be implemented, monitored and evaluated according to the three strategic pillars:

· Pillar One: Indigenous Celestial Narratives and Human Capacity Development

· Pillar Two: Infrastructure Development

· Pillar Three: Inclusive Tourism Growth and Partnerships

“There is so much untapped potential in our tourism market and we must work together on all levels of government, with the private to promote our hidden gems and give more business to SMEs and community tourism,” added the Minister. – SAnews.gov.za

MIL OSI Africa –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada supports health sciences SMEs to create new health technologies
Source: Government of Canada News (2)

News release

Canada’s health sciences innovation sector continues to lead on developing innovative ideas and products that will lead to a better and healthier future. The Government of Canada is supporting businesses and organizations in this vital sector with the support they need to drive impactful health solutions for Canadians.

Government of Canada invests in specialized programming to benefit 75 SMEs in southern Ontario’s health sciences sector

September 27, 2024 – Hamilton, Ontario

Canada’s health sciences innovation sector continues to lead on developing innovative ideas and products that will lead to a better and healthier future. The Government of Canada is supporting businesses and organizations in this vital sector with the support they need to drive impactful health solutions for Canadians.

Yesterday, the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), attended the 14th annual LiONS LAIR hosted by Innovation Factory. More than 400 members of the Hamilton Life Sciences ecosystem gathered to celebrate innovation in the Hamilton-Halton region.

While at the event, Minister Tassi announced a Government of Canada investment of over $5 million for Innovation Factory in collaboration with the Synapse Life Sciences Consortium to support the continued delivery of the Southern Ontario Pharmaceutical and Health Innovation Ecosystem (SOPHIE) program, which opened for applications yesterday. The program will assist up to 75 health sciences SMEs in southern Ontario as they commercialize their products and scale their businesses. Participating businesses will have access to mentorship and advisory services, seed funding, and new partnerships. This critical work will help accelerate their product development, and anchor health sciences companies here in southern Ontario.

This project aligns with the Government of Canada’s priority to support emerging growth opportunities in this important sector. Innovators and organizations that create healthcare technologies are helping to keep Canadians healthy while strengthening Canada’s health sciences sector and creating new job opportunities for Canadians.

Quotes

“Innovation Factory is undertaking critical work that will support 75 SMEs expand and grow their businesses, all while helping to anchor health sciences companies here in Canada. The investment made today demonstrates the Government of Canada’s dedication to supporting innovators in health sciences and moving towards a healthier future for Canadians.”
– The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

“The renewal of funding for Innovation Factory’s SOPHIE program is a testament to the remarkable impact it has had on Ontario’s health sciences sector over the past few years. This continued support from the Government of Canada enables us to build on this success, driving further innovation, job creation, and global competitiveness in the health sciences industry. We are excited to see SOPHIE continue to transform the landscape for health science entrepreneurs and strengthen Ontario’s position as a leading hub for health innovation.”
– David Carter, CEO of Innovation Factory

Quick facts
- Innovation Factory is a not-for-profit business accelerator, serving as the catalyst for technology innovation in the Brant, Halton, Hamilton and Norfolk regions since 2010.
- Innovation Factory provides business services, training, mentorship, and strategic connections to drive market adoption, leverage intellectual property, and increase revenues, investment, and jobs. Innovators can also access sector-specific resources including exclusive smart transportation test environments and data; and a formal health science and health innovation ecosystem.
- FedDev Ontario previously provided Innovation Factory with an investment of $7 million to deliver the first intake of the SOPHIE program. To date, through SOPHIE, 166 innovative Ontario-based health science start-up and scaling companies in the health, medical device, and pharmaceutical sectors, received support to develop and commercialize new products and services.
- Since 2015, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has invested over $237 million in 58 life science projects, supporting over 7,700 jobs.
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MIL OSI Canada News –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Canada: Indigenous Guardians projects 2024–2025

Source: Government of Canada News

Today, Jaimee Gaunce, Executive Director of the First Nations National Guardians Network (NGN), joined the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change; the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario; and Marcus Powlowski, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Rainy River, to announce the investment of up to $27.6 million to support 80 First Nations Guardians initiatives.

Alberta

Project title: Mikisew Cree First Nation Guardian Program
Recipient: Mikisew Cree First Nation – Government and Industry Relations
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year, ongoing initiative will study how oil sands development, particularly bitumen mining and hydroelectric projects, are affecting the health of the Peace-Athabasca Delta, the heart of Mikisew’s traditional territory. Guardians work year-round to monitor water quality, collect data, track flood events, and monitor the fish population.

Project title: Ni Ho Ghe Di – ACFN Guardian Program Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
Recipient: Dene Lands and Resource Management
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will monitor and report on activities that may cause harm to the ecology, traditional lands, or traditional resources of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN), such as poaching and illegally hunting on the traditional territory, especially to protect Ronald Lake Buffalos. The initiative will also support youth to strengthen their cultural pride and connection to the land and develop on-the-land skills.

Project title: Guardians of the Territory – Dene Tha’ First Nation
Recipient: Dene Tha’ First Nation
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will engage in diverse activities, such as ecological restoration, supporting resource management plans, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. Guardians will protect and recover species at risk, manage land use in the proposed Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area at M’behcholia (Bistcho Lake, Alberta), and conduct environmental and wildlife monitoring.

Project title: Alexis Nakota Sioux Nations Guardians Initiative
Recipient: Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation
Funding amount: $346,400
Project description: This two-year initiative will involve conducting and analyzing aerial surveys, creating a geographic information system (GIS) data management and visualization system using R-Studio and ArcPY, and continue to develop the Stoney Land and Water Course.

British Columbia

Project title: Kitasoo Xai’xais Guardian Watchmen Program Enhancement
Recipient: Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation
Funding amount: $604,925
Project description: This two-year initiative focuses on marine and terrestrial surveying, along with compliance and enforcement practices involving education, observation, and reporting. The Guardians also actively participate in the Coastal Nations Coast Guard Auxiliary and undertake training for emergency response in search and rescue and oil spills.

Project title: Coastal Stewardship Network
Recipient: Great Bear Initiative Society
Funding amount: $499,785
Project description: This two-year initiative provides programming to the Coastal First Nations – Great Bear Initiative’s eight member nations, who work directly with communities to support Guardians along the North and Central Coast and Haida Gwaii to track resource use and ecosystem health, provide training and professional development, raise awareness, and help establish a stewardship presence on the coast.

Project title: Songhees Nation Guardians Program
Recipient: Songhees Nation
Funding amount: $50,000
Project description: This one-year initiative continues work with community members, Band Council, and outside organizations to provide monitoring services, promote stewardship in the community, and restore habitat areas. This initiative helps establish stronger Indigenous presence on the water during fishing seasons, as it is critical in establishing more authority over fisheries and coastal resources on the land.

Project title: Lower Nicola Indian Band – Indigenous Guardians Program – Tier 1
Recipient: Lower Nicola Indian Band
Funding amount: $49,450
Project description: This one-year initiative aims to build capacity, skills, and knowledge for a new Guardians program in the community. This will involve mapping and indexing areas in the territory, engaging with Elders and knowledge keepers, engaging with the community, drafting a plan, and working with chief and council to ensure the vision aligns with the strategic plan.

Project title: Mamalilikulla First Nation Guardian Program
Recipient: Mamalilikulla First Nation
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative involves ongoing activities where Guardians spend time on the land to collect data, monitor cultural sites, manage Grizzly Bear populations, plant crab apple trees to provide food for the bears, and improve fisheries. This work helps the Chief and Council make informed decisions.

Project title: Wet’suwet’en First Nation Guardian Initiative: A Holistic Approach
Recipient: Wet’suwet’en First Nation
Funding amount: $75,745
Project description: This one-year initiative will monitor and collect data on moose population and mortality rates, assess wildlife habitats, setup wildlife cameras, and conduct riparian assessments. It will also explore starting a water-monitoring program in identified priority areas. These efforts will help the community observe and document activities or cumulative effects that impact their ability to practice traditional ways of life.

Project title: Saulteau First Nations Indigenous Guardian Proposal
Recipient: Saulteau First Nations
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will help the community take leadership in monitoring, protecting, and restoring the lands and waters, which is essential for the health and well-being of the community. Activities include supporting safe food harvesting and cultural activities, protecting Klinse-za Park, monitoring climate changes, and understanding how events like forest fires affect the community, fluctuations in weather patterns, and alterations in animal movements and water availability.

Project title: Saik’uz Guardian Program
Recipient: Saik’uz First Nation
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will build upon long-term monitoring efforts through a self-sustaining, community-based Saik’uz Guardians Initiative. The Guardians will be guided by the wisdom of both Indigenous Knowledge and western science, for the purposes of empowerment and self-determination of the Nation’s future connected to the water and land of the Territory.

Project title: P’egp’ig’lha Guardians
Recipient: P’egp’ig’lha Council / T’it’q’et First Nation
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will conduct patrols of the land to ensure territorial health and study wildlife and fisheries. Guardians play an essential role in protecting and restoring the Stein-Nahatlatch Grizzly Bear population, assisting with wildfire recovery, and strengthening collaboration with other nearby Guardian programs.

Project title: Pauquachin First Nation Marine Department – Stewardship Initiative
Recipient: Pauquachin First Nation
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative monitors one of the most heavily travelled and utilized waterways within British Columbia. Guardians review culturally sensitive archaeological sites, harvesting areas, recreational and commercial fisheries use, environmental threats (pollution sources, dumping, illegal activities, and poaching), and conduct restoration in specified areas of importance. This initiative represents the community’s interests, concerns, and objectives to ensure waterways, food, historical sites, and cultural practices continue for generations to come.

Project title: Takla Nation’s Tier 2 Guardians Initiative
Recipient: Takla Nation
Funding amount: $499,959
Project description: This ongoing initiative monitors more than 30 established sites across Takla’s lands and waters. This work is essential for Takla to implement environmental and cultural protections, including ensuring archaeological impact assessments are carried out by various proponents and government agencies align with Takla’s Archaeology Policy. Additionally, it builds capacity to monitor the caribou and moose populations and sustains the Guardians program by fostering engagement with youth in the community.

Project title: Tsilhqot’in Guardian Network
Recipient: Tsilhqot’in National Government
Funding amount: $500,000
Project description: This two-year initiative, led by the Tsilhqot’in National Government in collaboration with six Tsilhqot’in communities—Xeni Gwet’in, Tlesqox, Tletinqox, Tsi Del Del, ?Esdilagh, and Yunesit’in—aims to integrate and strengthen Tsilhqot’in values in the management of the region’s lands and waters. Working in partnership with provincial and federal land and water management agencies, the initiative will see Guardians will conducting patrols for hunting, fishing, and fire prevention, as well as wildlife- and water-monitoring research to ensure the sustainable stewardship of Tsilhqot’in territories.

Project title: Quatsino Axsilaxa Ahwheatnagwusn Guardians Program
Recipient: Quatsino First Nation
Funding amount: $342,765
Project description: This two-year initiative aims to support the implementation of the Quatsino Land Use Plan and the Marine Use Plan. This will be done through field-based work, such as data collection and monitoring. These efforts will be central to ecosystem restoration and establishing food security through the local harvesting of traditional foods.

Project title: nłeʔképmx Guardians
Recipient: Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will continue to establish presence on the land and provide public education and awareness about the nłeʔképmx territory, protocols, and cultural practices. Guardians will monitor and record activities on the land with a focus on priority areas determined by the Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly. These priority areas include critical hunting, fishing, gathering, and other culturally important areas. nłeʔképmx Guardians will record, monitor, and manage for invasive species and will contribute to research regarding species at risk in the territory.

Project title: Supporting and Maintaining a Strong and Efficient Heiltsuk Guardian Watchmen Program
Recipient: Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department of the Heiltsuk Tribal Council
Funding amount: $349,499
Project description: This two-year initiative will focus on capacity-building, monitoring local aquatics ecosystems and community fisheries for safe harvesting and to support and reestablish this life-sustaining relationship between the people and territory.

Project title: Haa Aaní Tulatín – Taku River Tlingit First Nation Land Guardian Program
Recipient: Taku River Tlingit First Nation
Funding amount: $349,600
Project description: This two-year initiative will respond to threats to the territory and monitor salmon populations. The Guardians will work to strengthen salmon stewardship by organizing multi-day camps that focus on traditional fishing, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and on-the-land monitoring.

Project title: Spuzzum Nation Land Guardians Initiative
Recipient: Spuzzum Indian Band
Funding amount: $50,020
Project description: This one-year initiative will focus on protecting important ecosystems by monitoring key territorial and cultural sites, collecting ecological data, and safeguarding species like the endangered Northern Spotted Owl. The Guardians will also help to develop a framework for stewardship policies.

Project title: Kwadacha Nation Tier 2 Guardian Proposal
Recipient: Kwadacha Nation
Funding amount: $348,734
Project description: This two-year initiative aims to provide long-term ecological and cultural monitoring to track changes on key wildlife habitats, traditional food sources, and water sources. This will aid in discussing how potential changes may impact the roles and responsibilities of being Dena on the land.

Project title: Doig River First Nation Guardian Program
Recipient: Doig River First Nation
Funding amount: $349,188
Project description: This two-year initiative will focus on improving monitoring of the lands and waters by combining cultural methods and western science. Doig River First Nation Guardians will continue to monitor the health of the land, guided by members, and will work collaboratively with the government to address any impacts.

Project title: Nahnéhé Gegenı́hı / Kakinawetakwow Uski / FNFN Land Guardian Initiative
Recipient: Fort Nelson First Nation
Funding amount: $375,000
Project description: This two-year initiative supports the Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN) stewardship, land management, and on-the-land cultural activities. The Guardian is guided by western science monitoring and research while grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and understanding the health and condition of the lands and waters.

Project title: Scianew Guardians Initiative
Recipient: Beecher Bay First Nation
Funding amount: $348,614
Project description: This two-year initiative will work toward environmental conservation, monitoring, training for Guardians, impact assessments, land sovereignty, and marine safety. This will be done through partnerships with neighbouring nations, Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) and Kotug Canada.

Project title: USIB Land Guardian Program
Recipient: Upper Similkameen Indian Band
Funding amount: $391,894
Project description: This two-year initiative aims to address critical environmental challenges while deeply integrating Indigenous Knowledge, community engagement, and sustainable practices. The Guardians initiative emphasizes land conservation, sustainable resource management, and fostering ecosystem resilience.

Project title: Establishing Boothroyd Guardians Program
Recipient: Boothroyd Indian Band
Funding amount: $50,000
Project description: This one-year initiative will monitor environmental indicators within the territory, support restoration work in areas damaged by wildfire, and the subsequent erosion. Boothroyd Guardians will engage with land-user groups to increase understanding and respect for the environment.

Project title: TTQ Guardians Program Initiation Project
Recipient: TTQ Economic Development Corporation
Funding amount: $62,533
Project description: This one-year initiative aims to collect and organize Xa’xtsa’s previously recorded cultural knowledge data, map priority areas, and develop a monitoring plan. The goal is to observe changes in the supply of traditional herbs and plants, the frequency and impacts of foraging on the land, vitality of salmon spawning, changes in unauthorized camping, and invasive plants and animals.

Project title: Wildfire Recovery Monitoring
Recipient: Okanagan Indian Band
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will assess the conditions of the White Rock Lake watershed before and after wildfires for the Okanagan Indian Band. The Guardians will conduct site assessments, inventory culturally significant resources, monitor wildlife, and assess the severity of burn damage to guide restoration efforts.

Project title: Nanwakolas – Stewarding Through Indigenous Scientific Knowledge
Recipient: Nanwakolas Council Society
Funding amount: $500,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will apply Kwakwaka’wakw values and Indigenous scientific knowledge on a variety of projects, including loxiwe (clam garden) restoration, canoe carving, hosting Guardian seasonal gathering events, as well as data collection on water, wildlife monitoring, climate change studies, and emergency response planning.

Project title: Continuing to Build the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) Guardians Programs Initiative
Recipient: Squamish Nation – Squamish Indian Band 555
Funding amount: $349,505
Project description: This two-year initiative will conduct stewardship activities, respond to climate events and emergencies, and increase public safety. The Guardians will continue to be on the land engaging and learning from Elders, knowledge keepers, and youth, as well as collaborating with other Nations to share information and build capacity across the National Guardians Network.

Project title: St’át’imc Land Guardians
Recipient: St’at’imc Government Services
Funding amount: $425,180
Project description: This two-year initiative will focus on the implementation of the St’át’imc Water Accord. This includes collecting baseline data of three intact watersheds and three impacted watersheds to assess water quality. Other activities include capacity-building and reviewing stories and legends through workshops/collaborative research with the Indigenous Law Research Unit.

Project title: Nak’azdli Whut’en Yinka Huwunline (Looking After/Taking Care) Guardians Program
Recipient: Nak’azdli Whut’en
Funding amount: $349,942
Project description: This two-year initiative will build geospatial mapping technology for Guardians to use in monitoring. It will create open portals for communication while protecting internal data and cultural information. The project will use remote sensing technology to create “living maps” that track seasonal phenology, quantify impacts, and present informed engagements on stewardship with industry, government, consultants, and academics.

Project title: Lake Babine Nation Yintah Guardians
Recipient: Lake Babine Nation
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will lead the collaborative stewardship of yintah Lake Babine Nation (LBN) territory and the resources of two cultural keystone species, talok (Sockeye Salmon) and khida (moose), to restore moose populations to culturally meaningful levels, and to support fish monitoring, habitat restoration, and collaborative management.

Manitoba

Project title: Seal River Watershed Alliance Land Guardians Network
Recipient: Seal River Watershed Alliance
Funding amount: $500,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will employ 14 youth and senior staff in Land Guardian positions across the four Nations of the Alliance. This initiative builds technical capacity and administers species and habitat identification, monitoring, and protection, and stewards the watershed.

Project title: Askiy Okanawaynichikaywuk (Keepers of the Land)
Recipient: York Factory First Nation
Funding amount: $349,860
Project description: This two-year initiative will maintain trails, monitor cultural and historic sites, observe changes in the land, and support respectful land use. Guardians will have a visible presence, doing community outreach, participating in land-based events, and helping to inform Council’s decisions about land use, stewardship, and protection.

Project title: Pimachiowin Aki First Nations Guardians Network
Recipient: Pimachiowin Aki Corporation
Funding amount: $499,615
Project description: This two-year initiative will focus on seasonal fishing monitoring of Pickerel (Walleye), all-season road alignment, wildfire management, and climate change adaptation and mitigation. Guardians provide professional capacity and presence in Pimachiowin Aki, expressing Anishinaabe nationhood, as well as filling gaps in the Information Management System and provincial patrols and monitoring activities throughout the year.

Project title: SCO First Nations Guardians Regional Network
Recipient: Southern Chiefs’ Organization Inc.
Funding amount: $500,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will focus on strengthening Indigenous jurisdiction over their traditional lands, capacity-building, training and skills development in environmental monitoring and management, and encouraging cooperation and collaboration between communities on stewardship and natural resource management issues.

