Kashmir avalanche: What is the link with climate change?

As the latest avalanche shows, long dry spells and higher temperatures are making the Himalayan region of Kashmir far more disaster-prone

A helicopter carries the body of a Russian skier who was killed when an avalanche hit the Gulmarg ski resort in Kashmir, temporarily trapping several skiers under debris

 (Image: Sajad Hameed)

Auqib Javeed
February 23, 2024


At around 1:30 PM on February 22, 2024, Showkat Ahmad Rather, a ski guide in the picturesque Gulmarg resort in Kashmir received a call from the local administration that an avalanche had hit the Khilanmarg area of Gulmarg known as ‘Army Ridge’.

On snowmobiles, Rather and his colleagues rushed to the spot. The avalanche had trapped a group of six Russian skiers along with their local guide. All but one were rescued safely, but one Russian skier perished.

The avalanche in Gulmarg struck during the fourth edition of the Khelo India Winter Games, where 800 participants were participating in a range of events, including snowboarding, alpine skiing and Nordic skiing. The authorities made a public statement that the avalanche happened far from the area where the winter games were taking place and all other players were safe.

A day before, the Defence Geoinformation Research Establishment (DGRE) based in Chandigarh, that operates under the Ministry of Defence, had issued an avalanche warning for many hilly areas of Jammu & Kashmir, including Gulmarg. A Gulmarg public official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Third Pole that the skiers had disregarded the warnings not to go skiing in ‘backcountry’, far from the ‘green zone’ cleared for the games. One of the people investigating the incident has blamed the skiers for setting off the avalanche.
A prolonged dry spell

This year there was limited snowfall in early winter, much to the disappointment of holidaymakers and tour operators. The Kashmir valley endured a prolonged dry spell. It was only on 28 January, 2024 that Gulmarg was finally blanketed by its first major snowfall, breaking a two-month dry spell. January 2024 was one of the driest and warmest Januarys recorded in the past 43 years, according to the meteorological department.

Scientists say worse to come as Himalayan snow ceases

Avalanches occur when a layer of snow collapses and slides downhill. Such events are more likely during periods of elevated temperatures, which hinder the accumulation of snow.

Irfan Rashid, assistant professor at the Department of Geoinformatics, at the University of Kashmir, highlights the significant “heat in the system” due to the prolonged dry spell in the valley. He notes that temperatures were above normal during these months and the accumulated heat was not able to dissipate.

“The late snowfall was watery (snow-water equivalent) and it began melting rapidly,” he explains, adding “When the water content in the snow is high, it will resist settling down – thus increasing the risk of avalanches.”
The climate change connection

The Third Pole has previously reported that senior Indian scientists like M Rajeevan had linked the long dry spell with climate change and its impact on the western disturbances – which carry precipitation from the Mediterranean. Sonam Lotus, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) meteorologist, had said that Kashmir had seen dry winters before, but the temperatures were far higher than earlier.

This changing pattern has significant impact for Kashmir, specifically for avalanches, according to Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, the Vice Chancellor of the Islamic University of Science and Technology in Kashmir. Speaking to The Third Pole, he explained that February and March have seen unusually warm temperatures in the region over the last decade.

Romshoo said that during these months, when snowfall occurs, the risk of avalanches increases, explaining that the high temperatures lead to “melting [which] reduces the friction and that is why we see significant avalanches in [these] months. This is directly related to an increase in temperature which is the result of climate change.”

According to Ramshoo, snowfall during the Chillai-Kalan (the name given to Kashmir’s 40-day period of intense cold, where temperatures drop as low as -10˚C) is crucial to the region. The sub-zero temperatures reduce the likelihood of avalanches, but he stresses that there is a need for a comprehensive study to better understand the behaviour of avalanches in the valley.

The skier killed in this week’s avalanche is taken to Sub District Hospital Tangmarg, near Gulmarg (Image: Sajad Hameed)
Avalanches across Kashmir

The latest avalanche comes just weeks after a previous one in Gulmarg had led to the death of two Polish skiers and resulted in the rescue of 21 others on February 1, 2024. Another avalanche had struck Sonamarg, another popular tourist destination in Central Kashmir, two weeks earlier. Footage of the avalanche, which hit the vicinity of a workshop for the Zojila tunnel construction was captured on camera. Additionally, on 20 February, another minor avalanche occurred near the Hung area of Sonamarg, obstructing the Sindh stream and leading to the closure of the Sonamarg-Ladakh road.

Avalanches are not new to Kashmir, which have historically resulted in significant casualties, particularly among Indian and Pakistani military personnel stationed in avalanche-prone areas along the borders.

In November 2019, four Indian army soldiers and two porters were killed after an avalanche struck the Siachen glacier in the Karakoram Range.

In February 2010, 17 Indian soldiers were killed and dozens injured after a massive avalanche ploughed into an Indian army training centre in Gulmarg.

The latest climate science suggests that such disasters are likely to get much worse. The Himalayan Assessment report carried out by the International Centre of Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in 2019 had warned that climate change was significantly affecting the cryosphere – or the areas of snow and ice – in the Himalayan region. Of particular concern was its impact on the Indus basin, in which the Kashmir valley lies. The report noted that the Indus basin saw the most casualties from natural disasters between 1980-2015 in the Himalayan region.



