Why So Many Men Are Dominance-based Masculinity Deniers?

What we do not actively oppose, we sustain.

December 15, 2021 by Mark Greene Leave a Comment

1. Whether the victim is male, female, or non-binary, sexual assault is about asserting power.
2. 
   
3. Not coincidentally, asserting power is foundational to how our dominance-based culture of masculinity operates.
4. 
   
5. Millions of men refuse to acknowledge the resulting dominance-based power structures, which we collectively allow to continue.
6. 
   
7. Because to do so would mean taking responsibility for the epidemic of sexual assault and rape which results.
8. 
   
9. Along with the predatory capitalism, healthcare profiteering, environmental destruction for profit, authoritarianism, religious violence and endless war which also result.

Trudeau won't rule out federal intervention in challenge to Quebec secularism law

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday he was not ruling out federal intervention in a legal challenge to Quebec's secularism law, after an elementary school teacher was recently reassigned because she wears a Muslim head scarf.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

"I am in profound disagreement with Bill 21," Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa. "I don't think that in a free and open society, someone should lose their job because of their religion, and it's no longer a theoretical issue."

Trudeau said he believes the teacher, Fatemeh Anvari, lost her job because of her religion and that many Quebecers are concerned about the issue.

Bill 21 bans public sector workers who are considered in positions of authority, such as teachers, judges and police officers, from wearing religious symbols on the job.

“A province has passed a law and the citizens of that province are in the process of defending their rights in court and that's exactly how it should function, but as I’ve said very frequently, we haven’t ruled out, as the federal government, intervening at some point in time,” Trudeau said.

In response to Trudeau's comments, Quebec Premier François Legault on Monday said he didn't understand how the federal government could intervene in a challenge to a bill that is supported by the majority of Quebecers.

THE MAJORITY OF QUEBECERS WERE AGAINST JEWISH REFUGEES PRE WW2

“Bill 21 was voted democratically, was supported by the majority of Quebecers," he told reporters in Montreal. "I don’t see how the federal government can intervene in so touchy a subject for our nation."

Legault said the law is not problematic in a free and open society "because people are free to wear, or not, a religious sign."

“First, we’re only talking about people that are in an authority position," he said. "Second, these people, if they don’t wear a religious sign, either a Catholic one, a Jewish one, whatever the religious sign, if they don’t wear the sign when they work in an authority position, they can still work and they can wear their religious sign on the street, at home, everywhere else."

Legault said it's important for government employees to appear to be neutral, adding that a teacher would not be allowed to wear a shirt advocating their support for the Liberal party.

It was reported last week that a Grade 3 teacher at Chelsea Elementary School, just north of Gatineau, Que., had been reassigned to duties outside the classroom because of her hijab.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2021.

———

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

The Canadian Press

Canada willing to 'align' EV incentives with U.S. to avert tax-credit crisis: Trudeau

WASHINGTON — Canada would be willing to "align" its own electric-vehicle incentives with those south of the border if the United States were to ensure Canadian-built cars and trucks would be eligible for President Joe Biden's proposed tax-credit scheme, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The two countries have been building cars together for more than 50 years, Trudeau noted Monday. That alliance is coming under increasing threat from Biden's controversial proposal to encourage the sale and manufacture of "plug-in electric drive" vehicles that are assembled in the U.S. with union labour.

"We are working very hard with the United States on getting them to understand that this proposed EV rebate for American-built cars only is not good, obviously, for Canada, but also not good for the United States," Trudeau told a news conference.

"There are a number of solutions we've put forward. One of them would be to align our incentives in Canada and in the United States, to make sure that there is no slippage or no unfair advantages on one side or the other. We are happy to do that."

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Trade Minister Mary Ng warned Congress last week of retaliatory tariffs and other punitive measures if the tax-credit proposal becomes law. In a letter released Friday, Freeland and Ng proposed making Canadian-assembled vehicles and batteries eligible under the U.S. plan, which would be worth up to US$12,500 in tax credits to a would-be car buyer.

Trudeau's comments, however, suggest Canada could offer a comparable package that would apply to vehicles assembled in either country.