Project title: SLFN Land-Water-Nature Indigenous Guardianship Stewardship Initiative
Recipient: Swan Lake First Nation
Funding amount: $349,285
Project description: This two-year initiative, together with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, will continue to evaluate the revegetation terraces and re-seed as necessary, monitor water quality from the tile drainage structure, and monitor wildlife and pollinator populations. The data collected will assist in understanding the success rate of this project in reducing nutrient pollution and enhancing ecosystems.

New Brunswick

Project title: Amlamgog Earth Keepers
Recipient: Fort Folly First Nation
Funding amount: $321,411
Project description: This two-year initiative will expand and enhance an existing salmon recovery initiative. This initiative will focus on flora and fauna monitoring, following the traditional guiding principle of Etuaptmumk (two-eyed seeing).

Project title: Wotstak First Nation Guardians Initiative – Tier 1
Recipient: Woodstock First Nation
Funding amount: $50,000
Project description: This one-year initiative will collect data and conduct ecosystem monitoring guided by Woodstock’s Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge for conservation, with the goal of developing a land use plan.

Project title: Elugweieg Toqwe’gig ugjit Ugs’tqamu aq ugjit Sapo’nug (We Work Together for Earth and for Tomorrow)
Recipient: Esgenoôpetitj Watershed Association
Funding amount: $349,923
Project description: This two-year initiative will expand Esgenoôpetitj aquatic monitoring and governance, led by Esgenoôpetitj First Nation (EFN) Fishery Guardians in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada enforcement personnel in the management, conservation, and protection of the fisheries in the areas most utilized by the community.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Project title: Innu Nation Guardian Program
Recipient: Innu Nation – Environment and Parks Offices
Funding amount: $700,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will integrate the Sheshatshiu and Mushuau Innu (Natuashish) communities through environmental stewardship and cultural preservation. The initiative will focus on five objectives: creating additional Guardian positions, providing technical and safety training, hosting youth workshops for knowledge transfer, purchasing necessary equipment, and developing cultural initiatives to uphold and promote Innu traditions and ecological knowledge.

Nova Scotia

Project title: Re-Connecting Our People with the Land
Recipient: Eskasoni Fish & Wildlife Commission Inc.
Funding amount: $375,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will help protect the Eskasoni Watershed and the bio-cultural diversity within the Nation for future generations, as well as reconnecting the people with the land by supporting community-led research and conducting surveys to monitor the changes in the fisheries and ecosystems. The Guardians will be responsible for monitoring activities within the watershed that could impact fish habitat, fish passage, and other species at risk or culturally significant species. This initiative will also support designation of an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area.

Project title: Nova Scotia Earth Keepers / Nuji kelo’toqatijik Network
Recipient: Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources Society
Funding amount: $500,000
Project description: This two-year initiative includes gathering and sharing of Indigenous Knowledge, promoting Netukulimk hunting practices, and monitoring and data collection, including identifying areas suitable for cultural activities, harvesting of medical plants, monitoring species at risk, and education and outreach about culturally important species.

Northwest Territories

Project title: Ni hat’ni Dene (Watchers of the Land)
Recipient: Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation
Funding amount: $349,600
Project description: This two-year initiative maintains a long-term mandate to promote stewardship of Thaidene Nene, working full-time as caretakers of the land, water, and animals, ambassadors of the Dene way of life, and hosting visitors. Initiatives include protecting the Bathurst Caribou, passing on cultural knowledge to youth, and ensuring food security.

Project title: DKFN Guardians
Recipient: Deninu Kue First Nation
Funding amount: $333,055
Project description: This two-year initiative will monitor the lands and water. Guardians will patrol the land to ensure it is kept clean and will conduct water-quality sampling and clean fish monitoring.

Project title: LKFN Guardians and Climate Change Monitoring Project
Recipient: Łı́ı́dlı̨́ı̨́ Kų́ę́ First Nation
Funding amount: $349,961
Project description: This two-year initiative aims to monitor the environmental impacts of climate change in the Dehcho Region of Northwest Territories. The initiative will include monitoring of various indicators, such as permafrost melt, riverbank slumping/erosion, and shifting species populations. Guardians will be equipped with specialized training to monitor erosion, permafrost conditions, observe melt patterns, and assess the depth of thaw. This crucial data collection is important to assess the changing landscape.

Project title: Sahtu K’aowe Guardians Project in Support of the Tsá Tué Biosphere Reserve
Recipient: Délįnę Got’įnę Government
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative supports monitoring of the Great Bear Lake and its watershed using two-eyed seeing methods (bridging western science and Indigenous Knowledge) for the conservation of biodiversity, ecological integrity, climate change adaptation, sustenance of local wildlife, and food security, as well as for cultural continuity and revitalization.

Ontario

Project title: Environmental Stewardship on Air Quality Issues for Aamjiwnaang First Nation
Recipient: Aamjiwnaang First Nation
Funding amount: $48,732
Project description: This one-year initiative will monitor the air, water, and land surrounding Aamjiwnaang First Nation (AFN) that has been impacted by industry development. Guardians will identify environmental monitoring gaps (for example, soil, water, air, fish, plants, and species at risk), develop plans for data collection, improve emergency notification, as well as community responses to petroleum refineries, chemical plants, and other industrial facilities in proximity to AFN.

Project title: Temagami First Nation Guardians
Recipient: Temagami First Nation
Funding amount: $451,000
Project description: This two-year initiative prioritizes water quality, species, and habitat protection; preservation of Indigenous wisdom; and data collection and monitoring. Guardians will be engaged in monitoring, recording, and reporting activities related to land use and environmental protection. Specific attention will be given to Lake Temagami, including monitoring ice huts, houseboats, shores, and more.

Project title: Atikameksheng Anishnawbek – Phase 2 – Monitoring of Atikameksheng Traditional Land
Recipient: Atikameksheng Anishnawbek
Funding amount: $347,263
Project description: This two-year initiative will help with the collection of maple sap during Sugar Moon and other food harvestings, which is provided to Elders and the Nations’ food bank. Guardians will monitor the lands, conduct field site inspections for proposed forestry cuts to ensure grandmother trees are protected, and complete daily field work sheets and site inspections that will provide important environmental information on spills, violations, and forestry cuts.

Project title: Anishinabek Traditional Ecological Guardians of Georgian Bay
Recipient: Magnetawan First Nation
Funding amount: $500,000
Project description: This two-year initiative supports land-based learning, knowledge transfer, and technical skills training on species at risk, species monitoring, data collections, and other land-management activities using the two-eyed seeing approach. The initiative will also help to strengthen capacity and sustainable management for other First Nation groups.

Project title: Charting the Path Ahead – Anishinaabe Aki Shkabewisag (Niiwin Wendaanimok Anishinaabe Guardians Network)
Recipient: Niiwin Wendaanimok Limited Partnership
Funding amount: $500,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will support four Anishinaabe Nations to mitigate and monitor compliance on development in the territory; increase capacity to care for lands, water, plants, and animals; and work collaboratively to identify individual needs and create personalized coaching and mentorship programs. The Anishinaabe Guardians will identify and protect areas of significance by interviewing Elders and knowledge keepers.

Project title: Ketegaunseebee Aki Guardians
Recipient: Garden River First Nation
Funding amount: $301,400
Project description: This two-year initiative will assist Garden River First Nation in monitoring and protecting the St. Marys River and the lands to uphold a treaty made with neighbouring Indigenous Nations. The initiative will focus on capacity-building, community engagement, and fieldwork including patrolling, monitoring species at risk and invasive species, and forestry.

Project title: Four Rivers Regional Guardians Network
Recipient: Matawa First Nations Management
Funding amount: $389,771
Project description: This two-year initiative focuses on environmental stewardship and capacity-building in nine Matawa First Nations. The Four Rivers Regional Guardian Network will engage in virtual and in-person networking to expand its knowledge and capacity, including cultural exchanges within the network.

Project title: Biinjitawaabik Zaaging Anishnaabek Community Guardians
Recipient: Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishnaabek Rocky Bay First Nation
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will implement sturgeon and mining site protocols, conduct environmental monitoring analysis, map the Lake Nipigon basin, and integrate the data into a geographic information system database.

Project title: The Height of Land Wakohtowin Guardian Program – Treaty No.9
Recipient: Wahkohtowin Development General Partnership Inc.
Funding amount: $499,300
Project description: This two-year initiative is designed to enhance traditional knowledge, practices, and way of life within the communities. Guardians will have first-hand experience in how ecosystem services and the conservation economy work.

Project title: The Neya Waban Guardian Program – Caretakers of the Land
Recipient: Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation
Funding amount: $349,650
Project description: This two-year initiative will gather crucial information that will support decision-making, identify quality habitat areas for wildlife, and develop management plans and protocols. The Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation will continue to conduct Algonquin knowledge-based data collection to further protect the lands, water, animals, and air for the eleven communities across Ontario and Quebec.

Project title: Mnisinoog (Warriors for the Bay): Shawanaga First Nation’s Guardians Program
Recipient: Shawanaga First Nation
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative focuses on improving aquatic life by using river monitors to sustain and protect the health of the river ecosystem. Aquatic stewardship takes precedence with creel surveys, wide-scale monitoring of waterbodies, and a detailed study on fish consumption.

Project title: Caldwell First Nation Land Guardian Program
Recipient: Caldwell First Nation
Funding amount: $345,840
Project description: This two-year initiative will focus on education, training, on-the-land learning with technical experts and knowledge holders, and listening sessions with the community. The Guardians will review class environmental assessments on behalf of Caldwell First Nation, monitor and participate in environmental projects in the Territory, and build multi-year capacity initiatives with emphasis on supporting the creation, development, and management of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas within traditional territory.

Prince Edward Island

Project title: Lennox Island First Nation Guardians Program
Recipient: Lennox Island First Nation
Funding amount: $346,800
Project description: This two-year initiative will help better manage, protect, and utilize the marine resources the community relies on. It will allow the Lennox Island watershed conservation group to participate in coastal erosion studies, take part in fisheries workshops (lobster-handling practices), a Black Ash reforestation project, and the development of a modernized solid-waste management plan.

Project title: Abegweit Guardians
Recipient: Abegweit First Nation
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative embodies a cultural and traditional approach to natural resource management. The initiative also includes data collection and monitoring, and focusing on the use of lands, waters, and resources on traditional territories, including cultural sites.

Quebec

Project title: Gardiens du Ndakina
Recipient: W8banaki
Funding amount: $500,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will support the sustainability of traditional practices of members of the Nation, protect their rights to access ancestral territory, and preserve cultural heritage. This initiative will create conservation spaces, share and transfer Indigenous Knowledge, mentor youth, engage with the community, and promote food sovereignty, as well as many other activities.

Project title: Pushing Forth: Taking the Pessamit Land Guardians to the Next Level
Recipient: Conseil des Innus de Pessamit
Funding amount: $349,550
Project description: This two-year initiative includes a team of six territorial agents, specializing in data collection, surveillance of the lands, and comprehensive inventories of biodiversity and ecosystem processes. The initiative will focus on monitoring and assessments, conducting an inventory of cultural sites, developing expertise in sampling, and community engagement and visibility.

Project title: Gardiens de territoire Abitibiwinnik
Recipient: Première Nation Abitibiwinni
Funding amount: $195,931
Project description: This two-year initiative will continue to train community members to conduct land surveillance and acquire new skills and knowledge from field work, utilizing both Indigenous Knowledge and western science. The initiative aims to document information acquired from Guardians’ activities, community members, and Elders.

Project title: Cumulative Effects Assessment of Chisasibi’s Intertidal Zones: Integrating Science, Tradition, and Stewardship
Recipient: Cree Nation of Chisasibi
Funding amount: $348,468
Project description: This two-year initiative will focus on integrating western science, Indigenous Knowledge, and stewardship to address key challenges in the Chisasibi community. The initiative will study the impact of development by reviewing existing research, mapping the community, analyzing vegetation, and collecting environmental samples. Additionally, it will build capacity through workshops and a mentorship initiative involving Kinwhapmaakins (Trapline Managers/Guardians). All data will be collected and combined into a detailed report on cumulative effects.

Project title: Gardiens Atikamekw de Manawan
Recipient: Conseil des Atikamekw de Manawan
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative will enhance the role of the Guardians in working with non-Indigenous land users and partners within the heart of the Nation and the community. This next phase focuses on being active on the land, collecting data, establishing an official community-recognized mandate, and increasing capacity and training, as well as strengthening the role of the Guardians within the community.

Project title: Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Nagadjitòdjig Guardian Initiative
Recipient: Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation
Funding amount: $594,020
Project description: This two-year initiative will monitor and inventory cultural keystone species, wild foods, and trees. The Guardians will provide water quality studies, identify culturally significant sites, and record videos to document traditional practices and activities.

Project title: Protection et participation à la mise en valeur de l’héritage Pekuakamiulnuatsh sur Nitassinan
Recipient: Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takuhikan
Funding amount: $49,995
Project description: This one-year initiative aims to ensure the protection and preservation of the territory while maintaining the well-being of the Nation’s community members as they conduct their Nation’s traditional activities. The Guardians play a crucial role in supporting the Nation’s community, in land surveillance, and accompanying community members onto the Nation’s land.

Project title: Essipiu Assinu Nakatuenitamu (celui qui prend soin du territoire d’Essipit)
Recipient: Conseil de la Première Nation des Innus Essipit
Funding amount: $246,308
Project description: This two-year initiative supports responsible governance and occupation of the Nation’s territory, land surveillance, and participation in community events, as well as collaboration on a variety of projects that encourage learning and skill development for Guardians and community members.

Project title: Nutshimiunnuat d’ITUM (gardiens du Nitassinan d’ITUM)
Recipient: Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-Utenam
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative consists of monitoring, protecting, and carrying out stewardship activities in the traditional territory of the Nation. Its objective is to ensure surveillance on the land and protection of the Nation, as well as contribute to studies and inventories on the impacts of climate change and industrial development within the territory.

Project title: Iakwatonhontsanónhnha (We All Mind Her, the Earth)
Recipient: Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke
Funding amount: $256,416
Project description: This two-year initiative will develop an Environmental Charter for the community, helping to define roles and responsibilities of Conservation Officers. It will also consult on a Rights of Nature approach to protect the St. Lawrence River.

Saskatchewan

Project title: File Hills Qu’Appelle Guardian Initiative
Recipient: File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council
Funding amount: $354,180
Project description: This two-year initiative will monitor and document the health of waterways, including water quality, medicines, and the condition of riverbanks, focusing specifically on the Lower Qu’Appelle River and Chain of Lakes. It will also work to revitalize language and land stewardship practices.

Project title: Monitoring and Protection of Athabasca Denesųłiné Nuhenéné in Saskatchewan
Recipient: Ya’thi Néné Land and Resource Office
Funding amount: $498,916
Project description: This two-year initiative will monitor lands and waters in Nuhenéné including Indigenous Protected Areas, caribou harvest areas, mineral exploration, and extraction activities. Guided by Elders, a focus of the Ya’thi Néné Lands and Resources’ Guardians is to connect youth back to the land and build future leaders in sustainable management practices.

Project title: The Birch Narrows Dene Nation Nuh Nene Strategic Plan
Recipient: Birch Narrows Dene Nation
Funding amount: $49,917
Project description: This one-year initiative will monitor the land, combining ancestral wisdom with modern ecological approaches. Strategic partnerships with neighbouring First Nations and partners, such as Tamarack Environmental Associates, NexGen Energy Ltd., and Fission Uranium Corp. will amplify the impact of conservation efforts. Through training, mentorship, and community engagement, the initiative will help the Nuh Nene Department in its goal of safeguarding cultural identity and the natural environment.

Project title: Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation Community-Based Guardians Initiative
Recipient: Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative aims to enhance capacity-building by training and employing youth to collect and analyze data about climate change and industrial impacts in the territory. Data will be used to draft a Land Use Management Plan to inform the Chief and Council’s decision-making on stewardship initiatives and habitat management to ensure sustainable sources of traditional food for the community.

Project title: Muskowekwan First Nation Community-Based Guardians Initiative
Recipient: Muskowekwan First Nation
Funding amount: $350,000
Project description: This two-year initiative aims to enhance capacity-building for community members to monitor and understand the impacts of climate change. This will provide youth with an opportunity to be trained in Indigenous Knowledge, western science, and climate and environmental monitoring practices, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing, participatory mapping, and knowledge gathering.

Yukon

Project title: Teechik Land Guardians: Nanh gwiinzii vik’ite’tri’giikhii (We Read the Land Well)
Recipient: Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
Funding amount: $349,333
Project description: This two-year initiative will operate a network of camera traps to monitor predator–prey interactions on the Old Crow winter road and conduct baseline fish and water sampling at the headwaters of the Porcupine River. The Guardian Coordinator will be tasked with organizing patrols, analyzing monitoring data, and preparing communication material for community members and leaders. This capacity-building will strengthen monitoring efforts by enabling the initiative to process more samples, improve use of camera data, and allow Guardians to establish an annual trapping camp to expand into furbearer monitoring.

MIL OSI Canada News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Global: CubeSats, the tiniest of satellites, are changing the way we explore the solar system

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mustafa Aksoy, Assistant Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University at Albany, State University of New York

Most CubeSats weigh less than a bowling ball, and some are small enough to hold in your hand. But the impact these instruments are having on space exploration is gigantic. CubeSats – miniature, agile and cheap satellites – are revolutionizing how scientists study the cosmos.

A standard-size CubeSat is tiny, about 4 pounds (roughly 2 kilograms). Some are larger, maybe four times the standard size, but others are no more than a pound.

As a professor of electrical and computer engineering who works with new space technologies, I can tell you that CubeSats are a simpler and far less costly way to reach other worlds.

Rather than carry many instruments with a vast array of purposes, these Lilliputian-size satellites typically focus on a single, specific scientific goal – whether discovering exoplanets or measuring the size of an asteroid. They are affordable throughout the space community, even to small startup, private companies and university laboratories.

Tiny satellites, big advantages

CubeSats’ advantages over larger satellites are significant. CubeSats are cheaper to develop and test. The savings of time and money means more frequent and diverse missions along with less risk. That alone increases the pace of discovery and space exploration.

CubeSats don’t travel under their own power. Instead, they hitch a ride; they become part of the payload of a larger spacecraft. Stuffed into containers, they’re ejected into space by a spring mechanism attached to their dispensers. Once in space, they power on. CubeSats usually conclude their missions by burning up as they enter the atmosphere after their orbits slowly decay.

Case in point: A team of students at Brown University built a CubeSat in under 18 months for less than US$10,000. The satellite, about the size of a loaf of bread and developed to study the growing problem of space debris, was deployed off a SpaceX rocket in May 2022.

A CubeSat can go from whiteboard to space in less than a year.

Smaller size, single purpose

Sending a satellite into space is nothing new, of course. The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 into Earth orbit back in 1957. Today, about 10,000 active satellites are out there, and nearly all are engaged in communications, navigation, military defense, tech development or Earth studies. Only a few – less than 3% – are exploring space.

That is now changing. Satellites large and small are rapidly becoming the backbone of space research. These spacecrafts can now travel long distances to study planets and stars, places where human explorations or robot landings are costly, risky or simply impossible with the current technology.