Auqib Javeed is an independent journalist based in Jammu and Kashmir who reports on climate change, water, deforestation and mining. His articles have been published by The Third Pole, Mongabay and Down to Earth, and he tweets @AuqibJaveed

ICYMI

Air pollution can cause more signs of Alzheimer’s in the brain

PM2.5 Exposure linked to Alzheimer's Disease pathology in brain donors.

By Dr. Prajakta Banik
24 Feb, 2024



A new study in the American Academy of Neurology medical journal found that people highly exposed to traffic-related air pollution were likelier to have more brain amyloid plaques. The researchers found particulate matter called PM2.5, including tiny air pollutant particles. The study did not clear that air pollution directly causes amyloid plaques in the brain; it just shows a connection between them.

Study author Anke Huels, Ph.D., of Emory University in Atlanta, said, “These results add to the evidence that fine particulate matter from traffic-related air pollution affects the amount of amyloid plaque in the brain. More research is needed to investigate the mechanisms behind this link.”

In this study, researchers studied the brain tissue of 224 people who agreed to donate their brains after they died to help dementia research. These individuals had an average age of 79 at the time of death.

The researchers focused on the air pollution from traffic near people’s homes in Atlanta when they passed away. Traffic-related PM2.5, a type of air pollution, is a big problem in cities like Atlanta, where most donors live.

On average, this pollution level was 1.32 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) in the year before their death and 1.35 µg/m3 in the three years leading up to their end. The researchers compared pollution levels and signs of Alzheimer’s Disease in the brain, like amyloid plaques and tau tangles.

They found out that people exposed more to air pollution one and three years before they died were more likely to have higher levels of amyloid plaques. The likelihood of higher plaque levels nearly doubled for every 1 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 exposure in the year before death. Similarly, higher exposure in the three years before death increased the likelihood of higher plaque levels by 87%.

In addition, the researchers checked if having the primary gene linked to Alzheimer’s, APOE e4, affected the connection between air pollution and Alzheimer’s signs in the brain. They found that the link between air pollution and Alzheimer’s symptoms was strongest among those who didn’t have the gene variant.

Huels explained, “This suggests that environmental factors such as air pollution could be a contributing factor to Alzheimer’s in patients in which the disease cannot be explained by genetics.”

The limitations of this study are that researchers only knew where people lived when they passed away, which might not accurately affect their exposure to pollution. In addition, the study mainly included white, educated individuals, so the findings might not apply to other groups.

Journal reference:Grace M. Christensen, Zhenjiang Li, et al., Association of PM2.5 Exposure and Alzheimer Disease Pathology in Brain Bank Donors—Effect Modification by APOE Genotype. Neurology. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000209162.

Fasting diet reduces disease risk and biological age in humans

Changes in markers indicate reduced disease risk from fasting-mimicking diet.

By Dr. Prajakta Banik
24 Feb, 2024


A diet that mimics fasting, called a fasting-mimicking diet(FMD), helps reduce signs of immune system aging, insulin resistance, and liver fat in humans, resulting in a lower biological age. The new University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology led this study.

The FMD involves a five-day diet high in unsaturated fats and low in calories, protein, and carbohydrates, designed to mimic the effects of fasting while still providing essential nutrients. The laboratory of USC Leonard Davis School Professor Valter Longo, the senior author of the new study, developed the diet.

Longo said, “This study shows for the first time evidence for biological age reduction from two different clinical trials, accompanied by evidence of rejuvenation of metabolic and immune function.”

Previous research by Longo suggests that periodic cycles of a fasting-mimicking diet(FMD) offer various benefits, including stem cell regeneration, reducing chemotherapy side effects, and decreasing signs of Dementia in mice. In humans, FMD cycles have been linked to lowered risk factors for diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Longo’s lab found that one or two monthly FMD cycles increased mice’s lifespan and health span. In humans, the effects of FMD on aging, biological age, liver fat, and immune system aging were previously unknown.

The study examined the effects of a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) on disease risks and cell health in two groups of men and women aged 18 to 70. Those on the FMD had 3-4 cycles monthly, eating the diet for five days and then their regular diet for 25 days. The FMD included plant-based soups, energy bars, drinks, snacks, tea, and supplements.

Results showed lower diabetes risks, less abdominal and liver fat, and a youthful immune system in the FMD group. Statistical analysis revealed an average reduction of 2.5 years in biological age for FMD participants.

Lead authors Brandhorst and Levine noted that the FMD could be an effective, achievable way to improve health without significant lifestyle changes. Longo emphasizes its potential for disease prevention and improved healthspan.

The study indicates that the fasting-like diet gives promising benefits in lowering disease risk factors and reducing biological age in humans. The study findings support using periodic FMD cycles as a successful disease prevention and health improvement strategy.

Journal reference:Brandhorst, S., Levine, M.E., Wei, M., et al. A fasting-mimicking diet causes hepatic and blood marker changes, indicating reduced biological age and disease risk. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45260-9.

 

Strange seismic wave arrivals lead to discovery of overturned slab in the Mediterranean

by Seismological Society of America

Credit: The Seismic Record (2024). DOI: 10.1785/0320230049

Strange seismic wave arrivals from a 2010 earthquake under Spain were the clues that led to an unexpected discovery beneath the western Mediterranean: a subducted oceanic slab that has completely overturned.

The waveforms paint a picture of a slab that descended rapidly into the Earth's mantle and flipped over, so that the water it carried on its surface as it descended is now beneath the slab, according to the study published in The Seismic Record.

