EXPLAINER: Why are Argentines such ardent World Cup fans?

By STEPHEN WADE

December 17, 2022

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A fan of Argentina waves a flag with the image of late Argentinean soccer star Diego Maradona in Souq Waqif market in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022. 

Argentina arguably has the World Cup’s most fervent fans, known for their rhythmical singing, incessant drumming and trance-like ferocity.

The country’s history of success at the World Cup — champions in 1978 and 1986, and runners-up three times — is rivaled by few. This fervor will only grow as Lionel Messi leads Argentina against defending champion France in Sunday’s final in Qatar.

The World Cup is followed almost everywhere — Brazil to Belgium, Morocco to Mexico, and Saudi Arabia to Spain. But few fans are as intense Argentina’s, or as large in numbers in Qatar.

“Above that, people are quite proud of that intensity,” said Santiago Alles, who teaches political science at the University of San Andres in Argentina. “This is something that we are good at, and we care the most about it.”

NATIONAL PRIDE

Inflation in Argentina is running at 100%, unemployment is high and economic growth is slow, and politics are rancorous. But none of that matters during the World Cup. Even opposition political parties call a truce, knowing there is only space for upbeat talk about soccer.

“For a country in the global South, opportunities to defeat the global North are not that frequent,” Alles said. “The World Cup is an opportunity to do that. The national pride is not something you can take away.”

Alles noted that social media in Argentina has shown Japanese fans in Qatar imitating Argentina’s style of cheering, copying the melodies, the pounding drums, and adding improvised lyrics in Japanese.

“We are exporting our way of watching games to other places -- faraway places with entirely different cultures,” Alles said. “There is some pride there.”

Alles acknowledged he cannot explain entirely why soccer “holds a pervasive presence in social life,” but it’s omnipresent.

“And it has been that way for at least a century,” Alles added. “I saw a picture of a large crowd listening to the 1930 World Cup on the radio.”

Neighboring Uruguay defeated Argentina 4-2 in the first World Cup final, that one at Estadio Centenario in Montevideo.

IN THE DNA

From sunrise to sunset, in office talk or chatting with friends, the first and last topic in Argentina is often soccer.

“This is a culture where soccer is related with almost every activity in our life,” said Pablo Ava, who teaches sociology at the University of Buenos Aires. “It’s not only passion, but identification. The passion you see in Qatar reflects the passion you see for clubs at a local level.”

Buenos Aires is home to one of the greatest club rivalries: Boca Juniors versus River Plate. Racing Club, among the so-called “Big Five” clubs in Argentina, was strongly supported by former President Juan Domingo Peron. And the stadium was named for him.

“Soccer is important,” Ava said. “It’s part of our conversation. It’s part of our life. Part of our family tradition. Part of our DNA. There is a very strong identification between soccer and your personal life.”

THE POLITICS

Mauricio Macri was the president of Boca Juniors, which helped propel him to the election as mayor of the capital Buenos Aires, and then the presidency of Argentina (2015-19).

Other politicians are directly — or indirectly — connected to many clubs. Sergio Massa, the country’s economy minister, has been a leader at Tigre club and gets some credit for helping get it promoted to the first division.

“Marci showed up in politics, not as an entrepreneur. He showed up as Boca Juniors president who won 17 cups (tournaments),” Ava said. “So many people start seeing soccer teams as a trampoline to a career in politics.

“Soccer and politics have started to have a strong marriage because you get good exposure on TV and if you are a success in soccer you can take that success to the public,” Ava added.

The opposite is also true. Macri attended Argentina’s loss to Saudi Arabia a few weeks ago in the opening match of group play at the World Cup. At home, Macri was seen as bringing bad luck. Consequently, current President Alberto Fernandez has said he will not attend the final.

“He is not going to risk his presidency and show up at the last game in Qatar,” Ava said.

UNIFYING FACTOR

Argentines can disagree on everything, but the national soccer team is a unifying force like nothing else.

“In a country that’s highly factious, it the factor that unites everyone,” Mark Jones, who studies Latin American politics at Rice University in Houston, told The Associated Press. “The team usually does well and it’s something to be associated with.”

The only other unifier that’s as strong is Argentina’s claim over the Falkland Islands (Las Malvinas in Spanish), located off the country’s Atlantic coast but under British control. Argentina fought a brief war over the islands in 1982 and lost.

“Argentines see the country has having gone downhill over the last 75 years, and they see their standard of living is significantly worse than it was three or four year ago,” Jones said. “So they are looking for something to be optimistic about — to be happy about — something to hold on to. The national team, the World Cup, provides that.”

Ava, the sociologist, said Argentines are not “caring now to talk about the inflation, the unemployment, because we are going through something that looks more important — and least for a few more days. Politics has to take a little break to let soccer carry on.”

KARMA IS A BITCH
Michael Melling, who axed Lisa LaFlamme at CTV, permanently replaced

Author of the article: Postmedia News
Published Dec 19, 2022 

Former CTV broadcaster Lisa LaFlamme.

The head of CTV who went on leave after popular news anchor Lisa LaFlamme was canned has been permanently replaced, according to reports.