But the cost of building and launching traditional satellites is considerable. NASA’s lunar reconnaissance orbiter, launched in 2009, is roughly the size of a minivan and cost close to $600 million. The Mars reconnaissance orbiter, with a wingspan the length of a school bus, cost more than $700 million. The European Space Agency’s solar orbiter, a 4,000-pound (1,800-kilogram) probe designed to study the Sun, cost $1.5 billion. And the Europa Clipper – the length of a basketball court and scheduled to launch in October 2024 to the Jupiter moon Europa – will ultimately cost $5 billion.

These satellites, relatively large and stunningly complex, are vulnerable to potential failures, a not uncommon occurrence. In the blink of an eye, years of work and hundreds of millions of dollars could be lost in space.

NASA scientists prep the ASTERIA spacecraft for its April 2017 launch.
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Exploring the Moon, Mars and the Milky Way

Because they are so small, CubeSats can be released in large numbers in a single launch, further reducing costs. Deploying them in batches – known as constellations – means multiple devices can make observations of the same phenomena.

For example, as part of the Artemis I mission in November 2022, NASA launched 10 CubeSats. The satellites are now trying to detect and map water on the Moon. These findings are crucial, not only for the upcoming Artemis missions but to the quest to sustain a permanent human presence on the lunar surface. The CubeSats cost $13 million.

The MarCO CubeSats – two of them – accompanied NASA’s Insight lander to Mars in 2018. They served as a real-time communications relay back to Earth during Insight’s entry, descent and landing on the Martian surface. As a bonus, they captured pictures of the planet with wide-angle cameras. They cost about $20 million.

CubeSats have also studied nearby stars and exoplanets, which are worlds outside the solar system. In 2017, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory deployed ASTERIA, a CubeSat that observed 55 Cancri e, also known as Janssen, an exoplanet eight times larger than Earth, orbiting a star 41 light years away from us. In reconfirming the existence of that faraway world, ASTERIA became the smallest space instrument ever to detect an exoplanet.

Two more notable CubeSat space missions are on the way: HERA, scheduled to launch in October 2024, will deploy the European Space Agency’s first deep-space CubeSats to visit the Didymos asteroid system, which orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt.

And the M-Argo satellite, with a launch planned for 2025, will study the shape, mass and surface minerals of a soon-to-be-named asteroid. The size of a suitcase, M-Argo will be the smallest CubeSat to perform its own independent mission in interplanetary space.

The swift progress and substantial investments already made in CubeSat missions could help make humans a multiplanetary species. But that journey will be a long one – and depends on the next generation of scientists to develop this dream.

Mustafa Aksoy works for the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY) and the Research Foundation for SUNY. He receives funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

– ref. CubeSats, the tiniest of satellites, are changing the way we explore the solar system – https://theconversation.com/cubesats-the-tiniest-of-satellites-are-changing-the-way-we-explore-the-solar-system-226701

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Translation: Indigenous Guardian Projects 2024-2025

MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

Source: Government of Canada – in French 2

Today, Jaimee Gaunce, Executive Director of the First Nations National Guardians Network (FNGN), joined the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, and Marcus Powlowski, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay–Rainy River, to announce an investment of up to $27.6 million to support 80 First Nations Guardians initiatives.

Alberta

Project Title: Mikisew Cree First Nation Guardians ProgramRecipient: Mikisew Cree First Nation – Government and Industry RelationsFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This ongoing, two-year initiative will study how oil sands development, specifically bitumen extraction and hydroelectric projects, is affecting the health of the Peace-Athabasca Delta, the heart of the Mikisew’s traditional territory. Guardians work throughout the year to monitor water quality, collect data, detect flooding and monitor fish populations.

Project Title: Ni Ho Ghe Di – Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Guardians ProgramRecipient: Dene Land and Resource ManagementFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will monitor and report activities that may harm the ecology, traditional lands or traditional resources of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, such as poaching and illegal hunting on traditional territory, particularly to protect the Ronald Lake bison. The initiative will also help youth build cultural pride and connection to the land, as well as develop on-the-land skills.

Project Title: Guardians of the Land – Dene Tha’ First NationRecipient: Dene Tha’ First NationFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will include activities such as ecological restoration, support for resource management plans, and compliance with laws and regulations. Guardians will contribute to the protection and recovery of species at risk, manage land use in the proposed M’behcholia Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (Bistcho Lake, Alberta), and provide environmental and wildlife monitoring.

Project Title: Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation Guardians InitiativeRecipient: Alexis Nakota Sioux NationFunding Amount: $346,400Project Description: This two-year initiative will include conducting and analyzing aerial surveys, creating a Geographic Information System (GIS) data management and visualization system using RStudio and ArcPY, and continuing to develop the Stoney Lands and Waters course.

British Columbia

Project Title: Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Guardian Program EnhancementRecipient: Kitasoo Xai’xais NationFunding Amount: $604,925Project Description: This two-year initiative will focus on marine and terrestrial surveys, as well as compliance and enforcement practices that include education, observation and reporting. In addition, guardians participate in Coastal First Nations Coast Guard Auxiliary activities and receive training on emergency response to search and rescue and oil spills.

Project Title: Coastal Stewardship NetworkRecipient: Great Bear Initiative SocietyFunding Amount: $499,785Project Description: This two-year initiative provides programming to the eight member nations of the Great Bear Initiative of Coastal First Nations, who work directly with communities to support Guardians along the North and Central Coast and Haida Gwaii to monitor resource use and ecosystem health, provide training and professional development opportunities, raise awareness, and foster coastal stewardship.

Project Title: Songhees Nation Guardians ProgramRecipient: Songhees NationFunding Amount: $50,000Project Description: This one-year initiative continues work already begun with community members, band council and outside organizations to provide monitoring services, promote community stewardship and restore habitat areas. This initiative helps strengthen Indigenous presence on the water during fishing seasons as it is essential to establishing greater authority over fisheries and coastal resources on the land.

Project Title: Lower Nicola Indian Band – Indigenous Guardians Program – Tier 1Recipient: Lower Nicola Indian BandFunding Amount: $49,450Project Description: This one-year initiative aims to build capacity, skills and knowledge to implement a new Guardians Program in the community. This program will include mapping and indexing areas of the territory, consulting with Elders and Knowledge Keepers, community engagement, developing a plan and working with Chief and Council to ensure alignment of the vision and strategic plan.

Project Title: Mamalilikulla First Nation Guardian ProgramRecipient: Mamalilikulla First NationFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative includes ongoing activities where guardians will spend time in the field collecting data, monitoring cultural sites, managing grizzly bear populations, planting crabapple trees to feed the bears, and improving fisheries. This work will help Chief and Council make informed decisions.

Project Title: Wet’suwet’en First Nation Guardians Initiative: A Holistic ApproachRecipient: Wet’suwet’en First NationFunding Amount: $75,745Project Description: This one-year initiative will monitor and collect data on moose populations and mortality rates, assess wildlife habitat, install camera traps, and assess riparian areas. It will also explore the possibility of launching a water monitoring program in identified priority areas. These efforts will help the community observe and document activities or cumulative effects that impact their ability to practice their traditional way of life.

Project Title: Indigenous Guardians Proposal for Saulteau First NationsRecipient: Saulteau First NationsFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will support the community in taking the lead in monitoring, protecting and restoring lands and waters, which is essential to the health and well-being of the community. Activities include supporting healthy food harvesting, cultural activities, protecting Klinse-za Park, monitoring climate change and understanding how events such as wildfires affect the community, changes in weather patterns, and changes in animal movements and water availability.

Project Title: Saik’uz Guardians ProgramRecipient: Saik’uz First NationFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will build on the long-term monitoring efforts of the Saik’uz Guardians community-based initiative. Guardians will be guided by the wisdom of Indigenous knowledge and Western science, with the goal of empowering the Nation with respect to the water and land of the territory.

Project Title: P’egp’ig’lha GuardiansRecipient: P’egp’ig’lha Council/T’it’q’et First NationFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will conduct land patrols to monitor the health of the land and study wildlife and fisheries. Guardians play a vital role in protecting and restoring the Stein-Nahatlatch grizzly bear population, supporting wildfire recovery efforts, and strengthening collaboration with other guardian programs in the area.

Project Title: Pauquachin First Nation Marine Department – Stewardship InitiativeRecipient: Pauquachin First NationFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will monitor one of British Columbia’s busiest and most heavily used waterways. Guardians monitor culturally sensitive archaeological sites, harvest areas, recreational and commercial fisheries use, environmental threats (pollution sources, marine waste disposal, illegal activities and poaching), and conduct restoration work in designated areas of significance. This initiative represents the interests, concerns and goals of the community to ensure that waterways, foods, historic sites and cultural practices are sustained for generations to come.

Project Title: Takla Nation Guardians Initiative – Tier 2Recipient: Takla NationFunding Amount: $499,959Project Description: This ongoing initiative is monitoring over 30 sites on Takla lands and waters. This work is critical to the Takla’s ability to implement environmental and cultural protections, including ensuring that archaeological impact assessments conducted by various developers and government agencies are consistent with the Takla Archaeology Policy. It also builds capacity to monitor caribou and moose populations and supports the Guardians program by encouraging youth engagement in the community.

Project Title: Tsilhqot’in Guardians NetworkRecipient: Tsilhqot’in National GovernmentFunding Amount: $500,000Project Description: This two-year initiative, led by the Tsilhqot’in National Government in collaboration with six Tsilhqot’in communities – Xeni Gwet’in, Tlesqox, Tletinqox, Tsi Del Del, ?Esdilagh and Yunesit’in – aims to integrate and strengthen Tsilhqot’in values into the management of lands and waters in the region. In partnership with provincial and federal land and water management agencies, the Guardians will conduct hunting, fishing and fire prevention patrols, as well as wildlife and water monitoring research to ensure sustainable management of Tsilhqot’in territories.

Project Title: Quatsino Axsilaxa Ahwheatnagwusn Guardians ProgramRecipient: Quatsino First NationFunding Amount: $342,765Project Description: This two-year initiative will support the implementation of the Quatsino Land Use and Marine Resource Use Plan. This will be done through field work such as data collection and monitoring. These efforts will be critical to ecosystem restoration and food security through local harvesting of traditional foods.

Project Title: Nłeʔképmx GuardiansRecipient: Citxw Nlaka’pamux AssemblyFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will continue to build on-the-ground presence and awareness of Nłeʔképmx territory, protocols and cultural practices. Guardians will monitor and record activities on the land, focusing on priority areas identified by the Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly. These priority areas include hunting, fishing, gathering and other culturally significant areas. Nłeʔképmx Guardians will record, monitor and manage invasive species and contribute to research on species at risk on the territory.

Project Title: Supporting and Maintaining a Strong and Effective Heiltsuk Guardian ProgramRecipient: Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department of the Heiltsuk Tribal CouncilFunding Amount: $349,499Project Description: This two-year initiative will focus on building capacity, monitoring local aquatic ecosystems and community fisheries for safe operations, and supporting and restoring the vital relationship between people and the land.

Project Title: Haa Aaní Tulatín – Taku River Tlingit First Nation Land Guardians ProgramRecipient: Taku River Tlingit First NationFunding Amount: $349,600Project Description: This two-year initiative will address threats to the land and monitor salmon populations. The guardians will work to strengthen salmon stewardship by hosting multi-day camps that focus on traditional fishing, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and land monitoring.

Project Title: Spuzzum First Nation Land Guardians InitiativeRecipient: Spuzzum Indian BandFunding Amount: $50,020Project Description: This one-year initiative will focus on protecting important ecosystems by monitoring key territorial and cultural sites, collecting ecological data, and saving endangered species such as the Northern Spotted Owl. The guardians will also contribute to the development of a stewardship policy framework.

Project Title: Kwadacha First Nation Guardians Project – Level 2Recipient: Kwadacha First NationFunding Amount: $348,734Project Description: This two-year initiative will provide long-term ecological and cultural monitoring to track changes in key wildlife habitats, traditional food sources and water sources. This will provide an opportunity to discuss how potential changes may impact Dene roles and responsibilities on the land.

Project Title: Doig River First Nation Guardians ProgramRecipient: Doig River First NationFunding Amount: $349,188Project Description: This two-year initiative will focus on improving land and water monitoring by combining cultural methods and western science. Doig River First Nation Guardians will continue to monitor the health of the land, guided by their members, and will work collaboratively with government to address any impacts.

Project Title: Nahnéhé Gegenı́hı/Kakinawetakwow Uski/Fort Nelson First Nation Land Guardians InitiativeRecipient: Fort Nelson First NationFunding Amount: $375,000Project Description: This two-year initiative supports stewardship, land management and cultural activities on Fort Nelson First Nation territory. The initiative is informed by Western scientific monitoring and research, while drawing on Indigenous ways of knowing and understanding the health and condition of lands and waters.

Project Title: Scianew Guardians InitiativeRecipient: Beecher Bay First NationFunding Amount: $348,614Project Description: This two-year initiative will focus on environmental conservation and monitoring, guardian training, impact assessments, territorial sovereignty and maritime safety. This will be accomplished through partnerships with neighbouring nations, the Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) and Kotug Canada.

Project Title: Upper Similkameen Indian Band Land Guardians ProgramRecipient: Upper Similkameen Indian BandFunding Amount: $391,894Project Description: This two-year initiative aims to address critical environmental challenges while deeply integrating Indigenous knowledge, community engagement and sustainable practices. The Guardians initiative focuses on land conservation, sustainable resource management and building ecosystem resilience.

Project Title: Boothroyd Guardians Program ImplementationRecipient: Boothroyd Indian BandFunding Amount: $50,000Project Description: This one-year initiative will monitor environmental indicators on the land and support restoration work in areas damaged by wildfires and subsequent erosion. Boothroyd Guardians will work with land user groups to improve understanding and respect for the environment.

Project Title: TTQ Guardian Program Initiation ProjectRecipient: TTQ Economic Development CorporationFunding Amount: $62,533Project Description: This one-year initiative will collect and interpret previously recorded Xa’xtsa cultural knowledge data, map priority areas, and develop a monitoring plan. The goal is to observe changes in the supply of traditional herbs and plants, the frequency and impact of foraging on the territory, the vitality of salmon spawning, changes in unauthorized camping, and invasive plant and animal species.

Project Title: Wildfire Recovery MonitoringRecipient: Okanagan Indian BandFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will assess the condition of the White Rock Lake watershed before and after the wildfires on behalf of the Okanagan Indian Band. Guardians will conduct site assessments, inventory significant cultural resources, monitor wildlife, and assess the severity of fire damage to guide restoration efforts.

Project Title: Nanwakolas – Stewardship through Indigenous Scientific KnowledgeRecipient: Nanwakolas Council CorporationFunding Amount: $500,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will apply Kwakwaka’wakw values and Indigenous scientific knowledge to a variety of projects including loxiwe (clam garden) restoration, canoe carving, seasonal Guardian Gathering events, and data collection on water, wildlife monitoring, climate change studies, and emergency response planning.

Project Title: Continuing Implementation of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) Guardian Program InitiativeRecipient: Squamish Nation – Squamish Indian Band 555Funding Amount: $349,505Project Description: This two-year initiative will provide stewardship activities, respond to climate events and emergencies, and enhance public safety. Guardians will continue to be present on the land and learn from Elders, Knowledge Keepers and youth; and collaborate with other Nations to share information and build capacity across the national Guardian network.

Project Title: Guardians of the St’át’imc LandRecipient: St’at’imc Government ServicesFunding Amount: $425,180Project Description: This two-year initiative will focus on implementing the St’át’imc Water Agreement. It includes collecting baseline data on three intact watersheds and three impacted watersheds to assess water quality. Other activities include capacity building and examining stories and legends through workshops and research in collaboration with the Indigenous Law Research Unit.

Project Title: Nak’azdli Whut’en Yinka Huwunline (Caring) Guardian ProgramRecipient: Nak’azdli Whut’enFunding Amount: $349,942Project Description: This two-year initiative will develop geospatial mapping technology for Guardians to use in their monitoring activities. This will create open portals for communication while protecting internal data and cultural information. The project will use remote sensing technology to create “living maps” that will track seasonal phenology, quantify impacts, and provide informed stewardship engagements with industry, government, consultants, and academia.

Project Title: Yintah Guardians of Lake Babine NationRecipient: Lake Babine NationFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will lead the collaborative management of the Yintahs of Lake Babine Nation territory and resources of two key cultural species, talok (sockeye) and khida (moose), to restore moose populations to culturally significant levels, and support fish monitoring, habitat restoration and cooperative management.

Manitoba

Project Title: Seal River Watershed Alliance Land Guardian NetworkRecipient: Seal River Watershed AllianceFunding Amount: $500,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will hire 14 youth and Elders as Land Guardians across the four Alliance Nations. This initiative builds technical capacity and manages species and habitat identification, monitoring, protection, and watershed stewardship.

Project Title: Askiy Okanawaynichikaywuk – Guardians of the LandRecipient: York Factory First Nation Funding Amount: $349,860Project Description: This two-year initiative will maintain trails, monitor cultural and historical sites, observe changes in the land, and support respectful land use. Guardians will provide a visible presence, conduct community outreach, participate in on-the-ground activities, and help guide Council decisions on land use, stewardship, and protection.

Project Title: Pimachiowin Aki First Nations Guardians NetworkRecipient: Pimachiowin Aki CorporationFunding Amount: $499,615Project Description: This two-year initiative will focus on monitoring the seasonal walleye fishery, all-season road design, wildfire management, and climate change adaptation and mitigation. Guardians provide a professional presence and expertise in Pimachiowin Aki, expressing their belonging to the Anishinaabe Nation, filling gaps in the provincial information management system and patrols, and conducting year-round monitoring activities.

Project Title: SCOB Regional First Nations Guardians NetworkRecipient: Southern Chiefs’ Organization Inc.Funding Amount: $500,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will focus on strengthening Indigenous jurisdiction over their traditional lands, developing capacity, training and skills in environmental monitoring and management, and promoting cooperation and collaboration among communities on natural resource stewardship and management issues.

Project Title: Swan Lake First Nation Indigenous Guardians Land, Water and Nature Stewardship InitiativeRecipient: Swan Lake First NationFunding Amount: $349,285Project Description: This two-year initiative, in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, will continue to assess and reseed revegetation terraces if necessary, monitor water quality from the tile drainage structure, and monitor animal and pollinator populations. The data collected will help understand the success of this project in reducing nutrient pollution and improving ecosystems.

New Brunswick

Project Title: Amlamgog Earth GuardiansRecipient: Fort Folly First NationFunding Amount: $321,411Project Description: This two-year initiative will expand and enhance an existing salmon recovery initiative. This initiative will focus on monitoring flora and fauna, in accordance with the traditional guiding principle of “Etuaptmumk” (two-eyed vision).

Project Title: Wotstak First Nation Guardians Initiative – Tier 1Recipient: Woodstock First NationFunding Amount: $50,000Project Description: This one-year initiative will collect data and monitor the ecosystem, drawing on the knowledge of Woodstock First Nation’s Indigenous traditions of conservation, with the goal of developing a land use plan.

