ONE PARTY CITY STATE

Singapore charges activists over pro-Palestinian letters

By Kelly Ng and Tessa Wong, BBC News, Singapore

Transformative Justice Collective
The watermelon, which has the same colours as the Palestinian flag, has become a symbol of solidarity

Three activists in Singapore have been charged over rallying people to deliver letters to the prime minister urging him to end ties with Israel.

Singapore strictly regulates protests, and public demonstrations advocating causes of other countries are not allowed.

The war in Gaza has been a particularly sensitive issue for the tiny country that has a significant Muslim population and also maintains a close relationship with Israel.

Authorities have urged Singaporeans not to stage protests on the issue and instead participate in dialogues and donation drives.

But there has been deep concern about the war and some Singaporeans, particularly younger ones, have been vocal in expressing their views online and desiring to make themselves heard.

In February, the activists led about 70 people on a metres-long walk from a popular mall on Singapore's main shopping street Orchard Road to the presidential compound next door.

Photos of the procession posted on social media show participants carrying umbrellas looking like watermelons. The fruit, which has the same colours as the Palestinian flag, has become a symbol of solidarity.

The group stopped at the gates of the compound - which also houses the prime minister's office - and handed a sheaf of 140 letters to staff.

Authorities say the activists - Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori and Mossammad Sobikun Nahar - had organised the event without a permit. The women have not indicated yet whether they would plead guilty.

All public demonstrations in Singapore require permits from the police, who have said they would not grant any for public assemblies advocating causes of other countries or foreign entities.

The three women could be fined up to S$10,000 (£5,800, $7,300 ) or jailed for up to six months.

On Thursday when the women were released on bail, they appeared to strike a defiant note through their attire. Ms Amirah wore a shawl resembling the keffiyeh, the traditional Arab headdress that has become a symbol of Palestinian activism, while Ms Annamalai wore a T-shirt with the words "Justice Now!".

Local advocacy group the Transformative Justice Collective, which Ms Annamalai co-founded, described the charges as "a continuation of the intimidation of peaceful support for Palestinian lives in Singapore".

The police also released a statement urging Singaporeans "not to engage in activities that will damage the peace, public order and social harmony" and not to "break the law to express their views, nor emulate the protesters in other countries".

Singapore and Israel have a long-standing defence partnership, which includes arms trade. Israel also helped to build up the South East Asian country's military in its early years of independence, and the two countries also cooperate in industrial research, education and business.

But Singapore has also expressed support for Palestinians and the two-state solution. It has voted in favour of recent UN resolutions calling for Israel and Hamas to cease hostilities, as well as past resolutions opposing Israel's illegal settlements.

Since the war in Gaza erupted, the government has taken a neutral stance while also making it clear it would not tolerate anything it deems as stoking social tensions.

In March, the Singapore government ordered the Israeli embassy to take down a Facebook post comparing mentions of Israel and the Palestinian territories in the Quran.

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam called the post "insensitive and inappropriate", adding that it could "inflame tensions" and put the Jewish community in Singapore at risk.

Myanmar ethnic fighters battle junta in mining hub known for priceless 'pigeon’s blood' rubies


This photo taken on December 13, 2023 shows members of ethnic minority armed group Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) standing guard in a temple area of a hill camp seized from Myanmar’s military in Namhsan Township in Myanmar’s northern Shan State. — AFP pic

Friday, 28 Jun 2024 

YANGON, June 28 — A Myanmar ethnic minority armed group was battling junta troops in a ruby and gem-mining hub today, the group and residents told AFP, with reports of civilian casualties in shelling and air strikes.

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) launched attacks on junta troops earlier this week in Mandalay region and neighbouring Shan state, shattering a ceasefire brokered by China in January.

Its fighters were inside Mogok, a town surrounded by hills rich with rubies, sapphires, spinel, aquamarine and other semi-precious stones, General Tar Bhone Kyaw told AFP, without giving details.

AFP was unable to reach a junta spokesman for comment.

Pigeon Blood Ruby

Pigeon blood ruby is the most sought-after color variety of ruby gemstone. Pigeon Blood Ruby meaning is primarily associated with its color that matches exactly with the blood drawn from a freshly killed pigeon. It displays bright red hue with a slight tint of purple that appears deep red when seen in light. This color-effect makes Pigeon Blood Red Ruby gemstone, universally popular and astrologically most relevant.

Mogok residents told AFP the town had been hit by artillery shelling and air strikes by military planes since fighting in the area started on Tuesday.

“As far as I know, four people including two women were killed yesterday because of artillery shelling,” one 57-year-old Mogok resident, who did not want to give his name, told AFP.

He said he and his family were sheltering elsewhere after the roof of their home had been damaged in an air strike.