The letter Friday was addressed to key members of the U.S. Senate, which is expected in the coming weeks to vote on the Biden administration's $1.75-trillion climate and social-spending package, which includes the new EV tax credits.

It doesn't appear, however, that Canada's lobbying efforts have changed any minds at the White House.

"The president advocated for these tax credits because he wants to make it more affordable for the American people to purchase electric vehicles, and because he feels it's … a huge opportunity for American automakers," press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday when asked about the letter.

Biden and Trudeau discussed the proposal at length when the two met last month in the Oval Office, she acknowledged, before suggesting little has changed since then.

"We have a good working relationship with the Canadians. We had a good conversation about it, but I don't have any additional policy I would expect or changes to that," Psaki said.

The federal government is already planning to retool its existing rebate program, which currently only applies to new zero-emission vehicles with a maximum base price of between $45,000 and $55,000. The Liberals promised during the election campaign to spend $1.5 billion over the next four years on expanding the program in an effort to get more electric vehicles on the road.

The U.S. proposal amounts to a 34 per cent tariff on electric vehicles assembled in Canada and violates the terms of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, Freeland and Ng wrote — not to mention the affront it represents in a country that's been a U.S. partner in building cars and trucks for half a century.

"We want to be clear that if there is no satisfactory resolution to this matter, Canada will defend its national interests, as we did when we were faced with unjustified tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum," the letter reads.

It promised a forthcoming list of U.S. products Canada is prepared to target with tariffs, both within the auto sector and beyond.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wants a vote on the legislation, which was already approved by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, before Christmas. Few see the timeline as realistic, especially after new economic data Friday pegged the inflation rate at 6.8 per cent.

Biden was scheduled to speak by phone later Monday with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat who has misgivings about the bill, including the tax-credit proposal. The White House sees Manchin's vote as a must-have in a Senate evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans.

Psaki advised against viewing the discussion as a negotiation, but rather "a conversation between two people who have been in public life for some time and have had good-faith discussions directly. This is just a continuation of that."

Vehicles built in Canada comprise about 50 per cent U.S. content, said the letter, with more than $22-billion worth of American auto parts being imported by Canadian manufacturers every year.

"To be clear, we do not wish to go down a path of confrontation," it reads. "That has not been the history of the relationship between our two countries — nor should it be the future."

The letter also threatens to hit the pause button on certain concessions Canada has already made to U.S. dairy producers under USMCA, arguing that the EV tax credits would comprise "a significant change in the balance of concessions" agreed to under the deal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2021.

James McCarten, The Canadian Press

Indigenous Peoples and Forest Communities Are Central To Tackling the Climate Crisis – But They Need Finance

Also, at this stage, the fund will operate as a robust and safe option for mitigation and adaptation to climate change through the promotion of equal partnerships.

December 14, 2021 by International Institute for Environment and Development Leave a Comment


Forests, and the communities who protect and manage them, are critical in tackling climate change and nature loss. From COP26, guest blogger Gustavo Sánchez explains why they can no longer be ignored in the distribution of climate finance and describes a new fund that gets money directly to local forest level.

Forests are powerful emission sinks and crucial in mitigating the impacts of climate change. And they must be protected: deforestation can be a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Yet, still, despite abundant research showing the immense potential of forests for mitigation, the climate finance distributed is woefully inadequate: less than 3% goes towards conserving forests and restoring ecosystems.

Research also shows, time and again, that Indigenous Peoples and forest communities, with their local knowledge and expertise in working with forest ecosystems and natural processes, play a fundamental role in conserving forests.

Yet, in many countries, Indigenous Peoples’ and forest communities’ rights to land and resources are still not recognised. And when they are, these people, like the forests they care for and protect, are overlooked in the distribution of climate finance (PDF) – which prioritises centralised monitoring systems over on-the-ground conservation actions.

Without finance to strengthen local organisations, improve resilience of local systems for forest management and build technical expertise embedded in communities, there can be no sustained emissions reductions.

New fund channels finance to the forests

The Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (Alianza Mesoamericana de Pueblos y Bosques or AMPB) is an alliance of Indigenous Peoples and community forestry organisations representing the major forests of the Mexico and Central America region.

Since its creation, AMPB has been advocating for territorial rights, ancestral knowledge and free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples and forest communities.

