These carbon-rich ecosystems urgently need protection, study urges

Isabella O'Malley, M.Env.Sc
Thu, November 25, 2021


All ecosystems are worth protecting, but certain ones should be prioritized based on the staggering amounts of carbon they store, a study published in Nature Sustainability has stated.

Mangroves, peatlands, and old-growth forests are ecosystems that capture the highest levels of carbon, but if left protected would still require hundreds of years to capture all of the carbon dioxide emissions released by humans.

These types of ecosystems are particularly special due to their role in managing the global climate because they contain irrecoverable carbon, which is carbon that could not be recovered by 2050 if it was released into the atmosphere today.

“This timeframe exceeds the time we have remaining to avoid the worst impacts of global warming. There are some natural places that we cannot afford to lose due to their irreplaceable carbon reserves,” the scientists reported.

The Inside Passage in British Columbia. Many southern regions of B.C. have some of the highest reservoirs of carbon on the planet. (iStock / Getty Images Plus)

The Inside Passage in British Columbia. Many southern regions of B.C. have some of the highest reservoirs of carbon on the planet. (iStock / Getty Images Plus)

Approximately 23 per cent of the irrecoverable carbon is in state-designated protected areas and 33.6 per cent is managed by Indigenous peoples and local communities. Biomass, such as trees and seagrass, contains 57 per cent of irrecoverable carbon while 43 per cent is found in soils.

Data collected from remote sensors were used to map global carbon reserves. The analysis revealed that the regions with the highest densities of irrecoverable carbon are in the coastlines of British Columbia and Washington state, northern Ontario and Manitoba, western Siberia, western South America, the Congo Basin, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Brunei.

Half of the irrecoverable carbon that is in existence is concentrated in just 3.3 per cent of the Earth’s surface, which is roughly equal to the land area of India and Mexico combined. The researchers have reported that this presents opportunities for initiatives that can target these relatively small areas.

Click here to view the video

The study stated that agriculture, logging, and wildfires have released at least four gigatonnes of irrecoverable carbon. There are approximately 139.1—582.7 gigatonnes of irrecoverable carbon remaining, which is currently facing risks from land use changes and climate change. So far, humans have added 651 gigatonnes to the atmosphere, which has caused global temperatures to warm more than 1°C since the early 1900s.

“While areas of current irrecoverable carbon loss require immediate attention, a view towards future risks — both due to shifting human pressures and a changing climate — is needed to ensure these irrecoverable carbon reserves are maintained over the coming decades,” the study stated.

“Decisions governing irrecoverable carbon in ecosystems today will affect the atmosphere of generations to come.”

Thumbnail credit: Alex Ratson/ Moment/ Getty Images

PFAS

Maine found 'forever chemicals' in deer, but has no idea how widespread the problem is


Pete Warner, Bangor Daily News, Maine
Wed, November 24, 2021,

Nov. 24—The discovery of "forever chemicals" in deer in central Maine and the subsequent guidance to not eat the meat raises serious questions about whether it is safe to consume venison killed in areas of the state where high levels of the chemicals have been detected or are suspected to exist.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife on Tuesday issued a "do not eat" advisory for deer meat killed in the Fairfield area, warning hunters who killed deer from that area to throw away the venison.

Five of the eight deer tested by the state were found to have high levels of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), manufactured materials often referred to as "forever chemicals." They are used in numerous industrial and household products, and have been found to present health risks in humans.

Fairfield is one of 34 towns across the state identified in October where the Maine Department of Environmental Protection will test for PFAS contamination in the soil and water. The effort will concentrate on sites where industrial waste, sludge and septic tank sewage were spread as fertilizer.

DIF&W is not drawing any conclusions about deer living near other potential biohazard sites based only on the information gathered in Fairfield. But it will be working with the Department of Environmental Protection to conduct additional testing in locations throughout the state, according to Nate Webb, the DIF&W's wildlife division director.

"This is a rapidly evolving situation and we issued the advisory based on the limited information that we currently have," Webb said. "We expect to have additional information well in advance of next year's fall hunting seasons."

The department chose the Fairfield area as the initial test site based on the DEP's previous discovery of high levels of PFAS in soils there, DIF&W's communications director Mark Latti said. Residents had raised concerns about whether the contaminants had made their way into the deer.

"We believe the deer were likely exposed to PFAS by ingesting forage from impacted fields in Fairfield and it is likely that they have been exposed ever since they began feeding from those areas," Webb said.