“We have no experience like this. It’s the first ever serious fighting in Mogok town.”

Myanmar produces much of the world’s rubies, and top quality stones from Mogok — known as “pigeon’s blood” for their deep red colour — can fetch more per carat than diamonds.

The industry is notoriously opaque, with high-value rubies often smuggled over the border into Thailand or China to be sold directly to private buyers or made into jewellery.

For decades Myanmar’s junta and its opponents have taxed local miners for income.

Fighting was ongoing in Kyaukme town in neighbouring Shan state, a local rescue worker told AFP on Friday.

At least 10 civilians had been killed and more than 20 wounded there since clashes broke out on Tuesday, he said.

The fighting has breached the China-brokered ceasefire that earlier this year ended weeks of fighting in Shan state between the military and the TNLA and two other allied ethnic armed groups.

In a surprise October offensive the alliance seized swathes of territory and several lucrative trade crossings with China, dealing the junta its biggest blow since it seized power. 

— AFP

WHAT ARE "PIGEON BLOOD" RUBIES?




The term "pigeon blood" is often associated with Burmese rubies, which have been mined in the Mogok region of Myanmar for centuries. These rubies are considered to be among the finest and most valuable in the world.


"Pigeon blood" is a term used to describe the color of high-quality rubies. It refers to a deep, rich red color that is often described as being similar to the blood of a pigeon. This term is used to describe the most highly prized and valuable rubies, which are considered to be the most beautiful and desirable.

The origin of the term "pigeon blood" to describe the color of high-quality rubies is not entirely clear. It is believed that the term originated in the 19th century and was first used by European traders and gem merchants to describe the deep red color of Burmese rubies. The term "pigeon blood" is often associated with Burmese rubies, which have been mined in the Mogok region of Myanmar for centuries. These rubies are considered to be among the finest and most valuable in the world and are known for their deep red color, transparency, and minimal inclusions.




It's worth noting that the term "pigeon blood" is a traditional term and not a scientific or gemological one. It's a subjective term and can be used to describe different shades of red in rubies. A ruby that is described as "pigeon blood" is considered to be of the highest quality, with a deep red color, good transparency, and minimal inclusions.

The term is also sometimes used to describe rubies from other locations such as Mozambique or Madagascar which can have a similar deep red color. However since February 2023 the the Gübelin Gem Lab in Switzerland has coined a new trade color term: "Crimson Red." This term is used to describe rubies that have the ideal color and quality, but with a different fluorescence criterion. To qualify as "Crimson Red," a ruby must have the correct hue, saturation, and tone, be evenly distributed across the stone, be untreated and have a cut that produces a lively brilliance. Additionally, it must have little to no fluorescence in short-wave UV light. These criteria must be strictly adhered to, and therefore only a small percentage of high-quality untreated rubies will ever meet them. This new term has specifically been introduced to tackle the pressing need to have a different qualifying term to describe top quality rubies that have not been sourced from Burma since upwards of 80% of total ruby product now originates in Mozambique.

It's worth noting that the term "pigeon blood" is a traditional term and not a scientific or gemological one. It's a term that is used within the trade and it is not always used in a consistent way. It's important to understand that the term "pigeon blood" is a subjective term and can be used to describe different shades of red in rubies. Also, the term is not only used to describe the color of the ruby but also the transparency, clarity, and overall quality of the stone. A ruby that is described as "pigeon blood" is considered to be of the highest quality, with a deep red color, good transparency, and minimal inclusions.

Additionally, the term "pigeon blood" has been used in the past to describe rubies that have been treated to enhance their color. However, buyers should be aware that some treatments can affect the value and durability of the stone. Therefore, it's essential to ensure that you are buying from a reputable source and that the ruby has been responsibly sourced.

Hydro employees slowly start return to Churchill Falls, fire threat diminishes



Published on Jun. 28, 2024


Fire had prompted a complete evacuation of all essential workers just days ago

As rainy and humid weather take a favourable turn in fighting raging forest fires threatening Churchill Falls, a Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro crew has been able to return to the plant.

"We are turning our attention to planning and preparing for residents to return to the community," Hydro said in a statement posted on its website early Thursday evening.

About 750 people were ordered on June 19 to flee Churchill Falls, a company town that exists to keep Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro's generating station running.

The remaining skeleton staff were forced to leave this Tuesday, after a raging forest fire jumped the Churchill River and moved closer to the town and its power plant.

RELATED: With help from favourable weather, Labrador fire drops to Level 1 fire

Hydro's evacuation order remains in effect, but plans are underway for when people could return to the town, the Hydro statement said.

