WHAT IS AUTHORITARIANISM

Iranian filmmaker and his producer face prison for showing film at Cannes without state permission

Thu, August 17, 2023 

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian filmmaker and his producer reportedly face prison time and being barred from filmmaking after they showcased a movie at the Cannes Film Festival without government approval, drawing immediate criticism internationally from leading American director Martin Scorsese and others.

Director Saeed Roustayi and producer Javad Norouzbeigi traveled to Cannes last year to show “Leila's Brothers,” competing for the festival's grand Palme d’Or prize. The film focuses on a family struggling to make ends meet as Iran faces international sanctions and includes sequences showing protests in the Islamic Republic as a series of nationwide demonstrations shook the nation.

The film also depicts security forces beating demonstrators protesting Iran’s ailing economy, which has already sparked mass protests and bloody security force crackdowns killing hundreds. The family in it loses all its savings over the rapid depreciation of Iran’s rial currency, something Iranians across the country have lived with for years.

Additionally, the aging patriarch, hoarding his family’s wealth and forcing them into squalor for a chance at personal glory, can be seen as an allegory to Iran’s theocracy.

“Leila's Brothers” didn't take the coveted Palme d’Or but ended up winning two other awards at Cannes. However, authorities in Tehran did not nominate the film for the Oscars despite its success at the renowned French film festival, something Roustayi later criticized in published remarks.

On Tuesday, Etemad newspaper reported that Tehran's Revolutionary Court sentenced the two men to six months in prison over creating “propaganda against the system.”

The men showcased the film “in line with the counterrevolutionary movement ... with the aim of fame-seeking in order to prepare fodder and intensify the media battle against Iran's religious sovereignty,” the court decision read, according to Etemad, a Tehran-based newspaper run by reformists.

The judge suspended all but 10-odd days of the prison sentence for the next five years, the newspaper said. However, the men will also be banned from filmmaking and communicating with those in the field during that period, as well as must attend a mandatory filmmaking course while “maintaining national and moral interests.” The sentence is appealable.

No other major media outlet in Iran reported the sentencing and Etemad did not explain how it came about its information. Iran’s Revolutionary Courts conduct closed-door hearings over alleged threats to Iran’s government, taking nearly every case involving a suspect with Western ties or facing accusations of espionage.

The international reaction against the sentence was swift. Scorsese, known for his films “Goodfellas,” “Casino” and the upcoming “Killers of the Flower Moon,” asked people online to sign a petition to protest the men's sentence “so they can continue to be a force of good in the world.”

The Biarritz International Film Festival, at which Roustayi chaired the jury this year, immediately criticized the sentence as well and asked it be quashed by Iran's judiciary.

“His only crime is being a free-spirited filmmaker," the festival said. “Although he's not even 35, his sharp take on society makes him one of today's major international filmmakers.”

Even inside Iran, there's been anger over the sentencing. The Iranian Cinema Directors Association issued an online statement, saying that “the race to issue insulting verdicts, which at the same time undermines the judiciary itself, has entered a new stage.”

“If you think that by issuing such humiliating rulings, you are helping to solve problems, bring people together, create joy and hope and strengthen national security, then you have not been successful,” the statement said.

Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Iranian filmmakers, though applauded internationally, long have faced government pressure back home. The same goes for actors, particularly after the September 2022 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after being detained by the country's morality police over not properly wearing a mandatory headscarf. Her death sparked nationwide protests and saw a security force crackdown that killed over 500 people and saw more than 22,000 others arrested.

One of the lead actors in “Leila's Brothers,” the Oscar-winning Taraneh Alidoosti, found herself detained and later released on bail after posting online in support of the protests. She posted an image of herself, without the mandatory head covering, holding a sign reading “Women, Life, Freedom” in Kurdish — the slogan embraced by demonstrators at the time.

Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press

Hawaii wildfires: 'Directed energy weapon' and other false claims go viral

Shayan Sardarizadeh and Mike Wendling - 

BBC Verify and BBC News
Thu, August 17, 2023 

The fires have been the subject of false posts that have spread rapidly online

False claims about the deadly wildfires in Hawaii - including that shadowy forces orchestrated the disaster with a laser beam - have gained traction online.

The misleading posts come from a variety of sources and accounts, but generally imply that "elites" or government agencies deliberately started the fires.

Some of the most popular theories are couched in questions about a "narrative" and make claims that alternative views are being "censored", despite collecting millions of views.

While there are specific rumours circulating about Maui, they fit into a general pattern repeatedly seen after extreme weather events and natural disasters - politically motivated activists seeking to downplay the potential impact of climate change.
'Energy weapon'

Videos and images claiming that the wildfires were not a natural disaster - and were instead caused by a "directed energy weapon", a "laser beam" or explosion - have been viewed millions of times.

One video viewed 10 million times claims to show a large explosion in Maui just before the fires.

But the video was originally a viral clip shared on TikTok in May showing a transformer explosion in Chile.

Chilean TV network Chilevisión ran a report on the viral video, confirming the explosion was the result of a blown transformer caused by strong wind.