The findings could help researchers sort out the complicated tectonic structure of the western Mediterranean basin where Africa and Eurasia are converging, specifically an area called the Rif-Betic-Alboran region. This region contains an arc formed by the Betic mountain ranges in Spain and the Rif mountain ranges to the south in Morocco and includes the Alboran Sea basin just east of the Straits of Gibraltar.

The study might also shed light on the mechanisms behind rare and deep (more than 600 kilometers) earthquakes in southern Spain, write Daoyuan Sun of the University of Science and Technology of China and Meghan S. Miller at the Australian National University.

Seismic waves from one of those earthquakes, a magnitude 6.3 quake that occurred below Granada in April 2010, were captured by an array of seismic stations in Spain and Morocco as part of the Program to Investigate Convective Alboran Sea System Overturn (PICASSO) project.

The researchers noted that the earthquake's coda waves—the signature of residual vibrations at the end of a seismogram—lasted an unusually long time, recorded by stations in Morocco. There were also signs of a late-arriving, "extra" P-wave phase, in addition to the normal initial P-waves captured by the stations in Spain.

"Initially, we were not aiming to better understand the deep earthquake mechanisms, as several prior studies have studied the source nicely. Our intent was merely to plot the waveforms out of curiosity, since there is so much to learn from individual waveforms when one takes the time to look at them closely," Sun explained. "Upon examination, we observed these strange arrivals, including the long coda and extra phase."

Sun and Miller concluded that the long coda and extra P-wave phase could be best explained by a low-velocity layer at the base of the subducting Alboran slab. Low-velocity layers, through which seismic waves are slowed and absorbed, often indicate that the waves have passed through melted or liquid material.

Subducted slabs usually contain a low-velocity layer on their surface due to the water they carry into the mantle. "Here, through modeling the detailed waveforms, we are able to image the low-velocity layer underneath the slab surface dipping to the northeast, unlike a normal subducted slab with a low-velocity layer on top of the slab surface," Sun said. "This strange occurrence between the slab and low-velocity layer suggests the occurrence of the overturned Alboran slab."

Their study is the first to conclude that the slab has been overturned, he added, rather than standing vertical or steeply dipping.

The low-velocity layer also offers a possible mechanism behind the deep Spain earthquakes, the researchers said, since it indicates the presence of hydrous magnesium silicates that carry water at depths of 600 kilometers. As these silicates dehydrate, they could become more brittle in a way that can lead to deep earthquakes.

The presence of hydrous silicates could also tell seismologists something about the speed of slab subduction in the region. The hydrous magnesium silicates mean that "a significant amount of water has been carried down to the mantle transition zone, indicating a relatively cold slab," Sun noted.

"Considering a relatively young sea floor age in the western Mediterranean, for the slab to remain cool, the subduction speed must be quite fast, such as a moderate speed of about 70 millimeters per year," he added. "In other words, we think our study could offer a reasonable lower bound of the speed of subduction in this region."

Sun and Miller say it could be promising to investigate the seismic waveforms produced by deep earthquakes in other places such as northeastern China, South America, Sunda-Banda and places like the Fiji-Tonga region, to see if similar mechanisms are at work. But the research would require dense seismic stations deployed right above these earthquakes, as was the lucky case with the 2010 Spain earthquake.

More information: Daoyuan Sun et al, Revealing the Secrets of the Western Mediterranean: A Deep Earthquake and the Overturned Slab, The Seismic Record (2024). DOI: 10.1785/0320230049

Provided by Seismological Society of America Distinct slab interfaces found within mantle transition zone

Glasgow Roma community at heart of university project


By Ginny Sanderson

@ginnysanderson

Live Reporter



A Glasgow Roma community is at the heart of a major new £1.1 million project led by a Scottish university.

The "urgently needed" study by Heriot-Watt aims to investigate the significantly lower life expectancy of 10 years or more experienced by Roma people across the UK.

The new three-year project will work with community groups of Roma people, including Scotland's biggest Roma community in Govanhill, Glasgow.

Read more: 'Historic moment': First cultural centre for Scotland's Roma communities announced

Dr Ryan Woolrych, director of the Urban Institute at Heriot-Watt University, said: "This research is urgently needed as public health bodies and government reports continue to evidence the inequalities faced by Roma people living in the UK today which is severely impacting life expectancies and creating growing social exclusion.

“There is a significant evidence gap in terms of exploring what it means to age within Roma communities and the interventions needed to ensure healthy and active ageing.

“We will address this by taking an inclusive, community-centred approach to understanding barriers faced by Roma people in accessing healthcare and other services before supporting the development of services that build on their cultural assets and lived experiences.

"By doing so, we can positively influence a shift in health, wellbeing and place policies and practices for Roma groups.

“We will employ innovative and creative methods like storytelling, dance and photography, working alongside communities to gain deeper insight into Roma experiences to co-design interventions that will deliver impact where they are needed the most.”

Roma people experience some of the poorest health and wellbeing outcomes, including significantly lower life expectancy of 10 or more years below the national average as well as a higher prevalence of long-term chronic conditions and increased social exclusion.

Poorer health can result from barriers and challenges when accessing the physical, social, and cultural supports that are needed to age across the life course.

Leon Puska of Roma Romeha speaking at International Roma Day (Image: Community Renewal Trust)

Among the organisations it will work with is Community Renewal Rom Romeha, which has worked alongside the Govanhill Roma community for more than a decade.