But despite focused and sustained efforts to secure rights to land and resources, it has become clear to us that forest communities need direct access to reliable finance to support their own initiatives, as well as be able to manage these initiatives themselves.

This is where the Mesoamerican Territorial Fund (FTM) comes in. The fund offers a fresh, new approach to the distribution of climate finance, ensuring funds flow directly – without the influence of third parties or intermediaries – to Indigenous Peoples and forest communities.

In this fund, communities will present projects according to their own needs and experience, with the appropriate allocation of funds.

The fund empowers these communities to create and manage their own projects. With their intimate understanding of forests and nature, they know what’s best for their people and land – Levi Sucre, Costarrican Indigenous leader

Fund roll-out

Recognising all the work Indigenous and forest communities are doing to tackle climate change with little to no support from climate finance, the AMPB has been investing in local capacities and incubating its local fund for several years now. In 2021 the AMPB began the pilot phase of the FTM, shaped around the key principle of getting finance directly to local people.

The fund is rights-based – seeking to support projects and activities that recognise and implement the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLC), and respect their cultures and traditions.

It also recognises that a highly participatory approach is fundamental to success, where open dialogue and negotiation with all key actors invested in the sustainable and equitable management of our territories, including governments, markets and international development agencies.

Performance-based financing is another of the fund’s key characteristics. This puts communities in the driving seat – they create their own projects, set their own project deliverables and specify what inputs they’ll need to deliver their targets.

The FTM documented experiences, successes and lessons learnt from the 12 projects rolled out under the pilot. These form a solid foundation for supporting future projects of Indigenous and forest communities of Mesoamerica.

By 2022 the FTM will be a fully established legal entity with an established governance structure, operating regulations and system for communication and accountability. Also, at this stage, the fund will operate as a robust and safe option for mitigation and adaptation to climate change through the promotion of equal partnerships.

And by 2025, we plan for the FTM to be fully consolidated, demonstrating the capacities of governance, political advocacy, and realisation of rights, through the implementation of climate finance projects that support the most vulnerable communities while helping achieve sustainable development.

Recognition, rights, and climate finance access – join us at COP26

At a COP26 side event on Tuesday, 9 November (3-4.15pm) we, alongside partners IIED, Ford Foundation, PRISMA foundation, Mainyoito Pastoralist Alliance, Rights and Resources Institute and Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN) will explore how to elevate recognition of knowledge of IPLC, discuss measures for getting the rights and knowledge of IPLCs respected, and find ways forward given the stark reality that not enough climate finance is reaching local communities.

As part of the event, we’ll share the evolution of the FTM to date, including success stories of climate finance being channelled directly to Indigenous and forest communities of Mesoamerica and how this is building resilience of these forest guardians.

We’ll discuss key principles on which the fund is based, inviting perspectives and experiences from a diverse panel – including voices from IPLC, rights-based research organisations and other local actors championing action and mechanisms for getting climate finance into local hands.

With thanks to Andrew Davis, Natalia Díaz, Manuel Marti and Levi Sucre for their contributions to this blog.

AN EXPLANATION NOT AN EXCUSE

Former NFL player who killed six had CTE brain disease: officials

Agence France-Presse
December 14, 2021

Phillip Adams of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by NFL)

Former NFL player Phillip Adams was suffering from the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) when he shot dead six people before killing himself in April, officials said on Tuesday.

A post-mortem examination of Adams' brain carried out by neuropathologists at Boston University found that the 32-year-old showed signs of "unusually severe" damage to his brain.

Ann McKee, the director of Boston University CTE Center which conducted the examination, compared the findings to the case of Aaron Hernandez, the former New England Patriots star who was convicted of murder in 2015 before taking his own life in prison two years later.

"Phillip Adams had an extraordinary amount of CTE pathology in the frontal lobe, the area of the brain behind the forehead," McKee said.

CTE, which cannot be tested for in living individuals, is a degenerative brain disease caused by repetitive head trauma.

It has been linked to an array of behavioral symptoms including aggression, impulsivity, explosivity, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and suicidal tendencies, as well as progressive cognitive symptoms such as memory loss.