DIF&W will use test information provided by the Department of Environmental Protection about PFAS levels in the soil in specific areas to help determine where to conduct future testing of deer.

In addition to the level of PFAS in deer, DIF&W will consider other factors including their proximity to the "hot spots" and migration patterns along with the age and sex of the animals in evaluating the full scope of the contamination, Latti said.

The sampling in Fairfield took place in October, when DIF&W staff and representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services killed the eight deer that made up the test group. The deer were killed on or near farms that had known contaminants in the soil.

The effort required strict adherence to anti-contamination efforts to preserve the integrity of the samples.

"They had to be handled in a certain way to make sure that they weren't contaminated," Latti said. "Just brushing up against it with your jacket or putting it in the wrong type of container, you could throw off the levels of PFAS in the meat."

Biologists did not document any obvious health issues in the sample of deer.

This is not the first time the state has issued a "do not eat" warning.

"We have an ongoing advisory to not eat the kidneys or liver from moose because of a risk of contamination with cadmium [a heavy metal], and to limit consumption of deer liver for the same reason," Webb said.

He also pointed to ongoing advisories on fish consumption due to potential mercury exposure; one advisory recommends not to consume fish from the Police Athletic League ponds in Fairfield due to PFAS.

New Hampshire is among the states that have made similar recommendations about consuming venison and deer organ meats because of PFAS concerns.

The State Fish and Game Department recommends that hunters not consume deer liver, which studies have shown contain elevated levels of cadmium and PFAS when compared with muscle tissue.

In Michigan, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends that people not eat the organs from any deer, fish or other wild game statewide because chemicals including PFAS can accumulate in those organs.

Michigan has done other studies that found deer living near three PFAS investigation sites, and another adjacent to a lake containing fish with elevated PFAS levels, that determined those animals displayed no evidence or low levels of the chemicals.

Guyana Is Walking A Fine Line With Its Oil Boom

Editor OilPrice.com
Wed, November 24, 2021

Guyana is treading a fine line between its potential for economic growth through new oil developments and the risk of environmental degradation and rising sea levels associated with fossil fuel-driven climate change.

Guyana, the small South American country of just 800,000 people, has become world famous over the last year thanks to the promise of low-cost and high output oil operations in its newly established oilfields. Based on recent discoveries by ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, and Tullow Oil, Guyana is thought to have 10 billion barrels of crude reserves.

With production starting in 2019, and more and more discoveries being made over the last two years, Guyana’s future in energy looks bright. One of the poorest countries in South America could soon become one of the richest countries in the world per capita if projections about its planned oil production are correct.

However, following the COP26 climate summit earlier this month, much of the world is focused on transitioning away from fossil fuels towards renewable alternatives, not investing in long-term new oil developments. And Guyana is all too familiar with the effects of climate change, experiencing severe floods earlier this year that destroyed crops and homes. Georgetown, the coastal capital of Guyana, is at risk of being submerged within the next decade if sea levels continue to rise. So how will Guyana tread the line between developing its oil riches, and boosting the country’s struggling economy, while ensuring environmental stability?

The challenge faced by Guyana could have a positive effect on the country’s new industry, with a major focus on the development of low-carbon oil production. Both the international and national actors involved in the new exploration and extraction projects are under pressure to meet net-zero international targets. The country could follow the path set out by Saudi Arabia, which is promising to significantly reduce its carbon emissions while increasing its oil production over the coming decades.

Guyana recognizes the challenges it is facing and has asked for assurances from energy firms pumping oil in the region that the country will be protected from the knock-on effects of production. The head of Guyana’s environmental agency has announced that the country will be asking oil operators to guarantee financial assistance in the event of oil spills as well as the removal of disused oil infrastructure.

In talks with a national oil consortium, led by Exxon, Guyana is pushing for an agreement to expand upon the events covered by Exxon’s $5 billion self-insurance policy. If new legislation is adopted, it would ensure that several oil operators in the Stabroek block cover the environmental costs associated with oil spills as well as the decommissioning of oil platforms once a project is complete.

Guyana holds all the cards when it comes to oil production, as the world’s oil majors are moving away from carbon-heavy operations and focusing on new, reliable areas, where they can shape low-carbon production, in Africa and the Caribbean. Just this month, Exxon announced that it’s in discussions with Dutch contractor SBM Offshore NV over the potential for a fourth multibillion-dollar production rig. Although production has already commenced under existing agreement terms, if international oil majors hope to expand operations in the South American country, they will likely have to agree to Guyana’s terms.