Meaning 'for Roma, by Roma', Rom Romeha supports thousands of Roma families providing advice around benefits, employment, housing, discrimination, community activism, and spaces to meet up.

Community facilitator Leon Pushka said: "We really support this work with Heriot-Watt University on this study as they too are putting Roma people and Roma voices at the heart of their research project.

"Roma experience terrible health inequalities caused in part by problems with housing, money and access to services.

"It is very important to us that insights into how to address this come from the community rather than being top-down. This will be integral to any research that will document and ultimately impact on their community and life chances.”

Roma communities in Glasgow, Luton, and Peterborough will be at the heart of the research (Image: Heriot-Watt)

The research builds on already-established relationships with Roma communities, public authorities and health providers across the case study areas to give Roma people a voice in developing services that respect their dignity.

Including co-researchers from Roma communities, the project aims to identify barriers faced by Roma people in accessing healthcare and other services in mid to later life.

It will then co-design new place-based 'integrated hubs' to better connect Roma people with culturally appropriate health, wellbeing and community resources which build upon existing expertise and assets within the community.

The multidisciplinary team includes the Roma Support Group, Luton Roma Trust, Compas and Community Renewal Trust’s Rom Romeha (meaning for Roma by Roma) in Govanhill as well as expertise from Coventry University, Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Dundee.

Mihai Bica from the Roma Support Group said: “The Roma Support Group is thrilled to be part of this exciting and much needed research addressing some of the existing Roma health inequalities.

"We are particularly pleased that this project will draw on the knowledge and expertise of Roma from across the UK to co-develop healthcare solutions, while equipping them with the skills and capacity to play a central role in future research projects and drive policy change.”

Funding for the research is led by AHRC in collaboration with BBSRC, ESRC, MRC and NERC, all part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Further funding is from UKRI’s Building a Secure and Resilient World, and Creating Opportunities, Improving Outcomes strategic themes and the programme is run in partnership with the National Centre for Creative Health.

UK
GB News investor Sir Paul Marshall liked and shared far-right, Islamophobic, homophobic, conspiracy theory posts

Basit Mahmood 

LEFT FOOT FORWARD

23 February, 2024 

Sir Paul Marshall, one of the biggest and most influential media moguls in the country, is a GB News investor and reported frontrunner to buy the Spectator and Telegraph.

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Sir Paul Marshall, one of the biggest and most influential media moguls in the country, who is a GB News investor and reported frontrunner to buy the Spectator and Telegraph, has been found to have shared and liked multiple far-right, Islamophobic, homophobic, conspiracy theory posts.

An investigation carried out by the News Agents with anti-extremist organisation Hope not Hate, found that Marshall, who is co-founder and chairman of Marshall Wace Asset Management, one of Europe’s biggest hedge fund groups, liked a number of extremist tweets.

Marshall, whose Twitter account used to be public, then made his account private, changing the user handle to areopagus123, which matches that of a company set up by Marshall in 2021, liked one tweet which said that it ‘is just a matter of time before civil war starts in Europe. The native European population is losing patience with the fake refugees invaders’.

News Agents presenter and journalist Lewis Goodall went on to say: “In January 2024, Sir Paul liked another tweet which warned that if we want European civilisation to survive we need to not just close the borders but start mass expulsions immediately.

“We don’t stand a chance unless we start that process very soon.”

Another tweet liked by Sir Paul included one which claimed that: “Civil war is coming.

“There has never been a country that has remained peaceful with a sizeable Islamic presence. Why do our leaders believe that Britain would be an exception to that rule?

“Once the Muslims get to 15-20% of the population the current cold civil war will turn hot.”

Hope not Hate goes on to report: “Another anti-Muslim campaigner to have caught Marshall’s eye is Amy Mek, a notorious pro-Trump campaigner whose social media output has consistently focused on demonising Muslims.

“Earlier this year Marshall retweeted a post from Mek which warned of the “The four stages of Islamic conquest”, which stated that Muslim immigration was a form of “infiltration” that would lead to “the establishment of a totalitarian Islamic theocracy”, while in another post he condemned “useful idiots” in the Church for engaging in interfaith activities with Muslims.”

Hope not Hate also reported that Marshall had retweeted a post in February appearing to group homosexuality with “worshipping satan, evil [and] corrupting children”, referring to the other side as “demons”.

Asked about his social media activity, Marshall issued the following statement to Hope not Hate: “Paul Marshall’s account is private but is nonetheless followed by 5000 people including many journalists. He posts on a wide variety of subjects and those cited represent a small and unrepresentative sample of over 5000 posts. This sample does not represent his views.

“As most X/Twitter users know, it can be a fountain of ideas, but some of it is of uncertain quality and all his posts have now been deleted to avoid any further misunderstanding.”

It should worry us all that Marshall, who could wield even more influence if he succeeds in buying the Telegraph and Spectator, influencing the direction of the Tory party, holds such views.

Here’s how we can fix England’s water and sewage industry

Prem Sikka 

LEFT FOOT FORWARD

23 February, 2024 

Directors of water companies have been incentivised to inflict five broad harms on all, with the aim of securing bigger profits and pay-packets.

England’s water and sewage industry epitomises all that is wrong with our country and should be a major issue for the forthcoming general election. This publicly-owned monopoly was privatised in 1989 for just £6.1bn. It has ever since been inflicting harms on society, with the full approval of the regulator and privatisation obsessed government. Its shareholders and directors are the biggest winners.