Michael Melling faced heavy criticism over LaFlamme’s departure from CTV.

An internal memo sent to staff said Richard Gray, Interim VP, News is “assigned to the role on a permanent basis. Michael Melling has been reassigned to VP Shared Services, and will not be returning to CTV’s news operations.”

Melling went on leave in August, with an internal memo saying at the time he wanted to “spend time with his family.

THE CAUSE OF INFLATION

Average rent tops $2,000 in Canada: Report

Author of the article:Kevin Connor
Published Dec 14, 2022 

The Toronto skyline

Monthly rents are now over $2,000 in Canada and renters can expect prices to continue to increase, according to Rentals.ca and Urbanation.

Toronto finished second on the list of 35 cities for average monthly rent in November.

In Toronto, the average for a one-bedroom was at $2,532 and the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom was at $3,347.

“Rents in Canada are rising at an exceptionally high speed, which is having a profound effect on housing affordability as interest rates continue to rise. With the most expensive cities experiencing very low supply and the fastest rates of rent increase, regions with high population growth are seeing demand shift into more affordable areas,” said Shaun Hildebrand, president of Urbanation.

Oakville was fourth on the list for average monthly rent in November for a one-bedroom at $2,156 and for average monthly rent for a two-bedroom at $2,732.

Year over year, average monthly rent in November for a one-bedroom in Oakville was up 12.9% and up 17.7% for a two-bedroom.

Burlington finished fifth on the list of 35 cities for average monthly rent in November for a one-bedroom at $2,155 and 10th for average monthly rent for a two-bedroom at $2,541.

Year over year, average monthly rent in November for a one-bedroom in Burlington was up 17.9% and up 11.7% for a two-bedroom.

Mississauga came in sixth on the list for average monthly rent in November for a one-bedroom at $2,148 and eighth for average monthly rent for a two-bedroom at $2,555.

Housing affordability top concern: Report

Year over year, average monthly rent in November for a one-bedroom in Mississauga was up 19.4% and up 18.5% for a two-bedroom.

North York finished seventh on the list of 35 cities for average monthly rent in November for a one-bedroom at $2,126 and for average monthly rent for a two-bedroom at $2,644.

Year over year, average monthly rent in November for a one-bedroom in North York was up 23.9% and up 24.6% for a two-bedroom.

Brampton came in 10th on the list for average monthly rent in November for a one-bedroom at $2,061 and 11th for average monthly rent for a two-bedroom at $2,469.

ABOLISH THE MONARCHY
King Charles and Camilla's visit to Canada for Platinum Jubilee cost at least $1M

From left to right: Prime Minister of Justin Trudeau, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attend an evening reception hosted by Governor General Mary Simon (not pictured) at Rideau Hall on May 18, 2022 in Ottawa.

 PHOTO BY IAN VOGLER - POOL /Getty Images

Author of the article:
Canadian Press
Stephanie Taylor
Published Dec 19, 2022 

OTTAWA — Canadian taxpayers spent at least $1 million hosting King Charles III, who was the Prince of Wales at the time, when he visited Canada earlier this year.

The RCMP provided a breakdown of the nearly $450,000 in costs it incurred for his three-day visit in May, accompanied by Queen Consort Camilla, who was then the Duchess of Cornwall.

The Mounties spent about $235,000 on travel and about $212,000 on overtime pay.

There may be additional costs to process, the RCMP said, adding that those totals do not include regular salary costs, benefit plans or supporting units.

The price tag is just a portion of what the visit cost taxpayers.

Other departments, such as Canadian Heritage, were also involved in hosting the royals during their travels to Newfoundland, Ottawa and the Northwest Territories.

Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez approved nearly $18,700 worth of food and drink expenses for department officials and members of the former prince’s staff who journeyed to Canada for the visit, according to a briefing document he signed that was released to The Canadian Press under access-to-information laws.

“It is customary for hospitality costs, including those for Clarence House staff, to be assumed by the host country,” it read, referring the King’s London residence.

The Department of National Defence said it spent about $568,000 to transport the royal couple using military aircraft.

“This includes the costs of flying the Airbus Polaris and associated support services to transport members of the Royal Family, along with personnel for the royal tour as identified by Canadian Heritage,” a spokesperson said.

King Charles visited Canada to commemorate the Platinum Jubilee of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September.

Student, 23, charged with threatening behaviour after eggs were thrown at King Charles during walkabout says he 'intends to ask the Monarch to give evidence in his defence'

Patrick Thelwell, 23, has been charged with threatening behaviour

He is charged after eggs were thrown at the King during a walkabout in York

 
The CPS said Thelwell would appear at York Magistrates' Court on January 20

By DANYA BAZARAA FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 20 December 2022


A student has been charged with threatening behaviour after eggs were thrown at the King during a walkabout in York - and revealed he intends to ask the Monarch to give evidence in his defence.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had authorised North Yorkshire Police to charge Patrick Thelwell following the incident on November 9.

The 23-year-old will appear at York Magistrates' Court on January 20 next year charged with threatening behaviour contrary to Section 4 of the Public Order Act 1986.

Charles and the Queen Consort had just arrived in the city to unveil a statue in honour of the late Queen at York Minster when a figure in the crowd threw four eggs, all of which missed.

