Mosaic expects Hurricane Ida to disrupt North American phosphate operations

MINING.COM Staff Writer | September 2, 2021 |

Phosphate storage and shipping complex in Tampa, Florida. Credit: CF Industries

The Mosaic Company (NYSE: MOS) announced on Thursday that its North American phosphate operations are expected to be negatively impacted by damage caused by Hurricane Ida.


Wind damage to the Faustina and Uncle Sam facilities from the storm is expected to result in reduced production as repairs are completed over the next 8 to 9 weeks, the company said. The expectations also include estimates of production loss from an August equipment failure at the company’s New Wales facility in Florida.
In the third quarter, relative to historical averages, Mosaic said it expects production to be down by approximately 300,000 tonnes. Fourth quarter operating rates are likely to improve sequentially, but production may still be down from historical averages, it added.


IN THE THIRD QUARTER, RELATIVE TO HISTORICAL AVERAGES, MOSAIC SAID IT EXPECTS PRODUCTION TO BE DOWN BY APPROXIMATELY 300,000 TONNES

The hurricane also caused navigational issues on the Mississippi River, which could cause congestion during the busy fall application season and create logistical risks for Mosaic’s production.

The company plans to provide an update, including estimated financial impacts of the hurricane, when it reports third quarter results.

As it works on repairs to operations, Mosaic said is also supporting communities through a $100,000 disaster relief grant to the Capital Area United Way and by providing affected employees with access to funds through the company’s employee-to-employee assistance plan.

Based in Tampa, Mosaic currently operates nine facilities (mines and shafts) across the continent, producing potash and concentrated phosphate crop nutrients. Its products account for 73% and 40% of North America’s phosphate and potash annual production, respectively.

Shares of Mosaic Co advanced 1.9% by noon EDT in New York, giving the company a market value of approximately $12.3 billion.

NGO'S A FUNCTION OF LATE CAPITALI$M
Prince Charles' charity boss probed over Saudi reports

Charles' foundation helps jobless people get back into work and start small businesses 

PETER NICHOLLS POOL/AFP/File

London (AFP)

A former aide to Prince Charles has temporarily stepped down from his role heading a charity founded by the British heir after newspaper revelations about his links to a Saudi businessman.

The Prince's Foundation said chief executive Michael Fawcett had agreed to suspend his duties pending an internal investigation into the allegations by The Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday.

Fawcett, a former valet to Charles who is said to remain close to Queen Elizabeth II's heir, is alleged to have coordinated work to grant a royal honour and even UK citizenship for Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz.

The Saudi businessman had donated large sums to restoration projects of particular interest to the Prince of Wales. Mahfouz reportedly denies any wrongdoing.

Charles' foundation, which helps jobless people get back into work and start small businesses, said it took the newspaper reports "very seriously".

"Michael fully supports the ongoing investigation and has confirmed that he will assist the investigation in every way," it said.

As a trusted valet, Fawcett would squeeze Charles' toothpaste onto his brush and help to dress him, according to reports.

"I can manage without just about anyone except Michael," the prince was said to have once commented.

In 2003, Fawcett was cleared of allegations of financial misconduct over the sale of unwanted royal gifts.

He was appointed as head of the foundation in 2018 following a reorganisation of Charles' charities.

© 2021 AFP

UPDATED

Montenegro police clash with protestors as ethnic tensions flare over Serbian church ceremony

Monetenegrin Orthodox Christians gather in front of the orthodox cathedral in Podgorica, on September 4, 2021, to show support for the enthronement of the new bishop amid divisions over the issue. 

© Savo Prelevic, AFP

Issued on: 05/09/2021 - 10:48
Text by: NEWS WIRES|
Video by: Carys GARLAND

Police in Montenegro on Sunday dispersed hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in the historic city of Cetinje to block the inauguration of the new head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the tiny Balkans nation.

Police fired tear gas at the protesters gathered on the main square, about 100 metres from a 15th century monastery where the new Metropolitan of Montenegro Joanikije is to be enthroned later on Sunday, state television reported.

The planned event has exacerbated ethnic tensions in the country, which broke away from Serbia in 2006.

While the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) is the dominant religion in Montenegro, critics accuse it of serving the interests of Belgrade.

And the government that assumed power at the end of the 2020 is accused by its opponents of being too close to the church.

But nearly a third of Montenegro's 620,000 population identifies as Serb and some even refuse to acknowledge Montenegro's independence.

Opponents of the inauguration set up barricades on Saturday to block access roads to Cetinje.