Project Title: Elugweieg Toqwe’gig ugjit Ugs’tqamu aq ugjit Sapo’nug (We work together for the land and for tomorrow)Recipient: Esgenoôpetitj Watershed AssociationFunding Amount: $349,923Project Description: This two-year initiative will expand monitoring and governance of the Esgenoôpetitj aquatic environment, led by Esgenoôpetitj First Nation Fishery Guardians, in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada enforcement staff, as part of the management, conservation and protection of fisheries in areas most frequented by the community.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Project Title: Innu Nation Guardians ProgramRecipient: Innu Nation – Environment and Parks OfficesFunding Amount: $700,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will integrate the Innu (Natuashish) communities of Sheshatshiu and Mushuau Innu through environmental stewardship and cultural preservation. The initiative will focus on five objectives: the creation of additional guardian positions, technical and safety training, the organization of youth workshops on knowledge transfer, the purchase of necessary equipment, and the development of cultural initiatives to maintain and promote Innu traditions and ecological knowledge.

Nova Scotia

Project Title: Reconnecting Our People with the LandBeneficiary: Eskasoni Fish

Project Title: Nova Scotia Land Guardians Network/Nuji kelo’toqatijikRecipient: Unama’ki Institute of the Natural Resources SocietyFunding Amount: $500,000Project Description: This two-year initiative involves collecting and sharing Indigenous knowledge, promoting Netukulimk hunting practices, monitoring and data collection including designating areas suitable for cultural activities, harvesting medicinal plants, monitoring species at risk, and education and awareness of culturally significant species.

Northwest Territories

Project Title: Ni hat’ni Dene (“Keepers of the Land”)Recipient: Lutsel K’e Dene First NationFunding Amount: $349,600Project Description: This two-year initiative is part of a long-term mandate to promote Thaidene Nene stewardship, working full-time as guardians of the land, water and animals, and as ambassadors of the Dene way of life, and welcoming visitors. Initiatives include protecting Bathurst caribou, sharing cultural knowledge with youth, and protecting food security.

Project Title: Deninu Kue First Nation GuardiansRecipient: Deninu Kue First NationFunding Amount: $333,055Project Description: This two-year initiative will monitor the land and waters. Guardians will patrol the territory to ensure it remains clean and will conduct water quality sampling and fish cleanliness monitoring.

Project Title: Łı́ı́dlı̨́ı̨́ Kų́ę́ First Nation Guardians and Climate Change Monitoring ProjectRecipient: Łı́ı́dlı̨́ı̨́ Kų́ę́ First NationFunding Amount: $349,961Project Description: This two-year initiative aims to monitor the impacts of climate change on the environment in the Dehcho region of the Northwest Territories. The initiative will include monitoring a variety of indicators such as permafrost thaw, streambank subsidence/erosion, and species population shifts. Guardians will receive specialized training in monitoring erosion and permafrost conditions, observing thaw patterns, and assessing thaw depth. This data collection is essential to assess the evolution of the landscape.

Project Title: Sahtu K’aowe Guardians Project for Tsá Tué Biosphere ReserveRecipient: Délįnę Got’įnę GovernmentFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative supports monitoring of Great Bear Lake and its watershed using the “Two-Eyed Seeing Approach” (uniting Western science and Indigenous knowledge) to ensure biodiversity conservation, ecological integrity, climate change adaptation, local wildlife subsistence, food security, and the continuity and revitalization of cultural practices.

Ontario

Project Title: Environmental Stewardship of Air Quality Issues for Aamjiwnaang First NationRecipient: Aamjiwnaang First NationFunding Amount: $48,732Project Description: This one-year initiative will monitor the air, water and lands surrounding Aamjiwnaang First Nation that have been impacted by industrial development. Guardians will identify environmental monitoring gaps (soil, water, air, fish, plants and endangered species), develop data collection plans, and improve emergency notifications and community responses to oil refineries, chemical plants and other industrial facilities located near Aamjiwnaang First Nation.

Project Title: Temagami First Nation GuardiansRecipient: Temagami First NationFunding Amount: $451,000Project Description: This two-year initiative focuses on water quality, species and habitat protection, preserving Indigenous wisdom, data collection and monitoring. Guardians will participate in tracking, recording and reporting activities related to land use and environmental protection. Special attention will be paid to Lake Temagami, including monitoring ice fishing huts, houseboats, shorelines and more.

Project Title: Atikameksheng Anishnawbek – Phase 2 – Monitoring the Atikameksheng Traditional TerritoryRecipient: Atikameksheng AnishnawbekFunding Amount: $347,263Project Description: This two-year initiative will collect maple sap during the sugar moon and harvest other food items, which will be distributed to Elders and the Nations Food Bank. Guardians will monitor the land, conduct field inspections for proposed logging operations to ensure that Grandmother Trees are protected, and complete daily field worksheets and site inspections that will provide important environmental information on spills, violations, and logging operations.

Project Title: Anishinabek Traditional Ecological Guardians of Georgian BayRecipient: Magnetawan First NationFunding Amount: $500,000Project Description: This two-year initiative supports on-the-ground learning, knowledge transfer and technical skills training on species at risk, species monitoring, data collection and other land management activities using the “Two-Eyed Seeing Approach”. The initiative will also help build sustainable management capacity in other First Nations groups.

Project Title: Charting the Path Ahead – Anishinaabe Aki Shkabewisag (Niiwin Wendaanimok Anishinaabe Guardians Network)Recipient: Niiwin Wendaanimok Limited PartnershipFunding Amount: $500,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will support four Anishinaabe Nations to mitigate and monitor development compliance on the land, increase their capacity to care for land, water, plants and animals, and collaborate to identify individual needs and create customized support and mentorship programs. Anishinaabe Guardians will identify and protect important areas through consultation with Elders and Knowledge Keepers.

Project Title: Ketegaunseebee Aki GuardiansRecipient: Garden River First NationFunding Amount: $301,400Project Description: This two-year initiative will help Garden River First Nation monitor and protect the St. Mary’s River and lands in fulfillment of a treaty with neighbouring Indigenous nations. The initiative will focus on capacity building, community engagement and on-the-ground work, including species at risk, invasive species and logging monitoring patrols.

Project Title: Four Rivers Regional Guardians NetworkRecipient: Matawa First Nations ManagementFunding Amount: $389,771Project Description: This two-year initiative focuses on environmental stewardship and capacity building in nine Matawa First Nations. The Four Rivers Regional Guardians Network will participate in virtual and in-person networking events to expand their knowledge and capacity, including cultural exchanges within the network.

Project Title: Biinjitawaabik Zaaging Anishnaabek Community GuardiansRecipient: Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishnaabek First Nation of Rocky BayFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will implement sturgeon and mine site protocols, conduct environmental monitoring analyses, map the Lake Nipigon basin and compile the data into a geographic information system database.

Project Title: The Height Of Land Wakohtowin Guardians Program – Treaty 9Recipient: Wahkohtowin Development General Partnership INC.Funding Amount: $499,300Project Description: This two-year initiative aims to strengthen traditional knowledge, practices and lifestyles within communities. Guardians will have first-hand experience in the functioning of ecosystem services and the economics of conservation.

Project Title: Neya Waban Guardians Program – Guardians of the LandRecipient: Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First NationFunding Amount: $349,650Project Description: This two-year initiative will gather critical information for decision-making, identify areas of quality wildlife habitat, and develop management plans and protocols. The Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation will continue to collect data based on Algonquin knowledge to better protect the land, water, animals and air of the eleven communities in Ontario and Quebec.

Project Title: Mnisinoog (Warriors for the Bay): Shawanaga First Nation Guardians ProgramRecipient: Shawanaga First NationFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative focuses on enhancing aquatic life, using river monitors to maintain and protect the health of the river ecosystem. Aquatic stewardship is a priority, through catch surveys, large-scale monitoring of water bodies, and a detailed study of fish consumption.

Project Title: Caldwell First Nation Land Guardians ProgramRecipient: Caldwell First NationFunding Amount: $345,840Project Description: This two-year initiative will focus on education, training, on-the-ground learning with technical experts and knowledge holders, and listening sessions with the community. The Guardians will review classroom environmental assessments on behalf of Caldwell First Nation, monitor and participate in environmental projects on the land, and implement multi-year capacity building initiatives, with a focus on supporting the creation, development and management of Indigenous protected and conserved areas on their traditional territory.

Prince Edward Island

Project Title: Lennox Island First Nation Guardians ProgramRecipient: Lennox Island First NationFunding Amount: $346,800Project Description: This two-year initiative will help better manage, protect and utilize the marine resources that the community relies on. It will allow the Lennox Island Watershed Conservation Group to participate in coastal erosion studies, fisheries workshops (lobster handling practices), a black ash reforestation project and the development of a modernized solid waste management plan.

Project Title: Guardians of AbegweitRecipient: Abegweit First NationFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative embodies a cultural and traditional approach to natural resource management. The initiative also includes data collection and monitoring, with a focus on land, water and resource use on traditional territories, including cultural sites.

Quebec

Project Title: Guardians of the NdakinaRecipient: W8banakiFunding Amount: $500,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will support the sustainability of traditional practices of members of the Nation, protect their rights of access to ancestral territories and preserve cultural heritage. This initiative will create conservation spaces, share and transmit Indigenous knowledge, mentor youth, consult the community, promote food sovereignty and many other activities.

Project Title: Moving Forward: Taking Pessamit’s Land Guardians to the Next LevelRecipient: Conseil des Innus de PessamitFunding Amount: $349,550Project Description: This two-year initiative involves a team of six territorial agents specializing in data collection, land monitoring, and comprehensive inventories of biodiversity and ecosystem processes. The initiative will focus on monitoring and assessments, conducting an inventory of cultural sites, developing sampling expertise, and community engagement and visibility.

Project Title: Abitibiwinnik Land GuardiansRecipient: Abitibiwinni First NationFunding Amount: $195,931Project Description: This two-year initiative will continue to train community members in land monitoring and develop new skills and knowledge through fieldwork that uses both Indigenous knowledge and Western science. The initiative aims to document information gathered through the activities of guardians, community members and elders.

Project Title: Chisasibi Intertidal Cumulative Impact Assessment: Integrating Science, Tradition and StewardshipRecipient: Chisasibi Cree NationFunding Amount: $348,468Project Description: This two-year initiative will focus on integrating western science, Indigenous knowledge and stewardship to address key challenges in the Chisasibi community. The initiative will study the impact of land use planning by reviewing existing research, mapping the community, analyzing vegetation and collecting environmental samples. In addition, it will build capacity through workshops and a mentoring initiative involving the Kinwhapmaakins (trapkeepers/managers). All data will be collected and combined into a detailed cumulative effects report.

Project Title: Atikamekw Guardians of ManawanRecipient: Atikamekw Council of ManawanFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative will strengthen the role of Guardians in working with non-Indigenous land users and partners within the Nation and community. The next phase will focus on field activity, data collection, establishing a formal mandate recognized by the community, capacity building and training, and strengthening the role of Guardians within the community.

Project Title: Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Nagadjitòdjig Guardians InitiativeRecipient: Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First NationFunding Amount: $594,020Project Description: This two-year initiative will monitor and inventory key cultural species, wild foods and trees. Guardians will conduct water quality studies, identify sites of cultural significance and record videos to document traditional practices and activities.

Project Title: Protection and Participation in the Development of Pekuakamiulnuatsh Heritage on NitassinanRecipient: Pekuakamiulnuatsh TakuhikanFunding Amount: $49,995Project Description: This one-year initiative aims to ensure the protection and preservation of the territory, while maintaining the well-being of the members of the Nation community, as they carry out the traditional activities of their Nation. Guardians play a crucial role in supporting the Nation community, monitoring the lands and accompanying community members on Nation lands.

Project Title: Essipiu Assinu Nakatuenitamu (He who takes care of the territory of Essipit)Recipient: Council of the Innu Essipit First NationFunding Amount: $246,308Project Description: This two-year initiative supports responsible governance and occupation of the Nation’s territory, land monitoring, participation in community events, and collaboration on various projects that encourage learning and skills development for guardians and community members.

Project Title: Nutshimiunnuat d’ITUM (Guardians of the Nitassinan d’ITUM)Beneficiary: Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-UtenamFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative involves monitoring, protection and stewardship activities on the Nation’s traditional territory. Its objective is to ensure monitoring of the territory and protection of the Nation, as well as to contribute to studies and inventories on the impacts of climate change and industrial development on the territory.

Project Title: Iakwatonhontsanónhnha – We all mind her, the EarthRecipient: Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:keFunding Amount: $256,416Project Description: This two-year initiative will develop a community environmental charter that will help define the roles and responsibilities of conservation officers. It will also provide an opportunity to consult on a “Rights of Nature” approach to protecting the St. Lawrence River.

Saskatchewan

Project Title: File Hills Qu’Appelle Guardians InitiativeRecipient: File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal CouncilFunding Amount: $354,180Project Description: This two-year initiative will monitor and document stream health, including water quality, medicinal plants, and bank conditions, particularly on the lower Qu’Appelle River and its chain of lakes. It will also revitalize language and land stewardship practices.

Project Title: Monitoring and Protection of Athabasca Denesųłiné Nuhenéné in SaskatchewanRecipient: Ya’thi Néné Lands and Resources OfficeFunding Amount: $498,916Project Description: This two-year initiative will monitor the lands and waters of Nuhenéné, including Indigenous protected areas, caribou hunting areas, and mining and prospecting activities. Guided by Elders, Ya’thi Néné Land and Resource Guardians are working to reconnect youth to the land and train future leaders in sustainable management practices.

Project Title: Birch Narrows Dene Nation Nuh Nene Strategic PlanRecipient: Birch Narrows Dene NationFunding Amount: $49,917Project Description: This one-year initiative will monitor the land, combining ancestral wisdom and modern ecological approaches. Strategic partnerships with neighbouring First Nations and partners such as Tamarack Environmental Associates, Nexgen Energy Ltd. and Fission Uranium Corp. will amplify the impact of conservation efforts. Through training, mentoring and community engagement, the initiative will help the Nuh Nene Department achieve its goal of safeguarding cultural identity and the natural environment.

Project Title: Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation Community Guardians InitiativeRecipient: Pheasant Rump Nakota First NationFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative aims to build capacity by training and employing youth to collect and analyze data on climate change and industry impacts on the land. The data will be used to develop a land use plan to inform Chief and Council decision-making on stewardship and habitat management initiatives to ensure sustainable sources of traditional foods for the community.

Project Title: Muskowekwan First Nation Community Guardians InitiativeRecipient: Muskowekwan First NationFunding Amount: $350,000Project Description: This two-year initiative aims to build the capacity of community members to monitor and understand the impacts of climate change. Youth will have the opportunity to receive training in Indigenous knowledge, Western science, climate and environmental monitoring practices including geographic information systems and remote sensing, participatory mapping and knowledge gathering.

Yukon

Project Title: Teechik Land Guardians: Nanh gwiinzii vik’ite’tri’giikhii/We read the land wellRecipient: Vuntut Gwitchin First NationFunding Amount: $349,333Project Description: This two-year initiative will operate a camera trap network to monitor predator-prey interactions on the Old Crow Winter Road and conduct baseline fish and water sampling at the headwaters of the Porcupine River. The Guardian Coordinator will be responsible for organizing patrols, analyzing monitoring data, and preparing communications materials for community members and leaders. This capacity building will strengthen monitoring efforts by enabling the initiative to process more samples, improve the use of camera data, and enable keepers to establish an annual trapping camp to extend monitoring to furbearers.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL Translation OSI

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Translation: Government of Canada supports health sciences SMEs to create new health technologies

MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

Source: Government of Canada – in French

Press release

Canada’s health sciences innovation sector continues to play a leading role in developing innovative ideas and products that will support a better, healthier future. The Government of Canada is providing businesses and organizations in this vital sector with the support they need to deliver effective health solutions for Canadians.

Government of Canada invests in specialized program that will help 75 southern Ontario health sciences SMEs

September 27, 2024 – Hamilton, Ontario

Canada’s health sciences innovation sector continues to play a leading role in developing innovative ideas and products that will support a better, healthier future. The Government of Canada is providing businesses and organizations in this vital sector with the support they need to deliver effective health solutions for Canadians.

Yesterday, the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), attended the 14th edition of the LiONS LAIR presentation competition organized by Innovation Factory. More than 400 members of Hamilton’s life sciences ecosystem came together to celebrate innovation in the Hamilton-Halton region.

At the event, Minister Tassi announced a Government of Canada investment of over $5 million to enable Innovation Factory, in collaboration with the Synapse Life Sciences Consortium, to support the continued delivery of the Southern Ontario Pharmaceutical and Health Innovation Ecosystem (SOPHIE) program, the period for receiving applications launched yesterday. The program will help up to 75 southern Ontario SMEs commercialize their products and scale their operations. Participating companies will have access to mentoring and advisory services, seed funding and new partnerships. This critical work will help accelerate their product development and anchor health sciences companies in southern Ontario.

This project aligns with the Government of Canada’s priority to support new growth opportunities in this important sector. Innovators and organizations that create health care technologies help protect the health of Canadians, while strengthening Canada’s health sciences sector and creating new job opportunities in Canada.

Quotes

“Innovation Factory is undertaking important work that will support the expansion and development of 75 SMEs, while helping to anchor health sciences companies here in Canada. Today’s investment demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to supporting health sciences innovators and ensuring a healthier future for Canadians.” – The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

“The renewal of funding for Innovation Factory’s SOPHIE program is a testament to the remarkable impact it has had on Ontario’s health sciences sector over the past several years. This continued support from the Government of Canada allows us to build on that success, fostering innovation, job creation and the global competitiveness of the health sciences industry. We look forward to seeing SOPHIE continue to transform the landscape for health sciences entrepreneurs and strengthen Ontario’s position as a hub for health innovation.” – David Carter, President and CEO, Innovation Factory

Quick Facts

Innovation Factory is a non-profit business accelerator that has been acting as a catalyst for technological innovation in the Brant, Halton, Hamilton and Norfolk regions since 2010.

Innovation Factory provides business services, training, mentoring and strategic relationships to drive market adoption, leverage intellectual property and increase revenue, investment and jobs. Innovators can also access sector-specific resources, including smart transportation data and testing environments, as well as a formal health and health sciences innovation ecosystem.

FedDev Ontario previously provided an investment of $7 million to Innovation Factory to implement the first call for applications for the SOPHIE program. To date, through SOPHIE, 166 innovative Ontario health sciences start-ups and scale-up companies in the health, medical device and pharmaceutical sectors have received support to develop and commercialize new products and services.

Applications for the SOPHIE program are currently being accepted. Additional details regarding the program and the application process are available on the SOPHIE website.Innovation Factory

Since 2015, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has invested more than $237 million in 58 projects in the life sciences sector, supporting more than 7,700 jobs.