The discovery of CTE -- which McKee said had been found in 315 former NFL players -- led to the league's concussion crisis, culminating in a $1 billion settlement to players in 2016.

York County Coroner Sabrina Gast told a news conference on Tuesday that Adams' family said the former cornerback had suffered "several concussions" during his playing career, which spanned six seasons between 2010 and 2015, and included spells with the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Atlanta Falcons.

Adams, who began playing gridiron in school, complained of "excruciating pain" from his injuries, as well as memory issues and difficulty sleeping, Gast said.

"Adams' 20-year career in football put him at a high risk for CTE," McKee told reporters on Tuesday.

Complex puzzle

Adams shot dead Robert Lesslie, 70; his wife Barbara Lesslie, 69; two of their grandchildren, aged nine and five, and two men working on an air conditioning system at the Lesslie home in Rock Hill, South Carolina on April 7.

Adams was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a nearby home shortly after the slayings.

Gast said the CTE findings revealed Tuesday did not "in totality" provide an explanation to what had triggered Adams' rampage.

"But it does give us a small piece of a more complex puzzle that is still under investigation," Gast said.

A toxicology analysis of Adams found he had prescription amphetamines in his system, as well as the over-the-counter herbal extract kratom, which in lower doses works as a stimulant.

McKee meanwhile said it was not possible to say that CTE alone had triggered Adams' killing spree.

"It's difficult to say that it alone resulted in these behaviors because usually it's a complicated issue with many other factors," she said.

"But certainly we have seen this behavior and it is in fact not what I would consider unusual in this disease."

A statement on behalf of the Adams family read at Tuesday's news conference welcomed the CTE findings.

"We are pleased to have a better understanding of the mental turmoil that Phillip was dealing with during the last moments of his life," the statement said.

"We cannot say that we are surprised by these results. However it is shocking to hear how severe his condition was.

"We hope to bring awareness to this condition so players young and old can understand the risks ... Phillip is not the first to battle with this disease and he will not be the last."

© 2021 AFP

Study: Hormone Therapy Connected to Lower Suicide Risk in Trans Youth

Via Shutterstock

The research was conducted by the Trevor Project and published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Adolescent Health.

BY ALEX COOPER

DECEMBER 14 2021 6:33 PM EST

A new study from the Trevor Project has found that gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is significantly linked to lower rates of depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts among transgender and nonbinary youth.

The research, published Tuesday in the peer-reviewed Journal of Adolescent Health, emphasized the need to expand access to gender-affirming medical care for youth, according to a press release.

“Association of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy with Depression, Thoughts of Suicide, and Attempted Suicide among Transgender and Nonbinary Youth” is the first large-scale study to investigate GAHT among trans and nonbinary youth. It’s based on a sample of more than 9,000. The average age for those sampled was a bit over 17 and a half.

“Prior to this research, there were no large-scale studies examining the mental health of transgender and nonbinary youth in relation to gender-affirming hormone therapy,” Jonah DeChants, a research scientist at the Trevor Project, told The Advocate in an email. “Especially given the ongoing political debates around access to such care, it is critical to understand the benefits that hormone therapy can have for trans and nonbinary youth across the United States.”

The group already found that 52 percent of trans and nonbinary youth seriously have considered suicide.

The new study found that 50 percent of all transgender and nonbinary young people said they were not receiving GAHT but would like to, 36 percent were not interested in receiving GAHT, and 14 percent were already receiving GAHT.

Researchers found that young people who did receive GAHT had a lower likelihood of reporting recent depression or considering suicide than those who were not on GAHT but wanted to be. The results also found that youth under 18 that received GAHT had almost 40 percent lower odds of reporting recent depression and a suicide attempt in the past year.

Eighty percent of those receiving GAHT reported that had at least one parent who supported their gender identity.

Another finding related to race.

“While not too surprising based on what we know from previous research, it is important to discuss the fact that youth of color reported much lower rates of receiving GAHT when they wanted it compared to white youth,” DeChants said. “This speaks to the reality that, unfortunately, barriers to accessing health care, on a broad spectrum, disproportionately impact communities of color — and we need to make serious, systemic changes to our current healthcare infrastructure to address these barriers.”