Demonstrators shouted "This is not Serbia!" and "Long live Montenegro!" on the main road linking Cetinje to the capital Podgorica on Saturday.

Many spent the night around fires they lit to keep warm, an AFP correspondent said.

'Defending our dignity'

The protesters hope to prevent SPC leaders, including its patriach Porfirije, from entering into the monastery, the SPC seat in the country but which is seen as a symbol of national identity by many Montenegrins.

But Joanikije and Porfirije arrived in front of the monastery by helicopter Sunday, surrounded by police, images released by the daily Vijesti showed.

"I am here to show my love for the country," said one protester, Saska Brajovic, 50.

"We are not asking for anything from anyone else, but we are dismissed by the occupying Serbian Church. We are here defending our dignity," Brajovic, who spent the night at a barricade, told AFP.

The protesters are backed by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) of President Milo Djukanovic.

Djukanovic had been eager to curb the SPC's clout in Montenegro and build up an independent Orthodox church.

But in August 2020 elections the DPS lost -- for the first time in three decades -- to an opposition bloc led by SPC allies.

Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic, who is close to the Serbian Orthodox Church, has accused Djukanovic of having deliberately stocked the recent tensions.

Metropolitan Joanikije was named to his new post in May, after the death of his predecessor Metropolitan Amfilohije from Covid-19. He had run the church in Montenegro since 1990.

(AFP)

Montenegro clashes ahead of Orthodox leader's inauguration

Issued on: 04/09/2021 

By Saturday evening, all roads into Cetinje had been blocked 

SAVO PRELEVIC AFP

Cetinje (Montenegro) (AFP)

Protesters clashed with police Saturday in the southern Montenegrin city of Cetinje as ethnic tensions rose a day ahead of the inauguration of the new head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the tiny Balkans nation.

Hundreds of protesters forced their way past police cordons on the outskirts of Cetinje and put up barricades blocking access to the historic city, once the royal capital, an AFP correspondent reported.

Demonstrators shouted "This is not Serbia!" and "Long live Montenegro!" on the main road linking Cetinje to the capital Podgorica.

By Saturday evening, all roads into the city had been blocked.

Police and special forces were deployed around the monastery itself, but have not for the moment intervened.

Sunday's enthronement of the new Metropolitan of Montenegro Joanikije has exacerbated ethnic tensions in this country, which broke away from Serbia in 2006.

Nearly a third of Montenegro's 620,000 population identifies as Serb and some even refuse to acknowledge Montenegro's independence.

Riot police have been deployed around the monastery 

SAVO PRELEVIC AFP

While the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) is the dominant religion in Montenegro, critics accuse it of serving the interests of Belgrade.

The government that assumed power at the end of the 2020, is accused by its critics of being too close to the church.

Thousands protested last December when it amended a controversial law that had aimed to make hundreds of Serbian Orthodox monasteries Montenegrin state property.

Montenegro's President Milo Djukanovic, whose party passed the original law, had been eager to curb the SPC's clout in Montenegro and build up an independent Orthodox church.

But in August 2020 elections his Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) lost -- for the first time in three decades -- to an opposition bloc led by SPC allies.

The latest protests were called by a number of organisations as well as the DPS.

Critics of the Serbian Orthodox Church accuse it of serving the interests of Belgrade SAVO PRELEVIC AFP

President Djukanovic himself arrived at the city on Saturday evening, having earlier announced that he would join the protests against the ceremony.

Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic, who is close to the SPC, has accused Djukanovic of having deliberately stocked the recent tensions.

Metropolitan Joanikije was named to his new post in May, after the death of his predecessor Metropolitan Amfilohije from Covid-19. He had run the church in Montenegro since 1990.

© 2021 AF

Montenegro: Tensions erupt over Serbian church leaders

Protesters have blocked roads in Montenegro as the Serbian Orthodox Church prepares to inaugurate Montenegro's next top cleric. They reportedly threw stones at police, shouting: "This is not Serbia."


The small Balkan country remains deeply divided over its ties with the neighboring Serbia and the Serbian Orthodox Church


Police fired tear gas and began to take down barricades Sunday in Cetinje, Montenegro ahead of the inauguration of the new leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the country.

Sunday's planned ceremony in the historic Montenegrin city of Cetinje has infuriated opponents of the Serbian church. Jasmin Mujanovic, an expert in Southeast European affairs, posted some videos of the clashes on Twitter.