Patrick Thelwell, 23, will appear at York Magistrates' Court on January 20 next year charged with threatening behaviour contrary to Section 4 of the Public Order Act 1986

Mr Thelwell said today: 'I am charged with section four of the public order act.

'My plea hearing is on the 20th of January I will plead not guilty, of course.

'The charge relates to someone feeling fear of imminent physical violence.

'The question is did the King fear imminent violence? So I don't know how to get an answer to that without getting a statement from him.'

Asked if he would also call the King to give live evidence, he replied: 'These are questions for my solicitor I think. It should be fun.'

Eggs were seen flying past King Charles III and breaking on the ground beside him as he was being greeted in York in November

Nick Price, head of the CPS special crime and counter terrorism division, said: 'The CPS has authorised North Yorkshire Police to charge Patrick Thelwell with threatening behaviour contrary to Section 4 of the Public Order Act 1986.

'This follows an investigation by police into an incident in which eggs were thrown at HM The King in York on November 9, 2022.

'The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Patrick Thelwell are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.'

A statement by the CPS added: 'It is extremely important there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.

'The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider.'

British home secretary ‘committed’ to Rwanda deportation plan after High Court win

British home secretary Suella Braverman has said she is ‘committed’ to making the plan to send migrants to Rwanda work after the High Court ruled that the policy is lawful (James Manning/PA)

MON, 19 DEC, 2022 - 
JESS GLASS, FLORA THOMPSON AND NINA LLOYD, PA

British home secretary Suella Braverman has said she is “committed” to making the plan to send migrants to Rwanda work after the UK High Court ruled that the policy is lawful.

Several challenges were brought against the proposals announced by then-home secretary Priti Patel in April, which she described as a “world-first agreement” with the east African nation in a bid to deter migrants from crossing the Channel.

The first deportation flight – due to take off on June 14 – was then grounded amid a series of objections against individual removals and the policy as a whole.

However, at the High Court in London on Monday, senior judges rejected arguments that the plans to provide one-way tickets to Rwanda were unlawful.

Lord Justice Lewis, sitting with Mr Justice Swift, dismissed the challenges against the policy as a whole, but ruled in favour of eight asylum seekers, finding the British government had acted wrongly in their individual cases.

In a summary of the ruling read out in court, Lord Justice Lewis said: “The court has concluded that it is lawful for the government to make arrangements for relocating asylum seekers to Rwanda and for their asylum claims to be determined in Rwanda rather than in the United Kingdom.”

He added: “The relocation of asylum seekers to Rwanda is consistent with the Refugee Convention and with the statutory and other legal obligations on the government, including the obligations imposed by the Human Rights Act 1998.”

Demonstrators outside the Royal Courts of Justice, central London, protesting against the Government’s plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda, which the High Court has now ruled as lawful (PA)

However, he said Ms Braverman “has not properly considered” the eight individuals’ cases, which meant the decisions to send them to Rwanda will be quashed and sent back to be reconsidered.

Following the ruling, Ms Braverman said she has “always maintained that this policy is lawful and today the court has upheld this”.

She said: “Our ground-breaking migration partnership with Rwanda will provide individuals relocated with support to build new lives there, while disrupting the business model of people-smuggling gangs putting lives at risk through dangerous and illegal small boat crossings.”

“I am committed to making this partnership work – my focus remains on moving ahead with the policy as soon as possible and we stand ready to defend against any further legal challenge,” she added.

Ms Braverman is due to make a statement in the House of Commons later on Monday.

Rishi Sunak welcomed the High Court’s decision, telling broadcasters in Riga: “We’ve always maintained that our Rwanda policy is lawful, and I’m pleased that was confirmed today and this is just one part of our plan to tackle illegal migration.”

Downing Street said the government wants the Rwanda policy to be implemented as soon as possible but that it is impossible to put a timetable on that while the threat of further legal action remained.

The British Prime Minister’s official spokesman was unable to guarantee whether any flights carrying migrants would depart in 2023 but said the government stands ready to defend any further legal challenges.

“We want it to be done as soon as possible. I don’t think, while there is possibility of further legal action, we can put a specific timeframe on it.

“But, as I say, no court has ruled this policy illegal, in fact, quite the opposite, so we will look to push ahead with this as soon as possible,” he said.

Speaking at an event during this year’s Conservative Party conference in October, Ms Braverman said the legal battles in this case could go to the UK Supreme Court or European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, and that “unfortunately you have got to let that play out”.

At a five-day hearing in September, lawyers for several asylum seekers – along with the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) and charities Care4Calais and Detention Action – argued that the plans are unlawful and that Rwanda “tortures and murders those it considers to be its opponents”.

The Hope Hostel in Kigali, Rwanda, where migrants were expected to stay after arriving from the UK on a deportation flight (Victoria Jones /PA)

At a further hearing in October, lawyers for the charity Asylum Aid also challenged the policy, arguing that the procedure is “seriously unfair” and also unlawful, with asylum seekers put at risk of being removed without access to legal advice.

