China to increase control over global cobalt supply — report

MINING.COM Staff Writer | March 13, 2023 

Tenke Fungurume is one of the largest copper and cobalt mines in the DRC. (Image courtesy of CMOC Group.)

China is poised to increase its control over the global cobalt supply, according to a report by Darton Commodities, a UK-based cobalt trader.


Over the next two years, China’s share of cobalt production is expected to reach half of global output, up from 44% at present, Darton said.

Chinese refining activity reached 140,000 tonnes in 2022, giving the country a 77% global share of refining capacity.

The price of the metal hit a 32-month low this month amid a surge in production.

Global mine production grew 42% between 2020 and 2022 as covid-19 related supply chain constraints eased, existing operations ramped up and several new mines were commissioned.

Glencore Plc was by far the world’s largest cobalt miner last year, mainly from its two operations in Congo.

Eurasian Resources Group and China’s CMOC Group Ltd., which also have large Congo operations, followed the Swiss company as the biggest producers.

Global supplies are expected to surge to around 210,000 tonnes this year, up 24% from 2022, while demand is forecast to rise 8% to 205,000 tonnes, according to the report.

Liberum analyst Tom Price told Reuters that prices are expected to average $54,840 a tonne this year and $50,320 in 2024, compared with $63,739 last year.

“A lot of things converged at the same time to push the market down: the relaxation of logistics issues, weak consumer electronic sales and a technology shift towards lower or no cobalt EV batteries,” Caspar Rawles, chief data officer at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, told the Financial Times.

Cobalt prices could fall further if Tenke Fungurume, the world’s second-largest cobalt mine owned by CMOC, is allowed to resume exports from the DRC after a tax dispute led to an export ban last July.

The company has kept producing despite the ban, stockpiling 10,000 to 12,000 tonnes of the metal.

(With files from Bloomberg and Reuters)

Ancient Romans failed to fully exploit rich silver deposit in Germany

Staff Writer | March 10, 2023 | 

Wooden spikes built into the damp soil of the “Blöskopf” hill were meant to deter potential attacks on the silver mining camp. (Image by Frederic Auth, Goethe University).

New archaeological research shows that ancient Romans failed to uncover a rich silver deposit in Bad Ems, western Germany.


Work carried out by Goethe University’s Provincial Roman Archaeology department, which uncovered a military camp in the area, matches what historian Tacitus wrote almost 2,000 years ago. He described how, under Roman governor Curtius Rufus, soldiers attempted to mine silver ore in the area, but failed in 47 AD.

The yield had simply been too low. In fact, the team of Frankfurt archaeologists was able to identify a shaft-tunnel system suggesting Roman origins. The tunnel is located a few meters above the Bad Ems passageway, which would have enabled the Romans to mine silver for up to 200 years – that is, if only they had known about it. In the end, the silver was mined later centuries only.

The Romans’ hope for a lucrative precious metal mining operation is a good explanation for the presence of the military camp that extends on both sides of the Emsbach valley. They wanted to be able to defend themselves against sudden raids – not an unlikely scenario, given the value of the raw material.

“To verify this assumption, however, further research is necessary,” researcher Markus Scholz said in a media statement. “It would be interesting to know, for example, whether the large camp was also surrounded by obstacles meant to hinder an enemy approach. So far, no wooden spikes have been found there, but traces could perhaps end up being discovered in the much drier soil.”

According to Scholz, the fact that the Romans abruptly abandoned an extensive undertaking is not without precedent. Had they known that centuries later, in modern times, 200 tons of silver would be extracted from the ground near Bad Ems, they might not have given up so quickly.

The soldiers who were ordered to dig the tunnels evidently had not been too enthusiastic about the hard work: Tacitus reports that they wrote to Emperor Claudius in Rome, asking him to award the triumphal insignia to the commanders in advance so they would not have to make their soldiers slave away unnecessarily.

Phosphorus can be produced in an environmentally friendly way – study

Staff Writer | March 9, 2023

White phosphorus. (Image by MIT).

MIT chemists have devised an environmentally friendly way to generate white phosphorus, a critical intermediate in the manufacture of products such as herbicides, lithium-ion batteries, and even soft drinks.


In a paper published in the journal ACS Central Science, the researchers note that their approach, which uses electricity to speed up a key chemical reaction, could reduce the carbon emissions of the process to convert phosphate to white phosphorus by half or even more.

The new process reduces the environmental footprint of white phosphorus production in two ways: It lowers the temperatures required for the reaction, and it generates significantly less carbon dioxide as a waste product.

Lead authors Jonathan “Jo” Melville and Andrew Licini said in a media statement that when phosphorus is mined out of the ground, it is in the form of phosphate, a mineral whose basic unit comprises one atom of phosphorus bound to four oxygen atoms. About 95% of this phosphate ore is used to make fertilizer. The remaining phosphate ore is processed separately into white phosphorus, a molecule composed of four phosphorus atoms bound to each other.

Converting those mined phosphates into white phosphorus accounts for a substantial fraction of the carbon footprint of the entire phosphorus industry. The most energy-intensive part of the process is breaking the bonds between phosphorus and oxygen, which are very stable.