The small Balkan nation declared independence from neighboring Serbia in 2006, but some Montenegrins remain divided over their country's relations with Serbia and the Serbian Orthodox church — Montenegro's dominant religious institution. Around 30% of Montenegro's population consider themselves Serb.

The inauguration is set to take place in a monastery in Cetinje, the one-time capital of Montenegro

Since its independence, some Montenegrins have called for a new Orthodox Christian church that is separate from the Serbian one.
What is happening in Cetinje?

Protesters in Cetinje waved Montenegrin flags, as dozens set up road barriers with garbage containers, car tires and stones to block entrance to the city.

They said their goal was to prevent Metropolitan Bishop Joanikije II and other church and state officials from entering the city for the inauguration, the local Vijesti newspaper reported.

By Saturday evening, protesters had blocked all the roads into the city of Cetinje.

Patriarch Porfirije, head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, arrived in the capital, Podgorica, on Saturday evening.

Porfirije is scheduled to attend the inauguration of Joanikije, whose predecessor as the church's leader in Montenegro, Amfilohije, died in October last year following COVID-19-related complications.

Montenegrin state RTCG broadcaster reported that demonstrators managed to break through a police barricade at the entrance to the city and threw stones at officers, yelling: "This is Montenegro!" and "This is not Serbia!"

Last month, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Cetinje, demanding that the inauguration take place elsewhere. The church has refused to modify its plans.

From rescues to romance: Top moments at Tokyo's Paralympics

Tokyo's Paralympic mascot Someity was plastered across the city during the Games, which end Sunday 

Kazuhiro NOGI AFP/File

Issued on: 05/09/2021 
Tokyo (AFP)

A secret evacuation from Kabul, a new British record and a post-race proposal -- there was no shortage of memorable moments at Tokyo's Paralympics, held after a year-long pandemic postponement.

As the Games draw to a close Sunday, AFP recaps some of the stories that will be remembered:

- Afghan team escapes Kabul -

Afghanistan's swift fall to the Taliban last month left the country's two Paralympic athletes trapped, with no way to leave Kabul and their dreams of competing in Tokyo seemingly over.

At the opening ceremony, the Afghan flag was carried by a Japanese volunteer -- but four days into the Games, officials announced that Zakia Khudadadi and Hossain Rasouli had made it to Japan.

Zakia Khudadadi was one of two Afghan Paralympians who made it to Tokyo after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban 

Philip FONG AFP/File

Details of their evacuation via Paris had been kept secret, in what International Paralympic Committee spokesman Craig Spence described as a "major global operation".

"Both athletes are here in Tokyo to fulfil their dreams, sending out a very strong message of hope to many others around the world," Spence said.

Khudadadi, 22, fought in the Paralympics' first-ever taekwondo bout, while Rasouli, 26, took part in a long jump event, having missed the 100m sprint he had trained for.

- Fencing's 'Bebe' defends title -

Fencing icon Beatrice "Bebe" Vio, one of the world's best-known Paralympians, defended her Rio gold in scintillating form.

The 24-year-old, who had both forearms and legs amputated when she contracted meningitis aged 11, beat China's Zhou Jingjing 15-9 to win Category B in the women's individual foil.

Italy's Beatrice Vio, one of the world's best-known Paralympians, defended her Rio gold in sparkling form 

Behrouz MEHRI AFP/File

The Italian sensation is known for her lightning speed and banshee cries on the piste, and was one of nine Paralympians featured in the acclaimed documentary "Rising Phoenix".

And her passion extends beyond the arena: she also works as a motivational speaker, author, actor, TV host and disability campaigner.

It was Vio's second gold at her second Games after she stunned firm favourite Zhou to win at Rio 2016 aged just 19.

- Team GB's wheelchair rugby triumph -

A shock gold medal for Britain's wheelchair rugby players was the first time a European team has triumphed at the Paralympics in the high-impact sport once known as "murderball".

They upset the odds by beating the heavily favoured US team 54-49 in the final, while Japan took bronze.

"Not in my wildest dreams did I think we'd be coming away with a Paralympic gold medal," said Britain's Stuart Robinson.

Britain's wheelchair rugby team became the first Europeans to take a Paralympic gold

 Behrouz MEHRI AFP/File  IS BRITAIN STILL EUROPEAN AFTER BREXIT?!

"For the past four or five years we've been building towards something special."

Jim Roberts, who scored 24 tries in the final to lead his side to victory, was asked how he would celebrate. "I just hope someone's got some beer somewhere," he told the UK's Channel 4 television.