An image of a church on fire in Hawaii has been viewed 9 million times, with claims it shows a laser beam striking it.

But it has been digitally altered. The original image - of the Waiola Church in Lahaina in flames on 8 August - has no laser beam or ray of light visible.

Two other false images have been racking up huge numbers of views.

One shows a fireball and a bright streak of light rising up towards the night sky. It, too, has been accompanied by claims that wildfires are not a natural phenomenon.

But a search on the internet for previous versions of this image reveals the photo shows a controlled burn at an Ohio oil refinery and was first posted online in January 2018. The streak of light, known as a "light pillar", is an optical illusion formed by reflections off ice crystals on a cold day.

A similar image claims to show a huge beam of light in Maui just before the wildfires. But it shows the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in California in May 2018.
Why are trees standing?

There are claims circulating about videos from Maui showing some trees still standing while houses and vehicles have been burned, with people pointing to the pictures as "evidence" that the fires were deliberately set or that their real cause is being hidden from the public.

One post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, includes a video of the destruction and the message: "Everything is burnt but the trees, but don't point that out or you're a conspiracy theorist."

That post - which has been seen more than 24 million times - has been challenged by X's Community Notes feature, where users add context and facts around viral content.

Dr Rory Hadden, senior lecturer and expert in fire investigations at the University of Edinburgh, told BBC Verify that it is common for trees to remain standing even after severe wildfires because "burning through a large piece of wood takes a long time", "thick pieces of wood are usually not able to sustain burning on their own" and "the high moisture content of trees will also make them hard to burn".

Some plants, known as pyrophytes, have also adapted to survive wildfires due to thermal insulation or other means.
'Elite land grab'

Alongside the "directed energy weapon" rumours, speculation spread in viral posts that some of the island's rich inhabitants and second-home owners deliberately started the wildfires to grab valuable land in Lahaina.

One viral video includes claims by a podcaster that native landowners in Maui have refused to sell land to investment management companies and rich locals. He notes the false "directed energy weapon" rumours before going on to speculate that there might be something to them because news outlets have called the rumours "conspiracy theories".

Another viral thread was seen 10 million times on an X account that frequently spreads false information debunked by Community Notes. It includes a list of wealthy people who purportedly own property on Maui, a video including aerial footage of Lahaina, and claims that the pattern of destruction is suspicious.

The cause or causes of the fires on Maui are still unknown, but no real evidence has emerged to suggest they were deliberately started as part of a land grab.

X had not responded to a request for comment as of Monday (14 August).

SMITH'S UCP IS ANTI GREEN ENERGY

Peace River solar farm delayed due to moratorium

Local Journalism Initiative
Wed, August 16, 2023 at 11:20 a.m. MDT·3 min read

An Alberta government six-month moratorium on solar and wind energy projects has put a proposed Peace River project at a standstill.

Peace Energy Renewable Energy Cooperative (PEC) was days away from final approval for its cooperatively owned Peace River Energy Project (PREP) solar farm project that was planned near Peace River, AB. PEC executive director Don Pettit says the Premier Danielle Smith’s decision has put their $11 million solar farm project on hold, a project they have been preparing for three years and one that provides share offering to its members and investors.

“This was a very unexpected shock, of course,” says Pettit. “After three years of detailed studies and approvals, it is hard to understand their rationale for putting up more roadblocks for such a beneficial clean energy project. Locally financed and operated, this solar facility will provide jobs and profits that will stay local while feeding green power into the local grid.”

The Province’s decision will put all new projects over one megawatt that were planned on the backburner, a movement that will pose a threat to the livelihood of thousands of Albertans working in alternate energy.

The PREP project is poised to be one of Western Canada’s first cooperatively owned and operated solar farms.

Smith announced the decision stating the government’s concerns include requirements for mandatory site reclamation requirements and the use of agricultural land for solar farms. Pettit says reclamation concerns for a solar farm are non-existent and that there are no after-life clean up issues.

“Because the solar resource cannot be used up, there may be no clean up at all,” he says, noting that much of the equipment will last for decades before requiring replacement.

“The equipment will simply be upgraded to harvest the sun’s energy more efficiently. The project can generate solar at this same location for generations.

“And besides, we have already provided our mandatory clean up plan, just like all the other solar projects.”

In addition, Pettit says the concern of agricultural land being taken out of production for solar energy is simply untrue. He says using the principles of “agrivoltaics” the PREP farm would increase the agricultural productivity of the land on which it is located, not decrease it.

“Native grasses, using sheep for vegetation control and other measures were all in place,” says Pettit.

“There are no issues that the studies we have already completed do not address. “

Alberta has been experiencing quick growth in solar and wind projects in recent years, many of which were waiting for Alberta Utilities Commission’s approval, but now have been put on the backburner until February of next year. Pettit cites information from the Business Renewable Centre, saying Alberta was on track to see $3.7 billion of renewable projects constructed by the end of this year. These projects would have created 4,500 jobs.

“The six-month pause recently announced will put a hold on all of these projects and may jeopardize the financial viability of many,” says Pettit. “This is bad for business, bad for the environment, and bad for rate payers since solar is now the cheapest energy ever.”