Using the traditional “thermal process,” those bonds are broken by heating carbon coke and phosphate rock to a temperature of 1,500 degrees Celsius. In this process, the carbon serves to strip away the oxygen atoms from phosphorus, leading to the eventual generation of CO2 as a byproduct. In addition, sustaining those temperatures requires a great deal of energy, adding to the carbon footprint of the method.

“That process hasn’t changed substantially since its inception over a century ago. Our goal was to figure out how we could develop a process that would substantially lower the carbon footprint of this process,” Yogesh Surendranath, senior author of the study, said. “The idea was to combine it with renewable electricity and drive that conversion of phosphate to white phosphorus with electrons rather than using carbon.”

To do that, the researchers had to come up with an alternative way to weaken the strong phosphorus-oxygen bonds found in phosphates. They achieved this by controlling the environment in which the reaction occurs. The researchers found that the reaction could be promoted using a dehydrated form of phosphoric acid, which contains long chains of phosphate salts held together by bonds called phosphoryl anhydrides. These bonds help to weaken the phosphorus-oxygen bonds.

Normally, when they run an electric current through these salts, electrons break the weakened bonds, allowing the phosphorus atoms to break free and bind to each other to form white phosphorus. At the temperatures needed for this system (about 800 C), phosphorus exists as a gas, so it can bubble out of the solution and be collected in an external chamber.

The electrode that the researchers used for this demonstration relies on carbon as a source of electrons, so the process generates some carbon dioxide as a byproduct. However, they are now working on swapping that electrode out for one that would use phosphate itself as the electron source, which would further reduce the carbon footprint by cleanly separating phosphate into phosphorus and oxygen.

With the process reported in this paper, the researchers have reduced the overall carbon footprint for generating white phosphorus by about 50%. With future modifications, they hope to bring the carbon emissions down to nearly zero, in part by using renewable energy such as solar or wind power to drive the electric current required.

DIPLOMATIC COUP

Saudi-Iranian agreement to restore ties benefits regional security, shows China's goodwill to promote global security

(Xinhua) 08:20, March 14, 2023

CAIRO, March 13 (Xinhua) -- After years of open hostility, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed last week to restore diplomatic ties after talks facilitated by China, a significant development for the two nations and a boon to the security and stability of the Middle East.

In a joint statement released with China on Friday, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to reopen their embassies and diplomatic missions within two months, hold talks between their foreign ministers on the arrangement of ambassadors' exchange, and explore ways to improve bilateral ties.


The Saudi-Iranian agreement to restore diplomatic relation was hailed by Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, as "a victory for dialogue and peace" and has been widely welcomed worldwide.

The European Union (EU) on Saturday joined countries including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Iraq, Cuba and Pakistan to welcome the agreement, saying in a statement posted on its website that it "acknowledges the diplomatic efforts leading to this important step."

The United Nations (UN) has also praised China's role in the process.

"The secretary-general has expressed his appreciation to the People's Republic of China for hosting these recent talks and for promoting dialogue between the two countries," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said after the agreement was reached.

DEAL GOES BEYOND SECURITY SPHERE

Saudi Arabia and Iran have been at odds over a range of issues for years and have backed opposing sides in conflicts in countries like Yemen and Syria.

In early 2016, Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in response to attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the kingdom executed a Shiite cleric.

Before they clinched the deal in Beijing, the two countries had held five rounds of talks in Iraq to improve bilateral relations since 2021.

"The Saudi-Iranian agreement achieved with Chinese mediation is a significant development in regional geopolitics," wrote Faisal J. Abbas, editor-in-chief of Arab News, in an article published on the website of the Saudi-based English language daily newspaper on Saturday, adding that it "could be a true game-changer, heralding an era of regional peace and prosperity not seen in decades."

As Iran and Saudi Arabia are two powerful nations in the Middle East and the Muslim world, a peaceful and friendly relationship could bring more peace and stability to the region and the world, said Mohammad Reza Manafi, editor-in-chief for the Asia-Pacific news desk of Iran's official news agency IRNA.

"The move means a lot to both countries, as it will ease tensions between Shias and Sunnis," said Adnan Bourji, director of the Lebanese National Center for Studies.

The reconciliation between the two regional rivals could set an example for other countries to follow in solving conflicts through dialogue, Bourji said.

The ease of tensions will give Iran more room to handle repercussions of harsh sanctions imposed by the United States, while it will also calm the Saudi borders with Yemen, where Saudi-led coalition is engaged in a military conflict with Iran-backed Houthi militia, analysts say.

Khaled Hamade, a Lebanese military analyst and retired brigadier general, told Xinhua that the China-brokered Saudi-Iran deal includes points related directly to the Yemeni crisis, such as the respect of other countries' sovereignty, and non-interference in other countries' domestic affairs.

GOODWILL TO PROMOTE GLOBAL SECURITY

Wang Yi, who chaired both the opening and closing ceremonies of the Saudi-Iranian talks in Beijing, said the dialogue between the two countries in Beijing has "become a successful practice for the strong implementation of the Global Security Initiative (GSI)."

