Trump Claims He Fell Off Forbes’s Richest List Because They Failed to Count Rubles

Photograph by Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty

October 5, 2021

PALM BEACH, Florida (The Borowitz Report)—Lambasting Forbes for dropping him from its list of the four hundred richest Americans, Donald J. Trump claimed that the magazine did not take into account what he called “secret rubles.”

“Let’s say someone has been receiving payments of billions of rubles for four years, and they’re buried in a vault under the Kremlin,” Trump said. “Those losers at Forbes wouldn’t begin to know how to count those kinds of rubles.”

Claiming that he has been “treated very unfairly” by the magazine, he said, “This should never be allowed to happen in our country.”

He scoffed at the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s status as first on Forbes’s list. “If you count rubles, Trump is a triple Bezos,” he said.

 

By Andy Borowitz

Donald Trump falls off Forbes 400 rich list for first time in 25 years

A Forbes report said that Trump has the same amount of wealth as he had a year ago, but he is down USD 600 million since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By ANI| Posted by Sakina Fatima | Published: 6th October 2021 

Washington: Former US President Donald Trump and real estate mogul dropped off from the Forbes 400 list of America’s richest people for the first time in 25 years, the magazine reported.

A Forbes report said that Trump has the same amount of wealth as he had a year ago, but he is down USD 600 million since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump’s wealth is worth around USD 2.5 billion, leaving him USD 400 million short of the cutoff to make this year’s Forbes list.

The report said that Trump had the golden opportunity during the time of the US presidential polls.

“Fresh off the 2016 election, federal ethics officials were pushing Trump to divest his real estate assets. That would have allowed him to reinvest the proceeds into broad-based index funds and assume office free of conflicts of interest,” Forbes report said.

However, the former US president had decided to hang onto his assets.

“At the time, they were worth an estimated $3.5 billion, after subtracting debt.” The magazine stated that Trump is to blame for this drop in standings.”If Trump is looking for someone to blame, he can start with himself.”

A few days before entering the White House, Trump had noted that he “could actually run my business and run government at the same time.”

“I don’t like the way that looks, but I would be able to do that if I wanted to. I would be the only one that would be able to do that,” Trump had said, as quoted by Forbes.

Successfully Merging Human and Robotic Workforces in Manufacturing

Staff Reporter Mar 26, 2020 

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(Photo : pixabay)

When developments into robotics started, society was concerned they would start to takeover the workplace. Companies would be able to ditch human workers and adopt an entirely robotic workforce. However, that fear has dissipated a lot as manufacturers have successfully managed to merge both a human and robotics workforce.

Here, we'll look at how the manufacturing sector can successfully merge human and robotic workforces and the benefits it delivers.

How have businesses so far managed to merge humans and robotics?

Robotics have gained a lot of popularity within the manufacturing sector. Year upon year, businesses have started to spend more on introducing the latest technologies and robotics into the workplace. In Germany alone, the robotics and automation industry has seen an average growth of 10% over the last decade.

For every 10,000 workers in Germany, there is said to be around 309 industrial robots. This gives it the highest robot density level in Europe. Having a human and robotics merged business is seen as a major strength in the business world. That, alongside machine vision technologies, are the major growth sectors within the robotics and automation industries.

Robots can deliver a lot of great benefits to manufacturing sites, carrying out physically demanding and riskier tasks to protect the human workforce. They also work at faster speeds and don't get tired, allowing for potentially 24/7 production.

Workplace robots haven't impacted jobs in Germany

Analysis into the use of robots in Germany's workplace has revealed that they haven't had any impact on human jobs. Over the past 20 years, no evidence was found to suggest that the introduction of robots in manufacturing have led to job losses.

However, while robotics doesn't appear to be causing job losses, it is changing the way in which people work. Job roles have changed as robots replace human workers in various aspects of manufacturing. While robots have led to a decrease in new job positions within manufacturing, they have led to an increase in service industry jobs.

So, the impact robots have had so far on the job market has been surprisingly low. However, experts do predict that the more robots are introduced into manufacturing, the more job losses will occur.

Technologies to adopt that ensure safety within an automated workplace

While there are significant benefits to implementing automated processes into the workplace, there are also some risks involved too. To ensure safety within an automated workplace, various technologies can be adopted such as light curtains.