Hydro also announced it was sending a small team of critical personnel to Churchill Falls in order to look at health and safety factors, as well as to begin the initial preparations for more people to return.
Content continues below

"We will know more once they have had a chance to assess and we will continue to provide updates on next steps as available."

The Crown corporation added it is working with provincial government officials to get back to the town.

"The fire has not reached your homes, the town buildings or infrastructure," it read, adding the fire is within three to four kilometres from the town.

According to Newfoundland and Labrador's wildfire dashboard, there are nine fires burning in Labrador on Friday morning — down from Thursday morning's count


The Mount Hyde Lake fire is still listed as burning out of control and the Twin Falls fire is being held, maintaining its status over the last number of days.

Environment Canada is forecasting Churchill Falls will reach 15 C on Friday but it will rain over the weekend.

Changing situation

Over the last number of days, the situation around Churchill Falls has varied, at times dramatically.

CANADA'S WILDFIRES: Visit The Weather Network's wildfire hub to keep up with the latest on the active wildfire season across Canada.

On Tuesday, the fire had jumped the Churchill River — which had been acting as a natural barrier keeping the flames from reaching the town — and prompted an order for the final workers to leave.

Recent rainfall, humidity and lower temperatures contributed in dramatically reducing the threat that an out-of-control forest fire in central Labrador has posed to one of North America's largest power plants.

On Wednesday night, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Wednesday's weather had a positive impact in efforts to fight the fire and it was now a Level 1 fire.

It's a significant drop from the Level 5 and Level 6 categories from earlier this week, when managers fully evacuated the Upper Churchill hydroelectric power plant.

Thumbnail image courtesy of Nav Canada via CBC News.

This article, written by Elizabeth Whitten, was originally published for CBC News on Friday, June 28.

8 injured after 7.0 magnitude quake, aftershocks trigger landslides in Peru

Eight people were injured after an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 jolted near the coast in southern Peru's Arequipa region. No deaths were reported and a tsunami threat was issued earlier, but later discarded.

Reuters
Lima,

UPDATED: Jun 28, 2024

In Short

7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Arequipa, Peru
8 people injured, no deaths reported
Four aftershocks caused landslides on local roads


A powerful earthquake of magnitude of 7.0 struck near the coast in southern Peru's Arequipa region on Friday, local officials said, adding no deaths had been reported.

A total of eight people have been injured. The Chief of Disaster Risk Management and National Defense at the Ministry of Health, David Aponte, informed local radio station RPP of three minor injuries. Later, the Ministry of Health reported another five injured people had been treated in hospitals nearby.

Following the earthquake, Arequipa was hit by four aftershocks of 4 to 4.6 magnitude, causing some landslides on local roads.

The government said on social media it was monitoring to assess the damage and "determine the actions to be taken".

The US National Tsunami Warning Centre had said there was a tsunami threat from the quake, adding waves of between 1 and 3 metres (9.84 ft) above the tide level had been recorded along some parts of Peru's coast.

Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen, however, said the tsunami warning on the coast of Arequipa had been discarded.

Carlos Zanabria, an adviser to the regional government of Arequipa, told local radio station RPP, material damage had been reported in some districts and residents had left their homes in fear, but he had heard no reports of death or injury.

Flavio Aranguren, the mayor of Yauca district in Arequipa's Caraveli province, told RPP some walls of houses in the district had collapsed. He also said no fatalities had been reported.

Small artisanal gold mines operate in the town of Yauca and other neighboring towns near the coast, but there was no information available so far about any impact.

Ricardo Guillen, representative of the National Emergency Operations Center, said that there have been power and telephone line outages in areas near the epicenter of the earthquake.

Ecuador and Peru are part of the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an extensive area that surrounds the Pacific Ocean where clashes between the continental plates are frequent.

Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Hits Peru, Tsunami Warning Issued

United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the earthquake at 7.2 on the richer scale. There were no immediate details on damage to life or property.

Outlook Web Desk
Updated on: 28 June 2024 

The Bureau of Meteorology in Australia said there was no tsunami threat to Australia from the Magnitude 7.0 earthquake near the Coast of Peru. Photo: File representative image

An earthquake measuring Magnitude 7.2 on the Richter scale hit the coast of Peru on Friday, June 28, prompting a tsunami warning.

United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the earthquake at 7.2 on the richer scale. There were no immediate details on damage to life or property.

Eder Allca, the mayor of the district of Sancos, in the Ayacucho region, told the local radio station RPP that a road in his district suffered rock slides that left several localities cut off.

The epicentre of the earthquake, as per USGS, was eight kilometres West of Peru's Atiquipa and 28 kilometres in depth.

The Bureau of Meteorology in Australia said there was no tsunami threat to Australia from the Magnitude 7.0 earthquake near the Coast of Peru.