- Storey pedals to glory -

In another coup for Team GB, cycling legend Sarah Storey became Britain's most successful Paralympian with her 17th gold medal, 29 years after her first.

The indomitable 43-year-old's golden hat-trick in Tokyo dethroned swimmer Mike Kenny, who won 16 golds between 1976 to 1988.

Cyclist Sarah Storey became Britain's most successful Paralympian after taking a 17th gold medal

 CHARLY TRIBALLEAU AFP/File

After her women's C4-5 road race victory in treacherous cool, wet and foggy conditions, Storey said she felt "a bit overwhelmed".

"I feel like it is happening to someone else... but crossing the line first felt so good," she said.

"In that last descent I didn't touch my brakes, I just went for it."

- Paralympic proposal -

In the soggy Olympic Stadium on Thursday, Cape Verde's Keula Nidreia Pereira Semedo failed to qualify for the women's T11 200m semifinals -- but there was a surprise consolation.

After the race, her guide runner Manuel Antonio Vaz da Veiga got down on one knee and proposed.

Love was in the air on the Paralympic track after a guide proposed to his running partner Joel MARKLUND OIS/IOC/AFP/File

Video of the magic moment showed both athletes beaming as Semedo accepted.

Vaz de Veiga revealed afterwards that he'd been planning the proposal since his bride-to-be was selected for the Cape Verde squad in July.

"I thought this was the best occasion and the best place to do it," he said.

And Semedo said she had been considering retiring, but the proposal made her rethink.

"Now I have an additional motivation to carry on after the Games, always with him by my side."

© 2021 AFP

Space tourism: Out of reach for most Earthlings

Space tourism began in 2001 with Italian-American millionaire Dennis Tito. Decades later, it's still a preserve of the rich and essentially white



An unbeatable record

Dennis Tito was and always will be the first civilian to travel to space. Tito had been a NASA engineer before turning to finance. He had always dreamed of a trip to space and is said to have paid $20 million to have his dream come true. It was hard convincing the big space agencies, but on April 28, 2001, Tito took a ride on a Soyuz rocket and spent six days at the International Space Station.

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After six months on Mars, NASA's tiny copter is still flying high

It was only supposed to fly five times. 

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter, photographed on the surface of Mars by the Perseverance rover on June 15, 2021

 Handout NASA/AFP/File


Issued on: 05/09/2021 -

Washington (AFP)

It was only supposed to fly five times. And yet NASA's helicopter on Mars, Ingenuity, has completed 12 flights and it isn't ready to retire.

Given its stunning and unexpected success, the US space agency has extended Ingenuity's mission indefinitely.

The tiny helicopter has become the regular travel companion of the rover Perseverance, whose core mission is to seek signs of ancient life on Mars.

"Everything is working so well," said Josh Ravich, the head of Ingenuity's mechanical engineering team. "We're doing better on the surface than we had expected."

Hundreds of people contributed to the project, though only about a dozen currently retain day-to-day roles.

Ravich joined the team five years ago.

"When I got the opportunity to come work on the helicopter project, I think I had the same reaction as anybody else: 'Is that even possible?'"

His initial doubts were understandable: The air on Mars has a density equivalent to only one percent that of Earth's atmosphere. By way of comparison, flying a helicopter on Mars would be like flying one in the thin air nearly 20 miles (30 kilometers) above Earth.

Nor was it easy getting to Mars in the first place. Ingenuity had to withstand the initial shock of takeoff from Earth, and then of the February 18 landing on the red planet following a seven-month voyage through space, strapped to the rover's belly.

Once in its new surroundings, the tiny (four pound, or 1.8 kilogram) copter has had to survive the glacial cold of Martian nights, drawing warmth from the solar panels that charge its batteries during the day. And its flights are guided using an array of sensors, since the 15-minute lag in communications from Earth makes real-time guidance impossible.

- Scouting duties -

On April 19, Ingenuity carried out its maiden flight, making history as the first motorized craft to fly on another planet.

Exceeding all expectations, it has gone on to fly 11 more times.

"We've actually been able to handle winds greater than we had expected," Ravich told AFP.

"I think by flight three we had actually accomplished all of our engineering goals ... (and) got all the information we had hoped to get," said Ravich, who works for NASA's famed Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which developed the helicopter.

Since then, Ingenuity has flown as high as 39 feet (12 meters), and its last flight lasted two minutes and 49 seconds. In all, it has covered a distance of 1.6 miles.

In May, Ingenuity flew its first one-way mission, landing outside the relatively flat "airfield" that had been carefully selected as its initial home.