The initiative, which was proposed by China in 2022, seeks to address the complex and intertwined security challenges with a win-win mindset.

"We will continue to play a constructive role in properly handling hotspot issues in today's world in accordance with the wishes of all countries and demonstrate our responsibility as a major country," Wang said.

Analysts believe China's successful hosting of the talks, which led to the breakthrough, highlights Beijing's goodwill and endeavor to promote peace in the Middle East through political dialogue, as well as its efforts to advance the implementation of the GSI that seeks to eliminate the root causes of international conflicts and promote durable peace and development in the world.

China's successful mediation in the Saudi-Iranian deal proves that the world is open to an order characterized by multilateralism championed by China, instead of an order characterized by unilateralism the United States has enforced over the past decades, said Bourji.

The Saudi-Iranian deal's success has reflected the different approaches adopted by the United States and China in the Middle East, he added.

"China handles (its diplomatic relations) in a spirit of friendship, persuasion, and the realization of mutual interests, while the United States handles (its diplomatic relations) in a spirit of imposition, hegemony, and ensuring American and Israeli interests at the expense of Arab dignity and interests," he added.

The solutions proposed by China, which seek to solve international problems through mutual benefit, peaceful consultation, non-violent and non-military means, have gained more and more recognition around the world, said Dai Xiaoqi, professor at the School of Middle Eastern Studies of Beijing International Studies University.

China's "balanced relations" with both Saudi Arabia and Iran allowed it to accomplish the significant achievement, said Osama Danura, a political expert based in the Syrian capital Damascus.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)

Saudi Arabia and Iran ease Mideast rift that rattled oil
Bloomberg News | March 10, 2023 | 

Saudi Arabia cut ties in 2016 after its Tehran embassy was mobbed. (Stock Image)

Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic ties under a deal facilitated by China, easing a geopolitical rivalry in the Persian Gulf and highlighting Beijing’s growing influence in the region.


The countries have been reaching out to each other for at least the past two years, first secretly and gradually more publicly. It’s part of a broader regional realignment that’s seen several old foes reestablish or forge new ties as the US steps back from the Middle East, a key security concern for Riyadh.

The deal to restore relations, which includes commitments to reopen embassies within two months, was signed in China after days of negotiations between secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani and his Saudi counterpart, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Saudi state-run media confirmed the agreement.

“Clearing up misunderstandings” and looking toward better relations “will certainly develop regional security and increase cooperation between Persian Gulf countries,” IRNA cited Shamkhani as saying.

Oil prices showed little immediate reaction to the agreement, though analysts said it could soften the geopolitical premium that has periodically hit the market as a result of tensions between the two adversaries, which back opposing sides in the war in Yemen.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby saying Friday that the US believed internal pressures within Iran and Saudi Arabia’s deterrence measures led to the negotiations – “not just an invitation by the Chinese to talk and to negotiate” Kirby said the US welcomed any development that could ease tensions.

“To the degree that this arrangement can lead to an end to the war in Yemen, to the degree that it can help prevent Saudi Arabia from having to defend itself against attacks, to the degree that could deescalate tensions – all that’s to the good side of the ledger,” Kirby told reporters.

In 2019, an assault claimed by Iran-backed Yemeni fighters on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq facility temporarily knocked out half the production capacity in the world’s biggest oil exporter, triggering a brief price spike. Brent futures were trading near $81 a barrel on Friday.

“This is a huge game changer and an acknowledgment that the policy of isolation and containment of Iran has not worked in Riyadh’s interest,” said Sanam Vakil, deputy head of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House.

Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was set on fire in response to its execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

Now Riyadh has come around to the idea that direct diplomacy can help the kingdom manage its tensions with Iran, including on Yemen, as well as forestalling future attacks, Vakil said. Work still needs to be done to achieve this, and what was announced today is a roadmap, she added.

China’s role in brokering the agreement is significant, said Torbjorn Soltvedt, chief analyst for the Middle East and North Africa at Verisk Maplecroft, a global risk intelligence group.

“It further strengthens Beijing’s influence in the Persian Gulf,” he said. “The centre of gravity of the region’s oil and gas exports has been shifting east for some time. This year, we have seen stronger signs that China is leveraging this to strengthen its commercial and diplomatic presence in the Middle East.”

Iran and Saudi Arabia had resumed talks in April 2022 to restore ties, in what Iranian state media said at the time was a “positive atmosphere.” Talks had stalled in December after Tehran accused Riyadh of using satellite TV channels to support protests that have rocked the Islamic Republic, the AP reported.

Saudi Arabia, which has battled Iranian-backed fighters in Yemen since 2015, is pushing for an end to a conflict that’s exposed its oil facilities to drone and missile attacks. Establishing formal relations with Iran could help ease that conflict and potentially allow Saudi Arabia to withdraw from the war if a peace deal materializes.

Saudi Arabia’s top priority is to “find a way to have a permanent ceasefire in Yemen,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan said Thursday in Moscow.