Directors of water companies have been incentivised to inflict five broad harms on all, with the aim of securing bigger profits and pay-packets.

Firstly, there is the problem of leakage due to lack of investment and repair and maintenance expenditure. Over a trillion litres of water a year is lost in leaks from crumbling infrastructure. Rather than investing to increase water security, companies tell customers to curb usage.

Secondly, companies boost profits by dumping tons of sewage in river and seas. Between 2020 and 2022, companies were responsible for over 1 million sewage spills for over 7.4 million hours. More recent estimates are 399,000 times a year, equivalent to about 1,090 times a day, posing threat to human health, marine life and biodiversity. Only 14% of rivers in England have a good ecological status, and no rivers in England have a good chemical status.

Thirdly, companies exploit customers. Water companies have operating profit margin of 35% which is extremely high for an industry with captive customers and no competition. Water bills have risen by 363% since privatization, which is around 40% in real terms. However, there has been no commensurate increase in the quality of water security or waste water disposal.

Fourthly, despite high customer bills the investment in infrastructure has been low. No new reservoir has been built in England since 1989. Industry boasts that by 2023 it invested £190bn in infrastructure. However, this number is inflated by creative accounting practices. Water companies capitalise a portion of interest payments and repair and maintenance expenditure which in their view enhances the assets. A 2023 House of Lords report estimated that by 2050 the industry needs to invest between £240bn and £260bn, or over £10bn a year, to control sewage dumping, but the government claims that the current level of investment is around £5bn a year. Clearly, there are major problems ahead.

Fifthly, water companies are serial tax dodgers. In 2018, Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary said: “Last year Anglian, Southern and Thames paid no corporation tax. Indeed Thames has paid no corporation tax for a decade. Ten years of shareholders getting millions, the chief executive getting hundreds of thousands, and the public purse getting nothing”. Much of it is due to financial engineering by private equity owners of companies, very adept at shifting profits to low/no tax jurisdictions. Little has changed. Water companies paid no corporation tax in 2022-23.

The above are major components of profiteering by water companies.

The government’s traditional response is that executive remuneration and investment is a matter for shareholders, albeit under some oversight from the ineffective Water Services Regulation Authority (OFWAT). Water management can’t be left to the private sector as it is a vital resource for life. In any case, shareholders are focused on short-term private returns and neglect broader social concerns. England’s nine major water and sewage companies are more than 90% owned by overseas investors scattered across China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Caymans, Qatar, UAE and elsewhere. They have little or no physical contact with polluted rivers and crumbling infrastructure and have not curbed undeserved executive pay, tax dodges and other abuses.

Shareholders have done extremely well out of water companies. Since privatisation, around £75bn has been siphoned-off in dividends, funded by high debt and squeeze on investment. The cost of servicing the £60.3bn debt pile is passed to customers in higher bills. Out of the operating profit margin of 35%, an average of 20% is used to pay interest and most of the remainder has been siphoned off in dividends, leaving little for investment, which then is inevitably funded with debt. Inevitably, there is a financial crisis and customer bills are hiked. Up to 28% of the customer charges cover the interest cost.

The companies are highly leveraged and are struggling. Thames Water, the UK’s largest water company has debt of £19bn and wants to increase customer bills by 40% or more by 2030. It is now saying that without a substantial increase in customer bills, it will not make the required investment in infrastructure. Water company demands are novel in that companies raise capital from customers, whilst shareholders own the resulting assets and receive the dividend streams.

Water companies have a history of violating environmental rules. Here is a small sample. Since 2010, Anglian Water has been sanctioned 74 times and fined £6.2 million; Thames Water 98 times and fined £175 million; Yorkshire Water 94 times and fined £109 million; Severn Trent 82 times, fined £5.8m; and United Utilities 215 times, fined £6.6m. Directors do not face any personal fines or prosecutions. The puny fines have not deterred and have become just another cost of doing business.

In most other walks of life, habitual offenders would face effective penalties. But in the water industry, directors are rewarded by shareholders with bigger pay-packets. For the years 2021, 2022 and 2023, directors of water companies in England collected remuneration of £70m, including £40.4m in bonuses. It is hard to think of any justification for payment of any bonus to directors engaged in socially harmful practices.

Most people are concerned about the exploitative practices. So, periodically the government soothes public anxieties with promise of reforms. The most recent suggestion is that bonuses for directors may be banned “if a company has committed serious criminal breaches … That could include successful prosecution for a Category 1 or 2 pollution incident – such as causing significant pollution at a bathing site or conservation area – or where a company has been found guilty of serious management failings”. Note the vague words like “could” and emphasis on multiple breaches and failings.

OFWAT has presided over degradation of water and sewage services, but the government expects it to curb bonuses. There isn’t much chance of that as OFWAT is conflicted. Two-thirds of England’s biggest water companies employ key executives who had previously worked at OFWAT. The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is concerned that OFWAT cannot exercise its full range of powers in case that affects the stability of the sector and water companies refuse to invest i.e. OFWAT is being held to ransom by water companies.

The problems of the water industry can’t be effectively addressed within private ownership or a shareholder–centric model of corporate governance. Here are some alternatives.The government needs to enforce the full environmental duties on water companies. This will reduce their profitability and quite likely make them financially bankrupt. This would be an opportunity for the state to reacquire them at a knockdown price. They should be run as arm’s length not-for-profit organisations with professional managementThe government could also adopt a private equity model i.e. the cost of purchase could be loaded on to the entities, similar to private equity acquisition of Asda and Morrisons.