Light curtain technologies from can help to shut down potentially hazardous machinery when motion and proximity sensors are triggered. This is particularly useful during routine maintenance, ensuring workers safety. 

Overall, robotics have become an important part of the manufacturing sector, particularly in Germany. They have had little impact on human jobs and have helped to boost efficiency and productivity. However, in order to benefit from automated processes, businesses need to ensure the safety of their workers. Adopting technologies such as light curtains, will help to ensure workers are safe when carrying out maintenance and working alongside robotics. 

Neuralink Co-Founder Said Robot Uprising Is Inevitable; AI Might Take Over Jobs, Not Adhere to Human Values

Margaret Davis Oct 06, 2021 

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Max Hodak is one of the founders of the neurotechnology company Neuralink Corporation along with Elon Musk and others. According to Futurism, the departed Neuralink founder has a grim take on the fate of humanity as robots ad artificial intelligence become more famous. He said that a robot uprising is inevitable and will likely leave humans in the dust.

(Photo : Unsplash)
Robot Uprising is Inevitable as AI Would Likely Not Follow Humans' Value Systems That Shaped Society,

 Neuralink Co-Founder Said

Robots Will Wreak Humans

In a Twitter post last week, Hodak argued that AI would likely not adhere to the preconceptions of humans o the political and economic models that run the society. He said that incompatibility between robots and humans would lead to irreconcilable differences.

"Humans are objectively bad with socialism (and on the contrary, capitalism is amazingly effective at advancing humanity), but machines might end up reasoning about their identities and communities super differently," he wrote. "We are going to get so wrecked," Hodak added.

That means that the value systems that humanity has built throughout history would no longer be relevant soon, no matter how successful they were in the past.

In a follow-up tweet, Hodak emphasized that machines might end up having more flexibility on how they organize themselves compared to the system humans have developed throughout countless generations.

 His recent statements intrigue the public, given Hodak's previous work in Neuralink, which develops a brain-computer interface to blur the line between humans and machines.

For the billionaire CEO Elon Musk, that goal was always the priority. He often said that someday machines will come and get humanity, which should motivate scientists to get ahead of them and build cutting-edge technologies. Neuralink's entire mission statement of "if you can't beat em, join em," fully embodies this.

ALSO READ: Will Robots Take Over the World? Chinese Firm's Squadron of Four-Legged Robots Moving in Unison [WATCH]

Will Robots Take Over Jobs?

In a 2019 report of CNBC, they cited a study that claims robots will take over 20 million manufacturing jobs in the world by 2030. The study, titled "How Robots Change the World: What Automation Really Means For Jobs and Productivity" from Oxford Economics, predicted that there will be 14 million robots put to work in China alone in the next decade.

Economists said that workplace automation will increase in that timeline, noting that there was already a threefold increase in the number of robots put to work worldwide in the past two decades and now has reached the number of 2.5 million.

Despite the benefits of using robots, particularly in terms of production and economic growth, researchers estimated that the drawbacks of using robots will arise simultaneously. Study authors said that the increased automation will result in tens of millions of jobs lost, especially in economies that greatly rely on skilled workers, and will lead to income inequality.

But researchers also urged lawmakers to not prohibit the use of automation or robots in the workplace. They suggested that governments could incentivize companies and employees for their effort in retraining workers. More so, they called on lawmakers to develop programs that will counteract the negative impacts of automation.

Bubba Wallace wins at Talladega, first Black driver to win NASCAR Cup Series race since 1963

Updated: Oct 4, 2021

TALLADEGA, Ala. —

Racing history was made at Talladega Superspeedway on Monday! Bubba Wallace won the YellaWood 500, marking his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series victory. Wallace became just the second Black driver to win a race at the Cup Series level. Learn more about Bubba's big win in the video above.

The last time a Black driver won a race at NASCAR's top level was nearly six decades ago on Dec. 1, 1963, when Wendell Scott earned a victory in the Jacksonville 200 at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Florida.

The race on Sunday was initially postponed to Monday after bad weather, and then was shortened for the same reason on Monday.