(By Yasna Haghdoost, Patrick Sykes and Omar Tamo, with assistance from Sam Dagher, Grant Smith and Justin Sink)

DESPITE 10 WEEKS OF PROTESTS

Netanyahu Allies in Israel Plow Ahead on Legal Overhaul

March 13, 2023 
Associated Press

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the floor the Knesset, Israel's parliament, as his coalition pressed ahead with a contentious plan to overhaul the country's judicial system, in Jerusalem, March 13, 2023.

JERUSALEM —

The Israeli parliament Monday advanced a bill that would make it harder to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the corruption charges against him, as it plowed ahead with a broader plan to overhaul the country’s legal system in defiance of mass protests.

SEE ALSO:
Israelis Protest Proposed Legal Changes for 10th Week

Lawmakers in the Knesset gave preliminary approval during a late-night vote on the bill, which would allow the parliament to declare a prime minister unfit to rule only for physical or mental reasons.

The body was expected to vote later on a measure that would allow the Knesset to overrule Supreme Court rulings and enact laws that had been struck down. Both bills require additional votes before being enshrined into law.

The steps were the latest in a series of moves by Netanyahu's coalition to overhaul Israel's legal system. The prime minister and his allies say the effort is aimed at reining in an activist court. Critics say the drive would upend the country's democratic checks and balances and concentrate power in the hands of Netanyahu and his parliamentary majority.

Netanyahu and his ultranationalist and religious coalition allies have pledged to plow ahead with the legal changes despite demonstrations by tens of thousands of Israeli protesters over the past two months. Business leaders, legal experts and retired military leaders have joined the protests, and Israeli reservists have threatened to stop reporting for duty if the overhaul passes.

SEE ALSO:
Israeli Military Caught Up in Divide Over Netanyahu's Plan

In a late-night vote, the Knesset moved forward a bill that would protect Netanyahu from calls to oust him, replacing current law that opens the door for a leader to be removed under other circumstances. The new bill would require approval by three-quarters of the government and could be overridden by the prime minister.

The measure has personal importance to Netanyahu, who returned to power late last year after Israel’s fifth election in under four years. He is on trial on charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes. He denies the allegations. The proceedings have dragged on for nearly three years.

Good governance groups and other critics have called on the country’s attorney general to deem Netanyahu unfit for office.

Speaking to members of his Likud party Monday, Netanyahu lashed out at the Israeli media, saying they are broadcasting a “never ending tsunami of fake news” against him. He reiterated his claim that the legal overhaul will strengthen Israeli democracy.

Opposition lawmaker Orna Barbivai said the bill was “a disgrace, which says the prime minister is above the law.”

SEE ALSO:
Israel's President Calls Judicial Overhaul ‘Wrong,’ Says to Scrap It

Israel’s Palestinian minority, which makes up some 20% of the population, has been largely absent from the protests, in part because they suffer from discrimination in Israel and because of Israel’s treatment of their Palestinian brethren in the West Bank and Gaza.

Rugby-Another 55 amateur players join concussion lawsuit

Mar 14, 2023 
By Lori Ewing

MANCHESTER, England, March 14 (Reuters) -Another 55 amateur rugby players who are suffering from neurological impairments joined the growing list of claimants in a class-action concussion lawsuit on Monday, claiming that the sport's governing bodies failed to take reasonable action to protect them.

London sports law firm Rylands Garth issued proceedings on behalf of the 55 players against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), taking the number involved to 250 in the latest chapter in one of the sport's biggest stories.

"The players we represent love the game," Rylands Garth said in a statement. "We aim to challenge the current perceptions of the governing bodies, to reach a point where they accept the connection between repetitive blows to the head and permanent neurological injury and to take steps to protect players and support those who are injured."

The lack of protection against repetitive concussive and sub-concussive blows, the law firm said, has led to irreversible neurological impairments, including early onset dementia, CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), post-concussion syndrome, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and motor neurone disease.

"(CTE) is a cruel and progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in many players of contact sports leading to repetitive brain trauma," they said.

Rylands Garth applauded Monday's news that World Rugby is recommending that the tackle height be lowered to below the sternum in the amateur game, following a similar move by the RFU, albeit one that has had to be quickly reappraised after widespread criticism of their failure to consult almost anyone about the plan.

World Rugby pointed to studies in France and South Africa that showed positive advancements in terms of player safety and overall game experience.

"However, it is too little, too late for our clients and many thousands of others to have played the game," the law firm said.

Among the allegations are a failure by defendants to educate and warn about the risks of permanent brain injury, reduce the amount of contact allowed in training and reduce the number of matches in a season.

Rylands Garth represents over 250 Rugby Union players with brain damage in total, including England World Cup winner Steve Thompson and former Wales captain Ryan Jones, as well as 100 Rugby League players, as part of a separate but similar potential claim against the RFL.

Claimants range from in their 20s through to their 70s.

"Several players we represent have, sadly, died from their brain injuries," the firm said.

Worrying symptoms in numerous cases from both rugby union and league, they added, include chronic depression, aggression, significant memory loss, incontinence, drug and alcohol addiction, and in some cases suicide attempts.

In a joint statement in 2022, World Rugby, the RFU and WRU said: "We care deeply about all our players, and never stand still when it comes to welfare. Our strategies to prevent, identify and manage head injuries are driven by a passion to safeguard our players and founded on the latest science, evidence and independent expert guidance."