The Hydrography and Navigation Directorate of the Peruvian Navy reported that the seismic event generated a tsunami alert along the Peruvian coast. However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Honolulu said any threat of a tsunami had already passed.


On June 16 also, 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of southern Peru but there was no threat of tsunami. The Geophysical Institute of Peru said the quake was centered in the Pacific at a depth of 25 kilometers (16 miles) off the coast of Arequipa department.

Peru is hit by hundreds of detectable earthquakes every year.

The US Geological Survey put the magnitude 6.0 and said the epicenter of the quake was 19.9 kilometers deep.

The event was perceived as being "between moderate and strong by the population," the official report cited by phys.org added.

Peru, with a population of around 33 million, falls on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a vast area of intense seismic activity that runs along the west coast of the Americas.

Delhi airport roof collapses due to heavy rain, months after Modi’s inauguration of refurbishment project

KARMA IS A BITCH



Infrastructure spending has been a priority under Modi, and the Delhi airport — named after assassinated former prime minister Indira Gandhi — is one of the country’s flagship projects. — AFP pic

Friday, 28 Jun 2024 

Roof of Delhi airport terminal collapses in heavy rains, one fatality reported months after Modi’s inauguration of refurbishment project

NEW DELHI, June 28 — The roof of a terminal building at New Delhi’s international airport partially collapsed in heavy rains early this morning, killing one person, rescuers said, months after a refurbishment project inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Images posted online showed vehicles crushed under giant steel girders at the departure forecourt of the airport’s Terminal 1, one of several projects Modi celebrated in March ahead of the country’s recent general election.

“Due to heavy rain since early this morning, a portion of the canopy... collapsed around 5am,” airport authorities said in a statement.

The terminal is used for domestic flights only. Departures from it were cancelled until early afternoon, with later flights diverted to other terminals, which were operating as normal.


Infrastructure spending has been a priority under Modi, and the Delhi airport — named after assassinated former prime minister Indira Gandhi — is one of the country’s flagship projects.

The opposition Congress party slammed Modi, saying in a statement: “Because of the elections, this half-finished terminal was inaugurated in a hurry. Today this accident happened.”

Congress defied expectations and exit polls to deprive Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of its overall parliamentary majority in elections earlier this month, forcing the BJP into a coalition with allies.

Delhi airport is run by a consortium led by Indian firm GMR, which describes itself as the world’s second-largest private airport operator. It also has interests in energy and highways.

Reports say it has given millions of dollars to an electoral trust that has donated tens of millions to Modi’s ruling BJP — and has also funded Congress, albeit to a far lesser extent.

Senior Congress figure Priyanka Gandhi — sister of the opposition leader Rahul — posted on social media platform X: “Will the Chief Inauguration Minister take responsibility for this poor construction work and this corrupt model?”

At the airport, civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu told reporters that the building inaugurated by Modi was not the one where the roof collapsed, which was opened in 2009.

“Eight people have been injured, one person is dead. Rescue operations have been completed,” Atul Garg, director of Delhi Fire Services told AFP.

Deadly roof collapse at New Delhi airport crushes cars

Infrastructure worries

A section of roof at Jabalpur airport in Madhya Pradesh — another of the projects inaugurated by Modi — also collapsed today, reports said, with no one injured.

Safety and construction standards remain a concern in India, with accidents happening regularly.

At least 20 workers were crushed to death when a crane collapsed above an under-construction expressway outside the financial capital Mumbai earlier this month.

Last year, more than 40 workers were trapped for nearly two weeks before they were rescued after the road tunnel they were working on in Uttarakhand collapsed.

In October 2022, more than 130 people were killed when a bridge in Gujarat collapsed soon after it was repaired.

Delhi has been hit by heavy rains in recent days as the annual monsoon reached the Indian capital after a long stretch of heatwaves and punishingly high temperatures.

The downpours have brought the city to a standstill, with images shared by the city’s police showing personnel clearing trees and helping residents stuck in waterlogged areas.

 — AFP

Calgary renews state of emergency as crews scramble to restore water in four days

 

JUST IN TIME FOR THE STAMPEDE

The Canadian Press
Thu, June 27, 2024 



CALGARY — The City of Calgary renewed its state of emergency on Thursday to remind its approximately 1.6 million residents that water conservation efforts need to be taken seriously.

"We're not out of the woods yet" even though a water main rupture is repaired and new pipe is expected to be stabilized by Monday, Mayor Jyoti Gondek said during a news conference.

She said the city expects to start easing water restrictions by then as well.

But until then, she said, Calgarians need to keep reducing their water use by 25 per cent to avoid the taps going dry.

"I know you're frustrated, and I know that you're tired of putting in so much effort at saving water but, I have to tell you, all of your savings matter," she said.