In addition to environmental challenges, if Guyana wants its population to support the new oilfield developments, the revenues from the black gold will have to trickle down faster. At present, the Guyanese population is seeing demand for travel and accommodation go up as prices across the country rise with increased demand. However, the average person has not yet seen an increase in their income or other economic benefits in line with the new developments. Sharing the wealth is vital for a country that prior to the recent boom relied largely on fishing and agriculture, industries that are becoming increasingly complicated due to climate change.

Richard Rambarran, Executive Director of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, suggested that Guyana has the potential to become a high-income country over the next 30 years, and a “leader of the global south for sustainable development” if the revenues are invested back into the country.

As one of the world’s poorest countries, it was inevitable that Guyana would respond to the influx in investment offered by some of the world’s biggest oil companies when they made huge crude discoveries. However, Guyana is severely threatened by climate change, with many people in the country relying on the environment for their basic income. Over the next decade, as Guyana’s oil industry takes shape, it must demand low-carbon production from oil operators, as well as assurances that they will pay for any damage caused by the extraction and production of oil. In addition, oil revenues could support sustainable development and boost per capita income if managed well, making Guyana a sustainable example of an emerging oil nation.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

Exxon lobbyist suggests climate change not 'catastrophic, inevitable' risk in undercover recording



Wed, November 24, 2021

A lobbyist for Exxon expressed doubt that climate change carries "catastrophic, inevitable risk" in remarks made earlier this month, which were obtained by the watchdog group Documented.

In the Nov. 9 remarks to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, lobbyist Erik Oswald states, "The way I look at it as a scientist is, all's I need to think about is, is there, is there a risk? Yes, there's risk. Is it catastrophic, inevitable risk? Not in my mind. But there's risk."

"And so if we're going to work on this, you know, as a, as a society, if we're going to work on this risk, then my only ask is, let's do it as efficiently as possible," Oswald continues in the recording.

"Find me the cheapest way to put the most CO2 in the ground," he says in reference to carbon-capture technology. "And that's what I'm willing to engage in a conversation on."

In the recording, first reported by The Washington Post, Oswald says the company thinks of such technology "not as the crusaders who are going to be the climate fix" but rather "looking at markets," comparing the business opportunities of a "green premium" to consumers' willingness to buy sugar-free foods.

"The statements lack appropriate context and are not representative of the company's positions on important issues, including climate change and carbon capture," Casey Norton, a spokesman for ExxonMobil, said in a statement to The Hill. "ExxonMobil has long acknowledged that climate change is real and poses serious risks. In addition to our substantial investments in next generation technologies, ExxonMobil also advocates for responsible climate-related policies."

Exxon leaders have said they acknowledge the reality of climate change and fossil fuels' contribution to it, and that they take the threat seriously. In October testimony before the House Oversight Committee, CEO Darren Woods testified that the energy company "does not ask people to lobby anything different than our publicly supported position."

The testimony came months after the release of another recording, in which Exxon lobbyist Keith McCoy told an undercover Greenpeace activist that the company "[fought] against some of the science" and has only expressed support for carbon pricing as a "talking point." The company has disavowed his comments.

- Updated at 5:35 p.m.

Volcanic eruptions proving to be double-edged sword in Canary Islands

Mary Gilbert
Thu, November 25, 2021

More than two months after eruptions first began, the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma, one of Spain's Canary Islands, continues to create new issues for residents. Since mid-September, residents have had to deal with a slew of hazards including ever-expanding flows of molten lava, homes buried by ash fallout and earthquakes, just to name a few.

Additional risks developed early this week after a third lava flow crashed into the ocean and set off a chemical reaction.

As the hot, molten lava met the relatively cool ocean on Monday, thick clouds of potentially toxic gases were lofted into the atmosphere and forced authorities to order a lockdown for residents of three coastal towns, according to Reuters. Residents of Tazacorte, San Borondon and portions of El Cardon were ordered to remain indoors with doors and windows shut for safety.

Even residents on the opposite side of the island from the most recent lava flow were told to take precautions early this week. In Santa Cruz, the capital city of La Palma, officials recommended that residents wear masks due to high concentrations of particulate matter and sulfur dioxide in the air, Reuters reported.