The sport has been wrestling with the issue of concussion for several years with the focus in the professional game being on trying to reduce head-to-head and shoulder-to-head contact, which invariably now attracts a yellow or red card for the offender.

The issue of repetitive head trauma has exploded in numerous sports in recent years. In 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the National Football League's estimated $1 billion settlement of concussion-related lawsuits with more than 4,500 former players, one of the largest lawsuits in U.S. history.

In 2019, the NHL paid $18.49 million to settle a concussion lawsuit brought by more than 100 players.

Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Pritha Sarkar


Australian rules-Class action claim lodged over AFL concussions

Fargo, ND, USA / 101.9 Jack FM
Syndicated Content
Mar 14, 2023 | 

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – A class action lawsuit on behalf of former professional Australian rules players over alleged damage to their health caused by concussions sustained during their careers was lodged in Victoria’s Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Margalit Injury Lawyers are seeking damages of A$2 million ($1.33 million) per player plus medical expenses from the Australian Football League (AFL), the Australian Associated Press reported.

“Their careers are finished and years later they find these concussion-related injuries creeping in and affecting their ability to work, their ability to have a happy family life,” Michel Margalit said outside the court in Melbourne.

“The whole class action could cost the AFL close to A$1 billion but we must remember that this is not about bringing down the AFL, this is about compensating these injured players, this compensation will come through insurance.”

More than 60 players have already signed up to the class action and more are expected to follow. The case covers any player who sustained concussion-related injuries while playing or training since 1985.

There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the AFL, who earlier on Tuesday issued updated guidance for the management of concussion ahead of this week’s start to the new season.

The issue of repetitive head trauma has triggered lawsuits in numerous sports in recent years.

In 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the National Football League’s estimated $1 billion settlement of concussion-related lawsuits with more than 4,500 former players.

In 2019, the NHL paid $18.49 million to settle a concussion lawsuit brought by more than 100 players.

On Monday, another 55 amateur rugby players joined the growing list of claimants in a class-action concussion lawsuit against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union.

($1 = 1.5024 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney, editing by Peter Rutherford)

Japan’s decision to discharge radioactively contaminated wastewater into Pacific Ocean is dangerous

By Joseph Veramu
14 March 2023 

Pacific islanders are distressed and hoping Japan does not have the heart of aggression as Japan stands firm in its stance that planned radioactive dumping into the Pacific Ocean is safe, despite opposition from Pacific leaders and local fishermen


The Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant on 15 February 2018.

In the Pacific, Japan prides itself as a pacifist state. Their diplomats are known for being polite, respectfully bowing to dignitaries and emphasising that they have the interest of the Pacific in their peaceful hearts. Now Pacific islanders are distressed and hoping Japan does not have the heart of aggression.

The Japanese government has been firm in its stance that the planned discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean in 2023 is safe despite strong opposition from Pacific leaders.

Pacific islanders hope that Japan will look at the harmful effects of radioactive dumping that has a very high possibility of negatively affecting current and future generations of Pacific islanders.

Even local Japanese fishermen have strongly objected to the discharge of radioactive water. Toshiko Tanaka, a survivor of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima, pleaded, “We share one water on the earth and what leaks from Japan will leak everywhere. I think it’s very bad and it’s got to stop. All the wastewater has to be kept on land and not be released into the ocean.”

It is noted that the Pacific Ocean is the largest mass of water on Earth, having the greatest biomass of organisms of ecological, economic, and cultural value. It has 70 percent of the world’s fisheries. The health of the ocean ecosystems is failing due to climate change, over-exploitation of resources, and pollution. The discharge of radioactive wastewater by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) will worsen the situation.

The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), comprising 18 members, set up a panel of global experts on nuclear issues. Their research was to support Pacific nations in their deliberations on the matter.

“We’re unanimous in saying we don’t see enough information to support dumping the radioactively contaminated water into the ocean,” The panel noted. “Our first recommendation is to take that option (of dumping nuclear wastewater) off the table.”

There are huge concerns that the movement of ocean currents will enable pelagic fishes to accumulate radionuclides in their systems and widely distribute them over the vast Pacific Ocean.

What should be understood is that fish consuming radioactive materials from Japan travel very widely. Unlike people who show their passports and visa before entering a country, fish do not stop to get visas before entering the waters of Pacific nations.

If the research that TEPCO is using to argue that the radioactive wastewater is safe to dump in the Pacific is found later to be wrong, then there is the real possibility of the genocide of Pacific peoples who rely on the ocean for their food needs. Consuming contaminated marine foods can affect the next generation of Pacific islanders.

PIF Secretary General Henry Puna emphasised, “Our ultimate goal is to safeguard the Blue Pacific—our ocean, our environment and our peoples—from any further nuclear contamination. This is the legacy we must leave for our children.”

Henry Puna was invited to Japan to discuss the release of the treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. There is deep concern that Japan, which facilitates the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM) every three years, may use checkbook diplomacy to entice Pacific leaders to agree to the dumping by promising them more money.

The president of the Federated States of Micronesia, for example, is quoted later as saying, “our country is no longer fearful or concerned about this issue (wastewater dumping)”.