Bubba Wallace first black driver in 58 years to win NASCAR Cup Series

Shubham Singh

05 Oct 2021

Alabama-born Bubba Wallace became the first black driver since 1963 to win a NASCAR Cup Series race. The racer accomplished the feat in a race affected by rain and had to be cut short due to inclement weather. The African-American last winner of the NASCAR Cup Series Wendell Scott accomplished the feat 58 years ago. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan owns the car in which Bubba participated in the race.

This is for all those kids out there who want to have an opportunity in whatever they want to achieve and be the best at what they want to do. You've always got to stick true to your path and not let the nonsense get to you. Stay strong. Stay humble. Stay hungry. There have been plenty of times when I wanted to give up. And you surround yourself with the right people, and it's moments like this that you appreciate.

Bubba Wallace

Bubba Wallace win inspires young Alabama race car drivers to keep going

Oct 5, 2021

WVTM 13 News

Jolynn "JoJo" Wilkinson. She's a busy 17 year old. When she's not in school or at cheerleading practice for Hueytown High she's on the race track perfecting her craft. She believes Bubba Wallace win will inspire young people to join the sport. 

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

Two former Hong Kong leaders named in Pandora Papers leak

CY Leung accused of failing to disclose sale of company shares while Tung Chee-hwa allegedly set up offshore companies to skirt taxes.

Former Hong Kong chief executives CY Leung, left, and Tung Chee-hwa, centre, toast with current leader Carrie Lam during the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from Britain to China last year 

[File: Anthony Wallace/AFP]

5 Oct 2021

Two former leaders of Hong Kong have been named in the Pandora Papers leak, the most extensive global data drop detailing secretive financial dealings by the world’s wealthiest people that aim to conceal their assets.

Leung Chun-ying, or CY Leung, reportedly did not declare his income from the sale of shares of a Japanese company while still serving as the Chinese territory’s chief executive. Tung Chee-hwa, a billionaire, allegedly set up offshore companies after he retired from office.
KEEP READINGHong Kong: Tiananmen vigil group disbands after police probeHong Kong elite choose Leung as leaderHK falls out of love with Leung

CY Leung was Hong Kong’s leader between 2012 and 2017, while Tung was the city’s first chief executive after Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997. He remained in charge until 2005.

Both men are now serving as senior members of an advisory committee for the Chinese government and there are reports that CY Leung could seek a political comeback as the term of the current Hong Kong chief executive, Carrie Lam, comes to an end.

The landmark investigation involved 600 journalists from 150 news organisations in 117 countries, sorting through about 11.9 million files from more than a dozen financial institutions. It is estimated that the world leaders in business and politics are linked to offshore wealth amounting to trillions of dollars.

The opening of offshore accounts is not prohibited by law. But if the purpose of those accounts is to avoid taxes in their respective countries, then that could be deemed illegal.

Aside from CY Leung and Tung, some 35 current and former world leaders, including the Russian President Vladimir Putin and King Abdullah II of Jordan, were also named.

According to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), CY Leung failed to declare the sale in 2015 of an estimated 2.3m Hong Kong dollars ($295,000) worth of shares of the company DTZ Japan Ltd. ICIJ collaborated with Hong Kong’s Stand News in the investigation.

Stand News said CY Leung reportedly held 30 percent of shares in the company through two offshore firms.

The report also said that even after he took office as Hong Kong’s chief executive on July 1, 2012, Leung continued to serve as director of three offshore companies and only quit his posts in August that same year.

Leung never publicly acknowledged his role and duties in the three companies, according to the report.

Leung furious

Leung characterised the Stand News report as misleading and warned against fanning the “flames of irresponsible journalism” in a series of posts on social media.

Writing on Facebook, he said he was only required to declare shares he owned directly owned, and not those in subsidiaries of companies.

“Possession and transactions of share in subsidiaries need not be declared,” he said, adding that he did not exercise decision-making rights in the companies mentioned, including DTZ Japan.

He also justified his continued presence as director of the three companies into his term as Hong Kong leader, saying there were different procedures in contracts, and in some instances, resignations did not take effect immediately.

“I activated all resignation procedures before I took office as the chief executive,” he said

.

Leung reacted angrily to the Pandora Papers leak and warned against fanning the ‘flames of irresponsible journalism’ following the expose of his business transactions [File: Anthony Wallace/AFP]

Leung came under investigation following allegations published in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2014 that he had received 50m Hong Kong dollars ($6.4m) in connection with bidding for property firm DTZ that he did not declare.