Pettit says PEC’s plans for the solar farm will still be executed, just with a project delay due to the recent decision.

“As far as we are concerned, our community-owned solar farm project is still a go,” says Pettit.

“There are several steps we can take to keep PREP moving forward, and we are going to take those steps, hoping that the Alberta government can figure out how to handle Alberta’s renewable energy boom. We can only hope they do so soon, very soon.”

Emily Plihal Local Journalism Initiative Reporter - South Peace News - southpeacenews.com

Emily Plihal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, South Peace News

Protesters march through Miami to object to Florida's Black history teaching standards


The Canadian Press
Wed, August 16, 2023 

MIAMI (AP) — Dozens of teachers, students and activists marched to a Miami school district headquarters Wednesday to protest Florida’s new standards for teaching Black history, which have come under intense criticism for what they say about slavery.

The protesters who marched to the School Board of Miami-Dade County objected to new curriculum standards that, among other things, require teachers to instruct middle school students that enslaved people “developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is seeking the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, has repeatedly defended the new language while insisting that his critics, including Vice President Kamala Harris and two leading Black Republicans in Congress, are intentionally misinterpreting one line of the sweeping curriculum.

“These new state standards that DeSantis has come up with will not be tolerated in our schools. We will not let our children be taught that slaves benefited from their slavery. That’s a lie,” said march organizer Marvin Dunn, a professor emeritus of psychology at Florida International University.

About 50 protesters who started the 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) trek from Booker T. Washington Senior High School in Miami’s historically Black Overtown neighborhood chanted, “What do we want? Truth. When do we want it? Now. What if we don’t get it? Shut it down!”

They were greeted by another 50 protesters at the school board building, where they planned to urge board members to reject the new state standards and refuse to teach the new curriculum.

Harris, the nation’s first Black vice president, traveled to Florida last month to condemn the curriculum. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is the chamber’s sole Black Republican and is also seeking the White House, issued a direct rebuke of DeSantis.

Critics said the new school standards are the latest in a series of attacks on Black history by the governor’s administration. At the beginning of the year, DeSantis’ administration blocked a new Advanced Placement course on African American studies from being taught in high schools, saying it was contrary to state law.

DeSantis also has pushed through the “ Stop WOKE Act,” a law that limits discussions on race in schools and by corporations, and banned state universities from using state or federal money for diversity programs.

David Fischer, The Associated Press

Quebec energy minister insists province must reduce reliance on cars to meet GHG objectives

CBC
Wed, August 16, 2023

Quebec Economy, Innovation and Energy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon said on Monday that Quebec must halve the number of cars. He echoed those comments Wednesday. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press - image credit)

Quebec has to drastically reduce the number of vehicles on the road in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, according to the province's minister of the economy, innovation and energy.

Pierre Fitzgibbon made the statement to journalists as he headed into a cabinet meeting in Quebec City. He was echoing statements he made Monday, when he suggested that Quebec would need to halve the number of vehicles in order to meet its greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets.

As energy minister, Fitzgibbon is responsible for Hydro-Québec and right now, the public utility is trying to plan for higher demand for electricity from industry and consumers, as more switch from fossil fuels to hydro-electric power.

With no more large-scale dams in the works, Hydro is looking at alternative forms of power, from wind and solar to even, possibly, rebooting a mothballed nuclear plant.

But Fitzgibbon says Quebecers need to more than just switch — they need to reduce their energy consumption.

"It's a matter of being consistent and if we want to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, consumer habits need to change significantly," he said.

However, no official car reduction target had been decided by the government, he added.

"I know that Pierre has read a lot of environmental reports this summer," said Premier François Legault, when reporters asked him if Fitzgibbon, whose background is in the business world, had suddenly developed a green streak.

"There are environmentalists proposing to halve the number of cars. Our approach is really to move toward electric cars."

What's most important is making electric cars available, and in large cities, ensuring there's more public transportation, the premier said.

"But we have to understand that Quebec is large, and in regions, population density doesn't allow us to have public transit everywhere, so we still need to be realistic," he said.

Leagault said he is aiming for an incentive-based rather than coercive strategy.

Currently, there are more than six million passenger vehicles operating in Quebec, including around 170,000 electric automobiles, according to data from the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) as of the end of last year.

Fitzgibbon expressed satisfaction with the reaction to his Monday comments, despite the concerns raised, notably by automobile dealerships. He stressed that people need to accept the necessity of changing our habits.

"If we want to be carbon neutral, we need to be consistent," he said, but the government will never restrict the number of cars one person can own.

"But those who have a social discourse, who want to allow the planet to be free from GHGs by 2050, they will have to understand that there will be changes."

The minister of the environment and the fight against climate change, Benoit Charette, showed support for Fitzgibbon, but suggested he had used a metaphor when it comes to halving the automobile fleet.

"We need to offer additional solutions, and that's what we're currently doing," said Charette, making note of the recent inauguration of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM), Montreal's new light-rail network.

