Thursday, September 14, 2023

UK Competition Funds Project for Hydrogen Fueling and USV Demonstrator

hydrogen-powered USV — Hydrogen powered USV would be the first to use the fueling infrastructure (SEA-KIT)

An innovative project involving the Port of London as one of the partners looks to develop a hydrogen infrastructure that will provide power for the future maritime industry. The project includes the development of the onshore infrastructure and would deploy an uncrewed surface vessel for surveys as the first vessel to employ the process.

The Port of London Authority (PLA), a consortium partner, will host the hydrogen refilling station on the River Thames in London and subsequently operate the ZEPHR USV. The two phases of the project focus on the design and integration of the dispensing facility which includes the land-based infrastructure to produce green hydrogen, via renewable energy and the electrolysis of water, as part of the project. The demonstration vessel will be developed by SEA-KIT International.

Dubbed ZEPHR - Zero Emissions Ports Hydrogen Refilling Survey Vessel, the project aims to extend vessel operation for port operators and stakeholders through complete energy transferal, from readily accessible green electricity to 100 percent green hydrogen production, compression, storage, and dispensing.

The project organizers highlight that the Thames is Britain's busiest inland waterway, handling over five million tonnes of goods and materials and millions of passengers each year. The Thames Estuary is, therefore, they contend well placed to support the development of a hydrogen ecosystem, with significant potential usage demand across several sectors, including ports, marine and river transportation, airports and aviation, construction, distribution, and logistics.

SEA-KIT says the configurable ZEPHR USV platform will have a high-resolution multibeam echosounder as its primary payload, with the capability to mount additional sensors such as LiDAR, cameras, and environmental monitoring and sampling equipment. The vessel will also be able to launch and recover aerial drones for surveying, surveillance, search and rescue. ZEPHR will use two hydrogen fuel cell systems for redundancy.

The vessel’s design will be reviewed with Lloyd’s Register and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to satisfy regulatory and compliance requirements and to obtain approvals for continuous operations.

The five-year project is another of the proposals that was selected and will receive funding from the Zero Emissions Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition. The UK is sponsoring the competition and providing funding for projects that will develop and demonstrate new technologies that contribute to the decarbonization of the maritime sector. The competition requires the winner to begin their demonstration by 2025.

UK Effort Plans First Electric SOV in Offshore Decarbonization Race

A coalition of leading maritime companies led by Bibby Marine and with financial support from the UK plans to develop the first zero-emission electric Service Operation Vessel (eSOV) to be used to support the offshore wind and energy industry. It is the latest entrant in the race to develop the first zero-emission vessels with a focus on the offshore sector and the potential of using power at the wind farms to charge the ships.

In their application for the UK’s Zero Emission Vessel Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition, the coalition points to the strong opportunities in the segment to support offshore wind operations. With the UK calling for 40 GW offshore wind energy in additional offshore wind energy capacity by 2030 expanding on the more than 10 GW already in operation, the group estimated that between 62 and 149 vessels will be required. They highlighted that all the UK-operating SOVs have so far been built aboard.

They are proposing a 295-foot vessel that would be primarily powered by electricity and batteries and have dual-fuel methanol-powered engines as backup. The ship will be ready for offshore charging and can recharge its batteries at night.

They expect that it will be possible to operate a two-week cycle onsite at an offshore wind farm emissions-free. Near shore the vessel will operate solely on battery power and also while onsite. For the long transits between the shore homeports and the farms, the vessel will use its engines and with methanol fuel, it would be possible to still reduce emissions by 90 percent versus fossil fuel operations. They noted in the application if offshore charging is not available, the vessel would use its methanol engines to recharge its batteries and would still achieve a 50 percent reduction in emissions compared to a conventional SOV.

DNV, which is one of the members of the coalition notes, “The number of fully electric and hybrid vessels will surge over the next few years, and continuing development on these technologies will be a key part of the maritime industry’s transition to a zero-carbon future.”

Bibby, which is leading the effort notes the vessel will be a natural progression in its decarbonization effort and the first new vessel for Bibby Marine in five years.

It was one of five projects that was announced today at London International Shipping Week as a winner in the UK Government’s competition designed to support the development of new zero-emission maritime technologies. Under the rules of the competition, the vessel needs to be in service by 2025.

They are estimating a cost of $37.5 million for the project with the UK government awarding them $25 million in funding. The project participants include Bibby Marine, Port of Aberdeen, Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, Kongsberg, DNV, Shell, and Liverpool John Moores University.