The report said that Leung was paid the sum to stop him from taking a position with DTZ’s competitor. The complaint against him was dropped in 2018, with the justice department citing insufficient evidence.

He was also investigated for alleged potential conflict of interest and tax evasion, but those cases were dropped in 2020.

The Stand News report also said that both CY Leung and Tung were clients of Trident Trust, an international company that manages trusts and funds. The paper alleged both men used intermediaries to register offshore accounts and shell companies around the world for themselves and family members to shelter them from taxes.

Meanwhile, Tung also reportedly set up at least seven offshore companies after he left office. Using one of those companies, an account was opened with HSBC with an estimated $1m (7.8m Hong Kong dollars) in assets.

Tung and his family members also opened up to 72 offshore company accounts.

According to Forbes Magazine, which charts the fortunes of the world’s richest people, Tung’s wealth is estimated at $2.6bn.

Tung and his family have yet to respond to the report.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

 

Maine Proposes U.S.’s First Floating Wind Research Site

Maine previously demonstrated a prototype for its offshore wind farms (New England Aqua Ventus)

PUBLISHED OCT 4, 2021 7:45 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

In an effort to launch the U.S.’s first floating offshore wind research site in federal waters, Maine has submitted an application to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) that will begin a multi-year review process. The proposed lease for a 15.2-square-mile area nearly 30 miles offshore in the Gulf of Maine would be the next step in research ongoing for more than a decade at the University of Maine to develop floating concrete hull technology for offshore wind turbines.

Maine is proposing to deploy a small-scale research array of 12 or fewer wind turbines on innovative floating hulls designed at the University of Maine. This project will advance UMaine’s patented technology known as VolturnUS and will foster leading research into how floating offshore wind interacts with Maine’s marine environment, fishing industry, and shipping and navigation routes. Floating platforms are considered essential technology to develop deep-water offshore wind energy.

"This small-scale research array is a significant next step in the evolution of the University of Maine's patented floating offshore wind technology and our commitment to Maine’s future," said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, president of the University of Maine and the University of Maine at Machias, and vice chancellor for research and innovation for the University of Maine System. "VolturnUS represents the work of so many people at UMaine to develop a renewable energy and economic development solution focused on Maine's unique needs and environment. They are contributing to the development of knowledge to advance offshore wind in Maine, the United States, and the world."

Under the proposal to BOEM, the research area would be limited to 15.2 square miles, which is smaller than initial projections. This limited site is also 29 miles from the nearest mainland point of Cape Small, and 45 miles from Portland. It was selected following an extensive public outreach process, which included an analysis by the Maine Department of Marine Resources that helped identify areas that minimized known potential impacts on the fishing industry.

“This small-scale research site 30 miles off the coast will become home to innovative technology developed here in Maine,” said Governor Janet Mills. “The research project will help establish the best way for our state to embrace the vast economic and environmental benefits of offshore wind. Fundamentally, I believe that offshore wind and Maine’s fishing industry can not only coexist but can help us build a stronger economy and a brighter, more sustainable future for Maine people.”

The governor is expressing her strong support for the project saying it would address fundamental questions about how offshore wind can exist in the Gulf of Maine. In July, responding to protests from the fishing industry, the governor signed legislation prohibiting new offshore wind projects in state waters, which extend three miles from shore.

There is no specific timeline required for the application review by BOEM, which is a separate process from the state’s work to date, but it is expected to take several years before all permitting is secured and construction could begin. 

 

The Cumbre Vieja Volcano is Making the Island of La Palma Bigger

Courtesy Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía (ICMAN- CSIC)

PUBLISHED OCT 4, 2021 6:32 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

The massive volcanic eruption on the southern end of La Palma is actually expanding the island's landmass. A molten lava flow has reached the land's end and is pouring over a cliff edge, hardening as it hits the water. 

About 80 new acres have been formed so far, according to local officials, making La Palma (and Spain) ever so slightly larger. Plans for utilizing, selling or developing the extra space have not yet been announced. 

The volcano has been spewing molten rock for about two weeks, but the end of the flow began moving towards the sea more quickly over the weekend. Two new vents have opened up on the side of the Cumbre Vieja caldera, sending lava gushing out at an accelerated pace. 