Related links

Contact persons

Edward HutchinsonPress SecretaryOffice of the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern OntarioEdward.hutchinson@feddevontario.gc.ca

FedDev Ontario Media Relationsmedia@feddevontario.gc.ca

Stay connected:

FedDev-Ontario.Canada.ca

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Subscribe to the FedDev Ontario newsletter, Southern Ontario Economic News, which features news and updates on economic development in the region.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL Translation OSI

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Russia: Digest

MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

Last week, a representative delegation of the rector’s office of the State University of Management made a working trip to the southern regions of Russia, visiting Rostov-on-Don and the Donetsk People’s Republic. Meanwhile, our experts turned their attention to the increase in pensions, fines for dangerous driving and car prices after October 1. Also, the curious reader is invited to read about emotional intelligence, cash flow gap, principles of the Scrum management methodology, methods of counteracting high inflation and find out in which countries of the world it is the lowest.

— Director of the Institute of Economics and Finance of the State University of Management Galina Sorokina recalled the increase in pensions for Russians over 80 years old from October 1. “This form of social support for long-livers is important, since with age, more funds are needed for medicines and help with the household, especially since people over 80 in Russia make up about 3.6% of the total population,” the expert noted. — Also, from October 1, military pensions will be indexed, which Galina Sorokina also reminds about. She listed the categories of citizens who are considered military pensioners: former military personnel, persons who served in the Internal Affairs Directorate, the State Fire Service, the National Guard and other categories, including family members of deceased military personnel. — Galina Sorokina also told what the minimum wage will be in 2025. “The amount of the subsistence minimum depends on the region and the population group – the working-age population, children and pensioners. Regions can also set their own minimum wage, which, however, should not be lower than the Russian average,” explains the economist.

— Associate Professor of the Department of Economic Policy and Economic Measurements of the Institute of Economics and Finance of the State University of Management Maxim Chirkov appreciated the initiative to pay Russian pensioners the 13th pension. “From my point of view, such an initiative is quite realistic. Although inflation remains quite high, it has begun to decline. Therefore, increasing the incomes of pensioners becomes a top priority, since they are often the most vulnerable part of Russian society,” the economist said.
— Maxim Chirkov also explained why in Russia they want to limit online installment payments. “If these restrictions are not in place, it turns out that the established institutions that are supposed to limit citizens’ risks, including credit risks, may turn out to be useless and the risks will increase,” the expert explained.
— Maxim Chirkov also outlined the relationship between inflation and public sector salaries. “The Russian economy is growing sharply in the areas of IT, finance, manufacturing, including manufacturing, and others. Under these conditions, civil servants may leave their jobs to take high-paying jobs. Therefore, it is necessary to raise salaries for public sector employees and compare them not with inflation, but with the growth of the average salary in the country,” explained Maxim Chirkov.
— In addition, Maxim Chirkov commented on Putin’s statement about working on the creation of a BRICS payment circuit. “The creation of such a system is a logical continuation of the move away from the dollar, financial systems and organizations that have centers in Western countries. Of course, an analogue of SWIFT will be created, that is, a system of interbank transfers, payment systems for individuals using plastic cards,” Chirkov said.

— Head of the Department of World Economy and International Economic Relations at the State University of Management Evgeny Smirnov made assumptions about the purposes of the proposed visit of IMF representatives to Russia. “Considering that the IMF is considered a “pro-Western” organization, the visit may also be connected with an attempt to obtain data on the net income Russia receives from participation in international trade by publishing statistics on the external sector,” the expert suspects.

— Director of the Russian Center for Socio-Economic and Political Research of China at the State University of Management Fanis Sharipov commented on the Moscow BRICS Forum and Symposium on Public Administration. The expert noted that the BRICS association is committed to supporting sustainable development and mutually beneficial cooperation. “The West does not agree to give up its positions. But the world is entering a new era of global economic relations, where the role of the East and the South is growing,” said Fanis Sharipov.

— Associate Professor of the Department of Institutional Economics of the State University of Management Svetlana Sazanova named the countries with the lowest inflation over the past year. These are China (-0.1%), Switzerland (1.6%), Saudi Arabia (2%), Spain (2.6%), and the Netherlands (3%). “Creeping inflation, within 10%, even has a stimulating effect on the economy, because producers, as a rule, perceive such price increases as increased demand for their products and, in response, increase their production,” the economist notes. — Svetlana Sazanova also explained the reasons for the growth of the Russian economy. In general, economic growth in Russia in 2024 cannot be considered to be caused only by defense orders and an increase in the money supply in the hands of the population. It is also caused by its structural restructuring: an increase in the share of the manufacturing industry and related industries,” the expert is convinced. — Svetlana Sazanova and Associate Professor of the Department of Institutional Economics of the State University of Management Konstantin Andrianov discussed what awaits the United States as a result of the growth of the national debt. “The issue of solving the national debt problem will be postponed until the next president. At the moment, the US debt is about 120% of GDP, which significantly limits the possibilities for stimulating the economy with the help of budget and tax policy,” noted Svetlana Sazanova. “Countries have begun to withdraw their foreign exchange reserves and gold from American depositories, which could lead to a collapse of the dollar exchange rate. The scale of this fall is difficult to predict, but it could be multiple,” said Konstantin Andrianov.

— Associate Professor of the Department of Institutional Economics of the State University of Management and expert of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation Konstantin Andrianov discussed possible changes in exchange rates after the lifting of sanctions. “At the moment, it is impossible to predict the exact value of the dollar after the sanctions are lifted. We don’t even know when these sanctions will be lifted. Sanctions are in the hands of countries guided by anti-Russian policies, and their political elites are gripped by Russophobia,” the expert said.
— Konstantin Andrianov also named the reasons and methods of countering high inflation in Russia. “Since mid-summer, the exchange rate of our national currency has fallen by 7% against the dollar and euro, and by 8% against the yuan, although nothing negative has happened in the economy. This significantly affects the level of inflation; for stable prices we need a stable ruble,” the economist said.
— In addition, Konstantin Andrianov assessed the extension of sanctions against the Moscow Exchange. “If the ruble has successfully withstood the sanctions against the Moscow Exchange adopted in June of this year, then it is unlikely that anything else from the outside can become more or less a serious threat for it,” the expert is sure.
— Konstantin Andrianov and Deputy Director of the IFE GUM Valeria Ivanova also predicted changes in the euro exchange rate in the event of some countries leaving the EU. “A sharp collapse in the exchange rate is possible due to the loss of investor confidence in the euro as a stable currency. Also, a sharp collapse is possible, especially if the exit of these countries becomes a signal for others, which will lead to a chain reaction,” noted Valeria Ivanova. Konstantin Andrianov notes that the situation in the eurozone remains extremely unstable. Against the background of the refusal of Germany and other EU countries from Russian energy resources, macroeconomic problems began to intensify in many European countries, including France and Italy.

— Associate Professor of the Department of Transport Complex Management at the State University of Management Artem Merenkov warned about the increase in prices for cars from October 1. “There is a stock of cars at old prices. That is, this will definitely not be a momentary adjustment. Nevertheless, we can say that a price increase of 5-10% is possible before the end of the year,” the expert believes. — Artem Merenkov also assessed the State Duma’s decision to increase the fine for dangerous driving to 5,000 rubles from October 1. “Whether it will help or not is a matter of time and a combination of actions. Such measures work in a complex. If we look at the data from the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, we will see that the number of accidents on the roads is decreasing, that is, systematic work definitely yields results,” the specialist said.

— Professor of the Department of Accounting, Auditing and Taxation of the State University of Management Olga Ageeva told how to determine the profit and loss of a business. “The amount of net profit for the period indicates the same growth in the company’s net assets. In turn, net loss is associated with their decrease by the same amount. And as is known, net assets are what will remain to the owners in the event of liquidation of the enterprise,” the expert noted.

— Associate Professor of the Department of Economic Policy and Economic Measurements of the State University of Management Natalia Kazantseva reported on the crisis in the area of family mortgages. “The funds allocated from the state budget to support family mortgages have almost been exhausted. Many banks have already stopped accepting orders for their registration, the remaining limits are not enough for its rapid development. This means that the real estate market will have to survive in the current market conditions, where the price of housing is determined by its laws,” the expert noted. — Natalia Kazantseva also spoke about what a cash gap is and how to avoid it. “Daily monitoring of cash balances at the beginning of the day, receipts and expenses will help to avoid a cash gap, this advice is especially relevant for small and medium-sized enterprises. It is important to use electronic document management and negotiate with suppliers, apply installment and deferment tools,” the economist advises.

— Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor of the State University of Management Svetlana Grishaeva commented on the State Duma initiative to ban childfree propaganda. “Childfree propaganda forms attitudes towards childlessness, the less such propaganda and such movements there are, the more likely it is that attitudes towards childlessness will decrease. Children and teenagers are easily influenced by something new, so movements like childfree have imitators and followers,” the psychologist said. — Svetlana Grishaeva also explained in detail what emotional intelligence is. “It is the ability to understand the emotions of other people and the ability to control your feelings. But to control is not the same as not to experience, so you should not think that a low-emotional person has a high level of EI, because emotions are our helpers in many situations,” the expert noted.

— Senior lecturer of the HR department of the State University of Management Ekaterina Illarionova spoke about the principles of the Scrum management methodology. “The peculiarity of Scrum is that the team works on only one product. This is more expensive than the typical assignment of one specialist to several projects, but this is a story from the series about the stingy who pays twice,” the expert says.

— Vladimir Popov, Associate Professor of the Department of Private Law at the State University of Management, commented on the new fine from the Ministry of Transport for carrying foreign objects while driving. The Associate Professor believes that this could create problems for drivers. “After all, if a driver eats or drinks while driving, he is also distracted, which increases the likelihood of an accident, but I do not propose banning such behavior yet,” the expert noted.

— Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor of the State University of Management Viktor Titov discusses the possibilities of reconciliation between Iran and Israel. “Firstly, a very strong argument “for” a partial easing of the Iranian-Israeli confrontation is the fatigue of Israeli society: both from the war that began in October 2023 and from the long-term, virtually permanent confrontation with the Islamic world,” the expert believes.

These are the topics covered by the experts of the State University of Management this week. Conclusions later, and now let’s run to the anniversary final of the State University of Management KVN League!

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 09/27/2024

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Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Digest

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL OSI Russia News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: A fiery end to ESA’s Cluster satellite Salsa
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Earlier this month ESA’s satellite ‘Salsa’ landed in the South Pacific. Learn more about how NSpOC tracks re-entries from space using Salsa as a case study.
An artist’s impression of a Cluster spacecraft breaking apart during reentry. Credit: ESA/David Ducross

As space becomes increasingly crowded with operational satellites and space debris, monitoring satellite re-entries is crucial for helping to ensure the safety of people and property on Earth.

The National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC) plays a key role in this effort through our re-entry tracking and early warning capability, which monitors re-entry incidents and where relevant provides warnings to response agencies to minimise any associated risk to the UK or the UK Overseas Territories.

On 8 September 2024, The European Space Agency (ESA) undertook the safe de-orbit of their Cluster 2 satellite named ‘Salsa’. The spacecraft re-entered at 6.47pm GMT into a designated region in the South Pacific as planned. NSpOC analysts monitored the event, as it does with every re-entry globally, to ensure potential risks to the UK were assessed and addressed. In this article, we’ll explain how our re-entry tracking and early warning capability works, using ESA’s Salsa as a case study, and highlight the key contributions of the satellite to both government operations and academic research.

NSpOC’s Re-entry Tracking and Warning Capability: Monitoring Re-entries Like Salsa

NSpOC’s re-entry tracking and warning capability operates 365 days a year and is dedicated to monitoring the re-entry of satellites and other space objects that could pose a risk to the UK and UK Overseas Territories, as well as the re-entry of objects for which the UK holds liability. On average, NSpOC monitors around 40 uncontrolled re-entry incidents per month, warning UK response agencies when there is a risk to the UK or our Overseas Territories.

How does the capability work?

As part of our space hazards warning and protection services, NSpOC continuously monitors space objects in orbit, providing early warnings when satellites begin their descent. In the case of uncontrolled re-entries, and semi-controlled re-entries such as ESA’s Salsa, orbital analysts assess the object’s trajectory and predict when and where it will re-enter the atmosphere. This data is shared with response agencies and government departments to ensure preparedness.

Real-Time Monitoring and Modelling

36 hours before a re-entry event, NSpOC’s team of orbital analysts start to monitor the object in more detail, using a global network of sensors and data streams which provide information on its path. In uncontrolled re-entry events, data on the last known position of the object as well as its predicted Centre of Impact Window (COIW) is provided by the US in the form of Tracking and Impact Predictions (TIPs). This TIP is a single point which can come with high levels of uncertainty. To better understand the probability of where, within that window, the event may occur, UK Space Agency analysts run an extra re-entry assessment model using Monte Carlo simulations (see below for an explanation).

Monte Carlo simulations incorporate additional data sets, for example forecasted atmospheric density over the re-entry period, to allow for more accurate predictions of where surviving objects might land. The model runs 30,000 times with slight adjustments to values for each variable.

Rather than a single point of re-entry, this results in a probabilistic output of potential re-entry locations; shown visually on a map by red dots, with each red dot representing a potential re-entry location. The denser the collection of red-dots, the greater the likelihood of the object re-entering in that location.

In the case of ESA’s Salsa satellite, ephemeris (positional data) was provided rather than TIPs and our analysts converted this to a Two-Line Element (TLE) to extract the orbit, and ran the Monte Carlo simulation to produce a visual prediction of re-entry.

For Salsa, our analysts closely monitored the descent, predicting that the majority of the satellite would burn up in the atmosphere, with any surviving fragments expected to land in a remote region of the South Pacific – the likely re-entry path is shown via the red dots in the images below, starting 36 hours in advance on Friday 6 September.

Re-entry map generated by NSpOC analysts on Friday 6 September

As the time to the re-entry gets closer, more observations on the object are received by global networks. This results in new data which can be input into the Monte Carlo simulation, producing a more accurate assessment of re-entry locations.

Re-entry map generated by NSpOC analysts on Saturday 7 September

Final re-entry map generated by NSpOC analysts on Sunday 8 September before the event

Post-Re-entry Assessment

After the satellite re-enters, NSpOC conducts a post-event analysis to confirm the re-entry location and assess any potential impact. It is not always possible to receive tracking data confirming the location of a re-entry, but in the case of Salsa, ESA were tracking the re-entry event closely, even with sensors on an aeroplane, to confirm that it re-entered in the South Pacific.

The re-entry location is shared with relevant stakeholders to ensure transparency and public safety. In the case of Salsa, the risk to human life and infrastructure on Earth was extremely low because of the semi-controlled nature of the re-entry bringing it down in an unpopulated location.

Why Monitoring Re-entries is Important

Whilst risk from re-entering satellites is very low, with the majority of satellites burning up upon re-entry, large objects or those with dense components will survive the re-entry process, posing a risk to wherever the object makes landfall. Since most re-entries are uncontrolled, there is a risk to populated areas and so warning authorities when there is a risk is important for both safety and to ensure we take responsibility for any space debris for which the UK is liable. Each re-entry incident provides valuable data that helps improve our ability to track and monitor future re-entering objects.

By responsibly managing satellite re-entries, such as ESA’s Salsa, operators can reduce the amount of debris left in orbit, making space safer for future operations. Later this year, NSpOC will launch a new digital service on our Monitor Space Hazards platform, called ‘Track Re-entry Events’, which will provide government users with real-time updates and enhanced analytics for monitoring satellite re-entries. You can find out more about upcoming features on our website.

Angus Stewart, Joint Head of NSpOC said: “By managing satellite re-entries responsibly, as is the case with this event, operators reduce space debris and make space safer for future missions. Tracking re-entering space objects is a critical mission for the UK National Space Operations Centre”

The ESA Cluster Salsa Mission: why was it significant?

Launched as part of the ESA Cluster mission in July 2000, the Salsa satellite provided critical data that advanced our understanding of Earth’s magnetic environment and space weather over its 24-year operational life.

Salsa’s contributions to space weather research were invaluable. The satellite’s data helped improve predictive models that assist in safeguarding critical infrastructure such as electrical power grids, pipelines, and satellite communications systems. By studying how solar winds and geomagnetic storms interact with Earth’s magnetic field, Salsa provided insights that helped operational teams understand and mitigate the impacts of space weather on essential services.

Salsa was part of a constellation of four satellites which was crucial because it allowed scientists to gather data from multiple points in space simultaneously, giving researchers a 3D view of Earth’s magnetic environment.

Met Office Space Weather Manager Simon Machin said: “Cluster has been a key contributor to advancing space weather science in recent decades. By advancing what we know about the near-Earth environment at multiple scales, this mission pushed forward research understanding, which underpins global space weather operations. Cluster’s observations are a unique resource and will continue to provide considerable value in the years to come.”

Conclusion

The ESA Cluster 2 Salsa re-entry provides a clear example of how NSpOC monitors re-entries, ensuring the safety of the UK and its Overseas Territories. As satellites continue to play an increasingly important role in both government operations and academic research, NSpOC’s re-entry capability will remain vital to ensuring the safe and responsible use of space for future missions.

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Published 27 September 2024
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Minister Ferrada on World Tourism Day

Source: Government of Canada News

The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, shared the following message with Canadians:

September 27, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario

The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, shared the following message with Canadians:

“Canada is a tourism superpower. Whether it’s our majestic mountains or our dynamic downtowns, we have what the world wants. Nearly every single Canadian community is implicated in tourism in some way, and it’s no surprise that the sector supports nearly two million jobs and contributes over $43 billion to Canada’s GDP.

“Tourism is also about pride—the pride of sharing our home with the world. It brings people together to find common ground. In a world of division, tourism is about connection.

“As a government, we’re here for Canadian tourism. Guided by our Federal Tourism Growth Strategy, we’re seizing opportunities, investing in Indigenous tourism and overcoming challenges.

“Together, let’s help Canadian tourism reach its full potential. We’re aiming to increase its contribution to Canada’s GDP by 40% by 2030. This means 85,000 more jobs. That’s why we’re supporting the sector through the $108 million Tourism Growth Program. Yet it’s about more than statistics; it’s about Canada taking its place as a world leader in tourism.

“We’re investing in Indigenous tourism, which has the power to advance reconciliation. Through the Indigenous Tourism Fund and beyond, we’re working with communities and leaders and supporting nearly 200 projects across the country, with more on the way.

“Together, let’s tackle tourism’s challenges. We need to help the industry attract and retain more staff. We must improve transportation and housing. And we must continue fighting climate change. From warm winters to wildfires, it is an existential threat to Canadian tourism—the recent fires in Jasper being just one example.

“As we mark World Tourism Day, let’s celebrate the power of travel to broaden perspectives and bring people together. Canada welcomes the world, ready to share our scenery and our stories. Through tourism, we’re building a future where differences are celebrated and unexpected connections flourish—one traveller at a time. Happy World Tourism Day!”