In the previous rounds of the funding competition, the UK has also awarded support to projects seeking to develop the technology required to provide offshore recharging capabilities. It has been highlighted that one of the challenges is the increasing distance from shore for the location of the wind farms, making onsite recharging critical. The UK projects are one of several looking at offshore recharging and creating vessels that are fully electric or use other technologies to be zero-emission ships.

Demonstration of Methane Abatement System Planned for LNG Gas Carrier

Maran Gas LNG gas carrier — Maran Gas Chios a modern LNG gas carrier will be used for the demonstration (Maran Gas)

A critical trial is getting underway to get methane abatement technologies aboard an in-service LNG carrier. Environmentalists and regulators remain concerned about methane slip, the release of unburnt methane, because of its significantly higher impact on the environment which has led to increased efforts to reduce methane emissions.

The test will employ technology from Daphne Technology while combining the expertise of Wärtsilä as the engine manufacturer, The vessel for the test will come from Marine Gas Maritime and is operating under charter to Shell. Lloyd’s Register will be the independent auditor for the test’s data and DNV will be the class society.

They point out that the advancement of the process is especially important for older LNG carriers, which were one of the first segments to adopt LNG-fueled propulsion and have the highest emissions rates. Newer LNG dual-fuel engines have made advancements in reducing methane emissions. The goal of the technology being demonstrated is for further abatement of methane in exhaust gas to reach negligible levels.

The LNG Maran Gas Chios, a tanker registered in Greece and built in 2019 will undertake the test using its Wärtsilä 34DF auxiliary engines. The vessel was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering in South Korea, one of the leading builders of LNG carriers and it is a standard size with a capacity to transport 173,500 cbm.

The ship will be using Daphne’s SlipPure technology which utilizes electric power to convert methane to carbon monoxide (CO) and water (H2O). The system consists of a housing, a cartridge, and a power supply. The exhaust gas passes through several tubes in the cartridge, and the power supply triggers non-thermal plasma generation within the tubes. The non-thermal plasma reaction creates reactive species that react with the methane molecules in the gas and convert them to water and carbon monoxide (in a harmless concentration). According to Daphne, SlipPure only uses electricity during the process, and an intelligent automation system adjusts the cleaning efficiency to ensure the system runs at an ideal load.

The system received approval in principle from both LR and DNV earlier this year. The demonstration aboard an in-service vessel, with an independent audit, will help to determine the success at reducing methane emissions and creating a migration path for LNG vessels.

Currently, DNV reports that there are over 430 ships in service using LNG-fueled propulsion. As one of the near-term available options to address carbon emissions, the adoption of LNG is growing rapidly until other options such as e-methanol, other biofuels, and hydrogen-based fuels emerge in the future. DNV reports that the number of vessels delivered over the next five years fueled by LNG will more than double the total fleet to approaching 1,000 ships.

Sailboat Suffers a Damaged Rudder and a Water Leak in Orca Attack

Orcas have developed a habit of playing with sailboats along the coast of Spain, to the annoyance of the European yachting community. Sometimes the encounter is remarkable but harmless; sometimes it results in real damage, as it did for the German-flagged sailboat Meu off the coast of Cape Touriñán last week.

While the Meu was under way about four miles off Cape Touriñán, the 16-meter sailing yacht encountered a group of orcas. The killer whales rammed the boat's rudder, as is common in this region, but they also showed an interest in hitting its daggerboard, the crew told La Voz de Galicia.

The run-in left the rudder broken and the vessel leaking. The five-member crew called for help from Spanish lifesaving service Salvamento Maritimo, which helped provide a tow to a nearby seaport. No injuries were reported, and the vessel is awaiting repairs.

Dozens of orca interactions (of varying severity) are reported around the coast of Spain every month, including nearly 20 that have occurred off the northwestern coast since mid-August. That number includes two back-to-back attacks in the Bay of Biscay, far further to the east than previous incidents.

The frequency of the interactions has increased every year since the first incidents were reported in 2020, and some of the more recent run-ins have ended in sinkings. The attacks have a specific pattern: the orcas always target the rudder, and they bump it to swing the boat through a wide arc. Not all attacks end in damage, and of those that do, a rudder failure is almost always the outcome.

The vessels targeted are always sailboats of about 15 meters or less, including monohulls and multihulls. Local fishermen report that diesel-engined workboats - with smaller, differently-shaped rudders - are always left alone, even though the orcas will come within a few yards to chase fish.

Marine scientists with research center CIRCE have identified a handful of individual orcas who are believed to be responsible for the run-ins. There are two competing theories for the motive behind ther behavior. The first, suggested by biologist Alfredo López Fernández of the University of Alviedo, is that an orca was injured by a vessel at some point in the past and its family is taking revenge. The second, proposed by researchers at CIRCE, is that it is little more than a form of play or socialization for one orca family pod - a "fad," according to Monika Wieland Shields, director of the Orca Behavior Institute.