The profits and dividends currently siphoned off by shareholders would go into investment in infrastructure. Additional investment can be funded by borrowing.Whether in public or private ownership, at least 50% of the board members must be directly elected by employees and customers to ensure that diverse voices are heard at the board level.Executive remuneration contracts of water company directors should be publicly available so that everyone knows what they are getting. The sanitised snippets in annual company accounts are often economical with information and rarely mention that chauffeur driven cars, private school and medical fees are part of executive pay packages.Employees and customers must be empowered to vote on executive pay, with 51% approval carrying the day. Thus, directors exploiting customers and employees; dumping sewage, neglecting flood defences, dodging taxes and not plugging leaks will experience difficulty in securing high pay. Democracy and people power will act as a pressure point, keeping directors on the straight and narrow path of good practices.If bonuses are to be paid for extraordinary performance, they ought to be paid after extraordinary scrutiny. So, approval of 90% of stakeholders would be required.

The above is not a panacea but will go some way toward increasing investment, improving the environment and empowering people to end abuses in the water industry.

Prem Sikka is an Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex and the University of Sheffield, a Labour member of the House of Lords, and Contributing Editor at Left Foot Forward.

UK

Liz Truss ridiculed after revealing ludicrous cover of new book

Chris Jarvis

22 February, 2024



The UK’s shortest lived prime minister isn’t known for her humility. After serving just 49 days in Number 10, Liz Truss was forced to resign after causing economic chaos and tanking the Tories in the opinion polls.

With that kind of record behind her, you might expect Truss to take some time away from publicly opining about the state of the world. We aren’t so lucky.

Instead, Truss is set to have a new book published. She has now revealed the cover of the US edition on Twitter/X. That cover has been met with widespread ridicule.



The book’s title – Ten Years to Save the West: Leading the Revolution Against Globalism, Socialism, and the Liberal Establishment – has been at the centre of the roasting.

The TUC tweeted: “Ten years to save the West…but only 44 days to crash the economy?”

Former parliamentary staffer Tara Jane O’Reilly made a similar comment, tweeting: “‘ten years to save the west’ seems an awfully long vision for someone who could only do 49 days as PM”.

The journalist Rachel Charlton-Dailey mocked the idea of the ‘liberal establishment’, tweeting: “the liberal establishment being… the tory government that’s been in power for 14 years?? okay got it Liz”.

The title wasn’t the only subject of people’s ridicule. The cover also describes Liz Truss as the ‘former Prime Minister of Great Britain’.

Former Newsnight presenter Gavin Esler tweeted: “Perhaps someone should tell Liz Truss that she was actually the prime minister of the United Kingdom – that is, Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But, hey, maybe the Deep State designed her book cover.”

The journalist Caroline Mortimer also pointed out that the description of Truss’ former job was incomplete. She tweeted: “Do you only get to add the ‘and Northern Ireland’ bit when you’ve been in the job for more than 100 days?”

The journalist Jonn Elledge ultimately had the most brutal putdown. He tweeted: “not a great sign, from a sales perpective, that she needs a footnote explaining who she is”.

Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward

Image credit: Andrew Parsons / Number 10 – Creative Commons


Liz Truss ‘willing to work’ with Nigel Farage to change the Conservative Party and the country

Basit Mahmood

23 February, 2024 

In recent days and weeks Truss has also claimed that the system is rigged against Conservative policies

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss, whose premiership ended in disaster, has announced that she is willing to work with Nigel Farage in order to change the Conservative Party and the country.

Truss, who was booted out of office after just 49 days after her disastrous policies resulted in financial turmoil, has recently being trying to relaunch her political career with the launch of her Popular Conservatism group, also known as PopCon.

The group describes itself as a “new movement aiming to restore democratic accountability to Britain and deliver popular conservative policies.” Its supporters include right wing Tory MPs such as Jacob Rees-Mogg and Lee Anderson.

In recent days and weeks Truss has also claimed that the system is rigged against Conservative policies as she sought to blame a deep state conspiracy behind her downfall.

Truss has now also given her backing to Nigel Farage, saying she is willing to work with the former UKIP leader in a bid to turn around the Conservative Party and to change the country.

In a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) near Washington DC, she said: “Conservatives are now operating in what is now a hostile environment and we essentially need a bigger bazooka.”

She told Steve Bannon during an interview that she was willing to work with Farage to change the Conservative Party.

She said: “I will work with whoever it takes to make our country successful, I will work with whoever.

“And Nigel, I’ve done an interview with him today, I would like him to become a member of the Conservative Party and help turn our country around.”

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

 

LABOUR HUB EDITORS

New report to launch on the demilitarising education

LABOUR HUB

Feb. 23, 2023

The Campaign Against the Arms Trade, in collaboration with Demilitarise Education will launch a new report on Tuesday 27th February, entitled Weaponising Universities: Research Collaborations between UK Universities and the Military Industrial Complex, by Okopi Ajonye. The launch will involve an online panel discussion at 19:00-20:30.

Register for the webinar here

The report discusses the deepening ties between universities in the UK and the arms industry and military research. This include arms industry-funded research on campus, dedicated research centres sponsored by the arms industry and/ the Ministry of Defence and other parts of the UK security establishment, and other ties.