She said daily water usage has been climbing in recent days but remains below the threshold of 480 million litres needed to keep water service going and provide firefighters and health-care workers the resources to combat emergencies.

Earlier in the day, Gondek said construction work on the commuter road above the pipe is complete, and the road was set to reopen Friday.

The avenue was shut down after a pipe rupture was discovered on June 5 and left Calgary and its surrounding communities under a combination of mandatory and voluntary water restrictions.

Residents have been asked to reduce their indoor water use by flushing the toilet less often and doing fewer loads of laundry.

Outdoor water use is also banned and residents have been encouraged to rely on rainwater for their gardens.

Francois Bouchard, Calgary's infrastructure director, said that before the city lifts restrictions, engineers have to take multiple steps to ensure new pipe that replaced the ruptured one is stable.

He said the steps include pumping millions of litres of water through the 4.5 kilometres of replacement water pipe, which should be complete by Friday.

Once the pipe is full, he said, workers will flush it out and send the water to Alberta Health Services for testing.

"There is a risk of more breaks at this stage," he said.

"So long as the pipe is not back in service, we have exactly the same conditions in terms of our ability to move water and supply water to Calgarians."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2024.

A new carbon removal plant will absorb carbon dioxide 99,000 times faster than Earth's oceans

Ellyn Lapointe,Jessica Orwig
Wed, June 26, 2024


The carbon dioxide removal company Equatic has begun designing its largest plant yet.


The project will be North America's first commercial-scale CDR plant, scheduled to go online by 2027.


Many questions remain over CDR's environmental and economic impact.

The oceans are our planet's largest carbon sink, naturally absorbing about 25% of the carbon dioxide that humans emit. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) companies like Equatic are trying to harness that natural process to absorb even more.

"We take what the ocean does already and amplify that," Edward Sanders, COO at Equatic, told Business Insider.

On June 18, Equatic announced it started engineering designs for the world's first commercial-scale, ocean-based CDR plant, Sanders said. The plant could remove carbon dioxide at a rate that's 99,000 times as fast as the oceans.

Equatic is one of about a dozen marine CDR companies that have sprouted in recent years in an effort to accelerate the ocean's natural capacity to absorb more CO2. A report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine estimates that marine CDR could remove billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere.

The technology is still in its infancy and it's unclear what the environmental impacts will be — especially at a large scale. But CDR is a necessary step in mitigating climate change; reducing greenhouse gas emissions is no longer enough to limit global warming to 1.5 °C to 2 °C by the end of the century, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
How Equatic is sucking CO2 from the air

Equatic's first commercial-scale plant is designed to remove roughly 100,000 tons of CO2 per year.Grace Carbon

There are a lot of different ways to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Equatic's technology, for example, uses something called seawater electrolysis. It takes seawater and runs an electric current through it, which splits the water into hydrogen, oxygen, and two separate fluids: one acid and a base.

"The process stores carbon that was dissolved in the water as a solid, similar to the material that makes up seashells, and creates an alkaline slurry that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere via a cooling tower," Sanders told BI over email.

As an added bonus, the hydrogen can be converted into clean hydrogen fuel, which Equatic can either reuse to power its CDR plants or sell. Companies including Boeing and payment service provider Stripe have signed contracts with Equatic for its hydrogen.
Equatic has proven its technology can work

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is no longer enough to curb the devastating effects of climate change.Weiquan Lin/Getty Images

Equatic already has two small pilot plants to validate its technology — one in LA and a second in Singapore.

The company is also building a larger plant scheduled to go online in Singapore later in 2024, which will absorb about 4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually and lay the groundwork for the company's first commercial-scale plant. That plant will launch in 2026 or 2027 in partnership with Canadian carbon removal project developer Deep Sky.

Researchers estimate that by 2050, it will cost between $230 and $540 to remove one ton of CO2 from the atmosphere. But Equatic offsets the cost of CDR by producing and selling green hydrogen. The company predicts the new plant could achieve CDR at less than $100 per ton by 2030.

Ultimately, Sanders envisions a global fleet of these CDR plants.

"Once we get to that point, we're not talking about a hundred thousand tons, we're not talking about millions of tons, we're talking about hundreds of millions of tons because this technology can be replicated in many countries," Sanders said.

Questions remain about CDR's economic and environmental impact

As ocean-based CDR technology scales up, concerns grow over its environmental impact.Sergii Petruk/Getty Images

Since there are no commercial-scale, ocean-based CDR plants online yet, practically nothing is known about their impact on the environment and local economies.

In general, ocean-based CDR techniques manipulate seawater in ways that could potentially disrupt sea life.