DeChants told The Advocate that the research demonstrates that trans and nonbinary young people should have access to gender-affirming hormone therapy. He added that the research team hopes more research can be conducted on the impacts of hormone therapy.

Arkansas already passed legislation banning gender-affirming medical care for youth, and about 20 other states are considering similar legislation, according to the Trevor Project. The research found that preventing access to GAHT from those who would like to receive it could negatively impact their mental health.

“This past year, we have witnessed a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation being introduced all across the country,” DeChants explained. “Our findings serve as a timely reminder that the issue of gender-affirming care for trans and nonbinary youth is not a political bargaining chip; it is best-practice medical care that can save lives.”

 

If you or someone you know are feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at (800) 273-8255. If you are an LGBTQ+ youth and need help, you can reach out to the Trevor Project at (866) 488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or text START to 678678 to talk to someone 24/7.

TAGS: TRANSGENDER, NONBINARY, HEALTH CARE, NEWS, THE TREVOR PROJECT

Penises are shrinking because of pollution, warns environmental scientist

It may sound like a joke, but this research shows the full extent of how much we are damaging reproductive health. - Copyright Unsplash / Deon Black

By Marthe de Ferrer • Updated: 13/12/2021 - 

Pollution is causing human penises to shrink, according to one scientist.

A leading epidemiologist and environmental expert has published a book that examines the link between industrial chemicals and penile length.

Dr Shanna Swan's book, Count Down, argues that our modern world is altering humans' reproductive development and threatening the future of our species.

The book outlines how pollution is leading to higher rates of erectile dysfunction, fertility decline, and growing numbers of babies born with small penises. Though the headline fact about shrinkage may sound like a laughing matter, the research paints a bleak portrait of humanity's longevity and ability to survive.

"In some parts of the world, the average twenty-something today is less fertile than her grandmother was at 35," Dr Swan writes, dubbing the situation a "global existential crisis" in the book.

“Chemicals in our environment and unhealthy lifestyle practices in our modern world are disrupting our hormonal balance, causing various degrees of reproductive havoc."

According to the book, humans meet three of the five possible criteria used to define whether or not a species is endangered. "Only one needs to be met," writes Dr Swan, "the current state of affairs for humans meets at least three."

How is pollution causing problems with fertility?

According to Dr Swan's research, this disruption is caused by phthalates, chemicals used in plastic manufacturing, which can impact how the hormone endocrine is produced.

This group of chemicals is used to help increase the flexibility of a substance. They can be found in toys, food packaging, detergents, cosmetics, and many more products. But Dr Swan believes that these substances are radically harming human development.

"Babies are now entering the world already contaminated with chemicals because of the substances they absorb in the womb," she says. Much of Dr Swan's recent work has focused on the effects of phthalates, initially looking at phthalate syndrome in rats.

In 2000, however, there was a breakthrough in the field, and it became possible to measure low doses of phthalates in humans.

Since then Dr Swan has authored papers on how these chemicals can pass between parents and their offspring, the impact on female sexual desire, and - most recently - on penile length.

One of her most famous studies examined the intersection between sperm count and pollution in 2017, in ground-breaking research which looked at men's fertility over the last four decades. After studying 185 studies involving almost 45,000 healthy men, Dr Swan and her team concluded that sperm counts among men in Western countries had dropped by 59 per cent between 1973 and 2011.

But there is some good news. Since the creation of the European Environment Agency, European citizens are exposed to 41 per cent less particulate pollution than we were two decades ago. It's believed that these regulations have gifted Europeans an extra nine months of life expectancy, on average.

“A demand for change from citizens and subsequent strong policies have helped to clear the air in parts of Europe before, and can continue to do so to ensure that high pollution today does not need to be tomorrow’s fate," says Michael Greenstone, director of the Energy Politics Institute at the University of Chicago.

So if pollution reduction measures can be properly implemented, there is still hope for the future and humanity's fertility.

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• The death of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah: Why are black people more likely                                       to be exposed to toxic air?

• Hard decisions: Do new options mean men will take more                                                   responsibility for birth control?