The interactions have caused a lot of property damage, but so far the risk to life appears limited to the hazards of a marine casualty - not predation or intentional harm. There has never been a documented case of a human dying from an orca attack in the wild.

U.S. is the Largest LNG Exporter Topping Australia and Qatar

Resumption of shipments from the Freeport LNG terminal helped the U.S. grow LNG exports in 2023 (Freeport LNG file photo)

PUBLISHED SEP 12, 2023 5:26 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

The United States exported more LNG than any other country in the first half of 2023 according to a new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The government agency that analyzes and reports on the energy markets to inform policy decisions cited the resumption of operations at the Freeport LNG facility as one of the key contributors to the growth in exports in 2023 while numerous additional LNG projects are in the development stage primarily for the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Using data from the French not-for-profit association CEDIGAZ, which is dedicated to natural gas information, the report says U.S. exports grew by four percent in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2022. The United States exported more liquefied natural gas (LNG) than any other country averaging 11.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d). In addition, the report highlights that U.S. LNG exports set a monthly record of 12.4 Bcf/d in April as Freeport LNG ramped up LNG production.

Freeport LNG, the second-largest LNG export terminal in the U.S., went offline after a June 2022 explosion. The plant remained offline not completing its first shipments till February 2023 while there were undertaking repairs and upgrades to systems. Management said they would be ramping up operations at least into March 2023 while longer term they are planning to add a fourth train. According to Freeport LNG management, this expansion will allow for the export of an additional 5+ mtpa of LNG, increasing Freeport LNG’s total export capability to more than 20 mtpa of LNG per year.

The U.S. has traditionally been competing with Qatar for the title of the largest exporter, but Australia edged out Qatar this year for the second position according to the data from CEDIGAZ. Australia exported the world’s second-largest volume of LNG in the first half of 2023, averaging 10.6 Bcf/d, followed by Qatar at 10.4 Bcf/d.

Similar to the patterns established in 2022, the EIA cites the strong growth in demand from Europe as the primary market for U.S. gas exports. EU countries and the UK remained the main destinations for U.S. LNG exports in 1H23, accounting for 67 percent (7.7 Bcf/d) of total U.S. exports. Five countries, the Netherlands, the UK, France, Spain, and Germany, imported more than half (6.0 Bcf/d) of total U.S. LNG exports.

European countries have been rushing to develop new import capabilities to make up for the loss of Russian gas. Germany created import facilities chartering a series of FSRUs placed both in the east and western seaports. Finland also chartered a vessel and new facilities opened in Italy and Spain, with countries including Greece working to develop their import facilities using FSRUs. Operations are beginning exports in emerging areas including Egypt and other African countries.

After a mild winter, Europe and the UK ended the 2022–23 heating season with the most natural gas in storage on record, and the region continued importing LNG to rapidly refill its storage inventories in the spring and summer.

In the first six months of this year, Europe and the UK’s LNG imports exceeded imports by pipeline for the first time on record, according to data from Refinitiv Eikon.

Demand remains strong from the European markets and with LNG exports on the rise, a record number of gas carrier vessels are now on order. The backlog to build vessels in South Korea helped China to increase orders for new LNG carriers. Rumors from South Korea indicate the three big shipbuilders are on the verge of a massive order for vessels tied to Qatar’s ongoing expansion which includes the opening of the North Field. Qatar lifted a self-imposed expansion ban in 2021. According to the International Trade Administration, the first phase of Qatar’s North Field project is expected to increase capacity by 43 percent from 77 million tons per annum (mtpa) to 110 mtpa by 2025. The second phase, called the North Field South Project, will further increase the production capacity from 110 mtpa to 126 mtpa, a total 64 percent increase by 2027.

Illinois nature lovers and scientists warn of population declines among native bees and other pollinators

2023/09/12

Barbara Williams carries an insect net and looks for bees, dragonflies and other insects in Deer Run Forest Preserve on Aug. 16, 2023, in Cherry Valley, Illinois.

- Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Barbara Williams zeros in on a patch of yellow wildflowers with her binoculars. She leans in slightly, her beetle earrings jangling, and proclaims “that’s definitive.”

Williams has spotted the rusty patched bumblebee. Perched on the petals of the cup plant, the bee is identifiable based on its black and white stripes and the tawny patch on its second abdominal segment.

“She is undoubtedly a she,” Williams remarks as the bee flies to a different flower. “The workers, the ones that do all the serious foraging, are females.”