This was the first time since the Cumbre Vieja volcano began to erupt on Sept. 19 that such a recommendation was made for the capital city, home to 15,000 residents.

Although coastal lockdowns were lifted on Wednesday after the toxic gas began to disperse, masking recommendations remained in place, according to Reuters.

Since the eruption began, more than 7,000 people on the island have been forced to evacuate, according to Diario AS. At least one death has been attributed to the volcano.

Thus far, the eruption has covered about 2,654 acres (1,074 hectares) of land and led to the destruction of more than 2,600 buildings on the western side of the island, according to Copernicus Emergency Management Service, which provides mapping products based on satellite imagery.

In addition to the destruction of buildings, La Palma's banana crop has also suffered significant losses. The island's banana industry has lost an estimated $100 million USD in revenue since September, according to NPR.

Of the lava's 2,654 acres (1,074 hectares) extent, about 106 acres (43 hectares) is actually newly-formed land that was created as a result of lava flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, according to Reuters.

While thousands of buildings have been swallowed by the lava, leaving thousands without a place to live, and some banana crops that are crucial to the island's economy have been destroyed, experts say volcanic activity is actually vital for the survival of the island itself.

"If this didn't happen, the islands would be completely eroded by the sea. We wouldn't have a place to live. So, while it is destructive and traumatic, it is a constructive process. The island is expanding and growing," Carmen Solana told NPR. Solana is a volcanologist at the University of Portsmouth and grew up in the Canary Islands.

Experts say prolonged eruptions are not unusual for the region, which was formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago. Solana says the kind of prolonged eruptions like the one underway on La Palma can typically last between one and three months.

The lengthy eruption continues to disrupt operations at the La Palma Airport, located on the eastern coast of the island. The airport was shut down last weekend after ash buried the runway, leaving some passengers stranded on the island and forcing others to take a ferry to nearby islands.

The airport resumed operations on Thursday after the ash was cleaned, but officials cautioned the continued presence of the ash cloud in the atmosphere could still disrupt operations of individual airlines.

On Friday, a new fissure opened up on the volcano and ash once again covered the airport, shutting down operations.

La Palma volcano, live updates today: eruption, tsunami warning and latest news | Canary Island

AS USA

Update 26 November 2021

Cumbre Vieja volcano: latest news

Headlines

- New lava flow from fresh fissure has "almost stopped", La Palma local government says

- Canary Islands regional premier promises more homes for those displaced by eruption

- Lockdown lifted in La Palma

- All flights to and from La Palma remain suspended on Friday

- Optimism that La Palma airport will be able to operate on Saturday

- Cumbre Vieja rated at alert level 3

- First V-VI intensity earthquake recorded on La Palma

- Cumbre Vieja eruption has been active for over two months, having started on 19 September

Useful information

- AS speaks to expert in volcanology about the effects of lava reaching the sea

- The lowdown on the active volcanoes on the Canary Islands

- Where are most volcanoes found on Earth

REST IN POWER
Oregon-born gray wolf dies after 'epic' California trek


FILE - This February 2021 released by California Department of Fish and Wildlife, shows a gray wolf OR93, near Yosemite, Calif. An Oregon-born gray wolf that thrilled biologists as it journeyed far south into California was found dead after apparently being struck by a vehicle, authorities said Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021. No foul play was suspected in the death of the male wolf known as OR93, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a press release.

 (California Department of Fish and Wildlife via AP, File)More

Wed, November 24, 2021,


SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — An Oregon-born gray wolf that thrilled biologists as it journeyed far south into California was found dead after apparently being struck by a vehicle, authorities said Wednesday.

No foul play was suspected in the death of the male wolf known as OR93, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a news release. Gray wolves are listed as endangered in California, where they were wiped out by the 1920s.

“Before his demise, he was documented traveling the farthest south in California since wolves returned to the state, which is historically wolf habitat. The last documented wolf that far south was captured in San Bernardino County in 1922,” the department said.

A truck driver reported spotting the dead wolf on Nov. 10 near the Kern County town of Lebec, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

The carcass was located along a dirt trail near a frontage road running parallel to Interstate 5, and a warden who responded quickly identified the wolf as OR93 because of a radio tracking collar it wore, the department said.

A necropsy performed at Wildlife Health Laboratory in Rancho Cordova found that the wolf had significant tissue trauma to its left rear leg, a dislocated knee and soft tissue trauma to the abdomen.