The Home Office defended the claims, with lawyers arguing that the memorandum of understanding agreed between the UK and Rwanda provides assurances that ensure everyone sent there will have a “safe and effective” refugee status determination procedure.

Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo said: “We welcome this decision and stand ready to offer asylum seekers and migrants safety and the opportunity to build a new life in Rwanda.

“This is a positive step in our quest to contribute innovative, long-term solutions to the global migration crisis.”

Detention Action, Care4Calais, the PCS union and Asylum Aid all said they are disappointed with the ruling and are considering whether to appeal against the decision.

Deputy director of Detention Action James Wilson said the policy is “brutal and harmful” and the charity will “fight on” but it is a “huge relief” that the court ruled in favour of eight asylum seekers, adding that the findings in their cases “highlights itself problems with the policy”.

Alison Pickup, director of Asylum Aid, said: “We will be looking closely at this judgment to see if there are any grounds for an appeal. Meanwhile, we urge the Home Secretary to re-think this inhumane policy and come up with one that can give us all faith in the asylum decision-making process.

"One that treats asylum applications with the seriousness they deserve and respects the human dignity of those seeking sanctuary here.”

Why The UK's Rwanda Flights May Never Take Off, Despite Today's Court Ruling

No.10 can't guarantee there will be any deportations before the next election.


Kevin Schofield
19/12/2022 

The grounded Boeing 767 aircraft which had been due to fly asylum seekers from MoD Boscombe Down, near Salisbury, in June.
ANDREW MATTHEWS - PA IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES

Suella Braverman was understandably jubilant when the High Court ruled this morning that the government’s policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda is lawful.

The home secretary said: “Our ground-breaking migration partnership with Rwanda will provide individuals relocated with support to build new lives there, while disrupting the business model of people-smuggling gangs putting lives at risk through dangerous and illegal small boat crossings.”

“I am committed to making this partnership work — my focus remains on moving ahead with the policy as soon as possible and we stand ready to defend against any further legal challenge,” she added.

But anyone looking forward to the first flights taking off any time soon will be disappointed.

In fact, there is a decent chance that the deportation transports may never actually take place.

For a start, the various human rights groups involved in the High Court case are now weighing up whether or not to appeal the ruling, potentially delaying any take-offs for months.

It’s also important to remember that this morning’s ruling was not the slam-dunk for the government that it first appeared.

While the overall policy of sending asylum seekers on a one-way ticket from the UK to Rwanda has been deemed legal, the High Court judges also ruled the government had acted wrongly in the cases of eight immigrants they unsuccessfully tried to deport in June.

That means that more legal challenges to individual deportations are all-but inevitable, further delaying any Rwanda-bound flights.

Asked this morning whether he could say that flights to Rwanda will begin in 2023, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “I can’t put a timeline on it.

“A lot will depend on whether there is further legal action. We want to go as quickly as possible.”

And asked whether he could at least guarantee that the first flights will take off before the next election — which may be more than two years away — he replied: “I’m not going to do that while there is the prospect of further legal action.”

Responding to the High Court ruling, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper made clear Labour’s opposition to the policy, which she said was “unworkable, unethical and extortionately expensive”.

“The Conservatives have let criminal gangs take hold in the Channel, while their own asylum decision making has collapsed,” she said.

“Labour have proposed serious policies to target the gangs and clear the backlog. Instead of spending millions on Rwanda, the government should put that money into pursuing the criminals who are organising these dangerous boats.”

With the opinion polls currently suggesting that Labour is on course to form the next government, there is a strong possibility that the Rwanda policy could be scrapped entirely before anyone is actually deported.

UK

Virgin Atlantic wins competition to receive government funding for the first ever net zero transatlantic flight.

Monday, 19 December 2022

World first as Virgin Atlantic wins UK government funding to operate historic net zero London to New York flight

Rolls-Royce, Boeing, Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and ICF also form part of an iconic British-led consortium 

Heralds future of low carbon aviation, with the wider sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry potentially creating thousands of UK jobs while supporting delivery of net zero aviation emissions by 2050 

The first ever net zero transatlantic flight will take off from the UK next year, with Virgin Atlantic receiving government funding to fly across the pond using solely sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

In 2023, one of Virgin Atlantic’s flagship Boeing 787s, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, will take off from London Heathrow and make the journey to New York’s John F Kennedy Airport – a journey made by thousands of people for business, family and leisure every week. But this will be no ordinary journey.  

When fully replacing kerosene, SAF can slash lifecycle carbon emissions by over 70% compared to conventional fossil jet fuel. This flight is expected to be fuelled by SAF made primarily from waste oils and fats, such as used cooking oil. The use of 100% SAF on the flight, combined with carbon removal through biochar credits – a material which traps and stores carbon taken from the atmosphere – will make the flight net zero.

Not only will SAF be key in decarbonising aviation, but it could create a UK industry with an annual turnover of £2.4 billion by 2040, and which supports up to 5,200 UK jobs by 2035.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: 

"For decades, flying from London to New York has symbolised aviation’s ability to connect people and drive international progress. It’s now going to be at the forefront of cutting carbon emissions from flying.