Other projects are ongoing, such as lengthening the Blue line in Montreal, he said, "but there was never any talk of halving the automobile fleet."

Oceanographers say warming waters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence affecting animal life

The Canadian Press
Thu, August 17, 2023 



MONTREAL — From great white sharks around Quebec's Îles-de-la-Madeleine to lobsters conquering new territory, oceanographers say the warming of the Gulf of St. Lawrence is having an impact on the creatures that live in its unique ecosystem.

Data from Fisheries and Oceans Canada show that deepwater temperatures have been increasing overall in the gulf since 2009. In 2022, gulf-wide average temperatures hit new record highs at depths of 150 to 300 metres, and passed the threshold of 7 C at 300 metres for the first time. Average monthly temperatures at the sea surface also set new records in August and September, the data showed.

The news is worrisome to oceanographers, who say they're already seeing the impact of the warming water on different species in the gulf, which touches five provinces at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.

Philippe Archambault, a professor of oceanography at Université Laval, says that while ecosystem changes are a normal part of nature, the speed of change is striking.

"If we're talking about life in the ecosystem, it doesn't have time to adapt, to reposition itself into new balance, a new method," he said in a phone interview. "Everything is too fast."

Archambault said that while humans can adapt to their environment by building or modifying a house, animals can only move in search of environments where they can thrive.

He said there are signs that some of those changes are happening already, pointing to an increase in sightings of great white sharks in parts of the gulf, and of lobsters expanding from their traditional range around Anticosti Island and the Gaspé Peninsula into new places that might have been too cold a decade earlier.

Stéphane Plourde, a research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, says there are both "winners and losers" when it comes to warming temperatures.

He says that, in general, cold water species such as northern shrimp are struggling, while there are signs of an increased presence of species that prefer warmer waters.

"There are indications that show that, indeed, the warming can encourage the presence of predators such as bluefin tuna or white shark in the Gulf of St. Lawrence," he said, adding that the increases could also be due to greater population numbers as a whole.

He said it's still too early to know what impact the temperature changes could have on larger mammals, such as whales. He said that because mammals are less directly affected by temperature, the immediate impact is more likely to be behavioural, such as changing feeding areas in response to prey shifts. That phenomenon has recently been observed among endangered North Atlantic right whales, which seem to be increasingly coming into the Gulf of St. Lawrence to search for food.

He said the cumulative effects of the changes experienced by whales — which are hard to study because they move so much — may only become clear down the line.

Plourde said the species that appear to be most affected are tiny organisms, such as krill and plankton, which are just as important because they form the base of the food chain. Scientists are already noting gradual shifts in the presence of different species and timing of population peaks, which Plourde said could eventually have a cascade effect on all the species that depend on them.

Mathilde Jutras, a McGill University PhD candidate in oceanography who studies temperature changes, said the warming in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has been more dramatic than some open ocean areas, in part because of its unique mix of currents.

She said in recent years there has been an increase in the amount of water from the warming Gulf Stream current and a decrease coming from the colder Labrador current.

"Because it's located at the intersection of the Gulf Stream and of the Labrador current, it's very sensitive to what is happening in those currents," she said. "It's kind of like the canary in the coal mine of the changes that we're seeing in the North Atlantic Ocean."

At the same time, she said there has been an increase in deep water areas with low oxygen, making it harder for species to thrive.

On the surface, she says there's been less sea ice, which could mean more mixing of the gulf's different water layers during storms.

All three say more study is needed to learn about how the confluence of different changes will ultimately affect life in the gulf.

Archambault says there's a risk that the ecosystem reaches a "tipping" point brought on by the combination of different stressors, including warming temperatures, acidification, increasing ship traffic and winter storms. He said that while scientists have a tendency to study phenomena individually, they need to look at how they might combine.

"All these stressors seem to be increasing, in general. And what is their interaction?" he asked. "That's what we're trying to understand."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 17, 2023.

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press

Steven Guilbeault to become first cabinet minister to visit China since 2018

The Canadian Press
Wed, August 16, 2023 



OTTAWA — Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault will travel to China on a diplomatic mission later this month, even as politicians in Ottawa continue to negotiate a public inquiry into alleged foreign interference.

Guilbeault will be in Beijing from Aug. 26 to 31 in what will be the first official visit of a Canadian cabinet minister to China since 2018.

A spokesperson for Guilbeault says the world is faced with the "triple crisis" of climate change, pollution and biodiversity, which can only be handled through urgent international co-operation.

His office said the minister will attend a meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development while in Beijing.

Guilbeault's office noted that he and his Chinese counterpart, Huang Runqiu, strengthened their ties when their countries co-hosted the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal in December.

Despite that example of co-operation, relations between the two countries have been tense ever since the 2018 arrest of Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou, which led to a legal dispute with foreign-policy implications that still reverberate.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2023.

The Canadian Press

B.C. changes policy on dispute with U.S. on selenium contamination from coal mines

The Canadian Press
Wed, August 16, 2023 



The British Columbia government has changed its tune on a long-requested investigation into contamination from its mines flowing into U.S. waters, opening the door to progress on an issue that has drawn the attention of President Joe Biden.