The report discusses the history of the so-called “Military-Industrial-Academic Complex” and the reasons why the government is increasingly drawing on academia to further research with military applications. Two key areas of research are highlighted: “Emerging and Disruptive Technologies”, such as AI, autonomous systems, and hypersonic weapons, which are believed to have the potential to change the nature of warfare; and what the report describes as “Militarized Environmental Technologies”. These are technologies that seek to reduce the environmental impact of military activities (such as military aviation), but which are also used to gain military advantage, and as a propaganda tool to ‘greenwash’ the fundamentally unsustainable business of war.

The report also looks at opposition within universities and academia to their militarization, and ways in which universities might, on the contrary, pursue research aimed at promoting peace and global disarmament, including the economic alternatives to arms production. Finally, a set of recommendations are made, both for universities themselves, and for students and academics seeking to challenge the weaponization of their universities.

The panel for the report launch will include:

• Okopi Ajonye (he/him), Research Officer, Demilitarise Education, report author
• Victoria Araj (she/her), Lecturer in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Lincoln, PhD in Peace Studies
• Andy Stirling (he/him), Professor of Science and Technology Policy at the Science Policy Research Centre, University of Sussex
• River Butterworth (they/them), Postgraduate Officer at Nottingham University Students Union, and anti-militarist activist

The facilitator for the discussion will be Sam Perlo-Freeman (he/him), Research Coordinator at Campaign Against Arms Trade.

Register here. More information here.

The latest issue of CAAT News, issue 268, February 2024, is now out and can be read here.

Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/campaignagainstarmstrade/16581641545/. Creator: Campaign Against Arms Trade. CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

UK

Why is legitimate criticism of MPs being conflated with violence?

LABOUR HUB

Feb. 23, 2023

“This is about politicians who backed one of the worst atrocities of the 21st century panicking about their moral culpability.”

Unless a transcript of the meeting is released, as John McDonnell MP has apparently  requested, we may never know exactly what took place in a meeting between the House of Commons Speaker and senior Labour figures. But the suggestion is that the Labour front bench persuaded Lindsay Hoyle to break with both long-standing convention and the official advice he had received from the Clerk of the House in order to take a vote on Labour’s strings-attached Gaza ceasefire motion on the grounds that MPs’ security might be threatened otherwise.

The result was that the Labour leadership successfully hijacked a Scottish National Party Opposition debate and prevented a vote on their unconditional ceasefire motion, which could have seen scores of Labour MPs’ votes cast in favour, in defiance of the whips, and caused major embarrassment to Keir Starmer. In fact, it was a strange kind of victory, as the vote took place in total confusion with Tory and SNP MPs having walked out. There is now talk of a new debate on the issue. Owen Jones provides an excellent discussion of the issues here.

One noxious side-effect of this melodrama is that the media debate has now shifted from the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, with nearly 30,000 dead and facing possible famine and a further Israeli military offensive on Rafah, from which the displaced population have literally nowhere to flee. Instead, the focus is now on whether our parliamentarians are safe from protesters.

Crossbench peer Lord Walney, commissioned by the government three years ago to look into violence against politicians, says MPs need protecting from “intimidation” that could influence how they vote.

Police should get extra powers to tackle protests outside Parliament and other democratic venues, including MPs’ offices and local councils, he says. Former Jeremy Corbyn strategist Andrew Fisher responded by calling this “dangerous stuff.”

Lord Walney, formerly John Woodcock, was shockingly ennobled four years ago by Boris Johnson. As Labour Hub reported at the time, “The former MP for Barrow and Furness lost the Labour whip in 2018 following allegations of sexual harassment.  He has been a keen supporter of Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen, which has been marked by appalling civilian casualties resulting from Saudi air strikes, and praised the repressive regime of Turkey’s President Erdogan as tolerant and progressive. In January 2019, Woodcock abstained in a parliamentary vote of no confidence against May’s government and in November called for a Conservative vote. His peerage looks like a pay-off from Johnson.”

Violence against MPs, or the threat of it, is a serious matter and requires police action. But this should not be conflated with peaceful protest, which has been the hallmark of the overwhelming majority of pro-ceasefire protests since the Israeli bombardment of Gaza began.

On Wednesday evening, thousands of peaceful protesters queued for hours in the rain to lobby their MPs. Yet they were denied entry by security to Westminster Hall to lobby MPs in the usual way, an issue that John McDonnell raised in Parliament itself.

Momentum spoke for many when it tweeted: “It is vital our elected representatives can fulfil their democratic mandates in safety. It is wrong to conflate this safety with insulation from democratic accountability.  And it is outrageous to conflate terrorism with democratic protest against UK complicity in genocide.”

Labour NEC member Jess Barnard agreed: “Threats or intimidation against MPs are obviously unacceptable. Being lobbied, challenged, held to account on your voting record or your comments are all part of democracy and are part of holding public office.”

Many MPs took the same line, Mick Whitley tweeting: “Threats and abuse are never acceptable. But we have to be careful not to conflate robust scrutiny and legitimate, lively protest with abuse – especially at a time when the #RightToProtest is under attack by this authoritarian Tory government.”

Hackney MP Diane Abbott agreed: “I get more abuse and threats than most MPs. But the suggestion that police could close down peaceful demonstrations outside MP’s offices, town halls and Parliament is appalling. The first step towards a police state.”