OR93 was born to the White River pack in northern Oregon in 2019. He went into California’s Modoc County on Jan. 30, 2021, returned to Oregon briefly, then again entered California on Feb. 4 and headed south.

His last collar transmission was from the central coast’s San Luis Obispo County on April 5. By then he had traveled at least 935 miles (1,505 kilometers) in California, the wildlife department said.

OR93 was among a small number of gray wolves that have begun coming to California from other states.

“I’m devastated to learn of the death of this remarkable wolf, whose epic travels across California inspired the world,” Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.

“In this annual time of reflection, I thank him for the hope he gave us and for a brief glimpse into what it would be like for wolves to roam wild and free again,” Weiss said.

Flight PS752 tragedy: Passengers on doomed plane used as 'human shield', Iran tampered with electronic devices, new report says

MANY WERE CANADIAN IRANIANS


KIEV, UKRAINE - 2021/01/08: Relatives and colleagues seen during the ceremony at the site of the future monument. In memory of the victims of the flight PS752 on the first anniversary of the plane crash. Boeing 737-800 passenger plane flight PS752 of Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) crashed near the International Airport of Imam Khomeini in Tehran, Iran, shortly after taking off on January 8, 2020. All 176 people on board the airliner died. Among them 11 Ukrainians - two passengers and nine crew members. Passengers of the airliner were citizens of Iran, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and Great Britain. (Photo by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)More

Elisabetta Bianchini
Thu, November 25, 2021,

A newly released report from the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims claims the Iranian government deliberately did not close the airspace to civilian flights, using passenger flights to "shield against possible American attacks."

At the highest levels of military alertness, the government of Iran used passenger flights as human shield against possible American attacks, by deliberately not closing the airspace to civilian flights.Report by Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims

On Jan. 8, 2020, 176 people on board the Ukrainian Airlines flight, including 55 Canadians and 30 permanent residents, were killed when the plane was shot down by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard after taking off from the Tehran airport.

KIEV, UKRAINE - 2021/01/08: Portraits of dead passengers and pilots displayed on a large screen during the ceremony at the site of the future monument. In memory of the victims of the flight PS752 on the first anniversary of the plane crash. Boeing 737-800 passenger plane flight PS752 of Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) crashed near the International Airport of Imam Khomeini in Tehran, Iran, shortly after taking off on January 8, 2020. All 176 people on board the airliner died. Among them 11 Ukrainians - two passengers and nine crew members. Passengers of the airliner were citizens of Iran, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and Great Britain.

 (Photo by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Claims of tampering with electronic devices

The new report claims that electronics were deliberately tampered with, including missing memory cards.

"The bent electronics have raised questions and concerns among several families," the report states. "One likely explanation is that these electronics may have been bulldozed over in an attempt to destroy any potential evidence that victims recorded in the last minutes of their lives."

"Bulldozing the crash site and not delivering many electronic devices of passengers and flight crew clearly demonstrate the government of Iran’s attempts to systematically conceal the downing of flight PS752."

Examination of four devices showed damages that were "inconsistent with damages caused by a sudden and hard impact."

"The fact that these memory/data components are missing is not consistent with damage caused by a sudden and hard impact," the findings from former Toronto police homicide detective, Mark Mendelson, whose consulting firm examined electronic devices, reads.

"Moreover, the fact that screws were removed and covers pried open strongly suggests that concerted efforts were made to extract these components, rendering a review of data impossible."

The report goes on to claim that DNA testing on some victims' bodies did not align with the stated identification by Iranian authorities.

"This neglectfulness on the part of the government of Iran has had serious psychological consequences for families, some of whom did not receive the whole bodies of their loved ones and were given the remains of other victims instead," the report reads.

The report highlights that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corp operator of the missile system that shot down the plane had "vast experience" with these systems and it is "difficult to imagine that the operator could not distinguish between an alleged cruise missile and PS752."

It also states that it is "highly unlikely" that the missile system operator "could not distinguish the aircraft from a cruise missile, as claimed by Iran."

"It is implausible that the missile system operator simply confused a much larger civilian aircraft, moving in more gradual patterns and at a slower speed, for a cruise missile," the report reads.

'We need urgent actionable support'

The Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims has been calling for domestic and international investigations, and continues to urge the Canadian government to facilitate a clarification of what happened on Jan. 8, 2020 with the necessary legal and political actions.

“The findings of our report reinforce why we need urgent actionable support and help from governments to facilitate the clarification and truth about what happened that led to the downing of Flight PS752,” a statement from Hamed Esmaeilion, president and spokesperson of the association, reads.