Marie-Justine Torres
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
613-327-5918
Marie-Justine.TorresAmes@ised-isde.gc.ca

Media Relations
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
media@ised-isde.gc.ca

For easy access to government programs for businesses, download the Canada Business app

MIL OSI Canada News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Europe: Climate COP Troïka “Roadmap to Mission 1.5: Driving the next generation of climate action and ambition” – Address by Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs (26.09.24)

Source: Republic of France in English
The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

Ministers,

Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,

Ambassadors,

Colleagues,

This year, we were convened for a Summit of the Future. Actually, what we are talking about is a threat of the present time: climate change kills, climate change impoverishes and climate change destroys.

I would like to thank the Climate COP Presidencies Troika for convening us today to make progress in the fight against this scourge.

We owe it to all our populations, all of our fellow citizens, to be effective. Therefore, we need to set a clear course. The 1.5°C goal is our compass. That is a demanding goal but not one that is totally beyond our reach. If we hope to achieve it, we must take action immediately. And to prepare, at the latest by the Belem COP, enhanced nationally determined contributions that are commensurate with the issue. We need to implement the Paris Agreement.

Significant strides were made at COP28 when it was jointly decided to phase out fossil fuels. That was vital but it is also vital to actually make this transition in concrete terms.

France and its European partners are working with determination, which involves a considerable effort to deploy low-carbon and low-emission energy technologies. France has committed to phase out coal by 2030, oil by 2045 and gas by 2050. We call on all Parties to set out and comply with timelines to phase out fossil energy sources. The G7 has started to do this with the phasing out of coal. It needs to do more and other big emitters should follow suit.

At COP29, an ambitious new climate finance goal needs to be adopted to support developing countries.

France has fully contributed to the current collective USD 100 billion goal, providing a record €7.6 billion of climate finance in 2022, including €2.6 billion dedicated to adaptation, and €7.1 billion in 2023. Every time we have contributed high and above commitments taken nationally, surpassing goals.

Now that we have collectively achieved the USD 100 billion goal, it is time for a financing boost. That is what French President Emmanuel Macron proposed in Paris in June 2023 with the Paris Pact for Peoples and the Planet. All the finance sources – public, private and innovative instruments – need to be mobilized.

The ambitious road map set out in the Paris Pact for Peoples and the Planet has produced tangible progress for the climate. I am thinking of the climate-resilient debt clauses implemented by the World Bank and its peers, as well as the international taxation task force launched at COP28 that Brazil has joined today.

COP30 in Belem is crucial and we must now begin preparing for it with determination. I call on all Parties to publish nationally determined contributions that reflect the decisions made at COP28. They should be ambitious, cover all economic sectors and all greenhouse gases, be science-based and rooted in a timeline to phase out of fossil fuels.

EU Member States are currently working on defining our 2040 climate target based on a European Commission proposal of a 90% cut in emissions. The EU will continue to show the highest possible ambition to deliver on our commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050.

France stands with Brazil to make COP30 the COP of ambition. All our diplomatic firepower will be focused on this goal, alongside all our partners and the United Nations.

And I am pleased to announce that we will host a high-level event in early 2025 to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement. There is only one way forward and that is to scale up the level of ambition on a par with the legitimate expectations of our populations. Let us not get distracted.

Thank you.

MIL OSI Europe News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Translation: Statement by Minister Ferrada on the occasion of World Tourism Day

MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

Source: Government of Canada – in French 1

The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, made the following statement:

September 27, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario

The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, made the following statement:

“Canada is a tourism superpower. It has what the world is looking for, from majestic mountains to vibrant city centres. Almost every Canadian community contributes to the tourism industry in some way. It’s no surprise that the industry accounts for nearly 2 million jobs and more than $43 billion in gross domestic product.

“We are proud to open our home to the world. Tourism provides a way to find common ground and build connections in an increasingly divided world.

“As a government, we are strongly supporting tourism. Guided by the Federal Tourism Growth Strategy, we are seizing opportunities, investing in Indigenous tourism and addressing challenges as they arise.

“Together, let’s realize the full potential of tourism. Our goal is to increase its contribution to gross domestic product by 40% by 2030. This increase would translate into the creation of 85,000 jobs. That’s why we’re supporting the sector through the Tourism Growth Program, an investment of $108 million. Beyond statistics, these measures strengthen Canada’s position as a world leader in tourism.

“We are investing in Indigenous tourism, which moves us forward on the path to reconciliation. Through initiatives like the Indigenous Tourism Fund, we are working with communities and their leaders. We are currently supporting nearly 200 projects across the country, with more to come.

“Together, let’s break down barriers to tourism growth. Let’s help the industry attract and retain more workers. Let’s improve transportation and accommodations. Let’s continue to fight climate change. Its impacts, including mild winters and wildfires, pose an existential threat to tourism; the recent fires in Jasper are just one example.

“On World Tourism Day, let us celebrate the power of travel to broaden perspectives and bring people together. Canada welcomes the world and is ready to share its landscapes and stories. Through tourism, we are building a future where we celebrate differences and create meaningful connections, one traveller at a time. Happy World Tourism Day!”

Marie-Justine TorresPress SecretaryOffice of the Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec613-327-5918Marie-Justine.TorresAmes@ised-isde.gc.ca

Media RelationsInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canadamedia@ised-isde.gc.ca

For easy access to government programs for businesses, download theCanada Business App.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL Translation OSI

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Annual Wildlife Oral Rabies Vaccination Program Begins Oct. 4 to Help Protect North Carolinians and Their Pets
Source: US State of North Carolina

Headline: Annual Wildlife Oral Rabies Vaccination Program Begins Oct. 4 to Help Protect North Carolinians and Their Pets

Annual Wildlife Oral Rabies Vaccination Program Begins Oct. 4 to Help Protect North Carolinians and Their Pets
hejones1
Thu, 09/26/2024 – 13:40
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services to prevent and eliminate the spread of rabies. Beginning next week, Wildlife Services will be distributing the annual oral rabies vaccine for wild raccoons in Western North Carolina.

To ensure the public can safely enjoy the outdoors, NCDHHS and Wildlife Services are using the latest science and technology to vaccinate the raccoon population. Starting Oct. 4, baits containing the oral rabies vaccine will be distributed by both aerial operations and by vehicles in Alleghany, Ashe, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, Macon, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania, Wilkes and Yancey counties.

“We encourage people to maintain safe distances from wild animals and ensure their pets are vaccinated against rabies,” said NCDHHS State Public Health Veterinarian Emily Herring, DVM. “Through both the oral rabies vaccination program and the vigilance of pet owners, we can work to prevent the spread of this deadly infection.”

The baits — consisting of a sachet or plastic packet — contain an oral vaccine that vaccinates animals against the rabies virus when consumed. To attract raccoons, the packets are sprinkled with a fishmeal coating or encased inside hard fishmeal–polymer blocks about the size of a matchbox. When the raccoon bites into a bait, the vaccine packet is punctured, allowing the vaccine to enter the animal’s mouth, stimulating the raccoon’s immune system to produce antibodies to fight the disease. This protects the animal from becoming infected with rabies.

Intact baits will not harm people, pets or wildlife. The following precautions have been issued by USDA Wildlife Services if you or your pets encounter a bait:
- If you or your pet find a bait, leave it where you found it unless it is on your lawn, driveway or other area unlikely to attract raccoons in which case you can move the bait to an area of thicker cover where raccoons are more likely to find it and pets are less likely to encounter it.
- Wear gloves or use a towel when you pick up bait. While there is no harm in touching undamaged baits, they have a strong fishmeal smell.
- Eating the baits won’t harm your pet but consuming several baits might temporarily upset your pet’s stomach.
- Do not try to remove an oral rabies vaccine packet from your pet’s mouth, as you could be bitten.
- Instruct children to leave baits alone. If a bait is ingested by a child or adult, call 1-866-4-USDA-WS (1-866-487-3297). NCDHHS has never received a report of a human ingesting a bait packet.
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water if there is any chance the vaccine packet has ruptured.
- A warning label on each bait advises people not to touch the bait and contains the rabies information line telephone number.
- Broken or ruptured baits are ineffective and should be disposed of by using gloves to place the bait in a bag and then into a regular trash bin. Anyone who comes in contact with the bait’s liquid vaccine should thoroughly wash their hands using soap and water and call the phone number listed on the bait or their local health department for further instructions and referral.
Sept. 28 is World Rabies Day, which aims to raise awareness about this viral disease. In North Carolina rabies is most commonly found in wild animals, which poses a threat to both people and their domestic animals that may encounter wildlife. This disease is almost always fatal in mammals, including people, once symptoms develop. Increasing the number of vaccinated animals in the population helps establish a buffer to stop the spread of the disease to other wildlife, pets and people.

While the oral rabies vaccine is safe for domestic dogs and cats, it is only approved for use in vaccinating wildlife. Annual rabies vaccinations for your pets should be administered by a veterinarian. In North Carolina, domestic pets must be vaccinated against rabies by four months of age and routinely thereafter in accordance with state law.

Wildlife Services appreciates the assistance of the public by reporting strange acting animals to local animal control offices or to Wildlife Services toll-free at 1-866-4-USDA-WS (1-866-487-3297).

The distribution of these vaccines is expected to be completed by late October, depending on weather and other extenuating factors. Once the vaccines have been distributed, Wildlife Services will continue to monitor the status of raccoons and locations of rabies-positive animals. The most current positive raccoon rabies cases have been located along the eastern edge of the vaccination zone.

Information about the National Rabies Management Program can be found on the USDA website.

For additional general information on rabies, visit the CDC rabies webpage.

El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte está trabajando con los Servicios de Vida Silvestre (Wildlife Services en inglés) del Departamento de Agricultura de Estados Unidos para ayudar a prevenir la propagación de la rabia. A partir de la próxima semana, los Servicios de Flora y Fauna Silvestre distribuirán una vacuna oral contra la rabia para mapaches libres en el oeste de Carolina del Norte.

Para garantizar que el público pueda disfrutar del aire libre de manera segura, el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte (NCDHHS, por sus siglas en inglés) y los Servicios de Vida Silvestre están utilizando la última ciencia y tecnología para vacunar a la población de mapaches. A partir del 4 de octubre , los cebos que contienen la vacuna oral contra la rabia serán distribuidos por operaciones aéreas y por vehículos en los condados de Alleghany, Ashe, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, Macon, Mitchell, Swain, Transilvania, Wilkes y Yancey.

“Motivamos a las personas a mantener distancias seguras de los animales salvajes y garantizar que sus mascotas estén vacunadas contra la rabia”, dijo la veterinaria de Salud Pública estatal del NCDHHS, Emily Herring, DVM. “A través del programa de vacunación oral contra la rabia y la vigilancia de los dueños de mascotas, podemos trabajar para prevenir la propagación de esta infección mortal”.

Los cebos, que consisten en un sobre o un paquete de plástico, contienen una vacuna oral que vacuna a los animales contra el virus de la rabia cuando se consumen. Para atraer a los mapaches, los paquetes se espolvorean con un recubrimiento de harina de pescado o se encierran dentro de bloques duros de polímero de harina de pescado del tamaño de una caja de fósforos. Cuando el mapache muerde un cebo, el paquete de vacunas se perfora, permitiendo que la vacuna entre en la boca del animal, estimulando el sistema inmunológico del mapache para producir anticuerpos para combatir la enfermedad. Esto protege al animal de infectarse con la rabia.

Los cebos intactos no dañarán a las personas, las mascotas o la vida silvestre. Los Servicios de Vida Silvestre del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos han emitido las siguientes precauciones si usted o sus mascotas encuentran un cebo:
- Si usted o su mascota encuentran un cebo, déjelo donde lo encontró a menos que esté en su césped, camino de entrada u otra área donde es poco probable que atraiga a los mapaches, en cuyo caso puede mover el cebo a un área de cobertura más gruesa donde es más probable que los mapaches lo encuentren y es menos probable que las mascotas lo encuentren.
- Use guantes o use una toalla cuando recoja el cebo. Si bien no hay nada malo en tocar cebos intactos, tienen un fuerte olor a harina de pescado.
- Comer los cebos no dañará a su mascota, pero consumir varios cebos podría afectar temporalmente el estómago de su mascota.
- No intente quitar un paquete de vacuna oral contra la rabia de la boca de su mascota, ya que podría ser mordido.
- Indique a los niños que dejen los cebos en paz. Si un niño o un adulto ingiere un cebo, llame al 1-866-4-USDA-WS (1-866-487-3297). El NCDHHS nunca ha recibido un informe de un ser humano que ingiera un paquete de cebo.
- Lávese bien las manos con agua y jabón si hay alguna posibilidad de que el paquete de vacunas se haya roto.
- Una etiqueta de advertencia en cada cebo aconseja a las personas que no toquen el cebo y contiene el número de teléfono de la línea de información sobre la rabia.
- Los cebos rotos o perforados son ineficaces y deben desecharse usando guantes para colocar el cebo en una bolsa y luego en un bote de basura regular. Cualquier persona que entre en contacto con la vacuna líquida del cebo debe lavarse bien las manos con agua y jabón y llamar al número de teléfono que figura en el cebo o a su departamento de salud local para obtener más instrucciones y referencias.
El 28 de septiembre es el Día Mundial de la Rabia, cuyo objetivo es concientizar sobre esta enfermedad viral. En Carolina del Norte, la rabia se encuentra con mayor frecuencia en animales salvajes, lo que representa una amenaza tanto para las personas como para sus animales domésticos que pueden encontrarse con la vida silvestre. Esta enfermedad casi siempre es mortal en los mamíferos, incluidas las personas, una vez que se desarrollan los síntomas. El aumento del número de animales vacunados en la población ayuda a establecer una barrera para detener la propagación de la enfermedad a otras especies silvestres, mascotas y personas.

Si bien la vacuna oral contra la rabia es segura para perros y gatos domésticos, solo está aprobada para su uso en la vacunación de la vida silvestre. Las vacunas anuales contra la rabia para sus mascotas deben ser administradas por un veterinario. En Carolina del Norte, las mascotas domésticas deben vacunarse contra la rabia a los cuatro meses de edad y de forma rutinaria a partir de entonces de acuerdo con la ley estatal.

Los Servicios de Vida Silvestre agradecen la asistencia del público al informar sobre animales de comportamiento extraño a las oficinas locales de control de animales o al número gratuito de los Servicios de Vida Silvestre al 1-866-4-USDA-WS (1-866-487-3297).

Se espera que la distribución de estas vacunas se complete a fines de octubre, dependiendo del clima y otros factores atenuantes. Una vez que se hayan distribuido las vacunas, los Servicios de Vida Silvestre continuarán monitoreando el estado de los mapaches y las ubicaciones de los casos de animales positivos para la rabia. Los casos positivos más actuales de rabia del mapache se han localizado a lo largo del borde del este de la zona de vacunación.

Puede encontrar información sobre el Programa Nacional de Manejo de la Rabia en el sitio web del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA, por sus siglas en inglés).

Para obtener información general adicional sobre la rabia, visite la página web de los CDC sobre la rabia.
Sep 27, 2024

MIL OSI USA News –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI China: China launches first reusable, returnable test satellite

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

BEIJING, Sept. 27 — China sent its first reusable and returnable test satellite, the Shijian-19, into space on Friday, using a Long March-2D rocket for the launch.

The rocket blasted off at 6:30 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

The Shijian-19 satellite has realized a number of technological breakthroughs, and will significantly enhance the technical level and application efficiency of China’s returnable satellites.

Researchers will also use the reusable satellite to carry out space experiments and promote the development and application of new space technologies, contributing to such fields as microgravity science and space life science.

The satellite will also conduct space breeding experiments to accelerate germplasm resource innovation.

Shijian-19 is carrying payloads from five countries, including Thailand and Pakistan, to carry out extensive international cooperation.

It was the 537th flight mission of the Long March series rockets.

MIL OSI China News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Global: Chess: a game rooted in military strategy that has become a tool of international diplomacy

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Becky Alexis-Martin, Peace Studies and International Development, University of Bradford

Hushed silence descends as two opponents engage in a battle of wits, memory and strategy. The atmosphere becomes more tense with each shuffle of a pawn or sweeping arc of the queen. The drama is palpable, but there can be only one winner. This year – at the 45th Chess Olympiad finals in Budapest – it was India, whose players won both men’s and women’s gold medals and four individual golds, signalling a new era of Indian domination.

Chess has become more than just a game. The recent upholding of the bans on Russian and Belorussian players from international competition by the International Chess Federation (Fide) is an example of the soft power of sanctions as a geopolitical tool against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This ban has been welcomed by the US and Ukraine, among others, although Fide was divided on the issue, with 41 delegates voting to uphold the ban while 21 countries favoured lifting the ban and 27 abstained or were absent.

Over the centuries, chess – which has its roots in military strategy – has become a symbol of geopolitical competition made peaceful. The game’s first incarnation has been traced back to 6th-century India, as military generals sought a pastime to exercise strategic thinking.

The original game of chess was named chaturanga, which translates from Sanskrit into “the four military divisions”. The game allowed leaders to simulate conflict by using reasoning and logic to contemplate future battles. The term “checkmate” itself derives from “shah mat”, which loosely translates to “the king has lost” in Persian and Sanskrit.

Cold war rivalries

Chess was to become the focus of international, cultural and political competition during the cold war. It captured the world’s political imagination as a symbolic battleground between east and west. The Soviet Union supported promising chess players by establishing chess schools. Soviet grandmasters were unbeatable national heroes, from Mikhail Botvinnik to Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky. Their victories were framed as evidence of socialist intellectual superiority.

But American grandmaster Bobby Fischer disrupted 24 years of Soviet dominance when he beat Spassky at the 1972 World Chess Championships in Rekjavik, Iceland. It would become a critical moment in the cold war.

For years chess had been seen by both the Soviet Union and the US as a proxy for superpower military competition. Unlike US-Chinese “ping-pong diplomacy” – when goodwill between US and Chinese players in the early 1970s was followed by enhanced diplomatic engagement between the two countries – Fischer’s defeat of Spassky ended more than 20 years of Russian domination of chess.

The prospect that Fischer might win was seen as so important by the US government that the then secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, personally called Fischer to urge him to go to Rekjavik.

Years later, Russian former world champion and dissident Garry Kasparov recalled that: “This event was treated by people on both sides of the Atlantic as a crushing moment in the midst of the cold war. Big intellectual victory for the United States, and you know, a hugely painful, almost insulting defeat for the Soviet Union.”

A game for dissidents

Chess does not exist in a vacuum. It is shaped by and reflects historical rivalries, the rise of new power and contemporary geopolitics. And along the way, their refusal to maintain the national status quo and instead articulate their concerns about their societies has led to several grandmasters from various countries having to go into political exile.

Garry Kasparov’s pro-democracy advocacy and criticism of the Russian state led him to flee Russia with his family to New York in 2013. He was chairman of the Human Rights Foundation from until 2024, and has since been added to Vladimir Putin’s terrorist blacklist.

Kasparov is in good company. Six of Iran’s female grandmasters have been forced to leave their country, fleeing their country’s oppressive patriarchal regime after being barred from national competition for playing without a headscarf.

Sara Khadem fled to Spain with her family after refusing to wear the hijab during a match in Kazakhstan in 2022. Her family have since gained Spanish citizenship. However, women who cannot find citizenship elsewhere pay a steep price as their talents are not nurtured and they cannot play professionally. Mitra Hejazipour waited three and a half years to gain citizenship. In 2023, she consecutively became a French citizen and the French national women’s champion.