The 70-year-old amateur naturalist is relieved to have finally located the elusive bee after 30 minutes of searching at the Carl & Myrna Nygren Wetland Preserve in Rockton, Illinois. Williams, a Rockford resident, has noticed a “disturbing” trend during her weekly trips to the preserve. The populations of some of her favorite insects — from bees to beetles to mosquitoes — appear to be in a “free fall,” she said.

Scientists say Williams’ observations have merit. While population sizes fluctuate year to year, research shows that there has been a dramatic decrease in the abundance of insects worldwide, specifically pollinators such as bees, flies, butterflies and beetles. Experts attribute some of the declines to habitat loss or pesticide use but warn that climate change poses new risks.

Paul CaraDonna, a conservation scientist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, said there’s quite a bit of evidence demonstrating long-term declines in insect populations. One study published in 2019 in the journal Biological Conservation revealed that 40% of the world’s insect species are facing extinction within the next few decades.

Another study, published in 2017 in PLOS ONE journal, found an “alarming” and “rapid” 75% decline in flying insect populations in nature protection areas in Germany during a 27-year time span. Researchers said these decreases will have widespread consequences for biodiversity and crop production.

CaraDonna compares species loss to a plane losing a bolt. The plane might not crash with the loss of one bolt, but if bolts keep disappearing, the plane will eventually fall out of the sky.

“We’re asking these critters to handle a lot and they’re being exposed to lots of stressors and extreme events much more frequently than they used to — that’s the concern,” he said.

Because many pollinators have an annual life cycle, CaraDonna cautioned that population sizes can shift substantially yearly based on a number of factors, such as weather, potentially contributing to some of the decreases Williams is seeing.

“A lot can happen from one year to the next in terms of a population having a relatively low abundance year, and that could be followed up for a variety of reasons with a really high abundance year,” he said. “Or, of course, it could be a signature of something that’s happening over and over again.”

Extreme weather in Illinois, such as drought, flooding or sweltering heat with temperatures reaching 100 degrees that have amassed attention this summer, can contribute to low abundance, he said.

“Your plants need water to be happy, so when we have these really dry conditions, it usually means the plants are under stress. When plants are under stress they tend to not do as well and one part of that is producing flowers for reproduction,” CaraDonna said. “Many pollinators rely on the flowers exclusively for food.”

“Extreme heat events can definitely cause some damage, and it can manifest in all sorts of ways,” he added. “Many insects especially in Illinois are probably able to withstand what we deem as a heat wave — they have a good amount of thermal safety margin — but if they’re in that environment for a really long time, that might change.”
The effects of climate change

Because of climate change, Christopher Dietrich, an entomologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said the rusty patched bumblebee is in danger of disappearing entirely. Dietrich said the bee, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed as endangered in 2017, has narrow habitat tolerances and “it’s going to get too hot for them.”

It’s also been at the center of a legal fight to preserve the Bell Bowl Prairie from the Chicago Rockford International Airport’s expansion plans.

The rusty patched bumblebee and other bee species such as the American bumblebee have declined significantly in Illinois during the past 30 years, according to Alan Molumby, a biology professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The state was once a mecca for bee diversity, Molumby said, but that abundance is in the past.

He said two species worked to fill the “ecological void” — bombus impatiens and bombus bimaculatus — better known as the common eastern bumblebee and two-spotted bumblebee, respectively.

“It’s something a lot of people wouldn’t notice,” he said. “Unless you know bumblebees, you wouldn’t realize that what was once a lot of different species has now been replaced to just a couple species.”

It’s fortunate that most bees are generally adaptive and resilient to disturbances, Molumby added. He said bees can find and colonize new habitats in response to climate change. The problem, he said, is that because of rampant habitat destruction, suitable habitats may not exist.

“If you warm the planet now, a species can’t move,” he said.

Other pollinators and insects that live in Illinois will respond differently to climate change because their development requires different temperature and precipitation conditions, according to Dietrich. Mosquitoes, for example, depend on water sources to breed, Dietrich said. Under drought conditions, they won’t have enough places to breed and their population will decline.

Population declines are troubling, CaraDonna said, because pollinators are ecologically and economically important. They pollinate crops that humans rely on, as well as plants in the natural ecosystem, he said. According to the U.S. Forest Service, almost 80% of crop plants grown around the world require pollination by animals, meaning humans couldn’t survive without pollinators.