‘If COPs were useful, there would be no need for 26,’ says Turkish climate activist
Alara Civelek climate activist during a protest in Istambul, Turkey. -
Copyright Alara Civelek

By Alara Civelek • Updated: 09/12/2021

Euronews Green is proud to be partnering with Youth and Environment Europe over the next several months to platform underrepresented and marginalised people in the climate movement. In this instalment, we introduce Alara Civelek.

Alara is an 18 years old activist from Turkey. In the following article, she talks about her beginnings in activism and why she thinks that the climate crisis is the responsibility of young people.

I have always loved nature. So it only made sense to become an activist once I learned about the disastrous consequences of human-induced climate change.

I started my activism by creating an Instagram account with my friend to raise awareness about the climate crisis in Turkey. We did it because we felt like this huge problem had not been given enough importance in the country.

It doesn’t have any coverage in the media and we don’t learn about it at school. So we decided to educate people ourselves.

We are the future leaders and scientists but we have very little time left to change the course of the world. That is why I think it is very important to show world leaders that we are demanding change now.

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Serbs protest in Belgrade over air pollution problems

The adults don’t care

As part of my activism journey, I also joined Fridays for Future Turkey where we organise local and global strikes. I love when I see people getting more knowledgeable about this issue as well as the strength that comes when more people unite for one cause. And we are getting stronger and stronger every day.

The last strike we organised was around COP26 earlier this year. I think what this conference has shown us is that the change will come from the outside, from the bottom up - not from the leaders who are simply not ambitious enough.

We all have to become activists.

As young people, I feel like we have so much responsibility because the adults don’t care. They pretend the climate crisis can be solved at a conference, but would we really need 26 of them if that was the case?

No, it is up to us to demand change. But in order to make that happen, we need to include more people from all kinds of backgrounds and educate as many as we can. We all have to become activists.

Activists are not just people shouting in the streets

To become an activist, you don’t need to go to the streets with the sign.

You can incorporate activism in whatever you do. If you are a musician, create music, if you are an artist, create a picture, if you are a politician, create policies that concern the climate crisis. Whatever you do, big or small, matters. Never underestimate your potential.

Whatever you do, big or small, matters. Never underestimate your potential.

And remember, that you are not alone in this. You have a purpose and whatever action you choose to help the cause still counts. Together, when we fight and when we progress, we can do great things.

I hope that we do our best when it comes to climate change. Personally, I will never give up.

 

ALBERTA

'It's like Christmas': Companies, environmentalists eager to open coal mining reports

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Energy minister to release 2 reports that will determine future of coal mining in early 2022

Bob Weber · The Canadian Press · Posted: Dec 13, 2021 

Coal mining has been controversial in Alberta since the province's United Conservative government revoked a 1976 policy that protected the eastern slopes of the Rockies from open-pit coal mines. (Istock)

This year, Albertans won't find out if there's coal in their stockings until after Christmas.

Sometime early in 2022 — the government won't say exactly when — Energy Minister Sonya Savage is to release two reports that will determine the future of coal mining in the province's beloved Rocky Mountain foothills and eastern slopes.

One report will sum up months of submissions from Albertans, the other will make recommendations.

The choice is stark. You either build a mine or you don't, said Craig Snodgrass, mayor of High River, Alta., a town just east of the foothills that opposes mining.

"There's no middle ground here, no balance to be struck."

It's no good roping off some parts of the mountains and opening up others, said Katie Morrison of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

The whole region shares the same environmental value, including providing most of Alberta with drinking water.

"I can't think of an area that would not contain those [values] that we could see as a sacrifice zone," she said.

Mining companies, too, know what's at stake.

"We expect a policy that's very clear, that either wants coal mining on certain lands or it doesn't," said Peter Doyle, head of Montem Resources, which recently filed a project description for one such mine.

Public reaction swift, angry

The issue blew up in spring 2020 when the United Conservative government announced it would remove rules that had protected the eastern slopes of the Rockies from open-pit coal mining since 1976.

At least six companies snapped up large tracts of land — much of it previously untouched, all of it home to endangered species, headwaters and the hearts and souls of Albertans.

Public reaction was swift and angry, uniting urban nature-lovers, rural ranchers and country music stars.

Savage was forced to reinstate the protections and stop selling exploration leases. She then struck a panel to hear from Albertans.