Ukrainian players continue to use chess as a platform for resistance against the Russian invasion. Prominent players who have spoken out include Vasyl Ivanchuk, Anna Muzychuk and her sister Mariya. Anna has consistently used her global social media following to condemn the invasion and advocate for peace in Ukraine.

Projects in Rwanda, Uganda and Palestine have demonstrated that chess is more than just a game by bringing together disparate communities. So by sanctioning Russia and Belarus, the International Chess Federation has made an important statement.

Chess can be a form of cultural diplomacy, a symbol of non-violent conflict resolution, and a platform for dialogue and understanding between people and nations. Chess is its own universal language. It requires no common tongue or expensive kit, yet it offers a formidable tool to promote critical thinking, international cooperation and conflict resolution.

Becky Alexis-Martin 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. Chess: a game rooted in military strategy that has become a tool of international diplomacy – https://theconversation.com/chess-a-game-rooted-in-military-strategy-that-has-become-a-tool-of-international-diplomacy-239739

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Global: Will Meta’s Orion smart glasses be the next ‘iPhone moment’? Expert Q&A

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Llŷr ap Cenydd, Lecturer in Computer Science, Bangor University

Meta supremo Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Orion smart glasses, a new augmented reality (AR) prototype, at the annual Meta Connect developer conference. Ten years in the making, and still not expected on high streets until 2027, these will be a new way to meld the real and digital worlds. They will be controlled by the eyes and also the fingers via a neural interface on the wrist.

So what does this mean for the future of AR wearables and how we interface with computers? We asked three tech specialists at the University of Bangor, Peter Butcher, Llŷr ap Cenydd and Panagiotis Ritsos.

Why has Orion been such a technical challenge?

There are serious technical challenges in packing so much sophisticated technology into something so compact. This includes new holographic display technology, hand and eye tracking, off-device processing, cameras, speakers and microphones – all while ensuring the device remains aesthetically appealing and has decent battery life.

Meta’s chief tech officer, Andrew Bosworth, recently captured the scale of the challenge by saying: “In consumer electronics, it might be the most advanced thing that we’ve ever produced as a species.”

The optical design is a huge challenge. Mixed reality headsets such as Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro rely on “passthrough” technology, in which external cameras capture real-time video of the user’s surroundings. This is displayed inside the headset, with digital elements overlaid.

In contrast, Orion’s holographic projection allows users to directly see through transparent lenses, with graphics projected into their view. This has demanded substantial R&D.

Are there other notable innovations?

One key factor that determines the immersiveness of mixed reality headsets is their field of view, meaning the angular range that the viewer can see through the headset. The state of the art is the 70° field of view of the Magic Leap 2, bigger holographic AR glasses aimed at businesses currently priced above US$3,000 (£2,240)]. They are made by Magic Leap, a US company whose backers include Google and AT&T.

With Orion, Meta has achieved a field of view of 70° in a much smaller product, which is a grand innovation and crucial for Zuckerberg’s vision of an unobtrusive wearable device.

The neural interface wristband is also vital. It listens to nerve impulses from the brain to the hand, allowing users to control the device using subtle finger gestures such as pinching and swiping thumb against index finger. Newer mixed reality headsets such as Apple Vision Pro are controlled similarly, but rely on external cameras to interpret hand movements.

An advantage of tapping into nerve impulses directly is that gestures do not require line of sight, and eventually might not even require the person to perform the full gesture – only to think about it. The technology also opens up brand new input methods, such as texting via mimicking handwriting, and is likely to mature before consumer-grade holographic displays become available.

Has Orion been more trouble than Meta expected?

Meta initially gave the Orion prototype only a 10% chance of success, so it has exceeded expectations. While there is still much work to be done, particularly in reducing costs and miniaturising components, Orion could eventually lead to a consumer-ready device.

Do you think Meta will get an affordable version launched by 2027?

Meta thinks the initial price will be comparable to flagship phones or laptops the new iPhone 16 starts at £799. We might see development kits released towards the end of the decade, aimed at early adopters and developers, much like how VR headsets were introduced a decade ago.

In the meantime, other AR glasses and mixed reality headsets such as Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro serve as platforms for developing applications that could eventually run on AR glasses.

Why are the Orion glasses still so expensive?

Holographic AR glasses remain expensive because much of the hardware – including Ledos micro-display panels and silicon carbide waveguides (which are used to optimise light transmission) – isn’t yet produced at scale. These components are critical for achieving high resolution and holographic displays – and production constraints are reportedly pushing Orion unit prices close to US$10,000. Even then, battery life is currently limited to around two hours.

Could anyone potentially beat Meta to market?

Thanks to Meta’s multi-billion dollar investment in R&D through its Reality Labs subsidiary, it has become a leader in virtual and mixed reality headsets, with a robust app ecosystem. However, Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and Google are developing similar technologies.

Microsoft’s HoloLens and [Snapchat owner] Snap Inc’s Spectacles series have made strides in AR, but responses have been mixed due to limitations such as narrow fields of view and lower graphics quality. Orion appears to be ahead in holographic display technology. Another company to particularly watch is Apple, which is refining Vision Pro and also exploring AR smart glasses.

Will AR glasses change the world?

AR glasses could ignite a transformative “iPhone moment” that redefines how we interact with technology. Zuckerberg envisions them as the next major computing platform, offering a more natural and intuitive alternative to smartphones.

The success of early mass-market smart glasses such as Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses, which allow users to make calls, capture videos and interact with Meta AI, hints that AR glasses could see widespread adoption.

Zuckerberg initially believed holographic technology would be necessary for smart glasses to offer functionality beyond the basic features of these Ray-Bans. But being able to incorporate an AI voice-powered assistant has made Meta realise that smart glasses can be developed from the ground up as a new consumer product category. While the four-hour battery life requires improvement, the positive feedback from both reviewers and users, particularly using them on Instagram and TikTok, demonstrates the potential.

What does the future look like?

Reading messages, watching a virtual screen on the wall, playing games, collaborative work – all the things you can do with mixed-reality headsets, but shrunk down to a pair of glasses. Friends will teleport into your living room, a video call where both people feel present in the same space.

It gets even stranger when you incorporate AI: virtual assistants can already see what you see, hear what you hear, talk to you, answer questions and follow commands using smart glasses. In future, AI will be able to manifest itself in your vision, and you’ll be able to have natural conversations with it.

By 2030, AI will radically change the ways in which we interact with each other, our physical world and computers. Orion aims to prepare us for a world in which the physical, artificial and virtual co-exist.

Llŷr ap Cenydd develops VR games for Meta Quest headsets.

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

– ref. Will Meta’s Orion smart glasses be the next ‘iPhone moment’? Expert Q&A – https://theconversation.com/will-metas-orion-smart-glasses-be-the-next-iphone-moment-expert-qanda-240029

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Williams and Bonamici Introduce Legislation to Aid AI Development
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brandon Williams (NY-22)

“This is the kind of technology that will define the coming eras of human history. To ensure prosperity at home and maintain America’s scientific advantage abroad, we must innovate. We must utilize every resource available to develop newer, stronger, safer tech which, in turn, will spur advances in national security, energy-efficiency, manufacturing, and more,” said Congressman Williams.
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Brandon Williams (NY-22) and Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1) introduced the Department of Energy Artificial Intelligence Act of 2024, a bill providing updated guidance for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) activities in developing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems to carry out missions pertaining to national security, energy-efficiency, and scientific discovery.

The DOE AI Act of 2024 amends the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 by updating the section directing a Department of Energy artificial intelligence research program. This bill codifies multiple activities and objectives for DOE’s AI research and development activities, including:

Authorizing the activities of the Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence for Science, Security, and Technology (FASST) initiative, an effort between the DOE and its seventeen National Laboratories to build the most powerful integrated scientific AI systems in the world,

Facilitating the development of high-performance computing systems and artificial intelligence platforms through DOE-owned infrastructure data and computing facilities,

Authorizing at least one data center testbed for the development and assessment of hardware and algorithms for energy-efficient AI training, and

Directing the DOE to establish partnerships with nonprofit organizations and private companies for the purpose of collaboration toward shared goals of scientific discovery and technological innovation in the field of AI.

“This is the kind of technology that will define the coming eras of human history. To ensure prosperity at home and maintain America’s scientific advantage abroad, we must innovate. We must utilize every resource available to develop newer, stronger, safer tech which, in turn, will spur advances in national security, energy-efficiency, manufacturing, and more,” said Congressman Williams.

“Artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly and the government must be equipped to respond to new developments and stay on the cutting edge,” said Congresswoman Bonamici.

“I’m introducing the bipartisan DOE AI Act with Rep. Williams to position the Department of Energy to develop high-performance platforms, responsibly cultivate training data, and improve energy efficiency to support safe AI innovation.”

The full bill is available here.

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MIL OSI USA News –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: REP LIEU CELEBRATES UCLA SELECTION FOR MICROCHIP INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT GRANT

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ted Lieu (33 District of California)

LOS ANGELES – Today, Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after the announcement that the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering has been tentatively selected to receive grant funding for their analog and digital chip design program. The anticipated funding will establish a Center for Education of Microchip Designers (CEMiD) to support undergraduate and graduate engineering students at universities across the country.

The Department of Commerce’s CHIPS for America’s workforce development program and this funding were made possible through the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which Congressman Lieu supported when it passed the House.

“I am pleased to congratulate UCLA on this well-deserved funding and anticipated establishment of CEMiD to continue our nation’s leadership in semiconductor development,” said Congressman Lieu. “Thanks to President Biden and Democrats’ passage of the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022, we’ve seen historic investment in microchip research, development and manufacturing that has strengthened our workforce. UCLA’s CEMid program will bolster our microchip industry by training the next generation of semiconductor researchers and developers, and will support the professors and engineers who train them. I look forward to seeing all that our brilliant UCLA students and faculty can do with this exciting funding!”

###

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Global: Hurricane Helene power outages leave over 3 million in the dark – history shows poorer areas often wait longest for electricity to be restored

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Chuanyi Ji, Associate Professor of Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Strong winds from Hurricane Helene, one of the most powerful storms to hit the Southeast, flooded roads and cut power in multiple states. AP Photo/Mike Carlson

Hurricane Helene left more than 3 million homes and businesses in the dark across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas after hitting Florida’s Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 storm late on Sept. 26, 2024. As Helene’s rains moved inland, officials warned that fixing downed utility lines and restoring power would take several days in some areas.

Electricity is essential to just about everyone – rich and poor, old and young. Yet, when severe storms strike, socioeconomically disadvantaged communities often wait longest to recover.

That isn’t just a perception.

We analyzed data from over 15 million consumers in 588 U.S. counties who lost power when hurricanes made landfall between January 2017 and October 2020. The results show that poorer communities did indeed wait longer for the lights to go back on.

A 10 percentile drop in socioeconomic status in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s social vulnerability index was associated with a 6.1% longer outage on average. This corresponds to waiting an extra 170 minutes on average for power to be restored, and sometimes much longer.

The top map shows the total duration of power outages over eight storms by county. The lower map is a comparison with socioeconomic status taken into account, showing that counties with lower average socioeconomic status have longer outages than expected.
Ganz et al, 2023, PNAS Nexus

Implications for policy and utilities

One likely reason for this disparity is written into utilities’ standard storm recovery policies. Often, these polices prioritize critical infrastructure first when restoring power after an outage, then large commercial and industrial customers. They next seek to recover as many households as they can as quickly as possible.

While this approach may seem procedurally fair, these recovery routines appear to have an unintended effect of often making vulnerable communities wait longer for electricity to be restored. One reason may be that these communities are farther from critical infrastructure, or they may be predominantly in older neighborhoods where power infrastructure requires more significant repairs.

Commercial areas are often higher on the priority list for faster power recovery in an outage. This store was still closed for several days during Texas’ widespread outages in 2021.
Montinique Monroe/Getty Images

The upshot is that households that are already at greater risk from severe weather – whether due to being in flood-prone areas or in vulnerable buildings – and those who are least likely to have insurance or other resources to help them recover are also likely to face the longest storm-caused power outages. Long outages can mean refrigerated food goes bad, no running water and delays in repairing damage, including delays in running fans to dry out water damage and avoid mold.

Our study spanned 108 service regions, including investor-owned utilities, cooperatives and public utilities. The differential impact on poorer communities did not line up with any particular storm, region or individual utility. We also found no correlation with race, ethnicity or housing type. Only average socioeconomic level stood out.

How to make power recovery less biased

There are ways to improve power recovery times for everyone, beyond the necessary work of improving the stability of power distribution.

Policymakers and utilities can start by reexamining power restoration practices and power infrastructure maintenance, such as replacing aging utility poles and trimming trees, with disadvantaged communities in mind.

Power providers already have granular data on power usage and grid performance in their service regions. They can begin experimenting with alternative recovery routines that consider the vulnerability of their customers in ways that do not substantially affect average recovery duration.

People in some Fort Myers, Fla., neighborhoods still lacked water and electricity more than a week after Hurricane Ian in 2022.
Montinique Monroe/Getty Images

For socioeconomically vulnerable regions that are likely to experience long outages because of their locations and possibly the aging energy infrastructure, utilities and policymakers can proactively ensure that households are well prepared to evacuate or have access to backup sources of power.

For example, the U.S. Department of Energy announced in October 2023 that it would invest in developing dozens of resilience hubs and microgrids to help supply local power to key buildings within communities when the wider grid goes down. Louisiana plans several of these hubs, using solar and large-scale batteries, in or near disadvantaged communities.

Policymakers and utilities can also invest in broader energy infrastructure and renewable energy in these vulnerable communities. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Justice40 program directs that 40% of the benefit from certain federal energy, transportation and housing investments benefit disadvantaged communities. That may help residents who need public help the most.

Severe weather events are becoming more common as global temperatures rise. That increases the need for better planning and approaches that don’t leave low-income residents in the dark.

Chenghao Duan, a Ph.D. student at Georgia Tech, also contributed to this article. This is an update to an article originally published on Feb. 7, 2024.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Hurricane Helene power outages leave over 3 million in the dark – history shows poorer areas often wait longest for electricity to be restored – https://theconversation.com/hurricane-helene-power-outages-leave-over-3-million-in-the-dark-history-shows-poorer-areas-often-wait-longest-for-electricity-to-be-restored-240001

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Global: US home insurance rates are rising fast – hurricanes and wildfires play a big role, but there’s more to it

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Andrew J. Hoffman, Professor of Management & Organizations, Environment & Sustainability, and Sustainable Enterprise, University of Michigan

The U.S. has seen a large number of billion-dollar disasters in recent years. AP Photo/Mark Zaleski

Millions of Americans have been watching with growing alarm as their homeowners insurance premiums rise and their coverage shrinks. Nationwide, premiums rose 34% between 2017 and 2023, and they continued to rise in 2024 across much of the country.

To add insult to injury, those rates go even higher if you make a claim – as much as 25% if you claim a total loss of your home.

Why is this happening?

There are a few reasons, but a common thread: Climate change is fueling more severe weather, and insurers are responding to rising damage claims. The losses are exacerbated by more frequent extreme weather disasters striking densely populated areas, rising construction costs and homeowners experiencing damage that was once more rare.

Hurricane Ian, supercharged by warm water in the Gulf of Mexico, hit Florida as a Category 4 hurricane in October 2022 and caused an estimated $112.9 billion in damage.
Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images

Parts of the U.S. have been seeing larger and more damaging hail, higher storm surges, massive and widespread wildfires, and heat waves that kink metal and buckle asphalt. In Houston, what used to be a 100-year disaster, such as Hurricane Harvey in 2017, is now a 1-in-23-years event, estimates by risk assessors at First Street Foundation suggest. In addition, more people are moving into coastal and wildland areas at risk from storms and wildfires.

Just a decade ago, few insurance companies had a comprehensive strategy for addressing climate risk as a core business issue. Today, insurance companies have no choice but to factor climate change into their policy models.

Rising damage costs, higher premiums

There’s a saying that to get someone to pay attention to climate change, put a price on it. Rising insurance costs are doing just that.

Increasing global temperatures lead to more extreme weather, and that means insurance companies have had to make higher payouts. In turn, they have been raising their prices and changing their coverage in order to remain solvent. That raises the costs for homeowners and for everyone else.

The importance of insurance to the economy cannot be understated. You generally cannot get a mortgage or even drive a car, build an office building or enter into contracts without insurance to protect against the inherent risks. Because insurance is so tightly woven into economies, state agencies review insurance companies’ proposals to increase premiums or reduce coverage.

The insurance companies are not making political statements with the increases. They are looking at the numbers, calculating risk and pricing it accordingly. And the numbers are concerning.

The arithmetic of climate risk

Insurance companies use data from past disasters and complex models to calculate expected future payouts. Then they price their policies to cover those expected costs. In doing so, they have to balance three concerns: keeping rates low enough to remain competitive, setting rates high enough to cover payouts and not running afoul of insurance regulators.

But climate change is disrupting those risk models. As global temperatures rise, driven by greenhouse gases from fossil fuel use and other human activities, past is no longer prologue: What happened over the past 10 to 20 years is less predictive of what will happen in the next 10 to 20 years.

The number of billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. each year offers a clear example. The average rose from 3.3 per year in the 1980s to 18.3 per year in the 10-year period ending in 2024, with all years adjusted for inflation.

With that more than fivefold increase in billion-dollar disasters came rising insurance costs in the Southeast because of hurricanes and extreme rainfall, in the West because of wildfires, and in the Midwest because of wind, hail and flood damage.

Hurricanes tend to be the most damaging single events. They caused more than US$692 billion in property damage in the U.S. between 2014 and 2023. But severe hail and windstorms, including tornadoes, are also costly; together, those on the billion-dollar disaster list did more than $246 billion in property damage over the same period.

As insurance companies adjust to the uncertainty, they may run a loss in one segment, such as homeowners insurance, but recoup their losses in other segments, such as auto or commercial insurance. But that cannot be sustained over the long term, and companies can be caught by unexpected events. California’s unprecedented wildfires in 2017 and 2018 wiped out nearly 25 years’ worth of profits for insurance companies in that state.

To balance their risk, insurance companies often turn to reinsurance companies; in effect, insurance companies that insure insurance companies. But reinsurers have also been raising their prices to cover their costs. Property reinsurance alone increased by 35% in 2023. Insurers are passing those costs to their policyholders.

What this means for your homeowners policy

Not only are homeowners insurance premiums going up, coverage is shrinking. In some cases, insurers are reducing or dropping coverage for items such as metal trim, doors and roof repair, increasing deductibles for risks such as hail and fire damage, or refusing to pay full replacement costs for things such as older roofs.

Some insurances companies are simply withdrawing from markets altogether, canceling existing policies or refusing to write new ones when risks become too uncertain or regulators do not approve their rate increases to cover costs. In recent years, State Farm and Allstate pulled back from California’s homeowner market, and Farmers, Progressive and AAA pulled back from the Florida market, which is seeing some of the highest insurance rates in the country.