The PIF panel of experts, who have been trying to independently verify the safety of the operation, say they have not been sent data that proves it is safe. Alarm bells were raised over discrepancies in the data provided. The panel noted “We immediately noticed problems with the data that the panel has considered to be serious red flags. The panel has found that some of TEPCO’s sample extraction has been inadequate, incomplete and at times inconsistent and even biased.”

Some good news for the Pacific is that Japan has agreed to delay the discharge of treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean until PIF science experts verify if it is safe to do so.

The incoming PIF Chair and the Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown traveled to Japan as part of the PIF delegation in an effort to convey their deep concerns. He requested a deferral of Japan’s plans to dump wastewater into the ocean.

It has been suggested that Japan needs to reform its foreign policy in the Pacific. At the 9th PALM held on July 2, 2021, leaders of the PIF emphasized the importance of “ensuring international consultation, international law, and independent and verifiable scientific assessments with regards to Japan’s announcement (of dumping radioactive wastewater).”

Japan cannot unilaterally dump radioactive materials. As it is a very powerful Asian country, it has a moral responsibility to respect and protect small Pacific island nations that are already suffering from the negative effects of climate change. These nations rely on the ocean for almost all their food sources and national incomes to support their economic development.

It should also be obvious that the dumping will also affect the entire world which sources marine foods from the Pacific Ocean.

We hope that common sense will prevail in the end and that the right action will be taken that will ensure harmony in the environment of the Pacific.

This opinion was written by Joseph Veramu (the dean of the South Pacific Island Countries Institute of Asian Studies), originally published at People’s Daily Online on 06 March 2023, reported via PACNEWS.

The garden that grew from grief
March 13, 2023

Owner of an urban garden in West Oakland, 

Gabrielle T. Dickey Chanel El, powers through based on love and unity.

by Robbie Jackson

Tupac wrote a poem back in the 20th century where he spoke of a rose that grew from concrete. He describes how this rose defied the laws of nature and thrived despite its circumstances and environment.

In the Bay Area, you can find plenty of those very same roses as far as the eyes can see. They remain generation after generation despite gentrification’s best efforts. And in West Oakland on the corner of 29th Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard, you’ll find not just a rose but a whole garden built on love only a mother could provide.

I was blessed to grab some time from the San Francisco native who is the keeper of this garden. Knowing that energy can’t be created or destroyed, this mother was able to grow a garden fertilized with the grief she feels from the loss – proving that when channeled correctly you can turn it into something beneficial to the whole neighborhood.

But don’t take my word for it. Hear from Gabrielle T. Dickey Chanel El, a native of the Fillmore District in San Francisco, Calif., yourself.

Robbie: So, first tell me what made you start a community garden?

Gabrielle: During my deepest moment of despair, loss and grief, I received a vision reel that played in my mind as a movie, which resembled a large healing community farm on land much further than I could even see.

This took place the day after the homegoing service of my youngest son, Immanuel McCarter El, as I sat in church service crying uncontrollably on June 30, 2019. This became my lifeline, similar to a floating-on-Cloud-Nine-inspiration-moment in living color.

Despite my then, and sometimes recurring, feelings of hopelessness, sadness and loneliness since Immanuel’s tragedy, I knew that there was a higher purpose to carry me through my Ground Zero. I could feel this knowing that a new liberation for myself and others was in this distant future if I just held on and believed this dream as my new reality.

Robbie: Did you have any previous experience with urban farming before starting the community garden?

Gabrielle: Growing up in the city of San Francisco I had no previous exposure to farming at all, but I remember as a little girl taking long rides to the country house in Corning, Calif., with our father where he exposed us to picking fruits, nuts and berries. We would bring home large boxes of produce and my mother would teach us about canning. I remember blackberry and apricot jams and preserves being my favorite.

My son and artist Ziek McCarter, one of our co-founders, did have the opportunity to work directly in urban farming with Community Grows, here in SF at the Rosa Parks Elementary School garden site back in 2011, following the murder of my husband, Rev. David McCarter. I witnessed the magic of him working within the urban garden and bringing awareness through his Eden EP project that impacted the lives of the children and all those connected to the garden.

Robbie: How has the garden positively affected your community?

Gabrielle: I believe this garden has created a safe place to call home for those seeking a

sanctuary from the pain of grief. It has united a tribe for survivors to call family. To witness members of our BIPOC community who have been disenfranchised for hundreds of years in this never ending cycle of repeated gun violence, hate crimes, racism and murder come together. That’s reflected in the look on their faces when visitors walk behind the veil of our garden in amazement that an oasis can be created from the chaos of life and pain.

In addition, I believe that my community garden can also mitigate some of the issues that plague urban areas. For example, building and strengthening community ties, increasing the availability of nutritious foods and creating a more sustainable food system.

Robbie: What challenges do you currently face?

Gabrielle: Some of the challenges we face as a family organization in doing this intentional yet impactful community healing work is keeping a healthy balance of our own mental and emotional well-being. We realize that we have endured so much as a family with still no legal advocacy team or attorney representation and it’s 11 years later. We wait for our day when someone will investigate our claims and file a federal case to seek some form of accountability for these injustices and closure for our tragedies.