Not only will this flight pave the way for future generations, but it will demonstrate just how much we can achieve when we work together on a shared goal – bringing together some of the best businesses and academics in the world and led by a British airline."

Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic CEO said:

"As an airline founded on and committed to innovation, we’re proud to lead a cross-industry consortium of partners to make aviation history by operating the first ever 100% SAF flight across the Atlantic. Virgin Atlantic’s inaugural flight in 1984 was to New York and today it continues to be one of our most popular routes. It will be an honour to pave the way for this important business and leisure route to become even more sustainable.

This challenge recognises the critical role that SAF has to play in decarbonising aviation and the urgent collective action needed to scale production and use of SAF globally. The research and results will be a huge step in fast-tracking SAF use across the aviation industry and supporting the investment, collaboration and urgency needed to produce SAF at scale. Our collective ambition of net zero by 2050 depends on it."

Aviation is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise and without urgent collaborative action it could be one of the highest-emitting sectors for greenhouse gases by 2050. To tackle this, the government published the Jet Zero strategy in July 2022 which sets out our approach for decarbonising the sector and champions SAF as one of the main tools for achieving Jet Zero.

Challenges remain, however, including the need to scale up SAF production and the existing limit on how much SAF is permitted in jet engines by current fuel specifications. Today, a maximum of 50% SAF blended with kerosene can be used in commercial jet engines. By using 100% SAF, the consortium will demonstrate the potential to decarbonise long-haul routes and bring us a step closer to net zero aviation.

It comes hot on the heels of the world’s first sustainable fuel military transporter flight using 100% SAF, completed by the RAF last month using the iconic Voyager aircraft.

Other challenges preventing a higher uptake of SAF include high fuel production costs, technology risk at commercial scale and feedstock availability. To address these, the government is working to set the UK up to be a global leader in the development, production and use of SAF, allowing us to progress towards net zero flying, and creating thousands of green jobs.

The government will introduce a SAF mandate requiring at least 10% of jet fuel to be made from sustainable sources by 2030 to create secure and growing demand, continue to invest in a domestic SAF industry through the £165 million advanced fuels fund, and work with the industry and investors to understand how to secure long-term investment into the sector. Along with this ground-breaking flight, these measures will support a growing role for SAF within the future of everyday flying.

Rachael Everard, Head of Sustainability, Rolls-Royce said:

"Congratulations to Virgin for winning the net zero transatlantic flight fund competition. This represents an incredible milestone for the entire aviation industry in its journey towards net zero carbon emissions.

We are incredibly proud that our Trent 1000 engines will power the first ever flight using 100% SAF across the Atlantic. SAF will play such an important role in decarbonising long-haul flight in particular and is a key element of our sustainability strategy.

The Trent 1000 can already be flown with a 50% blend of SAF on commercial flights and by the end of 2023 we will have proven that our whole family of Trent engines and business aviation engines are compatible with 100% SAF."

Sheila Remes, Vice President, Environmental Sustainability, Boeing said:

"Boeing is proud to support the Department for Transport and Virgin Atlantic in this endeavour. Our longstanding sustainability partnership with Virgin dates back to the historic 2008 commercial SAF test flight on a Boeing 747.

Together, as we add another SAF ‘first’ to our partnership and to the benefit of the industry, we know we are one step closer to a sustainable future of flight that will have zero climate impact."

As well as delivering cleaner skies, the development of a domestic industry for the production of SAF has the potential to improve fuel security and support thousands of green jobs. In 2020, it was estimated that a UK SAF industry could generate a gross value added (GVA) of up to £742 million annually and support up to 5,200 UK jobs by 2035. A further 13,600 jobs could be generated from the growing market for SAF through global exports – helping to level up the UK and boost the economy.

Delivering the transatlantic flight will help to gather the data needed to support ongoing and future work to test and certify higher blends of SAF and its non-CO2 impacts, while exploring how operational efficiency improvements, flight optimisation and carbon removals can contribute to achieving net-zero flights – not just in the UK, but for the global aviation industry. 

Dr Marc Stettler, Imperial College London said:

"We’re delighted to be part of this project to advance understanding the non-CO2 effects of flying. As we adopt sustainable aviation fuels to decarbonise aviation, it’s essential that we also evaluate these non-CO2 climate impacts and demonstrate ways to reduce them."

Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian, Head of the University of Sheffield Energy Institute, said:

"We are delighted to be working on this prestigious and timely project to deliver the first transatlantic net-zero flight. Through this partnership of world-leading aviation experts from industrial and academic backgrounds, we’re going to help make sustainable aviation fuels a reality for long-haul flights.

The facilities at the University of Sheffield – including the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre (SAF-IC) – are at the cutting edge of SAF development, characterisation and testing. We’re excited to join this project to deliver the fuel which will drive the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, and secure greener, cleaner flights for the future."

Alastair Blanshard, ICF Sustainable Aviation Lead said:

"Flying over an ocean at nearly the speed of sound without producing any net climate impact will be an inspiring step towards a net zero aviation industry. ICF is delighted to partner with Virgin Atlantic to make this milestone a reality in 2023.

We will draw on our decades of experience in sustainable aviation to develop, apply and critically assess methods to estimate and measure the life-cycle climate impact of transatlantic operations, and apply these to achieve a net zero flight."