“It’s clear that this tragedy cannot be referred to as just a horrific combination of coincidences. Among logistical findings, the systematic concealment of the root cause of the crash, the destruction of evidence at the crash site, and Iran's vague and misleading reports, all indicate that the downing of Flight PS752 was deliberate.”

In collaboration with the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR), a joint submission has been filed with the UN to appoint an impartial fact-finding mission into the downing of Flight PS752.

“As we approach the two-year anniversary of the downing of Flight PS752, Iran continues to conceal evidence and do everything in their power to silence the victims and shield officials from accountability,” a statement from Honourable Irwin Cotler, RWCHR Chair and former Justice Minister of Canada.

“The report’s comprehensive body of evidence provides the necessary grounds to open domestic and international criminal investigations to bring the high-level perpetrators to justice.”

DRC
Flood damage exposes Kinshasa's unbridled urbanisation




Unplanned urbanisation and a lack of maintenance have caused roads

 to collapse in Kinshasa during the rainy season (AFP/ALEXIS HUGUET)

Marthe BOSUANDOLE
Fri, November 26, 2021, 7:05 AM·3 min read

The water transformed a main road into a ravine. It gutted homes, exposing their innards to the world. It left a school playground teetering on the edge of a precipice.

These images come from Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a population influx combined with scant urban planning has exposed many poor people to the impacts of extreme weather.

Millions of people have moved into the city in recent years, although the exact numbers are unknown as no census has been conducted for more than 30 years.

According to some estimates, the city is home to at least 12 million people, a doubling in two decades, out of a national population of some 90 million.

Many have built homes in areas where there has been little planning oversight, especially on hillsides where drains and channels are needed to cope with runoff during the rainy season.

In November 2019, forty Kinshasans died after heavy rains caused flooding and landslides -- but two years later, the problems posed by extreme rainfall remain.

A woman and a boy look through the collapsed wall of a house after a landslide in Kinshasa (AFP/ALEXIS HUGUET)

- Abyss -

At the top of a cliff in Kinshasa's southern district of Mont-Ngafula, disused water pipes hang in a void and residents must battle through a gully of shifting sand to reach the neighbouring district.

Floodwater dug out an asphalt avenue, replacing it with an abyss at least 15 metres (50 feet) deep, separating the University of Kinshasa from a Jesuit-run library, one of the biggest in Africa.

Widowed mother-of-seven Esperance Tsimba, 57, saw the earth swallow her shop and livelihood as the rains fell.

"I lost my business. Since then, it has been hard to send my children to school", she said.

Local residents are building dykes to protect their homes, piling up sandbags in the hope of slowing the landslide and diverting rainwater flows.

They staged a protest to demand action from the authorities, blocking Highway 1, which crosses the town, said resident Magloire Kangondi.

The authorities sent in a Chinese-owned construction vehicle, which has started to smooth out the sand on the road downstream.

But locals are worried that work will stop at a temporary fix, and not address the underlying problem.

"This isn't the first time that they've repaired the road -- it's been done several times without success," said Sylvain Nsumbu, headmaster of a primary school whose wall had fallen into the abyss.

Nsumbu said children as young as four had to cross the ravine to attend a kindergarten and that some parents even preferred not to send their offspring to school.

Christel Bulembi, an environment management specialist and community leader in the neighbourhood of Ngansele, said the solution was for the authorities to dig at least one rainwater retention pit to minimise the damage caused by runoff onto the road.

The state "must accept its responsibilities" by having allowed the neighbourhood to urbanise, and would win the local population's support by doing so, Bulembi suggested.

mbb/bmb/at/imm/ri

IMAGINE THIS IN ALBERTA

Oil gushing from Nigerian wellhead blasts hopes of those living nearby

#ECOCIDE

A view of an oil spill from a well head is pictured at Santa Barbara, in Nembe, Bayelsa

Fri, November 26, 2021,
By Tife Owolabi

NEMBE, Nigeria (Reuters) - Three weeks after the Santa Barbara wellhead failed, it is still blasting water, gas and oil across Nembe in Nigeria's Delta, littering the shoreline and water with yellow-brown clumps of waste as cleanup crews and booms struggle to contain it.

Santa Barbara wellhead owner Aiteo Eastern E&P, the petroleum minister and Nigeria's president have all promised that specialist workers would quickly stop the spill.