The province has confirmed to The Canadian Press that it would now welcome a role in such an investigation for the International Joint Commission, a body created in 1909 to resolve water-related disputes between the two countries.

"B.C. has proposed a role for the International Joint Commission to act as a neutral third party — bringing representatives together to share progress, validate issues and facts, and gather information in a way that is respectful and inclusive of Indigenous knowledge," B.C. Environment Minister George Heyman said in an email.

"The Government of Canada is considering our proposal."

It's a significant move from the province, which has long struggled with how to mitigate selenium contamination from coal mines in the Elk Valley owned by Teck Resources. Although Teck has spent $1.4 billion on monitoring, management, research and treatment, levels of the element toxic to fish remain high in waters that flow into Lake Kookanusa, a reservoir that crosses the border between the U.S. and Canada and feeds American rivers.

Since May 2022, the commission has sought to involve both countries in an investigation into the problem. Such an investigation, called a reference, is supported by the Biden administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the states of Montana and Idaho, as well as First Nations and environmental groups on both sides of the border.

Both Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have promised that a deal would be reached by the end of the summer.

However, B.C.'s resistance to having an international body poke into its backyard has blocked progress. Until now.

"That's really great news," said Tom McDonald, chairman of the Confederated Kootenai and Salish tribes in Montana.

"We have six weeks left to meet the timeline. Immediate action in the next few weeks is critical."

Kathryn Teneese, chairwoman of the Ktunaxa Nation in B.C., also welcomed the move.

"We're very pleased they've changed their tone," she said.

Canada wouldn't say how B.C.'s change of heart might affect talks over setting up the investigation.

"Discussions among our officials and with Indigenous nations and tribes have continued on this issue," Global Affairs spokesman Jean-Pierre Godbout said in an email.

"We are committed to these ongoing efforts to work together to find an appropriate path forward to ensure the health of the watershed."

But McDonald and Teneese warn that the commission, established under a formal treaty between Canada and the U.S., has its own process that has worked for 114 years and shouldn't be watered down.

"Why don't we just let the IJC do its job?" asked Teneese. "It's critical the IJC is part of the solution.

"It is specifically designed to address these issues. Let's not try and reinvent it."

"Just follow their process," said McDonald.

Teck spokesman Chris Stannell said the company will work with a joint investigation.

"We support increased transboundary co-operation on water quality management to protect aquatic health, uphold Indigenous rights and maintain responsible mining in the Elk Valley," he said in an email.

He said the company is now removing up to 99 per cent of selenium from treated water — although much of the selenium flowing into the watershed comes from accumulated decades of waste rock.

Selenium levels in the Elk River watershed are significantly higher than B.C. health guidelines and have been for years. The same situation exists in Lake Kookanusa.

Selenium damages fish populations by reducing their reproductive success.

"Every living creature has a right to live," said McDonald.

"It's not our place to wipe out a fishery. It's our purpose, as it should be for every human being, to maintain those animals in perpetuity."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2023.

Bob Weber, The Canadian Pre

US looks to ban imports, exports of a tropical fish threatened by aquarium trade

Wed, August 16, 2023



The federal government is looking to ban importation and exportation of a species of a tropical fish that conservation groups have long said is exploited by the pet trade.

The fish is the Banggai cardinalfish, a small striped saltwater fish native to Indonesia. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration listed the species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2016, saying that the main threats to the fish included harvest for ornamental aquariums.

The agency proposed on Tuesday to apply prohibitions under the Endangered Species Act that would make it unlawful to import or export the species in the United States. The proposal followed a 2021 petition from conservation groups that said the fish needs the ban to have a chance at survival.

The U.S. imports an average of 120,000 of the fish every year, members of the groups said Wednesday. The species have declined in number by as much as 90% since the 1990s because of exploitation in the aquarium trade, they said.

“Today’s proposal is the first step in eliminating the United States as a destination for Banggai cardinalfish and sending a clear signal to Indonesia that it must do more to conserve the species and its habitat," D.J. Schubert, a wildlife biologist at the Animal Welfare Institute.

The Banggai cardinalfish is among numerous species caught with the intention of adorning home aquariums and reef tanks in places such as offices and restaurants. The little fish is native only to the Banggai Archipelago in Indonesia.

Critics of the tropical fish trade at large have described it as notoriously difficult to track and regulate, and call it a major contributor to the decline of some jeopardized species. Many of the fish don't survive from capture to exportation.

NOAA officials said in its proposal to ban the Banggai cardinalfish trade that the agency's goal is “to prevent further reduction of existing wild populations of” the fish species. The agency also said the species suffers from lack of protections and regulations in international trade.

NOAA said it will solicit public comments on its proposal and might hold a public hearing before a final ruling is made.

Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press

Trudeau convenes emergency meeting to discuss N.W.T. wildfires

Thu, August 17, 2023 

Heavy smoke from nearby wildfires fills the sky in Yellowknife on Tuesday. (Angela Gzowski/The Canadian Press - image credit)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is convening a high-level emergency meeting to discuss the wildfire situation in the Northwest Territories.