COP15

New nature deal needs co-operation between Ottawa, provinces, First Nations: experts

Yesterday 

Now that the world has come together for a new deal to protect what's left of the planet's biodiversity, observers say Canada's various layers of government will have to do the same.



Ottawa can make the international promises, but it's the provinces and territories that control activities that have the most impact on ecosystems such as agriculture, forestry and resource development, said Melanie Snow of Ecojustice.

"The provinces and territories do have the most jurisdiction over biodiversity protection," she said. "National and provincial governments do need to work together.

"I'm sure the federal government will be consulting with the provinces and territories."

Over the weekend, 196 countries came together on a deal to protect Earth's biodiversity at the COP15 meeting in Montreal. That deal includes a pledge to protect 30 per cent of the globe's lands and oceans by 2030 — a promise Ottawa will find difficult to implement if other levels of government, including First Nations, aren't on board.

"It is achievable if all levels of government get together," said Sandra Schwartz of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

The new biodiversity pact calls on the world to phase out at least $700 billion in subsidies that work to degrade biodiversity, often those that go to industries like forestry, farming and fishing. That will force Canadian governments to reconsider policies in all departments, not just environment ministries, said Schwartz.

"A whole-of-government approach is needed."

Schwartz said governments already consider the potential effects of new projects and policies on greenhouse gas targets. Now, the same has to be done for biodiversity.

"(Officials) don't currently look at biodiversity or nature outcomes as part of the analysis that's done to see if the federal government should be investing," Schwartz said.

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That same "biodiversity lens" will have to be turned on current subsidies and tax programs, she added.

"If there are tax incentives that are given that are harmful to areas that may have key biodiversity, we want to make sure those subsidies don't continue."

New legislation will have to be developed to bring COP15 into Canadian law, said Snow. Similar legislation already exists for climate targets.

Snow said drafting the new bills will force levels of government to sit down together and work out how the COP15 agreement will be implemented. She said that will be an opportunity for leaders to decide what kinds of development will be permitted where — and if some areas should be off-limits — in advance of proposals coming forward.

That's better than the current piecemeal approach, where Ottawa decides project by project if it will assess environmental impact.

"What we often see is that there is a tension when the federal government comes in at the last moment," Snow said.

Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said such legislation will be a priority for his department in the new year.

"I have team members who have started looking into that and that have started having conversations with NGOs and the department about how would that look and what would be the timeline to develop legislation,” he said.

Guilbeault also said next year Canada will vet its various subsidies to see which harm nature.

Canada made similar promises to phase out subsidies to fossil fuel producers, and has been heavily criticized for taking too long to do it.

It just recently moved to eliminate Canada’s support for international fossil fuel projects and Guilbeault said the domestic subsidies will end by June.

Guilbeault said phasing out fossil fuel subsidies took too long, but that experience should make removal quicker for subsidies that damage biodiversity.

“It will happen more rapidly on for nature subsidies,” he promised.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 19, 2022.

— with files from Mia Rabson in Montreal. Follow bob Weber on Twitter at @row1960.

Bob Weber, The Canadian Press

COP15
Things to know about landmark UN biodiversity agreement

Updated / Monday, 19 Dec 2022

Some experts have said 30% is a low aim, insisting that protecting 50% would be better

After years of negotiations, the world has agreed a landmark deal to protect vanishing species and ecosystems, dubbed a "peace pact with nature" at the UN meeting in Montreal called COP15.

Here are some of its strengths, as well as where it fell short.

'30 by 30'

The cornerstone of the agreement is the so-called 30 by 30 goal - a pledge to protect 30% of the world's land and seas by 2030.

Currently, only about 17% of land and 7% of oceans are protected. The oceans target had reportedly been opposed by some countries but made it into the final text.

However some experts have said 30% is a low aim, insisting that protecting 50% would be better.



Indigenous rights

About 80% of the Earth's remaining biodiverse land is currently managed by Indigenous people, and it's broadly recognised that biodiversity is better respected on Indigenous territory.

Activists wanted to make sure their rights are not trampled in the name of conservation - previous efforts to safeguard land have seen Indigenous communities marginalised or displaced in what has been dubbed "green colonialism."

In the end, Indigenous rights were addressed throughout the text, including in areas covered by the 30 by 30 pledge - safeguarding Indigenous peoples' right to remain stewards of land they use and ensuring they are not subject to mass evictions.

The International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity praised the text for its "strong language on respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities."

Finance

Finance remained the overriding question.

Developing countries say developed nations grew rich by exploiting their resources and the South should be paid to preserve its ecosystems.

In the end, the text approves the objective for rich countries to provide "at least US$20 billion per year by 2025, and... at least US$30 billion per year by 2030," approximately double and then triple the current international aid for biodiversity.

It also includes new language that mentions funding from "developed countries, and from countries that voluntarily assume obligations of developed country parties," which a Western source told AFP was meant to involve the United States.

The US is not formally a part of the Convention on Biological Diversity but supportive of its goals.

Developing countries were also seeking a new funding mechanism, as a signal of the rich world's commitment to this goal, but developed nations said it would take several years to create.