"You're going to be pulling in phytoplankton and bugs and other potential living creatures from the ocean and filtering those out can have some environmental impacts," Jessica Cross, an earth scientist with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory who specializes in CDR for the oceans, told BI.

Exactly what those impacts are depends on where a CDR operation is and what organisms are involved.

Sanders told BI that Equatic closely monitors discharge from its CDR plants to ensure they comply with legal pollution standards. Its upcoming plant in Singapore will also filter seawater to remove sea life before water enters the plant.
We can't fully rely on CDR to mitigate climate change

Because CDR is expensive and limited in scale, we can't abandon decarbonization and emissions reduction efforts, Cross said.

The benefits of this technology are "far in the future, whereas the risks of initiating this industry and this infrastructure development are local, short-term, and much more immediate," Cross said.

"Figuring out how to balance, again, this sort of diffuse global benefit with this local risk that happens, it is something that responsible researchers should be grappling with," she said.

NS
No clear timeline on updates to environmental assessment process

CBC
Fri, June 28, 2024 


As some Nova Scotians cry for an overhaul of the environmental assessment process, which they say is outdated and ineffective, the province cannot say when it will update the system.

Environmental assessments are meant to ensure companies operate within provincial regulations and don't cause collateral damage to people and the natural environment.

The Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act, passed in 2021 with all-party support, sets a goal of modernizing environmental assessments by this year. The act does not lay out any recourse if the goal is not met.


A spokesperson for the Department of Environment said the work "is ongoing and is one of many files staff are working on. As soon as decisions are made, we will communicate them."

Karen McKendry, senior wilderness outreach co-ordinator at the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax, said she's hopeful changes are coming.

One of the changes at the top of her list, however, is not likely to happen.

Public comment period not under review

When applications for an environmental assessment are made, a 30-day window opens for the public to comment. McKendry says that's not long enough. Applications often include a primary document with hundreds or thousands of pages, plus appendices, with lots of jargon.

"We hear over and over again that 30 days is too short," she said in an interview. "It's too short a time to find out about it, change your life around, spend a lot of time reading these technical documents, comment when you can, and also try to find help on some of the really technical stuff."

But the comment period is not part of the department's review.

Karen McKendry is the senior wilderness outreach co-ordinator at the Ecology Action Centre. (Mark Crosby/CBC)

Environment Minister Tim Halman said he doesn't see a problem with the time frame.

"Certainly I feel it's a robust system, a strong system of engagement to solicit feedback from the public," he told reporters following a cabinet meeting this week.

McKendry said she's been a keen observer of projects going through environmental assessment for about six years, and often works with people and communities who are looking for help to have their concerns heard and addressed.

Quarry expansion

The latest call for help came from people living in Little Dyke, N.S., where a rock quarry recently applied to expand its operation.

Members of the surrounding community in Colchester County are worried about noise, air pollution and heavy truck traffic.

They have until July 6 to submit their comments, and the minister is set to make a decision by July 26.

Terms and conditions are 'copy and paste'

McKendry said based on the high rate of approvals she's observed, she expects this one will be approved, too.

Approvals typically come with terms and conditions, and McKendry said she sees the same or similar terms and conditions applied to many projects.

"Those have become increasingly sort of copy and paste without a lot of specifics. And there would be specifics there if they took the recommendations of the community seriously," she said.

Nova Scotia Environment Minister Tim Halman is pictured at a daily scrum of ministers at the Nova Scotia legislature on April 20, 2022. (Robert Short/CBC)

Halman would not comment on the quarry expansion because it's an open file. But he said, generally, he's "very open-minded," and takes feedback into consideration.

McKendry said the quarry expansion is different from most of the projects she sees because it marks the second time this community has engaged in an environmental assessment.

The quarry last applied for an expansion in 2017.

OSCO Aggregates Ltd., runs the quarry on Little Dyke Road in Nova Scotia's Colchester County. People living near here are upset about a proposed expansion of the mining operation. (Brian MacKay/CBC)

"This is not a new game for us," said Harvey MacEachern, who has lived in Little Dyke for about 30 years.

And yet he still describes the process as overwhelming.

"The average person doesn't have the time. We're staying up late to pore over [the application] to see if we can figure it out, to understand it," said MacEachern.

Harvey MacEachern has lived in Little Dyke, N.S., for 30 years. (Taryn Grant/CBC)

The application from OSCO Aggregates Ltd., the Irving-owned company that applied to expand the quarry, says excavation of the land could continue until 2055.

MacEachern said he's worried this 30-day period is the last time he and his neighbours will have a say in the operation until 2056.

"That's not acceptable."

A truck pulls out from OSCO Aggregates Ltd. on June 27, 2024. (Brian MacKay/CBC)

Not only does he think there should be more time for the public to digest applications and submit feedback, he said he'd like the government to share more information about ongoing operations.