“I have a 6-year-old daughter and I wonder about the natural ecosystems that she’ll be experiencing when she’s in her 20s or 30s,” he said. “In terms of nature as we know it, I think the loss of species is important. But for pollinators, because they provide these important pollination services to plants, we stand to lose quite a bit.”
Saving native bees in Illinois

There are simple steps everyone can take to protect bees, or as CaraDonna likes to call them, “amazing and magical critters.” He suggests building pollinator gardens with native plants so they have lots to eat, reducing pesticide use or simply appreciating insects — even ones that aren’t usually considered pretty.

Even though it might seem counterproductive at first, CaraDonna advises against building honeybee colonies. Honeybees are known to take resources from and carry diseases that can infect native bees, such as the rusty patched or common eastern bumblebees, suppressing their populations.

“If you want to be saving the bees, we do not need more honeybee colonies,” he said.

When Anthony Demma learned about the plight of native bees, he decided to start up the nonprofit Bee Haven in the Chicago area and work to restore their habitats. In two years, Demma said they’ve installed them at about seven locations, including at farms and a corporate campus.

“From the beginning, we got to pick a site that makes sense. Right now we’re looking at a site for example on a retention pond. We’re thinking that would be a good site because it would give these native plants room to spread out,” Demma said. “Then we get an estimate on the budget, and the first thing we have to do is remove all the weeds that are currently there.”

Afterward, Demma said they work with an ecological restoration company to design, install and maintain the habitats. All in all, he said the projects — from one-tenth of an acre to 10 acres — all cost under $20,000.

“Most of the attention goes toward commercial honeybees because we get honey from them, but there’s tons of other species of pollinators out there doing similar or uniquely designed tasks, and they’re not getting the attention that the honeybees are getting,” Demma said.

Williams doesn’t need a push to care about insects — she’s been doing it all her life. As she walks along the confluence of the Rock and Pecatonica rivers searching for mussels, the Natural Land Institute volunteer said she’s always gravitated toward the underdogs — the bats, bees and wasps that people are scared of and might not appreciate.

Protecting them, she said, is still important.

“Any of those things that got mistreated and misunderstood, I was like ‘I need to save them,’” Williams said.

Barbara Williams looks for rusty patched bumblebees in the Nygren Wetland Preserve on Aug. 16, 2023, in Rockton, Illinois. - Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/TNS

A rusty patched bumblebee flies over a cup plant at the Nygren Wetland Preserve on Aug. 16, 2023, in Rockton, Illinois. - Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/TNS

© Chicago Tribune

AMERIKA
Commentary: To improve outcomes for students of color, the ‘college marketplace’ myth needs to end

2023/09/12

Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Virtually every policy that governs our higher education system is based on a dangerous myth — that students do, and should, meticulously shop around for colleges nationwide and pick the best fit.

That’s the classic image: The prospective college student visits a slew of colleges and completes an array of applications. Then, they debate their options. Finally, parents pack up the car and drive across the country to drop their child off at college.

The entire college selection apparatus — including college rankings, recruitment, marketing and entrance exams — fuels this “marketplace” perception. And following the U.S. Supreme Court’s curtailment of race-conscious admissions, most policy discussions have focused on ensuring students of color can still access and choose between highly selective colleges.

Here’s the reality: Only 1 in 5 undergraduate students travel outside their home state for college, according to research I conducted with the Institute for College Access & Success, a nonprofit that advocates for student-centered public policies. And typically, students travel less than 17 miles from home — generally attending a community college or local public university.

That’s not due to a lack of talent or educational aspirations. It’s because a growing number of students need to care for family members, have close ties to their communities or have work responsibilities. Even with a scholarship, many still won’t want to travel far. They just want to get a good education close to their homes and communities. And contrary to the “classic” image, 1 in 3 undergraduate students are older than age 24.

It’s hard to overstate just how harmful this “marketplace” misconception truly is, particularly for traditionally marginalized students.

For one, our federal government assumes that students would shop around for schools and uproot their lives if they simply had “better information” about where to go. So policymakers pour a monumental amount of time, money and resources into massive information campaigns and programs that help students choose among schools — such as College Scorecard, College Navigator and tuition watchlists.

On its own, this information does provide value to some students. But to reach the majority of students, the information must also come with investments into resources that will make the most impact where it is needed.

Furthermore, by assuming students can and should simply choose schools that are highly selective or have the most name recognition, policymakers perpetuate a flawed, inequitable cycle of funding that worsens inequalities. For example, in 26 states, public schools receive funding based on their performance — in other words, the number of students who graduate.

But schools that serve traditionally marginalized students face an uphill battle — one that goes beyond the bounds of simply educating students. Due to rampant inequalities in K-12 education and beyond, these colleges need to invest more in support services — such as academic advising, child care and instructional assistance — just so their students can get by.