There is also that knot in my stomach because I fight that anger when I see police officers or law enforcement that are supposed to serve and protect all people. I believe too often; police officers have not been held accountable. This lack of accountability has eroded community trust and fostered suspicion and resentment.

In order to restore police legitimacy, there should be structures in place to promote responsible, accountable policing and measures to ensure that police are held accountable for their actions when they deviate from that standard.

I’ve learned that we will continue to be affected and triggered from the rise across this nation of racially motivated crimes and murders of our Black and brown people unjustly. We still seek ways to cope with these two traumatic deaths within an eight year time span.

Through this vision we must find the continued courage and strength while working full time jobs, for it has negatively affected my own health and well-being during those heavy times of Angelversaries, birthdays and the fondest memories that reminds us of the lives they spent here with us.

Robbie: Is there anything we, the community, can do to help directly eliminate those issues?

Gabrielle: First and foremost, it is crucial that we educate our leaders who represent our communities. If there is no one in leadership who understands our communities’ issues and needs, then how can we expect policies to be changed for the better or our needs to be included in new legislation?

One example I can think of is for leaders and those in power to reflect on the communities they serve. In addition, it is crucial to connect us with other community leaders willing to build with us in training, financial strategies and business management with commitment to long term funding.

Our community is willing to share our story with those passionate about restorative healing practices, wellness, music, gardening and nature as tools for alchemy to our continued healing so that we may maintain the garden programs.

As well as further redevelopment of our storefront building to provide indoor services for programs, especially our annual Apollo Carter Day of Freedom June 13, the day he ascended. Another is dedicated fiscal sponsorships to access government funds for salary and stipends for our volunteers providing long hours of in-kind donated time to serve our vision for the community.

Robbie: What changes have you witnessed in the Bay Area in the last five years?

Gabrielle: The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic caused us all to be more proactive with our health and self care. However, the pandemic continues to have a negative impact on many people who are facing fear and anxiety.

There has also been a huge spike in violence, murders within and amongst the African American community; therefore, the need for healing and mental health services have increased within all ages and has impacted their mental, social and economic well-being. I’m grateful for the ease up on the stigma for seeking mental and self care. It was almost taboo and frowned upon as if you were not “strong enough” to cope with daily life.

Robbie: What advice do you have for anyone looking to channel their grief to serve a higher purpose?

Gabrielle: The advice I have for anyone looking to channel their grief to serve a higher purpose is to believe and listen to your inner self. It is alright to take a leap of faith and throw yourself into the unknown. When you throw yourself into the unknown you will discover who you truly are and what your calling is.

It is also important to invest in cultivating alone time to hear that still quiet voice within. To reflect on those memories of loved ones that ignited their laughter and joy. For my Immanuel, it was his music, nature, teaching, telling jokes,and advocating and empowering others, but most of all spreading love to others. Hence the name of our organization that was born from his only music EP released while still in high school.

It was a place of complete surrender, solitude, and stillness where nothing else mattered except to go within and find the ultimate source of love where all things in life were created. It took me back to my true passions. As I started to tap into all elements of mother nature my life vibrations definitely shifted to a higher power.

Robbie: What advice can you give to anyone who is looking to start a garden of their own?

Gabrielle: The advice I would give is to believe that you can do it with that same love for your child as a new parent would give. With my calling I started with the two special peace lilies given to me when he passed and the succulents he planted on our last mother’s day together.

So, start small with nurturing one or two plants in your home or patio that you feel called or connected to. Although gardening can be quite a task, you must remember the benefits of gardening, which includes decreased depression and the reduction of anxiety and stress.

Gardening also promotes healthy eating and exercise habits as well as family and community bonding. Find a person or organization that has some knowledge or experience with growing gardens to see if they would like to mentor or share insights on the best practices for planting seeds in alignment with the seasons.

Robbie: Can you please give the name, location of the community garden and the

best way to support your organization?

Gabrielle: Long Live Love Foundation Center is located in West Oakland’s Ghost

Town in the back of our family’s private property on 29th Street and Martin Luther King Blvd. We sincerely welcome donations of any amount supported for further development of specific programs that align with the families we serve.

Sharing with us especially on our annual Apollo Carter Day of Music & Freedom which is June 13th, that day he ascended. We will be celebrating his Angelversary this year in the garden on Sunday, June 11, 2023. Support with connecting to local, national sponsorships or funding organizations that want to give back to families such as ours. We want to be a source of light that we are witnesses of. We all can rise after being impacted by grief, trauma and injustices to wellness for singles, families and the future of our children

.

“The advice I have for anyone looking to channel their grief to serve a higher purpose is to believe and listen to your inner self. It is alright to take a leap of faith and throw yourself into the unknown. When you throw yourself into the unknown you will discover who you truly are and what your calling is,” says Gabrielle T. Dickey Chanel El.

Robbie Jackson is a journalist with the SF Bay View’s Community Journalism Program. You can reach her and other writers at the editor@sfbayview.com.