"How about the compliance? How about the followup? How about people out here monitoring what they said they're going to do?"

MacEachern said he'd like to be able to easily access information about the quarry's efforts to mitigate environmental effects.

Some of the people who live in Little Dyke, N.S., are opposed to the expansion of a rock quarry in their community. (Taryn Grant/CBC)

A spokesperson for the Department of Environment said companies are legally required to comply with the terms and conditions of environmental assessments, and there is "a stringent and robust" system for inspection, compliance and enforcement.

OSCO said in a statement that the company is "committed to implementing best practices and taking all necessary measures to protect the well-being of our community and the environment, including regular water monitoring and testing."

GAIA LIVES

Iceland’s volcano eruptions may last decades, researchers find

The beginning of a long, disruptive volcanic episode near Iceland’s capital

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

 

IMAGE: 

VOLCANOLOGISTS AND GEOCHEMISTS GETTING READY TO SAMPLE LAVA DURING THE JULY 2023 FAGRADALSFJALL ERUPTION ON THE REYKJANES PENINSULA OF ICELAND. PHOTO COURTESY: VALENTIN TROLL

view more 

CREDIT: PHOTO COURTESY: VALENTIN TROLL

Iceland’s ongoing volcanic eruptions may continue on and off for years to decades, threatening the country’s most densely populated region and vital infrastructure, researchers predict from local earthquake and geochemical data.  

The eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula have forced authorities to declare a state of emergency, with a series of eight eruptions having occurred since 2021. This southwestern region is home to 70 percent of the country’s population, its only international airport, and several geothermal power plants that supply hot water and electricity. The most recent eruption in May through June triggered the evacuation of residents and visitors of the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, a popular tourist attraction, for the third time in more than two months.  

Although Iceland sees regular eruptions because it sits above a volcanic hot spot, the Reykjanes Peninsula has been dormant for 800 years. Its last volcanic era continued over centuries however, prompting scientists to predict the renewed volcanism to be the start of a long episode.  

Under an hour’s drive from the island’s capital city Reykjavík, the eruptions pose considerable risks for economic disruption, and they leave evacuated communities uncertain of a possible return. 

An international team of scientists has been watching the volcanoes over the past three years. Analyzing seismic tomography imaging and the composition of lava samples, they’ve uncovered parts of the geological processes behind the new volcanic era. They predict the region may have to prepare for recurring eruptions lasting years to decades and possibly centuries. 

The researchers report their findings in a paper published June 26 in the journal Terra Nova. The project included collaborations from the University of Oregon, Uppsala University in Sweden, University of Iceland, Czech Academy of Sciences and University of California, San Diego. The work follows an earlier Nature Communications study of the initial Reykjanes eruptions in 2021. 

Almost all of Iceland’s island is built from lava, said Ilya Bindeman, a volcanologist and earth sciences professor at the UO. The country sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the tectonic plate boundary that causes North America and Eurasia to push further apart. The drifting of these plates can spark volcanic eruptions when hot rock from the earth’s mantle — the middle and largest layer of the planet — melts and rises to the surface. 

Although scientists know the origin of Reykjanes Peninsula’s current eruptions is plate movement, the kind of magma storage and plumbing systems that feed them are unidentified, Bindeman said. The peninsula consists of eight volcanically active sites, so understanding whether there is one shared magma source or multiple independent ones and their depth can help predict the duration and impact of these eruptions. 

Using geochemical and seismic data, the researchers investigated whether the magma of the initial eruptions from one volcano in the peninsula from 2021 to 2023 came from the same source as the magma in the recent eruptions of a different volcano to the west.  

Bindeman specializes in isotopic analysis, which can help identify the “fingerprint” of magma. Magma is made of mostly eight elements, including oxygen and hydrogen, and 50 different trace elements in smaller concentrations and various ratios. The unique combination of trace elements can help differentiate magma sources from one another. Scientists can also measure the abundance of isotopes, elements with the same chemical property but different masses, in the magma. There are three different isotopes of oxygen, for example, Bindeman said. 

“In the air we breathe, there's a mixture of these oxygen isotopes and we don't feel the difference,” he  said. “Their differences are usually not important for chemical reactions but are important to recognize as their relative abundances in magma can differentiate one magma source from another.” 

Analyzing samples of lava rock from two different volcanoes in the peninsula, their similar fingerprints implied a shared magma storage zone below the peninsula. Imaging of earth’s interior based on local earthquakes also suggested the existence of a reservoir about 5.5 to 7.5 miles in the earth’s crust, the shallowest layer.  