6,000 people were evacuated in advance of the eruption, and no fatalities have been reported. The lava has destroyed an estimated 1,050 residences and other buildings, buried nearly 1,100 acres under solid rock, and cut off roads and other infrastructure in a continuous east-west line across the island's west side. The end is not yet in sight, local officials said. 

"It doesn't look like it's close to ending yet, because of the millions of cubic meters of lava that the volcano is throwing out," Canary Islands President Ángel Víctor Torres told media on Sunday. 

Spain's government has promised about $240 million in assistance for La Palma, including aid for rebuilding local water supply infrastructure. It will also provide employment aid for those affected by the eruption: the blast has effectively shut down the area's tourist industry, and recent photos show completely-vacant boardwalks at the popular black sand beaches of Puerto Naos, located north of the lava flow.

The volcano is also emitting tremendous amounts of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, and scientists expect that the pollutants will spread as far west as the Caribbean. Despite early concerns that the lava would generate large quantities of health-hazardous gases when it reached the sea, the air quality is still safe in areas that have not been evacuated, according to local officials. 

 

Wave Energy Converter Doubles Power Generation in Lab Tests

(file photo)

PUBLISHED SEP 30, 2021 8:28 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Researchers in Australia and China have developed a prototype technology that they believe can double the power harvested from ocean waves. In laboratory tests they report that they have been successful at increasing the power drawn from the ocean with a design that is simpler and less cost-intensive to deploy. If successful in a full-scale model test, the researchers believe that their technology could be the key to the commercialization of power generation from ocean waves.

“Our prototype technology overcomes some of the key challenges that have been holding back the wave energy industry from large-scale development,” said lead researcher Professor Xu Wang at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. “With further development, we hope this technology could be the foundation for a thriving new renewable energy industry delivering massive environmental and economic benefits.

According to Professor Wang and his collaborators from Beihang University in China, the challenges of developing technologies that can be efficient extracting the natural power and withstanding the harsh environment have “kept wave energy stuck at the experimental stage.”

Most of the concepts being explored for wave energy generation use a buoy-type device that harvests energy by moving up and down with the waves, but need to be synchronized with the wave movement. This involves a series of sensors, actuators, and control processors.

The RMIT prototype naturally floats up and down without the need for sensors. It uses counter-rotating dual turbine wheels. Two turbine wheels are stacked and rotate in opposite directions. They are connected to a generator through a shaft and belt-pulley driven transmission system. The generator is inside a buoy above the water to keep it out of corrosive seawater.

“We know it works in our labs, so the next steps are to scale this technology and test it in a tank or real-life ocean conditions,” said Wang. During the lab tests, the RMIT-created wave energy convertor was twice as efficient at harvesting power as any similar technology developed to date. 

According to RMIT, wave energy could play a significant role in renewable power generation. They reported that it has been estimated that each year power from coastal waves around the world is equivalent to annual global electricity production.

 

Australian Dockworkers Accused of Threatening Christmas With Strike

Labor action will center on the Patrick terminal in Melbourne (Patrick)

PUBLISHED SEP 28, 2021 7:20 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Australia’s major ports are bracing for the impact of a dockworkers’ strike against the country’s largest terminal operator. The labor action comes as the ports continue to struggle to maintain their operations in the face of continuing COVID-19 related restrictions. As Australians prepare for the busy summer season and the upcoming Christmas holidays, fears of supply chain disruptions and shortages are rising, claims the labor union has been quick to dismiss.

The Maritime Union of Australia announced that after 18 months of negotiations with Patrick Terminals, they will begin a rolling labor action against the operators, which handles over 40 percent of all the container freight coming into Australia. “Wharfies are expected to walk off the job of 12 hours every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday,” said the MUA. The focus is the port of Melbourne, but it will also include other actions in Sydney, Fremantle, and Brisbane.

A spokesperson for Patrick called the actions “bewildering,” saying that they have been bargaining with the union for over 19 months and provided “a very generous pay increase, guaranteed no redundancies, and provided a commitment to preserving jobs.”  

Patrick CEO Michael Jovicic said, “The MUA is clearly embarking on a major pre-Christmas industrial campaign. It seems that the union is trying to starve the Melbourne public of Christmas presents after all that Victorians have gone through over the past 18 months – it is truly mind-boggling.”