But not all has gone smoothly. Its sixth flight brought some excitement.

After being knocked dangerously off-balance by a malfunction affecting the photos taken in flight to help it stabilize, the tiny craft was able to recover. It landed, safe and sound, and the problem was resolved.

Ingenuity is now being sent out to scout the way for Perseverance, using its high-resolution color camera.

The purpose is twofold: to chart a path for the rover that is safe, but also which is of scientific interest, notably in geological terms.

Ken Farley, who heads Perseverance's science team, explained how photos taken by Ingenuity during its 12th flight showed that a region dubbed South Seitha was of less interest than scientists had hoped.

As a result, the rover might not be sent there.

- Favorable conditions -

After more than six months on the red planet, the little drone-like craft has gained a growing following on Earth, featured on coffee cups and T-shirts sold on the internet.

What explains its longevity?

"The environment has been very cooperative so far: the temperatures, the wind, the sun, the dust in the air... It's still very cold, but it could have been a lot worse," said Ravich.

In theory, the helicopter should be able to keep operating for some time. But the approaching Martian winter will be challenging.

NASA engineers, now armed with the data from Ingenuity's flights, are already working on its next-generation successors.

"Something in the 20 to 30 kilograms (range) maybe, able to carry science payloads," said Ravich.

Those future payloads might just include the rock samples collected by Perseverance.

NASA is planning to retrieve those samples during a future mission -- sometime in the 2030s.

© 2021 AFP

California winemakers take wildfire-fighting into their own hands

Randy Dunn checks the hose on a fire truck he has purchased to protect his vineyard from California wildfires 

Nick Otto AFP

Issued on: 05/09/2021

Napa (United States) (AFP)

Water tanks, fire trucks and helicopters: California's Napa Valley winemakers are buying their own equipment to protect their property and their pricey vintages from wildfires.

A historic drought driven by man-made global warming has left large tracts of the western United States parched and highly vulnerable to fires.

That includes the world-renowned vineyards that dot central California, producing billions of dollars in wine every year.

And with fires spreading at an alarming rate -- 2021 is shaping up to be the most destructive year on record -- firefighting resources are stretched thin.

"I know that CalFire cannot be everywhere at the same time and that has shown constantly, not only here but in the rest of California," said Randy Dunn, who founded his 200-acre (80-hectare) winery in 1979, referring to the state's firefighters.

"So I feel strongly that, if you have some protection and you stay here, that you got a chance. If you leave, then I think your chance has really dwindled."

Dunn already owned a vintage 1946 fire truck -- old, but still functional -- and has just bought a newer one.

The siren doesn't work, but its hoses are fine, though so far they have not been battle tested -- it's more of something he has been using for fun with his grandchildren.

But he is confident he would be able to use it if a fire breaks out on his property.

Randy Dunn (L) and his son Mike check on their vines at their Central California vineyard Nick Otto AFP

Its purchase was prompted by a close call last year when the Glass Fire scorched more than 67,000 acres of Napa and Sonoma counties -- prime wine-producing country.

"It was about a mile from here," he told AFP pointing to the west, where dried-out pines cling to the dusty earth.

- Smoke-infused vintage -

Wildfires are a part of the natural forest cycle, burning away old vegetation and spurring new growth in their wake.

But their reach, intensity and regularity is increasing across the region, as the planet warms and weather patterns change.

Each fire season brings new worries over how much will burn this year, and how far the wind will carry the embers.

Winemakers like Dunn know that they have to work hard to protect their land.

He has spent thousands of dollars to clear brush and forest around the property.

But the cost pales in comparison with the insurance premium, which has gone up more than five-fold this year to $550,000.

For Mike Dunn, Randy's son, the land management is vital to the fight to protect the vineyards.

The second fire truck adds peace of mind.

"If you have defensible space like we do, it certainly doesn't hurt to have some sort of method to spray any possible (fire) startup.

A scorched hillside from last year's Glass Fire is seen near Angwin, California 

Nick Otto AFP

"If something came shooting over here, we can put it out."

"We've done a lot of work maintaining the forest undergrowth, I think that's really, really important, more so than owning fire trucks."

The Dunn estate produces tens of thousands of bottles of wine each year, matured in casks from Burgundy, France in an on-site cellar.

Each one usually sells for between $85 and $140.

Last year's smoke-infused vintage had to be turned into box wine, and fetched the equivalent of just $6 a bottle.

"The two evacuations last year and the proximity of the fire and the resulting ruined vintage... it's just terrifying," says Mike Dunn.