That panel received more than 1,000 emailed documents and 170 detailed written submissions, along with associated materials from 67 meetings across the province. Its two reports are to go to Savage on Dec. 31.

She has promised they will be released in the new year.

The busiest landscapes in Western Canada

Panel chairman Ron Wallace has said the responses heavily oppose coal mining.

Snodgrass, whose town council passed a motion calling for all such development to be closed off and the impacts of exploration cleaned up, said that better be reflected by what's in the report.

"We are going to know immediately if anything has been redacted," he said.

Morrison said that with forestry, energy, ranching, recreation and now coal, Alberta's eastern slopes are some of the busiest landscapes in Western Canada. She hopes the recommendations will include some kind of overall vision for the area.

"We've been waiting [for one] for over a decade."

Meanwhile, Doyle's company remains in limbo. He's had to lay off most of his employees, he said, and next summer's drilling plans hang in the balance.

"We won't do that drilling if we think the mine's not going to go."

• Alberta First Nations say coal company misrepresenting relationships to review group

• Alberta Rockies coal mining panel granted 6-week extension to deliver its report

He said he still thinks there's a place for projects like Tent Mountain, proposed for a previously mined site. But if Alberta decides there isn't, Montem has floated a proposal for a renewable energy project that would use some of the old mine's infrastructure.

"If we see no hope of getting the mine approved, we would make a decision to invest in that," Doyle said.

Just release the report and let him know, he said. "I'm a little bit worried, given the political situation, they could just sit on it."

'The fight continues'

Savage declined an interview request, saying she didn't want to speak about the reports before they're released.

Snodgrass said any attempt at finessing a mine or carving out a loophole for one will be met with more opposition.

"The fight continues," he said. "It won't stop."

It makes for a bit of a nervous Christmas, Doyle acknowledged.

"People are asking me what I think's going to happen," he said. "I don't really know.

"It's like Christmas. I'm waiting to see what's in the package."

 

Portuguese research group creates animal welfare guide

A group of researchers from the Algarve Sea Science Center has published a study that serves as a step-by-step guide for the successful implementation of policies to improve the well-being of fish in aquaculture.

By TPN/Lusa, in Environment · 31 Oct 2021 · 

The work “Environmental enrichment in fish aquaculture: A review of fundamental and practical aspects” is a critical review of “all the scientific literature published so far” on environmental enrichment in fish, one of the four authors of the published study told Lusa in Reviews in Aqualcuture, together with Pablo Arechavala-Lopez, Maria Cabrera-Álvarez and Caroline Maia.

“The guide is a call to attention for the industry, but also for policy makers as it provides tools for decision makers and for those who want to implement policies to improve the well-being of fish in aquaculture and laboratory”, he added.

According to the founder of a research group on ethology and animal welfare, if a company or a laboratory wants to start environmental enrichment, it can follow the “step by step” guide as it also indicates how these measures “can be validated”.

The biologist revealed that the review contains "a lot of data" on enrichment for sea bream, salmon and trout, among others, but serves as a "decision-making guide", namely on "how these measures can be implemented".

Environmental enrichment consists of increasing the complexity of the growing medium to improve the welfare of captive animals. With these strategies, the tanks and cages are able to mimic the environment that the fish find in their natural environment – ​​and the gains in terms of production can be surprising.

On the other hand, environmental poverty not only diminishes animal welfare, it can also be responsible for considerable “production losses” in an industry that has been growing globally in recent years, he pointed out.

João Saraiva stated that fish that live in “more appropriate environments have less disease and are better resistant to disease” and highlighted a recent study that shows how the use of antibiotics and chemical treatments can be “reduced” by “just improving “their environment through of environmental enrichment.

At the moment there are companies that are already betting on enrichment, and there are certifications in the implementation phase of environmental well-being measures, which already require environmental enrichment, stating João Saraiva that they are a way to "improve" the product, its "quality" and “increase company profits”, he concluded.

Recent studies show that fish are sensitive animals endowed with sentience, that is, they are able to feel emotional states in response to their surroundings, however, the tanks and cages used to cultivate fish are not designed to meet their needs. basic in terms of well-being, being often completely devoid of elements present in natural habitats.