However, that storage is ultimately fed by the melting rock deeper in the mantle, which can cause eruptions that last decades, with hundreds of square miles of magma surfacing, Bindeman said. Iceland's hotspot also will have no problem fountaining that flow, he said. 

Although this marks the beginning of potentially persistent volcanic episodes in Iceland, the researchers can’t precisely predict yet how long the episodes and the gaps between each will last. 

“Nature is never regular,” Bindeman said. “We don't know how long and how frequently it will continue for the next ten or even hundred years. A pattern will emerge, but nature always has exceptions and irregularities.” 

Discussions are continuing on plans to safely drill into the volcanic sites to glean insights into the geological processes driving the eruptions. 

Because the volcanic activity is less volatile and explosive than eruptions in other countries, it provides a rare opportunity for scientists to approach fissures actively erupting lava, Bindeman said. He called it a “natural laboratory” both astonishing and chilling. 

“When you witness a volcanic eruption, you can feel that these are the massive forces of nature, and you yourself are very small,” Bindeman said. “These events are ordinary from the geological scale, but from the human scale, they can be devastating.” 

---

JOURNAL

Terra Nova

DOI

10.1111/ter.12733 

 

Philip Morris International has secretly funded Japanese academics

Leaked documents show the tobacco giant attempting to influence science and public health policy in Japan by covertly funding research and expert networks

UNIVERSITY OF BATH

New revelations, published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research, reveal the recent activities of Philip Morris International (PMI) and its Japanese affiliate, Philip Morris Japan (PMJ). An analysis of leaked documents by the Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG) at The University of Bath, shows that PMI, the largest transnational tobacco company in the world, and its subsidiary PMJ, secretly funded Kyoto University academics to carry out research on smoking cessation. There is also evidence that PMJ funded a life sciences consultancy, run by a Japanese professor at Tokyo University, to build a network of experts to influence public health policy.

TCRG examined 24 leaked documents dating from 2012 – 2020 made available in the University of California San Francisco’s Truth Tobacco Archive.

Key findings from the TCRG research:

• PMJ contracted a third-party external research organisation, CMIC, to secretly fund a study on smoking cessation conducted by Kyoto University academics. No public record of PMJ’s funding or involvement in this study was found.
• PMJ paid life sciences consultancy, FTI-Innovations, ¥3,000,000 (approx. £20,000) a month between 2014 and 2019 to conduct various science-related tasks, such as networking with scientists and promoting PMI’s science and products at academic events. This arrangement was kept secret both within and outside the company. FTI-Innovations is run by a professor at Tokyo University.

Dr. Sophie Braznell, author of the paper, said:

Despite claiming to conduct transparent science PMI has been covertly funding research and attempting to influence science and policy to create a favourable environment for its products. This contradicts PMI’s supposed transformation efforts and raises serious concerns about the company’s research ethics. We must urgently reform the ways tobacco research is funded and governed to protect science from vested corporate interests, and ensure the public and policymakers have the truly transparent and independent science they need.

Louis Laurence, author of the paper, said:

"The tobacco industry's tactics still endanger our health, showing we urgently need to clean up science from their unhealthy grip. We must find ways to fund research that's honest and open, keeping tobacco's influence far away from the truth of science."

PMI has a track record of scientific misconduct and misinformation

• The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) claims to be independent but TCRG research found it is solely funded by PMI and published by PMI-favourable research.
• Journalist investigations and academic reviews of PMI’s science have raised serious concerns over the quality and ethical standing of PMI’s clinical research.
• In 2022, a review by TCRG found PMI’s clinical trials on its heated tobacco products were at high risk of bias and poor quality.
• A 2020 TCRG report on PMI detailed the company’s “relentless lobbying, PR campaigns and multifaceted approaches to influencing science and public health in order to manage the future direction of tobacco control.”

Dr Sophie Braznell said:

PMI continues to prioritise maximising profits rather than improving public health. The manipulation of science for profit harms us all, especially policymakers and consumers trying to make potentially life-changing decisions. It slows down and undermines public health policies, while encouraging the widespread use of harmful products.

The study also builds on TCRG’s previous research on the manipulation of science for profit. To analyse the documents, the researcher’s used the Science for Profit Model. This was developed by TCRG researcher Dr. Tess Legg who said:

We cannot ignore the alarming implications of these revelations. The tobacco industry's influence on science undermines the credibility of research and threatens public health. It is imperative that we take decisive action to protect the integrity of scientific inquiry from vested interests.

In addition to the paper, the research has contributed to work by STOP, a global tobacco industry watchdog.

 

 

---

JOURNAL

Nicotine & Tobacco Research

ARTICLE TITLE

“Keep it a secret”: leaked documents suggest Philip Morris International, and its Japanese affiliate, continue to exploit science for profit

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

27-Jun-2024