"It's a way of life that's being threatened."

- Solutions -

With fires raging across California, the Dunns are not alone in fretting if the fire service will have the resources to protect them -- even with the recent addition of a dedicated helicopter and high-tech fire-detection cameras.

Neighbor Michael Rogerson, a relative newcomer to the area and chief executive of an aircraft company, is offering another private-sector solution to worried vintners.

Michael Rogerson, a chief executive of an aircraft company, has two retro-fitted ex-military helicopters that he wants to use for fighting fires 

Nick Otto AFP

He has two retro-fitted ex-military helicopters that he wants to provide as dedicated fire-fighting machines.

"Right now, we're finishing equipping the helicopters and we expect that they would be out in this region in about two weeks," he said.

"We would hope to be able to demonstrate it and show it to CalFire and the US Forestry Service and also to the Napa community, that this is a great solution for them."

With just a few weeks to go until the grape harvest, Randy Dunn is hoping that such solutions will not be needed, and that he won't have to press his engines into action -- at least not for fighting fires.

"We've used the old one for great squirt gun fights with the kids," he says.

"They get their high powered squirt guns, I get my hose."

© 2021 AFP

Berlin universities (almost) banish meat from canteens

Berlin students are pushing for less schnitzel and more beets and lentils in their lunch menus, in an effort to fight climate change.


Berlin universities have almost banished meat from menus


Marinated soy strips in curry and vegetarian dumplings are some of the meals that will be introduced during the new semester at Berlin universities in October 2021.

The 34 student canteens in Berlin, which are run by student support group Studierendenwerk, have revised their menu to now offer 68% vegan and 28% vegetarian meals while only 4% containing meat or fish. The canteens cater to the students of 20 universities.

Students demand climate-friendly meals

Daniela Kummle of Studierendenwerk told DW that they have used the last one and a half years of the pandemic to revise the menu in the canteens so that their offer is more climate-friendly, before adding that they get regular feedback from students asking for more climate-friendly offers.

Student organizations have increased pressure for climate-friendly options

She said the menus change every semester with the new generation of young students so they keep an eye on social and ecological developments, and current trends.

During the pandemic, a number of canteens were open for a click and collect service, as most students were left to work from home.

There are currently 510 meals available, 341 vegan (and 288 of them are also gluten-free)

145 vegetarian (108 of which are also gluten-free), 12 with fish and 12 with meat. Studierendenwerk has also started running two food trucks offering lunch at some of the student residences.

Plant-based products make up the vast majority of the ingredients used by the canteens. Kummle said the procurement of fresh vegetables and fruit depends specifically on seasonal factors.

"In summer, we are able to get more fresh products from regional farmers than in winter," she said. "For our so-called 'Klima-Essen' (a climate-friendly vegan meal), we use ingredients specifically with a low ecological footprint."

The meat and fish offered in the meals meet the requirements of Studierendenwerk existing labels for sustainable agriculture and sustainable fishing.

Canteen meals in Berlin are organized by student organizations

Out with the old, in with the new

Traditional German cuisine is usually heavy on meat, with schnitzel, bratwurst and pork knuckles. But the livestock sector is responsible for the equivalent of 7.1 gigatons of carbon dioxide every year, roughly 14.5% of all human-caused emissions.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) notes that about 65% of the sector's emissions can be linked to cattle in the form of beef and dairy production.

But it's not just emissions that are a problem for the planet: Animal husbandry dominates about three-quarters of agricultural land, pollutes water and drives deforestation, particularly in the Amazon rainforest.

This is not the first time the students have wanted more climate sustainable meals. In 2010, Germany's first vegetarian university canteen was opened on the campus of the Free University.

Later in 2019, a vegan canteen was opened on the campus of Berlin's Technical University, which has been a huge success, more than double the number of visitors than expected.

The Humboldt University in Berlin is also planning to become climate neutral by 2030 by designing a sustainable and climate-neutral university. The Technical University is aiming for climate neutrality by 2045.

Watch video 04:34 Pioneer of vegetarian cuisine: Star chef Andree Köthe

GERMANY

Grannies for Future: Youth have 'no chance' without old people

When the scale of the climate crisis was brought home to Cordula Weimann, she decided to make some changes. She used to drive a sports car and take flights on vacation. Then she launched the Grannies for Future movement


Cordula Weimann says older people have a big role to play in safeguarding the future of the planet

Cordula Weimann didn't opt for a quiet retirement. Instead, the 62-year-old grandmother has embarked on a mission to educate her fellow seniors about their impact on the planet.