In the end, a halfway solution was adopted: creating a "trust fund" within an existing financial mechanism called the Global Environment Facility, as a stepping stone to a new fund in the future.

What was missing

An overriding concern by campaigners was that the final text did not contain enough "milestones" - key statistical measures countries should achieve before the year 2050.

For example, the text says human-induced extinction of known threatened species is halted, and, by 2050, extinction rate and risk of all species are reduced tenfold -- but there aren't targets that countries must hit before that year.

Also watered down was a mandate for businesses to assess and report on the biodiversity impacts - instead they are merely "encouraged" to do so.

Megadrought on Earth affected gravity waves at the edge of space

By Elizabeth Rayne 

SPACE

Drought on Earth probably had an effect on the furthest reaches of the atmosphere.(opens in new tab)

The cracked surface of a dry lake bed. (Image credit: sarote pruksachat/Getty Images)

An intense drought that has persisted on Earth for over two decades is now thought to have affected gravity waves where our planet's atmosphere meets outer space.

The discovery happened by chance as a region in the southwest U.S. transitioned to drought conditions in 2000. Researchers Chester Gardner of the University of Illinois and Chiao-Yao She of Colorado State University were already keeping an eye on the upper reaches of Earth's atmosphere with LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) when they observed a 30% decrease in gravity waves after the Southwestern North American (SWNA) megadrought began.

"We never expected to make observations that would yield some insight into how a drought might affect Earth's upper atmosphere," Gardner said in a statement(opens in new tab). Nevertheless, the researchers found that this precipitation deficit caused by the megadrought has been accompanied by a significant decrease in gravity waves at the edge of space, suggesting that changes in the lower atmosphere can affect the upper atmosphere more than was previously thought.

Gravity waves are different from the gravitational waves that warp spacetime. Instead, when two substances in the atmosphere are unbalanced, gravity waves form as the forces of gravity and buoyancy equalize and create vertical waves. (As a buoyant substance rises, gravity then pulls it back down before buoyancy takes effect once more and the process repeats.) These waves take more time to propagate through denser substances like water. In the furthest reaches of the upper atmosphere, they can spread much more easily (and in any direction) since the air is so thin at that altitude.

Gardner and She first started using LIDAR in 1994 to monitor weather in the upper atmosphere. They never expected to see any drastic changes, and were surprised when they noticed that gravity waves were not so active in the years since the SWNA megadrought took over and storms in the lower atmosphere subsided.

The researchers also found that the greatest amount of gravity wave activity happened during the winter, when powerful winds unleashed rain and snow, and in mid- to late summer, when rains swept in from the Pacific Ocean. This suggested to them that precipitation was a factor in gravity wave reduction. It appeared that storms had brought about gravity waves, and a downturn in precipitation during the drought meant fewer storms — and thus fewer gravity waves.

No one had previously made a connection between changes in weather in the lower atmosphere and subsequent changes in the upper atmosphere. While She and Gardner cautiously state that more research is still needed, their observations can set the bar for future computer models that track atmospheric changes that LIDAR can detect.

"Current atmospheric models can't see the waves because the resolution, even on the fastest computer models, is not sufficient to see the scale of these waves," Gardner said in the statement. "Now, scientists are developing regional models at very high resolution so that the models can see the larger-scale waves. Our observations can be used to test the accuracy of those models and to validate them."

Meanwhile, the seemingly endless drought still continues. More than 40% of the American Southwest has experienced 40 or more consecutive weeks of drought in 2022, according to a study by Climate Central(opens in new tab).

The research is described in a paper published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters(opens in new tab).

Alaska crab fishery collapse seen as warning about Bering Sea transformation

December 19, 2022 by Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon

Bering Sea snow crab support an iconic Alaska seafood harvest, but a crash in population since 2018 has triggered the first-ever closure of the fishery. (Photo provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Less than five years ago, prospects appeared bright for Bering Sea crab fishers. Stocks were abundant and healthy, federal biologists said, and prices were near all-time highs.

Now two dominant crab harvests have been canceled for lack of fish. For the first time, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in October canceled the 2022-2023 harvest of Bering Sea snow crab, and it also announced the second consecutive year of closure for another important harvest, that of Bristol Bay red king crab.

What has happened between then and now? A sustained marine heat wave that prevented ice formation in the Bering Sea for two winters, thus vastly altering ocean conditions and fish health.

“We lost billions of snow crab in a matter of months,” said Bob Foy, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center, at a public forum held Dec. 12 at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. “We don’t have a smoking gun, if you will. We don’t have one particular event that impacted the snow crab — except the heat wave.”

That heat wave is now over, but its effects linger. A NOAA survey showed an 80% decline in Bering Sea snow crab, from 11.7 billion in 2018 to 1.9 billion this year. It could take six to 10 years to recover, experts told members of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, which wrapped up a 10-day meeting in Anchorage on Wednesday.

Snow crab may be the “poster child” of climate change, council member Bill Tweit said during deliberations on a rebuilding program that was ultimately approved at the meeting, but much more will be affected by the long-term changes in the ocean.