Meanwhile, highly selective schools that predominantly serve white, wealthy students don’t have to make as much of an investment in these support areas. So while a more selective school might use funding to improve facilities, bring aboard a renowned faculty member or hire lobbyists to get even more money, an underresourced school might have to put funding toward ensuring its students have the bare minimum to continue their education.

That creates a vicious cycle: Highly selective, well-resourced schools can churn out graduates with ease. Meanwhile, underresourced schools continue to be sapped of funding because they don’t have sufficient resources to help all students graduate.

And then there’s another crucial source of funding: federal research dollars. Each year, the National Science Foundation, an independent government agency, doles out millions of dollars to colleges and universities for research endeavors. A whopping 80% of that funding goes to selective flagship and research universities, which disproportionately serve few students from low-income families and students of color. These colleges can then shower students with top-notch equipment and facilities and provide robust research opportunities. And that experience can open doors for graduates down the road.

In policymakers’ minds, students could simply choose to travel and attend a school with higher performance metrics and more funding. But that simply doesn’t happen in practice — and it shouldn’t have to.

Moreover, the “marketplace” myth has been front and center following the Supreme Court decision on race-conscious admissions. Higher education policy discussions have focused on a central question: How do we ensure students of color can still access the most selective colleges in the country? To be sure, that’s a noble mission. But that will help only a handful of students.

The bottom line is: To truly uplift the vast majority of students, we need to shore up the colleges that are already supporting these populations. Many people — particularly people of color — live in areas with only one public college nearby. By infusing these local, underresourced institutions with needed funding and tools, we can significantly improve student outcomes — and opportunities.

Our higher education system is rooted in a perilous, long-standing misconception. By debunking the myth that students can and should shop around for college, we can start forming policies that actually fit the realities of today’s students.

____

(Nicholas Hillman is a senior fellow at the Institute for College Access & Success. He is also a professor and director of the Student Success Through Applied Research Lab at the University of Wisconsin at Madison)

Putin wants to salvage Ukraine loss by electing Trump: former CIA director

Sarah K. Burris
September 12, 2023,

Kremlin photos of Putin and Trump

Former CIA Director John Brennan thinks that Russian President Vladmir Putin is desperately trying to figure out a way to turn his Ukraine loss into a success.

Speaking to MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace on Tuesday, Brennan cited the goals Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un have for the 2024 election.

"Well, for Putin, it is absolutely essential, I think, that Donald Trump wins the election," he explained. "He's trying to prolong this war as long as he can, believing that it's going to lead the West and specifically the United States to relent eventually."

He noted that Trump has already sent signals that he would withdraw all assistance for Ukraine.

"So, Putin and Trump, it's very clear, that they are members of the autocrat's mutual admiration society, and they are going to flatter each other and play to each other's egos," said Brennan. "I think it is Putin's main lifeline in order to find some way to salvage what has been a debacle in Ukraine for him, and that is if Trump is able to return to the White House and so that Putin could have a like-minded individual that he can work with, detrimental to U.S. interests certainly and detrimental to western interests overall."

Brennan then addressed the meeting between Kim and Putin in Russia.

"Well, it's quite clear that Trump likes to associate with individuals of a similar bent," Brennan said. "Those who are, as Gen. [Barry] McCaffrey said, ruthless, very transactional, and very unprincipled. And, so, therefore, the fact that they're both pariahs on the international stage leads them to take advantage of the opportunity to meet."

It ultimately shows that the countries are not as isolated as the rest of the world wishes and they can shake hands with other world leaders, he explained.

See the discussion below or at the link here.

NASA to publish long-awaited UFO report

Issued on: 14/09/2023 -

Washington (AFP) – NASA is set to release on Thursday the findings of a long-awaited study on unexplained flying objects in Earth's skies.

Reports of UAPs -- unidentified anomalous phenomena -- have long fascinated the public but were historically shunned by mainstream science

© Patrick T. FALLON / AFP/File

The US space agency announced last year it was reviewing evidence regarding unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs -- which has replaced the term "UFO" in official parlance.

The subject has long fascinated the public but was shunned by mainstream science.

An independent team of 16 researchers shared their preliminary observations in May, finding that existing data and eyewitness reports are insufficient to draw firm conclusions, while calling for more systematic collection of high-quality data.

It's unlikely Thursday's report will change that bottom line -- but it could eventually usher in the start of a new mission for the agency.

While NASA's probes and rovers scour the solar system for any fossils of ancient microbes, and its astronomers look for signs of intelligent civilizations on distant planets, its historic posture has been to "debunk" sightings on our home planet.

There have been more than 800 "events" collected over 27 years, of which two to five percent are thought to be possibly anomalous, the report's authors said during the May meeting.