On Wednesday Yellowknife residents were ordered to begin evacuating the city immediately as wildfires approached. The extraordinary evacuation order affects nearly 22,000 people.

According to his itinerary, Trudeau, who has been on vacation in Tofino, B.C., will convene the Incident Response Group, made up of high-ranking officials and cabinet ministers.

A source speaking on background said it's the most serious type of meeting the prime minister can hold.

The Incident Response Group is described as "a dedicated, emergency committee that will convene in the event of a national crisis or during incidents elsewhere that have major implications for Canada" and has previously met on how to handle the 2022 blockades in Ottawa, the shooting down of Flight PS752 in Iran and the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

A spokesperson for the Department of National Defence said Thursday they don't have details yet on what role it will play in the emergency evacuations. The Canadian Armed Forces has about 120 members deployed to the territory.

"Basically, the situation is very fluid and evolving quickly," said Jessica Lamirande.

The Royal Canadian Air Force has four aircraft that could help with evacuations and one on standby. They include:

One CC-130 J Hercules in based in Yellowknife.


One CC-138 Twin Otter in based in Yellowknife


Two CH-146 Griffon helicopters in based in Yellowknife.


One CH-146 Griffon helicopter based in Edmonton on 12 hours' notice to move.

Several CC-130J Hercules transport aircraft sit on the tarmac at CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ont., on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The military are sending pre-operation troops to help out with wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The plane will land at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta.

A CC-130J Hercules transport aircraft sit on the tarmac at CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ont., on May 4, 2016. A similar aircraft is in Yellowknife. (Lars Hagberg/Canadian Press)

Earlier this week Defence Minister Bill Blair also authorized the Canadian Armed Forces to provide personnel and resources to help with Type 3 firefighting and evacuation, logistics, planning and co-ordination support.

The Canadian Coast Guard is also offering equipment, including water pumps.

The federal government also says it's funding response and recovery activities for eligible First Nations communities through Indigenous Services Canada's Emergency Management Assistance Program.

An entire Canadian city is being evacuated due to wildfire — here’s how you can help

Isabelle Learned
Aug 17 2023

Wildfire in Hay River, Northwest Territories 

(Ash's Dawn Scarlet/Facebook | (@birdsnorthof60/TikTok)

Yellowknife residents have been ordered to evacuate as raging wildfires approach the city.

Northwest Territories officials ordered a phased evacuation of over 20,000 residents in the province’s capital on Wednesday.

“The fire continues to advance and now burns approximately 17 kilometres outside the city,” Northwest Territories Minister of Environment and Climate Change Shane Thompson told reporters at a presser Wednesday night. “Without rain, it is possible it will reach the city outskirts by the weekend.”

The provincial government says residents should evacuate parts of Yellowknife according to risk.

“Residents living along the Ingraham Trail, in Dettah, Kam Lake, Grace Lake and Engle Business District are currently at highest risk and should evacuate as soon as possible,” reads the evacuation order. “Other residents have until noon on Friday, August 18, 2023, to evacuate.

The province advises residents to ensure they have a full tank of gas before leaving Yellowknife.

It adds that if there are smoky conditions, residents evacuating by highway will be escorted from Yellowknife through the active fire zone.

Residents who can’t leave the city by road can register for an air evacuation. This can include the immunocompromised or anyone with “a condition that puts them at higher
risk of severe outcomes.”

As for people who wish to stay in the city, the provincial government says there will be facilities in Yellowknife to shelter in place.

So, what can you do to help people in Yellowknife?

Indigenous TikToker Morgan Dawn has been raising awareness about NWT wildfires. They live in N’dilo, one of the communities ordered to evacuate.

They say that an aspect of the wildfires that complicates the situation for people that live in First Nations communities is that they don’t have mailing addresses.

“We are unable to get mail; we’re unable to insure our homes because we simply do not have an address,” they explained. “We are not able to get the same support as houses uptown would if they were to catch on fire.”

They are advising people to donate to the United Way Northwest Territories. Daily Hive hasn’t found any other official sources Canadians can contribute to, but will update this story if we do.

Local media Cabin Radio also has an incredibly detailed guide to support Yellowknife evacuees.

 

Communities spring into action to help N.W.T. wildfire evacuees




Thu, August 17, 2023 

Communities receiving Northwest Territories residents fleeing wildfires are springing into action to help, whether it's offering clothes, camping spaces or pet food.

Some 20,000 residents of the capital of Yellowknife have been ordered to leave by noon Friday. In recent days, thousands more were ordered out of communities close to the Alberta boundary.

Many people are without key belongings and looking for pit stops as they travel great distances to larger centres in Alberta.


"It's been kind of a state of chaos for the last couple of weeks with these fires," Yellowknife evacuee Kelsey Worth said over the phone as she made her way to Calgary.

Worth left Wednesday morning, earlier than most, because she didn't feel safe. She packed her important belongings and a tent and camped overnight in High Level, Alta., 740 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

The town has offered free camping and parking for RVs. It has also opened its sport complex, offering snacks, cots and showers.