"Of course, we older people have been contributing to [climate change] for a long time," she says in an interview with DW's environment podcast, On the Green Fence.

"But you are only really guilty if you know that what you are doing is wrong. And we had not been told just how devastating our consumerism is to this planet. You can't blame us for that."

Listen to audio 30:18 How young and old see the climate crisis

The Leipzig-based mother of three — who also has three grandchildren — founded Omas for Future (Grannies for Future) in 2019 in support of the global youth climate movement, Fridays for Future.

"I said to myself, 'If the old people don't get on board, the youth won't have any chance of making it.' And that's how Omas for Future came about."

With the group, she's hoping to raise climate awareness among the older generations and motivate them to take concrete steps to shrink their carbon footprints — for the sake of their kids' and grandkids' future.
Talkin' 'bout my generation

Germany's aging population means older citizens will have the biggest say in the upcoming federal elections on September 26. Of the 60.4 million eligible voters, only 15% of them are under the age of 30. Around 60%, on the other hand, are over 50.

"It's really a sad fact that we grandmas and grandpas decide about the future of our children — not only with the election, but also with our daily consumer behavior," Weimann says.

"It is certainly also a fact that when the children are out of the house and retirement is just around the corner, many older people say, 'Now I'm going to treat myself.' And then they travel the world more, drive the big car, and consume things that they wouldn't have otherwise treated themselves to."

Weimann, whose open, friendly face is framed by shoulder-length silver hair, is speaking from experience. Before turning to environmental activism, she was an entrepreneur based in the city of Paderborn, renovating old buildings and turning them into homes. She had a convertible sports car and took flights when she went on holiday. With three children and a career, her thinking was, "'If I already work so much, then I want to have something from it — to treat myself.' The more I worked, the more I needed this balance. I also thought it was chic to ride in a convertible."

The Omas (and Opas) for Future take part in climate campaigns around the country

So what changed?

Weimann grew up in the Lower Rhine region in Germany's west, and says she's always cared about the environment and nature. But, in recent years, the more she learned about how her consumption and lifestyle were harming the planet, the more she saw the need for change. She remembers reading some particularly sobering numbers in 2017 that brought the gravity of the crisis into sharp focus.

"I didn't know how immense the species extinction is, that 75% of the flying insects are gone, 68% of our songbird species have been reduced," she says. "I didn't know that in concrete numbers."

Weimann says she now lives in a carbon-neutral, wooden house in Leipzig. She also ditched her sports car for an electric one. She doesn't purchase new clothes anymore as a rule, eats little meat and buys organic produce as much as possible. She also doesn't fly, even though she has children abroad.

"And if I were forced to fly for whatever reason, I would certainly compensate by investing in carbon offsetting projects," she adds.

Watch video 01:23 The grandmas fighting climate change

Changing minds and behaviors

It's been a gradual transition. Now Weimann is trying to help others in her age group do the same. But she admits there are some challenges, for example, convincing a generation that has already lived through — and solved — previous crises such as the Cold War and the hole in the ozone layer that climate change is different.

"And that's exactly the danger, because this time it's really serious! It's not just global warming; it's also our species' extinction, which may threaten us even more if we don't stop it immediately."

Since she launched the movement, 40 regional Omas for Future chapters have been set up across Germany. And despite the "Omas" in the name, they encourage Opas, or grandpas, to get involved as well.

The group attends climate rallies and runs campaigns to reach out to older citizens, who aren't as active on social media as younger people. Weimann also hosts a podcast with tips for how to live a more climate-friendly life — for example, by switching to green electricity or recycling clothing.

Watch video02:32Young environmentalists profit from knowledge of elders 

'We have to build bridges' between generations

Unlike the Fridays for Future movement, which emerged in August 2018, the Omas put less emphasis on lobbying for policy change, and more on the power of individual actions. Weimann also stresses that it's not about apportioning blame or taking things away from people.

"Omas for Future don't advocate veganism, which is championed by some of the young. Of course, we should eat far less meat. But we aren't dogmatic and say everyone must be vegan," she says.

"Attacking somebody and telling them what to do is problematic. But having said that I can also understand the anger of young people. We have to build bridges, come together and talk on a personal level without fear."

While the climate movement is often seen as being dominated by young activists, Weimann says it's not so black and white. The Omas for Future movement is proof of that.