In some cases, insurers are restricting coverage. Roof repairs, like these in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., after Hurricane Ian, can be expensive and widespread after windstorms.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

State-run “insurers of last resort,” which can provide coverage for people who can’t get coverage from private companies, are struggling too. Taxpayers in states such as California and Florida have been forced to bail out their state insurers. And the National Flood Insurance Program has raised its premiums, leading 10 states to sue to stop them.

About 7.4% of U.S. homeowners have given up on insurance altogether, leaving an estimated $1.6 trillion in property value at risk, including in high-risk states such as Florida.

No, insurance costs aren’t done rising

According to NOAA data, 2023 was the hottest year on record “by far.” And 2024 could be even hotter. This general warming trend and the rise in extreme weather is expected to continue until greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are abated.

In the face of such worrying analyses, U.S. homeowners insurance will continue to get more expensive and cover less. And yet, Jacques de Vaucleroy, chairman of the board of reinsurance giant Swiss Re, believes U.S. insurance is still priced too low to fully cover the risk from climate change.

Climate change is a major factor in the rising cost of insurance. Join us for a special free webinar with experts Andrew Hoffman of the University of Michigan and Melanie Gall of Arizona State University to discuss the arithmetic behind these rising rates, what climate change has to do with it, and what may be coming in your future insurance bills.

Wednesday, October 9, 2024, 11:30 a.m. PT/2:30 p.m. ET.
Register for the webinar here.

Andrew J. Hoffman 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. US home insurance rates are rising fast – hurricanes and wildfires play a big role, but there’s more to it – https://theconversation.com/us-home-insurance-rates-are-rising-fast-hurricanes-and-wildfires-play-a-big-role-but-theres-more-to-it-238939

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Speech by FS at Hong Kong Association Luncheon in London (English only)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Hong Kong Association Luncheon in London, the United Kingdom, today (September 27, London time):

Adrian (Chairman of the Hong Kong Association, Mr Adrian Cartwright), members of the Hong Kong Association, ladies and gentlemen, friends of Hong Kong all,

     Good afternoon. I’m delighted to join you, once again, over a welcome lunch.

     The one consistent theme of my trip, first to Spain, now in London, has been the many speaking occasions.

     Last night’s Hong Kong Dinner was truly splendid and savory, and now I’m pleased to speak to the Hong Kong Association -thank you for the privilege – because you are very much invested in Hong Kong.

     I’m always pleased to speak at such times, especially when the topic is Hong Kong, and particularly to an audience as invested in Hong Kong as you are.

The state of Hong Kong’s economy

     I have much to share, but let me start with a quick update on Hong Kong’s economy.

     â€‹Last year, our GDP grew by 3.3 per cent as we recovered from the pandemic, and we achieved 3 per cent growth in the first half of this year.

     The three main drivers fueling our economic growth are: exports, investments, and private consumption. Goods exports have seen significant growth, with Hong Kong serving as a major re-export hub for the Mainland, rising by over 7 per cent in the first half of the year.

     â€‹For exports of services, tourism remains a key component. It is steadily recovering, with around 30 million visitors in the first eight months of this year, an increase of 44 per cent compared to last year. We expect 46 million visitors for the whole of 2024.

     With improving economic and business prospects, but amid complex external environment, investment, from both the public and private sectors, expanded by more than 3 per cent in the first half of this year.

     â€‹Private consumption has been bumpy. It is challenging given changes to the spending patterns of tourists and our residents.

     Our stock market remains one of Asia’s leading exchanges, with a capitalisation in excess of 3 trillion pounds – 11 times our GDP. The measures announced, earlier this week by the Central Authorities to cut rates, reduce reserve requirement ratios and provide more support to the property sector – is boosting market confidence. The effects are already visible on Hong Kong’s stock market, with record high transactions! Before that, the China Securities Regulatory Commission announced measures in April 2024 that would encourage leading Mainland enterprises to list in Hong Kong.

     Residential property market prices have fallen by over 6 per cent from the end of last year to August this year – and more than 25 per cent compared to its peak in September 2021. We know property market is an important pillar to any economy, so we remain vigilant, and has been monitoring the market closely. So far, our assessment is that it has been an orderly adjustment.

     This February, we removed all the demand-side management measures for the residential property market. Overall, the property market is now stabilising.

     The commencement of the monetary easing cycle by the Federal Reserve will provide support to both the economy and the property sector.

     Currently, inflation is at around 1 per cent, and unemployment is lying low, at just 3 per cent.

     â€‹Overall, we expect Hong Kong to grow between 2.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent this year.

     Looking into the future, our economic development will be heading in eight discrete directions: internationally, as finance, trade, shipping, aviation and innovation and technology centres; and, regionally, as Asia Pacific’s legal and dispute resolution centre and intellectual property trading centre. We are committed, too, to becoming the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

     Allow me now to highlight two of them: financial services and innovation and technology.

     Let me start with financial services. Besides traditional areas that we are good at, we are working to become an international green finance and green technology hub.

Green and Sustainable Finance

     Green transition is a global agenda, bringing along responsibilities and opportunities.
     â€‹
     Hong Kong has established a clear roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, while reducing emissions by 50 per cent by 2035 from our 2005 levels.

     â€‹We are taking a multi-pronged approach to realise this goal by addressing emission sources: first, achieving net-zero electricity generation by phases; second, enhancing energy efficiency in buildings through the promotion of green building practices; third, promoting green transport, particularly electric vehicles; and fourth, reducing waste.

     Indeed, the Hong Kong SAR Government (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government) will invest more than 20 billion pounds in the next 15 to 20 years to implement climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.

     However, the International Energy Agency has projected that the global energy transition finance gap will reach $3 trillion a year by 2030 and rise to $4.5 trillion a year by 2040.

     â€‹Hong Kong is Asia’s No. 1 for green finance: for instance, we issue, over the past three years, 48 billion pounds of green bonds and debts per year on average, accounting for one-third of Asia’s market. But there is much more that we can achieve.

     One is on green standards. Earlier this year, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority released the Hong Kong Green Taxonomy (Hong Kong Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance), which is compatible with the Common Ground Taxonomy developed by China and the EU (European Union), to assist the financial sector in assessing the “greenness” of projects.

     Similarly, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange also impose ESG (environmental, social and governance) disclosure requirements for listed entities.

     â€‹Just a few days ago, the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants released the draft financial reporting standards which it plans to implement in August next year. The proposed Hong Kong standards follow those issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board, ISSB.

     In the realm of green tech, start-ups are a powerhouse for many green innovative solutions, fully reflecting our younger generation’s passion for the environment and a sustainable future.

     You might have met the delegation of start-ups from the Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport who are with me on this trip to the United Kingdom. Some of them are engaged in green tech, and while others are engaged in different fields, but they share a common goal: to change people’s lives for the better.

     We are working to attract more green start-ups in our innovation ecosystem.

     By the way, our Science Park annually organises an elevator pitch competition where the start-ups have to sell their ideas in just 60 seconds in the lift of Hong Kong’s tallest skyscraper. The winner this year is from Munich seeking to establish a lithium battery recycle plant.

Innovation and Technology

     Let me now turn to innovation and technology. Our focus areas are: AI and big data analytics, biotech and health sciences, fintech and new energy and new materials.

     The key success factor for the development of AI are algorithms, computing capabilities, data and use case scenarios. Under the “one country, two systems” arrangements, Hong Kong has unique advantages because we are the hub converging the Mainland and international data, and the Greater Bay Area provides us with ample use case scenarios.

     In order to expedite the development of the eco-system of the aforementioned industries, we have set up the Hong Kong Investment Corporation, HKIC.

     With six billion pounds at its disposal, the HKIC has a dual mandate. While it seeks financial returns, it also promotes the development of target industries that are crucial for the long-term competitiveness and economic vitality of Hong Kong. The HKIC serves as a tool for the Hong Kong SAR Government to invest and/or co-invest in enterprises, start-ups and important projects.

The â€‹HKIC is “patient capital”. It has already initiated several strategic partnerships in the areas of hard tech, biotech and new energy.

     What distinguishes the HKIC from other sovereign funds is its investment approach to channel private capital into strategic industries through a collaborative approach, by bringing together like-minded private equity funds, venture capitalists, investors, and even entrepreneurs.

     This is particularly important for start-ups, especially those with original and disruptive technologies because their development cycles are often long, and patient capital is crucial for their success.

     Going forward, the HKIC will expand its collaboration with overseas partners to maximise impact. Next January, the HKIC will host a Roundtable for International Sovereign Wealth Funds, inviting sovereign wealth funds and financial leaders to explore investment opportunities and develop collaborative partnerships. In fact, this September, the HKIC also staged a Hong Kong Start-up Investment and Development Summit.

     Ladies and gentlemen, I hope to leave ample time for questions, so I will conclude my remarks here. My sincere thanks, once again, to the Hong Kong Association for this welcome opportunity to speak to you.

     I’m happy now to take your questions.

     â€‹Thank you.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Sols 4316-4317: Hunting for Sulfur

Source: NASA

4 min read

Earth planning date: Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024

Navigating the rugged, unforgiving Martian terrain is always a challenge, and our recent attempt to reach the “Sheep Creek” target highlights this. We had aimed for small, distant bright rocks, but from 50 meters away (about 164 feet), the limited resolution of our images made it difficult to fine-tune navigation. After an ambitious drive, the rover came agonizingly close — stopping just short of these small bright rocks. The rocks, with their distinctive rounded and pitted “weathering” pattern (pictured), strongly resemble elemental sulfur blocks that we’ve encountered before. Frustratingly, although the target rocks were right under the front wheel and clearly visible in our navigation cameras, they remained just out of reach of the rover’s arm.

While the rover’s arm couldn’t quite reach the bright stones of Sheep Creek, we didn’t let that stop us and planned to use other onboard instruments to help us analyze the composition, textures, and context before we move to our next position. As the Keeper of the Plan for the Geology and Mineralogy theme group, my role was to ensure all those activities were recorded in the plan.

To find out the composition of the stones of Sheep Creek, we used ChemCam (our onboard laser) to observe two promising stones we’ve named “Arch Rock” and “Ash Mountain.” We’re hoping to see if they have any evidence of elemental sulfur as their appearance suggests. For a closer look at the texture, we will take high-resolution, color images with Mastcam (which you can also view in 3D with red and blue anaglyph glasses!). We also want to look at an interesting transition between light-colored and dark-colored bedrock nearby, which we will cover with more high-resolution, colored images. This transition could give us clues about where the unusual white rocks of Sheep Creek came from and how they formed.

We had our eye on another bright rock in the area, named “Beryl Lake.” It had an interesting bright-toned crusty appearance and as we could reach it with the rover arm, we used our APXS tool (think of it as a chemical scanner) to see its composition and if it had any traces of sulfur. We took a closer look with our rover hand lens (MAHLI) at a rock called “Aster Lake,” which had intriguing white patches that might be similar to the stones of Sheep Creek. Ultimately, our science goal this plan was to collect data on whether these bright-toned stones had evidence of elemental sulfur and increase our understanding on how they formed.

Next, we’ll carefully reposition the rover to move closer to these interesting targets — a maneuver that we call a “bump” — so that next plan, set to occur over the weekend, we’ll be able to get up close and personal with the white stones of Sheep Creek. While the rover waits for the weekend plan, we’re setting up the rover to do some “untargeted” science after the drive. This includes using an automated tool called AEGIS that finds interesting targets on its own and zaps them with the ChemCam laser. Plus, it’s a good time to record some observations of the modern Martian environment, so we’ll make the most of the time to measure dust levels, take movies that will hopefully capture some dust devils, and look at clouds — if any — in the Martian sky.

We’re looking forward to the weekend plan to hopefully get another chance to do some contact science on targets that may be rich in sulfur!

Written by Amelie Roberts, Ph.D. Candidate at Imperial College London

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Cantwell, Tester, Baldwin, Rosen Introduce Bill to Prevent Fentanyl Trafficking Through U.S. Transportation Networks

US Senate News:

Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
Legislation would boost detection of illegal drug smuggling by air, sea, rail & road
Bill gains backing by Narcotics Officers, Major City Chiefs, Forensic Science Labs, State Criminal Investigative Agencies, HIDTA Leaders
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Commerce Committee Democrats, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) introduced legislation to crack down on the trafficking of illicit synthetic drugs, like fentanyl, using the U.S. transportation network. The bill would create first-ever inspection strategies to stop drug smuggling by commercial aircraft, railroads, vehicles and ships. The legislation would boost state, local and Tribal local law enforcement resources, deploy next generation, non-intrusive detection technologies and increase inspections at ports of entry.
“The flow of fentanyl into the country has devastated far too many communities across New Mexico and the United States,” said Senator Luján. “This bill would crack down on the trafficking of deadly drugs by implementing innovative inspection strategies for U.S. transportation networks and provide law enforcement with the tools they need to combat fentanyl smuggling. It is time for Congress to act to keep our communities safe and put an end to the fentanyl crisis.”
“Drug traffickers should not be allowed to exploit the U.S. transportation system to smuggle fentanyl and precursor chemicals to make illicit synthetic drugs,” Senator Cantwell said. “Our bill equips federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement with the tools they need to curb drug smuggling by accelerating the development of non-intrusive technologies to inspect our commercial aircraft, trucks, trains and ships – while boosting resources to deploy this technology and drug-sniffing dogs, improving forensic science at crime labs, and building a better system to share intelligence and information between federal authorities and the private sector.”
“The deadly flow of fentanyl into Montana communities is tearing families apart and it’s making our state less safe,” said Senator Jon Tester. “If we’re going to end illicit drug trafficking, we’re going to have to come at this issue from all sides, and that means strengthening our southern border, funding law enforcement, and securing the transportation systems allowing bad actors to get these drugs into our communities. I’m proud to have introduced this bill to give our law enforcement agencies the tools they need to combat illicit drug trafficking and make our transit systems safer for all Montanans.”
“I’ve heard from parents who lost children, law enforcement fighting on the front lines, and advocates – all demanding we do more to stop the scourge of fentanyl,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m fighting this crisis on all fronts – from stopping the precursor chemicals being manufactured in China, to boosting access to overdose reversal drugs, and everything in between. I’m proud to lead this legislation to give our law enforcement the tools they need to stop drug traffickers from using American airports, railways, ports, and roads to smuggle fentanyl into our communities.”
“Most synthetic fentanyl is smuggled into our country, making its way to communities across Nevada and destroying families,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m doing everything I can to stop the flow of illicit drugs and support law enforcement. That’s why I’m proud to introduce this bill to develop a national strategy to prevent fentanyl smuggling and increase inspections at Ports of Entry on our border.”
According to U.S. Government authorities, drug traffickers exploit the U.S. transportation network to smuggle fentanyl, precursor chemicals and other illicit drugs into and throughout the country. Once drugs have entered the country, drug traffickers continue to rely on the national transportation network—trucks, trains and commercial aircraft—to move their product to its final destination.
The Stop Smuggling Illicit Synthetic Drugs on U.S. Transportation Networks Act of 2024 (S. 5285) would:
Read the summary here and bill text here.
Create a National Prevention Plan: Directs the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to develop a comprehensive national strategy that examines the entire U.S. transportation network and ports of entry to prevent the smuggling of illicit synthetic drugs.
Boost Illegal Drug Detection by Air, Sea, Rail and Road: The bill establishes four new transportation-specific inspection programs—private and commercial aircraft, railroads, commercial vehicles and maritime vessels—to expand detection across all transportation modes and prevent interstate smuggling. State, local, Tribal and territorial law enforcement would carry out inspections using non-intrusive technologies and canines, in coordination with federal law enforcement authorities – and without unduly delaying the movement of goods or interrupting interstate commerce.
Deploy High-Tech Detection Tools: Directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the ONDCP to accelerate new emerging, non-intrusive technologies, including integrating AI and quantum, to detect illicit synthetic drugs. National laboratories, including Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, are already developing next-generation technologies for fentanyl detection. AI could help increase capacities to integrate multiple sources of data and overcome challenges in identifying fentanyl when it is mixed with other opioids to evade detection.
Increase Port of Entry Drug Detections: Currently, only 1-2 percent of passenger vehicles and 15-17 percent of commercial vehicles are scanned at U.S. ports of entry. The bill requires Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to inspect 100 percent of motor vehicles and railroads entering the country through a port of entry within five years, and all civil air cargo and maritime cargo within ten years.
Support Law Enforcement Workforce, Technology and Training: Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide grants to state, local, Tribal and territorial law enforcement to acquire new technology and canines and support overtime and other program-related expenses. It would also increase federal support to state and local crime scene investigators and forensics laboratories to process evidence related to fentanyl crimes and deaths.
Improve Data and Information Sharing to Prevent Drug Trafficking: Requires the Director of ONDCP to create a public-private task force to improve intelligence and information sharing among federal, state and local authorities and the private sector to combat drug trafficking.
“The National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition applauds Senator Cantwell for her work on the Stop Smuggling Illicit Synthetic Drugs on U.S. Transportation Networks Act. The surge in drug poisoning deaths, especially from fentanyl, shows that more needs to be done. We know that a large portion of illegal narcotics are trafficked through our transportation systems, and this legislation will provide the needed resources such as advanced detection technology and canines to enhance law enforcement’s ability to conduct inspections on our nation’s transportation systems,” said Eric Brown, President of the National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition.
“The Major Cities Chiefs Association thanks Senator Cantwell for taking an innovative approach to fentanyl interdiction with the Stop Smuggling Illicit Synthetic Drugs on U.S. Transportation Networks Act. In cities across the country, resources are strained and the fentanyl crisis is a factor. Federal support is welcome as MCCA member agencies work to curb this crisis and promote safer communities and public health. We look forward to additional engagement on the matter as it moves forward in Congress,” said Laura Cooper, Executive Director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association.
“Deaths and adverse events from illicit synthetic drugs continue to be at epidemic proportions, yet funding for forensics labs remains stagnant. This bill prioritizes resources for the professionals on the front lines of the fight against illicit drugs, including fentanyl and other novel psychoactive substances. We commend members of the Commerce Committee for taking this approach to ensure our forensic experts have the necessary resources and data to combat this epidemic,” said Matthew Gamette, Chair of the Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations.
“The Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA) appreciates Senator Cantwell’s introduction of the Stop Smuggling Illicit Synthetic Drugs on U.S. Transportation Networks Act of 2024. While recent figures show progress in reducing drug poisoning deaths in the U.S., we are nowhere near where we need to be to protect Americans from the ongoing threat. This bill would strengthen the ability of agencies at all levels of government to detect and disrupt drug trafficking,” said Drew Evans, President of the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies.
“The National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Directors Association appreciates Senator Cantwell’s efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis and her support for providing critically needed tools and resources for state, local, tribal and federal law enforcement to interdict fentanyl shipments before negatively impacting the communities across the country. Given the profound impact fentanyl has had on families, schools, and communities, this bill will be instrumental in enabling law enforcement agencies participating in the HIDTA program to develop new and innovative strategies to tackle this crisis,” said F. Mike McDaniel, President of the National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Directors Association.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024