These are defined as "anything that is not readily understandable by the operator or the sensor," or "something that is doing something weird," said team member Nadia Drake.

The US government has begun taking the issue of UAPs more seriously in recent years, in part due to concerns that they are related to foreign surveillance.

NASA's work, which relies on unclassified material, is separate from a Pentagon investigation, though the two are coordinating on matters of how to apply scientific tools and methods.

In July, a former US intelligence officer made headlines when he told a congressional committee he "absolutely" believes the government is in possession of unidentified anomalous phenomena -- as well as remains of their alien operators.

"My testimony is based on information I've been given by individuals with a longstanding track record of legitimacy and service to this country -- many of whom also shared compelling evidence in the form of photography, official documentation and classified oral testimony," David Grusch told lawmakers.

Earlier this week, the alleged bodies of two "non-human" beings were presented during a congressional hearing in Mexico, generating a mixture of surprise, disbelief and ridicule on social media.

The purported mummified remains, which had a grayish color and a human-like body form, were brought by Jaime Maussan, a controversial Mexican journalist and researcher who reported finding them in Peru in 2017.

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2023/09/scientists-call-fraud-on-supposed.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2023/09/secret-memo-raises-more-questions-about.html

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for UFO

WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM

Behind bars in Iran, leading activist insists change 'irreversible'

Issued on: 14/09/2023

Paris (AFP) – She has not seen her children for eight years, has spent most of her recent life in prison and acknowledges there is no immediate prospect of release.

A protest movement erupted in Iran sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini

© Yasin AKGUL / AFP

But Iranian rights campaigner Narges Mohammadi insists her struggle is worthwhile, saying the protest movement that erupted one year ago in Iran against the Islamic republic is still alive.

First arrested 22 years ago, Mohammadi, 51, has spent much of the past two decades in and out of jail over her unstinting campaigning for human rights in Iran. She has most recently been incarcerated since November 2021.

While she could only witness from behind bars the protests that broke out following the death on September 16 of Mahsa Amini -- who had been arrested for violating Iran's strict dress rules for women -- she says the movement made clear the levels of dissatisfaction in society.

"The government was not able to break the protests of the people of Iran and I believe that society has achieved things that have weakened the foundations of religious-authoritarian rule," she told AFP in written answers from Tehran's Evin prison where she is held.

Mohammadi is held in Tehran's Evin prison which was hit by a fire in October

© KOOSHA MAHSHID FALAHI / MIZAN/AFP

Noting that Iran had even before September 2022 seen repeated protest outbreaks, she added: "We have seen cycles of protests in recent years and this shows the irreversible nature of the situation and the scope for the expansion of the protests."
'Realising democracy'

She said that after "44 years of oppression, discrimination and continuous repression of the government against women in public and personal life" the protests had "accelerated the process of realising democracy, freedom and equality in Iran".

Mohammadi, who observers tip as a Nobel Peace Prize candidate, said the protests opposing the Islamic republic had involved people "beyond urban areas and educated classes" at a time when religious authority was "losing its place" in society.

"The weakening of the religious element has created a vacuum that the government has not been able to fill with other economic and social factors, as the government is essentially ineffective and corrupt."

But she was bitterly critical of what she described as the "appeasement" by the West of Iran's leaders, saying foreign governments "have not recognised the progressive forces and leaders in Iran and pursued policies aimed at perpetuating the religious-authoritarian system in Iran."

Mohammadi argues there has been real change in Iran

© photographer / AFP

Mohammadi said she was currently serving a combined sentence of 10 years and nine months in prison, had also been sentenced to 154 lashes and had five cases against her linked to her activities in jail alone.

"I have almost no prospect of freedom," she said.

'Indescribable suffering'

But she said she "kept the hope of seeing the light of freedom and hearing its voice" and in prison organised discussions in the women's wing of Evin as well as singing and even dancing.

"Prison has always been at the core of opposition, resistance and struggle in my country and for me it also embodies the essence of life in all its beauty."

"The Evin women's wing is one of the most active, resistant and joyful quarters of political prisoners in Iran. During my years in prison, on three occasions, I shared detention with at least 600 women, and I am proud of each of them."

But for Mohammadi, the cost of her activism has also been immense, meaning she has missed much of the childhood of her twin children Kiana and Ali who now live, along with her husband Taghi Rahmani, in France.

Mohammadi has been separated from her Paris based children and husband Taghi Rahmani

© JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP

As well as not seeing them for eight years, restrictions placed by the prison on her telephone calls means she has not even heard their voices for more than a year and a half.

"My most incurable and indescribable suffering is the longing to be with my children from whose lives I departed when they were eight."