Weimann would like to see the group continue to grow — and not just in Germany — to spread the message that spurred her to take action in the first place: "What drives me is the love I have for my children. And what I can do now for them and their future is to save as much as I can."

You can listen to the latest episode of On the Green Fence, featuring Omas for Future founder Cordula Weimann, here or wherever you get your podcasts.

CARTOONS FOR FUTURE: AN EXHIBITION BANGS THE DRUM FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Unfair assignment of tasks
The stork can hardly believe his eyes — what is in the huge bundle the raven is carrying? Turkish cartoonist Menekse Cam, who brought the exhibition "Cartoons for Future" to Turkey, has named her drawing "Clean the World."     12345678

Haiti racing to rebuild schools destroyed in earthquake

Issued on: 05/09/2021 -

An aerial view of Haiti from a US Navy aircraft in September 1, 2021 

John BELLINO US NAVY/AFP

Port-au-Prince (AFP)

Haiti is struggling to send children back to class amid the devastation of the earthquake last month that killed more than 2,200 people and destroyed tens of thousands of buildings, including many schools.

It is a logistical and humanitarian challenge in the disaster-prone country -- the poorest in the Americas -- one that never fully recovered from the huge quake in 2010 that killed more than 200,000 people and caused billions in damage.

Classes for most students, initially scheduled to start September 6, have been pushed back by two weeks. And they have been postponed until October 4 in the three southern departments hardest hit by the 7.2 magnitude quake of August 14.

In those areas, many families lost everything.

Word of the delayed start to the school year launched a countdown for aid workers, who have raced to help the very needy people in the southern departments.

- Schools destroyed -

"Of the 2,800 schools in the three affected areas, 955 have been assessed by the government with support from UNICEF, and the first results show that 15 percent of them were destroyed and 69 percent were damaged," Bruno Maes, head of UNICEF in Haiti.

"It is going to be a race against time because it is just a few weeks to set up protective, safe learning shelters for children in these three departments so they do not miss another school year," Maes said.

The 2019-2020 school year ended in March of last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The following school year was then disrupted for many Haitians by widespread violence from powerful street gangs.

Children play cards at a school in the Haitian town of Chardonnieres that has been turned into a shelter for people left homeless by an August 14 earthquake 

Reginald LOUISSAINT JR AFP

In late 2020 and early this year, gang members carried out many kidnappings for ransom, abducting children or teachers near schools in the capital Port-au-Prince.

About 150 kilometers (90 miles) from Port-au-Prince, the crime wave largely spared Camp-Perrin, but the area was hard hit by the quake.

- Promises unkept -

Welcoming children back to school is a particular headache for private schools, which account for 80 percent of the schools in Haiti.

"We have students who have not yet paid their tuition for the 2017-2018 school year," said Maxime Eugene, a teacher at Mazenod high school. "We cannot send them home and make them miss a year of school over money," he said.

The quake destroyed every classroom in that well-known Catholic school.

Soldiers have cleared away the debris but school officials are still waiting for help to get the scholastic year going.

"Promises have been made to us but they have not yet been kept," said Eugene.

Desks at a school in the town of Camp-Perrin that was damaged in the quake, 

as seen on August 24, 2021 

Richard Pierrin AFP

"If we get tents in time we can be ready for the start of school on October 4, because we were able to salvage the furniture," added Eugene. He insisted he is optimistic despite the prospect of having to teach on the school's football field.

The L'Asile district, tucked away in the mountain range that runs across Haiti's southern peninsula, was among the worst off after the August 14 quake, leaving residents desperate.

"The building might be ready, but I personally do not know how I am going to get back to work," said Brenus Saint Jules, an elementary school principal whose home was destroyed in the temblor.

The day after the quake, a neighbor lent him a pair of pants. And he spent the next 10 nights sleeping in the back of a truck with his wife and two grown children, along with four other people left homeless.

- 'Mentally ill' -

Saint Jules, 60, now lives under a crude shelter made of sheet metal. He can barely think about the coming school year.

The stress and drama of recent weeks have left him feeling "mentally ill," he said. "I spend my time thinking about how I am going to recover."

A teacher for more than 30 years, Saint Jules takes consolation from the fact that the school he has overseen for 12 years was only damaged and not altogether ruined. Still, he is a mess.

"I have become poor like the people who do not work," he said. "It is really hard from a human standpoint."

He continued: "But from a material standpoint, if the building is repaired, if the government intervenes to help parents, to help teachers, we can open the school on October 4."

And that despite the fact that Saint Jules, like most of his 400 students, now lives outdoors.

© 2021 AFP