Environmentalist shot protesting $90m Atlanta ‘Cop City’ died with hands up, autopsy finds

Family calling on officials to release evidence from investigation into activist’s death

Josh Marcus
San Francisco

VIDEO Atlanta police release aftermath video of 'Cop City' activist death

An environmental activist who was fatally shot by police in January protesting the construction of Atlanta’s $90m “Cop City” training centre died with their hands up, according to an outside autopsy requested by their family.

On 18 January, a multi-agency group of Georgia law enforcement officers entered a forest outside of Atlanta that’s slated to be home for a massive police training compound. The woods have become the centre of a multi-year, multi-faceted resistance movement that’s culminated with groups camping out in the woods in protest.

According to state officials, Manuel Esteban “Tortuguita” Paez Terán, 26, fired upon and injured a police officer and was killed when officers returned fire.

Terán’s family says the activist was a pacifist and wouldn’t have fired on police unprovoked, and has called on officials to release all the evidence in the case so far.

“We still do not know what happened in the forest in the morning of January 18,” civil rights attorney Brian Spears said at a press conference on Monday. “The second autopsy is a snapshot of what happened but it’s not the whole story. What we want is simple: GBI [Georgia Bureau of Investigation] meet with the family and release the investigative report.”

Activist killed and state trooper injured in firefight at protests over Atlanta ‘Copy City’ training centre

Damning video of deadly protester shooting won’t weaken the fight against Atlanta’s $90m ‘Cop City’


The autopsy, conducted by a former GBI medical examiner, suggests Tortuguita was shot 14 times, including a likely fatal hit to the head.

“At some point during the course of being shot, the decedent was able to raise his hands and arms up and in front of his body, with his palms facing towards his upper body,” the autopsy says, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

(The examiner, Dr Kris Sperry, resigned from the bureau in 2015, after an AJC investigation found that he claimed hundreds of hours of agency work when he was really working for outside clients, and that he racked up various conflicts of interest while working as a paid forensic consultant.)

Paez Terán’s family has sued the Atlanta police department, calling for them to release additional evidence about the shooting.

No body camera footage of the shooting itself exists, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, though Atlanta police have released footage of their own suggesting some officers initially believed the shooting began with an accidental friendly fire incident, rather than an attack from the activist.

The GBI told the Associated Press on Monday it was withholding releasing additional information to prevent the “inappropriate release of evidence” while it investigates the shooting.

GBI officers were also present during the operation that killed Tortuguita.

According to the bureau, ballistic evidence shows that the wounded officer was struck with a bullet from the same gun Paez Terán bought legally in 2020.

As The Independent reported, the Atlanta city council approved the “Cop City” project, which will feature large-scale replicas of urban environments for military-style police training, over the vigorous opposition of community members.

The movement to stop the project has united an unusually diverse coalition of activist groups, including civil rights organisers worried the project will further entrench Atlanta’s disproportionate police violence against Black people, while environmentalists worry the project will further spoil a polluted forest area once dubbed one of the “lungs” of the city.

Clashes between police and demonstrators have continued to escalate since the shooting.

Local officials have resorted to the unprecedented step of charging many of the demonstrators involved in the movement with domestic terrorism, even though one review of charging documents suggests most of those hit with the steep charge had committed the equivalent of trespassing and hadn’t seriously harmed anyone.

Last week, dozens of people were detained after a construction vehicle was set on fire and officers were hit withrocks and bricks at the site of the police training centre project.

INDIA

Guwahati Railway Station Welcomes North East's First Tea Stall Run by Transgender Community

Reported By: Preety Priyadarshinee
Edited By: Pritha Mallick
News18
Last Updated: MARCH 12, 2023
Assam, India


NFRLY and the All Assam Transgender Association will manage the stall. (Image: Shutterstock)

Swati Bidhan Baruah, founder of the All Assam Transgender Association, said the initiative would not be limited to Guwahati railway station alone, as it is planned to extend it to other major railway stations across Assam

In a significant stride towards promoting inclusivity and a first in the North East, a tea stall that doubles as an ethnic food stall and run by transgender individuals has been launched on Platform 1 of Guwahati Railway Station in Assam. The initiative provides a glimmer of hope for transgender individuals to earn a respectable livelihood.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Swati Bidhan Baruah, founder of the All Assam Transgender Association, said the tea stand at the railway station will help the transgender population, which is often subjected to prejudice and abuse. “This is a modest step toward the empowerment of the transgender community. The aim is to help transgender people find work, as they often suffer prejudice and harassment when seeking work," she said

“When transgender individuals, who are often observed begging at trains and railway stations, witness the opportunity to earn a livelihood with respect, their mindset will also transform," she said.

Baruah further stated that this initiative would not be limited to Guwahati railway station alone, as they plan to extend it to other major railway stations throughout Assam.

“Not just around Assam, but a few more states have also approached us to take this initiative to their railway stations as well. Once it is operational everywhere, that sight will be historical," she added.

Anshul Gupta, General Manager of North East Frontier Railway, said, “We are hopeful that this one of its kind initiatives has begun in Guwahati Railway station. This will definitely bring a good change to the community in particular and the society in general."

NFRLY and the All Assam Transgender Association will manage the stall.