But experts say the difficulties containing it are a reminder of how the once-fertile, fish-filled creeks, mangrove swamps and waterways that crisscross Nigeria's Delta became some of the most polluted areas on the planet amid decades of energy exploration.

"The crayfish that I sell for a living, now they are all dead," said Afieyegha Seiyefa, showing her oil-covered hands after reaching into the water where just a few weeks ago she could fish for a living. "We cannot get anything."

Aiteo has said the high pressure of the leak made access to the wellhead difficult. In a statement on Friday, it said Halliburton subsidiary Boots and Coots would contain the leak within days and was mopping up oil with booms and barges.

Oil gushing from Nigerian wellhead blasts hopes of those living nearbyOil slick is seen on Santa Barbara creek, following an oil spill in Nembe Bayelsa

Environment minister Sharon Ikeazor told journalists this week that the government was considering tougher penalties for firms involved in spills.

Aiteo bought the Santa Barbara well from oil major Royal Dutch Shell in 2015.

Some locals and environmental activists had hoped domestic companies, with closer ties to the region, would be more effective in preventing spills. But local ownership is little comfort to Benson Daniel, the community development chairman of the Sandsand Fishing Settlement.

"We can't even cook in our house because we are scared we may start a fire," he said of the gas smell that permeates the air.

People living in the creeks around the Santa Barbara well say tougher regulatory action cannot come soon enough.

"People that are suffering in the area… they cannot do anything," Kelcy Agbenido, a youth leader for the Nembe-Bassambiri community, told Reuters.

(Reporting By Tife Owolabi, additional reporting by Temilade Adelaja; Writing by Libby George. Editing by Gerry Doyle)

Members of Nembe community paddle a canoe across Santa Barbara, following an oil spill in Santa Barbara, Nembe Bayelsa

Tesla’s Texas Battery Bet Costs Carmaker $1.3 Billion German Aid



Stefan Nicola and Arne Delfs
Fri, November 26, 2021

(Bloomberg) --

Tesla Inc. will forgo 1.14 billion euros ($1.3 billion) of state aid for the factory it’s building in Germany because it has decided to try to produce a new type of battery cell at scale in Texas first, a person familiar with the matter said.

The U.S. automaker has been working on so-called 4680 battery cells at a site near its car plant in Fremont, California. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said last year that after the company proved it could make them on a pilot assembly line there, it would manufacture them at scale at the factory it’s been constructing outside Berlin.

This made Tesla eligible to receive public funds from Germany as part of the European Union’s Important Project of Common European Interest initiative, which backs first industrial deployments of battery projects in member states. Now that Tesla has shifted gears and is further along producing 4680 cells at its factory under construction in Austin, Texas, it is no longer eligible for the money, according to the person, who asked not to be identified discussing private information.

Tesla informed German authorities it won’t tap the support package, Beate Baron, a spokesperson for the country’s Economy Ministry, said earlier Friday. She didn’t discuss the reason for the decision.

“It has always been Tesla’s view that all subsidies should be eliminated, but that must include the massive subsidies for oil & gas,” Musk tweeted after the ministry’s announcement. “For some reason, governments don’t want to do that …”

Musk, who also runs rocket maker Space Exploration Technologies Corp., has bristled for years at detractors faulting him for taking advantage of government support. Examples of this include the U.S. loan that helped Tesla get the Model S sedan into production, which the company paid back early. SpaceX is a major contractor for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and U.S. Defense Department.

After his initial post, Musk revisited a three-and-a-half-year-old exchange with another Twitter user who criticized Tesla and SpaceX’s use of subsidies.

“Combined Tesla+SpaceX market cap is now over $1.2T,” wrote Musk, who then took issue again with a figure mentioned in a May 2018 Twitter thread. Tesla shares fell 3.1% on Friday.

Tesla has almost completed construction of an EV factory in the small town of Gruenheide, southeast of the German capital, and also plans to manufacture battery cells at the site.

While Musk wants to start assembling Tesla Model Ys in Gruenheide before the end of the year, local authorities still haven’t granted final approval for the project.

Germany’s Economy Ministry estimates that Tesla is investing around 5 billion euros in Gruenheide. Der Tagesspiegel newspaper reported Tesla’s decision earlier on Friday.

Musk, 50, is the world’s richest person with a $304.4 billion fortune, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He’s added $134.7 billion to his net worth this year, more than double the next-biggest gain in the index.

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