"The price of the struggle is not only torture and prison, it is a heart that breaks with every regret and a pain that strikes to the marrow of your bones."

But she added: "I believe that as long as democracy, equality and freedom have not been achieved, we must continue to fight and sacrifice."

'Sitting on a volcano': Amid fierce resistance & dissent, Iranian regime 'knows earthquake's coming'

Issued on: 14/09/2023
13:24
Video by: Mark OWEN

Iran's government has warned it will not tolerate any signs of "instability" as the first anniversary nears of the death of Mahsa Amini and the months-long protests it sparked. Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died on September 16 last year after her arrest in Tehran for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women. Her death triggered months of nationwide demonstrations under the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom". One year on, no plans for demonstrations have been overtly announced to mark the anniversary of Amini's death on Saturday, which is also a religious public holiday. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective as Iran approaches this grim 1-year anniversary, FRANCE 24's Mark Owen and Leela Jacinto are joined by Sepideh Farsi, Iranian writer, film director, and 2023 winner for Best Director at the Champs-Élysées Film Festival for her film "The Siren".

!NOPASARAN!
Franco-era torture victim hopes to break Spain's 'wall of impunity'

Madrid (AFP) – Just months before the death of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, Julio Pacheco Yepes says he was arrested and tortured by police for belonging to a left-wing underground movement that opposed the regime.

Julio Pacheco Yepes was a teenager when he was arrested and tortured by Franco's police © PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU / AFP

Now, nearly five decades on, Pacheco Yepes is set -- at a hearing that opens on Friday -- to become the first victim of the Franco dictatorship to testify before a Spanish judge investigating allegations of torture.

"It could open a chink in the wall of impunity that we (victims) have had to suffer for so long," the 67-year-old told AFP at his home in Vallecas, a working-class district of southeastern Madrid, referring to the people who suffered repression during Franco's 1939-75 rule.

"It is an important milestone. Keep in mind that this all happened nearly 50 years ago. Until now, nobody, no judge, has accepted a lawsuit or heard testimony in court. This is a first."

Over the years, around a hundred lawsuits have been filed over alleged torture suffered during the Franco era, but none of them was ever admitted, according to associations representing victims.

Judges have argued that the amnesty law passed in 1977 during Spain's transition to democracy made it impossible to prosecute crimes committed by political opponents of the regime or those perpetrated by "civil servants and public order agents" such as police.

But many Franco-era victims such as Pacheco Yepes and his wife Rosa Maria Garcia Alcon -- who was also arrested in 1975 -- argue that torture is a crime against humanity which cannot be covered by an amnesty and the statute of limitations.
'A pact of silence'

"What was imposed (in Spain) was a pact of silence and it has taken many years" to break it, said Garcia Alcon, 66, who heads La Comuna victims' association.

In August 1975, Pacheco Yepes and Garcia Alcon -- teenagers who were going out together at the time -- were both arrested for their involvement in the Revolutionary Anti-Fascist and Patriot Front (FRAP), a left-wing student movement opposed to Franco.

Rosa Maria Garcia Alcon says police forced her boyfriend to watch them torturing her

© PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU / AFP

They were taken to the police headquarters in Madrid's Puerta del Sol Square, which was used as a lockup and torture centre during the dictatorship.

They say various officers tortured them there for days before jailing them for "terrorism".

In December 1975, a month after Franco's death, the pair were released on bail. Several months later they were pardoned.

In 2018, Garcia Alcon filed a lawsuit against one of the two police officers she says tortured her but it was not admitted by the courts.

She will also take the stand on Friday as a witness in the case brought by her husband.

She says one of the ways the police tortured him was to force him watch them hurting her.
'Only truth can heal'

Pacheco Yepes filed his lawsuit against four of his alleged torturers in February, just months after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's left-wing government passed the democratic memory law honouring the victims of violence and persecution under Franco.

The law was opposed by the right, which said it would only re-open the wounds of Spain's past.

Pacheco Yepes said it was difficult to gather the documentation to support his case, given the "total" unwillingness of public bodies such as the National Archive to "cooperate".

While he would like to see his alleged torturers "sitting in the dock", if the judge ultimately decides not to put them on trial, it will still serve as an important reminder about "what Francoism was", he says.

This is particularly important at a time when the far-right Vox party is gaining ground and there is "a strong current" of nostalgia about the Franco era, he says.

"The only way to fight this... is by showing how politically backwards (the Franco dictatorship) was," he told AFP.

"The only way to close wounds is with the truth... If you don't, they will always bleed."

Issued on: 14/09/2023 -
© 2023 AFP