In a detailed thread, Coventry MP Zarah Sultana said: “I find the debate about public engagement with MPs concerning. First, there’s an attempt being made to demonise the Palestine solidarity movement, portraying it as inherently violent and extreme. This attempt is laced with Islamophobic tropes.”

“Let’s remember the Palestine solidarity movement – demanding an immediate ceasefire and an end to the slaughter in Gaza – represents the majority opinion in Britain,” she added. “Rallying to this cause, hundreds of thousands of people have exercised their democratic right to protest.

“Those overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrations are being depicted as a violent ‘mob’. That’s a very worrying undemocratic line of argument. This Islamophobic demonisation of the Palestine solidarity movement must be resisted, with the right to peaceful demonstration upheld.”

The MP warned against conflating violence with robust criticism, adding that “too often the professed concern with MP safety is partial and one-sided. Whenever I speak up for the rights of the Palestinian people, I am subjected to a barrage of racist abuse, threats and hate… Making this worse is that it’s stoked by politicians and pundits.”

Birmingham MP Jess Phillips agreed, tweeting: “Level of islamophobia people are displaying currently is sickening. My constituents, family and friends are not Islamists, they do not hate any of these things. They are not a mob, they are just people. No one bullied me (any more than on any issue) I vote out of analysis not fear.”

Responding to Lord Walney’s proposal to criminalise protest outside Parliament and MPs’ offices, a Momentum spokesperson said: “This would be an outrageous assault on basic democratic freedoms. It must be opposed.”

Given the almost uniformly peaceful demeanour of pro-ceasefire protesters so far, it’s unlikely this issue would be a media talking-point, were it not for the alleged raising of the issue of MPs’ security by the Labour leadership with Speaker Hoyle. But as Diane Abbott tweeted: “When MPs are under threat that is a matter for the police, not an excuse to block inconvenient debates.”

Owen Jones agreed: “This isn’t about MPs’ security. It’s about politicians who backed one of the worst atrocities of the 21st century panicking about their moral culpability. From the very start, it’s those who oppose slaughtering civilians demonised as the real dangerous extremists.”

It’s not the first time that Keir Starmer has resorted to authoritarian methods to get his way. It does not augur well if he thinks he can use the same controlling ruthlessness that he exercises over the Labour Party in relation to our parliamentary democracy – and that’s even before he gets into office!

Image:British Houses of Parliament. Source: The British Parliament and Big Ben, Author: Maurice from Zoetermeer, Netherlands, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

 

First U.S. Offshore Wind Farms Reach New Milestones

Vineyard has completed commissioning its first five turbines and has 10 installed (Avangrid)

PUBLISHED FEB 23, 2024 2:17 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

The first two large offshore wind farms in the United States both reached new milestones this week as the industry is gaining momentum. Construction is well underway at both South Fork Wind and Vineyard Wind with both projects leading the industry as their host states, New York and Massachusetts, are both in the midst of their next round of project solicitations and other projects have received construction approval and will move forward in 2024.

Vineyard Wind cleared what Massachusetts termed the project’s first phase reporting that five of the planned 62 turbines have now been commissioned. The project which is being developed in a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is now generating 68 MW of power, which they report is enough to power 30,000 homes. 

Currently, the project which is located 14 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, has installed nine turbines. The tenth turbine is in the process of installation with preparations underway to transport number 11 to the site. Strating for the components and onshore assembly is running through the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal, which Massachusetts calls the first port facility in the nation specifically designed for offshore wind.

“This marks a turning point in the clean energy transition. After many decades of advocacy, research, policymaking, and finally construction, America’s offshore wind industry has gone from a dream to reality,” said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. “Across Massachusetts, in 30,000 homes and businesses, when you turn on the light, you will now be using clean, affordable energy.”

Construction began in late 2022 and the offshore work started in June 2023. When the project is completed, it will generate 806 MW providing power for more than 400,000 homes and businesses.

Concurrently, South Fork Wind, which is located off the eastern tip of Long Island, reported at the beginning of the week its twelfth final wind turbine was being installed. The project highlighted on social media that the components had left the staging facility at the State Pier in New London, Connecticut last weekend and were being installed this week. South Fork achieved its first power in December 2023.

When it is completed, the project will provide 132 MW of electricity to the power grid on Long Island. They report it is equivalent to power for about 70,000 homes. On track to be the first commercial-scale project completed offshore in the United States, the project is being led by Ørsted in partnership with Eversource Energy. The New England power company, however, recently announced it has an agreement to sell its position to Global Infrastructure Partners, a private equity investor.

After a difficult few months in 2023, as the industry struggled with financial pressures and supply chain problems, offshore wind appears to be gaining fresh momentum. In addition to GIP’s planned acquisition of assets from Eversource, yesterday Dominion Energy reported it was receiving a strong investment from Stonepeak and Ørsted’s CEO Mads Nipper told Bloomberg in an interview despite the challenges the U.S. remains an attractive market.

New York recently closed bidding on its next round in the solicitation process and is expected to announce the winners in the coming weeks. Massachusetts issued its fourth and largest offshore wind solicitation to date in August of 2023, for up to 3,600 MW, which represents 25 percent of the state’s annual electricity demand. In October of 2023, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island announced the first-in-the-nation offshore wind multi-state coordination memorandum of understanding. Combined, the three states have the authority to solicit and procure up to 7,000 MW of offshore wind. Bids are due by March 27, 2024.