The MUA was quick to counter, saying that the company is engaging in “exaggerated PR spin,” firmly declaring that rolling strikes throughout October “won’t ruin Christmas.” The union accuses the terminal operator of “corporate tactics to deny a modest pay raise and remove previously agreed conditions on secure jobs.” The union says it declined an offer to continue the previous contract due to changes that would impact job security for its members.

“That Christmas shelves won’t be stocked in time, that’s a complete fabrication,” said MUA Assistant National Secretary Jamie Newlyn. “There’s plenty of capacity on the Australian waterfront with other container terminal operators to make sure that our stores will be full of stock and the kids will get their Christmas presents. We’re trying to limit impact on the public by just quarantining the action to Patrick, where the dispute lies.”

Patrick Terminals, however, says that the rolling strikes will have a far greater impact as they will spread to neighboring operations and other ports around the country. Retailing associations are fearful of the impact on smaller stores, with Patrick saying the strike was most likely to impact imported electronics, furniture, sporting gear, and building materials in the lead-up to Christmas. 

Talks between the union and terminal operator reportedly collapsed last Friday, September 24, after the union rejected an offer of 2.5 percent wage increases for four years. The union began serving notice of the planned labor actions over the weekend.

Earlier in 2021, the Maritime Union of Australia reached separate deals in February with DP World and in June with Hutchison Ports for its terminals in Sydney and Brisbane. The MUA and Patrick have been locked in a protracted dispute. The union staged a labor action in September 2020 against the Patrick terminal at Port Botany in Sydney. Before the union was ordered back to work, an estimated 100,000 containers were reportedly backed up in the port.

 

Greenpeace Blocks Europe’s Largest Oil Refinery in Port of Rotterdam 

Greenpeace blocked Shell's refinery in the Port of Rotterdam (photo courtesy Marten van Dijl / Greenpeace)

PUBLISHED OCT 4, 2021 3:20 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Protestors from the environmental group Greenpeace blocked the waterways around Europe’s largest oil refinery located in the Port of Rotterdam earlier today. Targeting Shell’s Pernis refinery, the activists sought to call attention to the launch of a new effort seeking to ban advertisements and sponsorships both by oil companies as well as ferry, car companies, and airlines using fossil fuels.

“We’re blocking Europe’s largest oil refinery with the very same ads that the fossil fuel industry use to deceive the public about their responsibility for climate breakdown,” said Silvia Pastorelli of Greenpeace. “Fossil fuel companies, car companies, and airlines have refused to change their polluting business, but use ads and sponsorships to present themselves as the solution to the climate crisis they caused. We’re asking the public to make their voices heard and demand an EU ban on fossil fuel ads.”

Greenpeace’s 100-foot sailing ship the Beluga II dropped anchor at 9:00 am this morning at the entrance to Shell’s refinery. Activists in kayaks, canoes, and inflatable boats formed a second blockade on the water. Another group built a barrier on the water with fossil fuel ads attached to 22 huge floating cubes. Additionally, nine people climbed up an oil storage tank and attached ads next to Shell’s logo.

 

Photos courtesy of Marten van Dijl / Greenpeace

 

The effort was undertaken to call attention to an effort to ban advertisements or sponsorships in the European Union by companies selling fossil fuels, vehicles running on fossil fuels, and flights or ferries that run on fossil fuels. The activists are seeking enough signatures from the public to demand action from the European Commission.

Greenpeace Netherlands reported that it found that an average of 63 percent of fossil fuel companies’ advertisements were using the practice known as greenwashing, whereby they are accusing the companies of misleading consumers by failing to accurately reflect the companies’ business and promoting false solutions as clean energy alternatives. Assessing over 3,000 ads published on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube between December 2019 and April 2021, Greenpeace says only 16 percent of the advertisements analyzed from Shell, Total Energies, Preem, Eni, Repsol, and Fortum, were explicitly for fossil fuel products, although this is the majority business of all six companies.

The protest remained peaceful and was broken up by the police after a few hours. The Port of Rotterdam said that it had no impact on operations while Shell expressed concerns about the safety concerns due to the blockade and people climbing on the facility.