"That's probably the first time I've ever evacuated that I've had a shower the first night," Worth said with a chuckle, noting she also had to flee massive flooding that hit High River and other areas in southern Alberta in 2013.

"They were very welcoming in High Level and it took a lot of stress off of us."

Other communities and Albertans have also opened their doors.

Mark Connell is allowing people to camp on his plot of land or use his RV near Manning, Alta., south of High Level.

Connell said friends from Yellowknife are on their way. He's also fielded inquiries from families.

"As of now, I've got six people coming, and whoever else shows up."

He said he has lots of friends in Yellowknife and wanted to help in any way he could.

"I'm a volunteer firefighter here, so I can kind of relate to what's going on," Connell said.

Some who've fled the N.W.T. are also in the Edmonton area, either staying with family or at nearby evacuation centres. Centres have also opened up in other communities in the province.

Melinda Laboucan with Goba Care, an Edmonton-based organization that offers supports to northerners seeking health care, said she's been busy answering phone calls and collecting donations, including food, clothing, diapers and baby formula.

Support has been overwhelming, she said.

"I just can't believe the amount of Albertans just wanting to help and support. It's just — wow, I love this," Laboucan said.

She's originally from the N. W.T. and has family there who have left, worried they will lose their homes.

"It's very heartbreaking," she said. "The N.W.T. needs rain."

In Calgary, where evacuation centres have been set up to accommodate at least 5,000 people, charity Parachutes for Pets is gathering supplies for animals.

It has also reached out to boarding kennels to see whether some can offer space.

Melissa David, who runs the charity, said some evacuees may not have taken pet supplies with them. Some shelters may have also closed their doors, she added, noting not all evacuation centres are pet-friendly.

"This is what we're here for," David said. "As soon as I started getting the messages last night that they were coming our way, I leaped into action."

In Fort McMurray, a city that was ravaged by wildfire seven years ago, residents have also offered help.

Michel Labine, who left the territory over the weekend for the northeastern Alberta city, said people have given him and others new clothes at an evacuation centre.

“They’ve all lived through (evacuation) before. They know what it’s about,” Labine said.

Meanwhile, Worth said she plans to hunker down in a trailer once she reaches her destination.

She's hoping for the best as everyone gets through the next few days.

"The fire is concerning," she said. "I'm kind of avoiding looking at anything fire-related today. I just need a break for my mental sanity after the last 48 hours."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 17, 2023.

— With files from Kelly Geraldine Malone in Saskatoon, Bill Graveland in Calgary and Jamin Mike in Edmonton

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press

Evacuation ordered for 20,000 residents of N.W.T. capital as wildfire approaches

The Canadian Press
Wed, August 16, 2023 



YELLOWKNIFE — Some 20,000 residents in the capital of the Northwest Territories have been ordered to leave by Friday as wildfire danger in the region intensifies.

The evacuation order issued Wednesday night applies to the city of Yellowknife and neighbouring First Nations communities of Ndilo and Dettah.

"I want to be clear that the city is not in immediate danger and there is a safe window for residents to leave the city by road and by air," Shane Thompson, the territory's minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, told a news conference.

He said the blaze had been advancing since it breached a firebreak over the weekend and was burning about 17 kilometres outside the city. Thompson added that, without rain, it was possible the fire would reach the city's outskirts by the weekend.

The N.W.T. government said residents living along Ingraham Trail and in Dettah, Kam Lake, Grace Lake and the Engle Business District were at highest risk and should evacuate as soon as possible.

It said other residents had until noon Friday to leave.

"You put yourself and others at risk if you choose to stay later," said Thompson.

The evacuation order said it was safe for people to start leaving by road right away.

"If there are smoky conditions, residents evacuating by highway will be escorted from Yellowknife through the active fire zone," it said.

Evacuation flights were being made available, but the government said only those who don't have the option of leaving by road should register. People who are immunocompromised or have a condition that puts them at higher risk were encouraged to sign up for the flights.

Air evacuations were set to begin Thursday afternoon.

"I can appreciate that everybody wants to be on the first flight out, but please follow the instructions so that everyone can evacuate in a timely manner," said Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty.

"We don't want to cause congestion by having people come when they're not supposed to be there."

An evacuation centre was set up at the Yellowknife Multiplex for evacuees from Dettah and the Ingraham Trail. Facilities in the city were also available for residents who wished to stay, but the government said those services would be temporary.

It added that evacuation by boat to an island or cabin was not recommended because air quality was expected to decline.

The city also posted online that it was immediately suspending its residential garbage collection, trucked water and sewer services and transit.

Residents of three western Yellowknife neighbourhoods had been on evacuation notice since Tuesday, when the territorial government declared a state of emergency, allowing it to access resources to combat what it called an unprecedented wildfire season

The N.W.T. has been grappling with more than 200 wildfires that have already burned an area four times the size of Prince Edward Island.

About 6,800 people in eight other communities, including Fort Smith, Enterprise, Jean Marie River and Hay River, have also been forced from their homes.