“It’s going to be more and more a problematic question for us among a broader range of species than just snow crab,” Tweit said.

In the short term, loss of the snow and red king crab harvests is devastating. Direct losses from harvest cancellations this year amount to $287.7 million, according to state estimates. Local governments are suffering, too, like the Aleut community of St. Paul, which relies on the crab harvests for more than 90% of its tax revenue.

Close-up view of an Alaska king crab is seen in 2019. (Photo by Julia Brownlee/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

There are limits to what the North Pacific Fishery Management Council can do to manage crab stocks. Crab harvests are managed by the state, even for stocks existing in federal waters, though the council and federal agencies provide support and scientific information to assist and cooperate in that management. However, the council and associated federal agencies do have the power to regulate other fisheries that might affect the crab – and that is what crab fishermen and crab-dependent communities asked them to do.

Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, a nonprofit trade organization, petitioned the council to use its emergency powers to ban all fishing for six months in areas designated as protected zones for red king crab. In those areas, crabs mate and molt, spending much of their time in a vulnerable soft-shell stage. That puts the crabs at high risk for being crushed and killed by trawl nets that hit or scrape the seafloor, the organization argued.

Warm temperatures may have wiped out much of the crab population, but that is not something that can be corrected immediately, said Jamie Goen, Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers’ executive director.

“Our concern as crab fishermen is we need to focus on the things we do have control over, and that’s really fishing impacts and habitat protections,” she said at the museum forum, which was organized by the Anchorage Daily News and the Seattle Times.

The council ultimately declined to take such emergency action, which critics said might not be effective and would have unintended consequences. They include pushing the trawl fleet into different territory, where there might be higher incidental catch of salmon or other problems. Instead, the council opted for a plan to study alternatives that include possible fishery closures in the key red king crab mating and molting areas. And the snow crab rebuilding plan it approved leaves open the possibility of a small harvest conducted as the stock recovers, which is important to industry representatives who voiced concerns about losing their position in the wider seafood markets.

“Once you lose that space at the buffet table and they fill it with shrimp or lobster, it’s really hard to get that back,” said John Iani, president of the North Pacific Crab Association, a Seattle-based organization of processing companies.

There is plenty of competition for the market slice held by Alaska snow crab and red king crab.

Stockpiles of Russian king crab are still being sold – even recently at an Anchorage Costco – though the U.S. government has banned further imports of Russian fish due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Snow crab is harvested in eastern Canada, where stocks remain healthy, and in the Barents Sea off Scandinavia, where it is a relatively new species.

There is other Alaska crab on the market, too, though not as celebrated. Harvests of golden king crab, a species smaller than red king crab, are proceeding, and a relatively small harvest of red king crab in Norton Sound, in the Nome area, that is expected to open in 2023, though in two recent years it was shut down because of low stocks. Dungeness crab harvests continue in Alaska, as in other West Coast states. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game last week announced that a tanner crab season will open in 2023 in the Aleutians area.

Russian king crab is displayed at a Costco in Anchorage on Nov. 14. The crab, from the Barents Sea, was distributed by Arctic Seafoods of San Francisco, and was part of inventory stockpiled before the U.S. government banned fish important from Russia. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

There are other positive signs in the Alaska marine environment, according to the ecosystem reports presented to the council.

After successive years of low ice and high temperatures, a normal freeze returned to the Bering Sea last winter, scientists told the council. That resulted in the return this summer of an average-sized “cold pool” – the section of ultra-chilled water that serves as a thermal barrier separating habitats in the northern and southern Bering Sea. Seabird populations, many of them substantially reduced in recent years, are now showing reproductive successes, the scientists said. Some fish populations, including pollock and Bristol Bay-bound sockeye salmon, have actually thrived in the warmer conditions, the scientists said.

But there are also persistent signs of trouble. Ocean temperatures in certain areas, like the Aleutians, remain high. Steller sea lions, an endangered population in western Alaska, continue to decline in the western Aleutians. Northern fur seals, which congregate in the Pribilof Islands, are in a long-term decline.

The future of the Bering Sea appears to depend on whether humans take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet, NOAA fisheries biologist Elizabeth Siddon told the council on Dec. 11.

A “high-mitigation” scenario, with big reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, will result by the end of the century in “a Bering Sea that’s only slightly warmer but pretty similar to current conditions,” Siddon said. But under a business-as-usual scenario, with very little progress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Bering Sea will be “much warmer than we would have observed to date,” she said.

Foy, speaking at the museum event, said the peak Bering Sea temperatures seen during the heat wave are unlikely to become normal anytime soon. But marine heat waves are expected to become more frequent, overlaying an ongoing and gradual rise in ocean temperatures, he said.

“It’s the impact on an ecosystem of those heat waves that worry scientists the most,” he said. “Because the data shows that the animals can’t adapt. If they can’t move, if they can’t grow, if you don’t get enough year classes in a row to sustain a fishery, then that’s when we have difficulty of fishery and communities and large-scale economic issues.”

This story originally appeared in the Alaska Beacon

Alaska Beacon

Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Andrew Kitchenman for questions: info@alaskabeacon.com. Follow Alaska Beacon on Facebook and Twitter.