In St. Albert, Alta., on Edmonton’s outskirts, Tanisha Edison arrived at a fire evacuation centre after a 19-hour drive from her home in Hay River.

Edison, who is days away from giving birth, said the trek took her through the hamlet of Enterprise, home to about 100 people.

"The town was gone pretty much,” Edison said. “No buildings left. It was just metal frames melting.

“You couldn't even read the signs because … when the fire blew through there, they were all melted.

“Trees were like ashes. Everything was like ashes and on fire.”

About 80 per cent of Enterprise, including homes and businesses, was destroyed but everyone made it out alive, said Blair Porter, the community's senior administrative officer.

“Just a couple days ago, it was a thriving community … now it's all gone. It’s pretty devastating.”

There have been no reports of injuries or fatalities due to the wildfires.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with N.W.T. Premier Caroline Cochrane on Wednesday and they agreed to remain in close contact as the wildfire situation developed.

"The prime minister reaffirmed the Government of Canada’s commitment to provide ongoing assistance to the territory and affected communities," a readout from Trudeau's office said.

British Columbia Premier David Eby said in a statement that the province, under threat from its own fires, was working with all western provinces to provide support.

"Our hearts are with the people of the Northwest Territories."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Aug. 16, 2023.

— By Curtis Ng and Jamin Mike in Edmonton

The Canadian Press

‘Real threat to city’: Yellowknife in Canada evacuates as wildfire nears

20,000 residents of capital of Northwest Territories ordered to leave after forecast that wildfire 11 miles away could arrive by the weekend


Tracey Lindeman in Ottawa

THE GUARDIAN

Thu 17 Aug 2023 



Cars leave Yellowknife in Canada after a wildfire evacuation order. Photograph: Pat Kane/Reuters

An evacuation order has been issued for Yellowknife in the north-west of Canada as a wildfire comes closer, with a local minister saying: “The fire now represents a real threat to the city.”

Shane Thompson, the environment and climate change minister for the Northwest Territories, said on Wednesday night that the fire could reach the outskirts of Yellowknife by the weekend and was about 17km (11 miles) away.


Teams were also working to evacuate Hay River, a community of 3,000 on Great Slave Lake, by bus or plane on Wednesday night as the fire approached.

Residents in Yellowknife, the capital and only city in the Northwest Territories, were urged to leave as soon as possible as part of a phased evacuation, with those living along the Ingraham Trail, in Dettah, Kam Lake, Grace Lake and Engle Business District at the highest risk.

Other residents were until noon on Friday to evacuate.

Yellowknife’s mayor, Rebecca Alty, said evacuation flights would begin on Thursday at 1pm and continue until everyone was evacuated. She stressed that the order was being issued early in order to give everyone enough time for an orderly evacuation. “It’s being called now, so that we can allow people the opportunity to drive while the highway is still open. The highway is subject to closures at any time. Conditions will be smoky, and residents should drive with caution and care.

“This is an incredibly difficult time for everyone. Please look out and help one another as you can. If you’re driving, and have space, please consider bringing a friend or pets.”

On Tuesday night, local authorities had declared a territory-wide state of emergency and an evacuation order for the outskirts of Yellowknife, a city with a population of 20,000.

A wildfire burns in Hay River, Northern Territories, on 15 August. Photograph: Morgan Monkman/Reuters

“We find ourselves in a crisis situation and our government is using every tool available to assist,” said Thompson.

The town of Enterprise had been 90% destroyed, while the nearby community of Hay River was “running out of time” to evacuate, said mayor Kandis Jameson on Tuesday.

A family escaping from Hay River said their car began melting around them as they drove away after an evacuation order was issued on Sunday. “It was honestly insane. When I got out of our vehicle in Enterprise, I just cried,” a woman told CBC.

Falling ash and visible smoke were likely in Yellowknife as the 163,000-hectare (402,000-acre) fire spread.

Some people had to be airlifted to safety. One man told a CBC radio reporter that he was sent to an evacuation centre more than 600 miles from home, in northern Alberta. “They’re dispersing us all over the place,” he said.

Yellowknife is roughly 250 miles south of the edge of the Arctic Circle.

This summer alone, Northwest Territories has seen more than 2m hectares burned – a figure that is set to increase, with 236 wildfires currently active across the territory.

July saw the hottest day ever recorded in the far north of the country when Fort Good Hope – a community about 500 miles north-west of Yellowknife – hit 37.4C.

Western Canada is enduring a heatwave that saw 19 daily temperature records broken on Tuesday and is fuelling hundreds of out-of-control wildfires.

In the Pacific province of British Columbia around 80 people were forced to shelter in place in a mountain guesthouse after their only way out was cut off by a rapidly expanding blaze.

The stranded people, including lodge guests and campers from nearby campgrounds, sheltered overnight at the Cathedral Lakes Lodge near Keremeos in the south of the province before being brought down the mountain in vehicles on Wednesday afternoon.

Blazes have engulfed parts of nearly all 13 Canadian provinces and territories this year, forcing home evacuations, disrupting oil and gas production, and drawing in federal as well as international firefighting crews.