Paging Captain Marvel: Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert asks Forest Service to alter Earth's orbit, or the moon's, to fight climate change

Joel Shannon, USA TODAY , JUNE 10,2021

U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Texas Republican, appeared to stun a Forest Service official by suggesting the agency fight climate change by altering the orbits of Earth or the moon.

© Jacquelyn Martin, AP Rep. Louis Gohmert, R-Texas, right, speaks duing a news conference with members of the conservative Freedom Caucus, on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) ORG XMIT: DCJM116

The question came during a live-streamed national parks, forests and public lands subcommittee meeting of the National Resources Committee on Tuesday and was followed by social media mockery.

"I understand from what's been testified to, the Forest Service and the (Bureau of Land Management), you want very much to work on the issue of climate change," Gohmert began his question to Jennifer Eberlein, the associate deputy chief for the National Forest System.

Gohmert said he understood NASA's data shows the Earth's and the moon's orbits are "changing slightly."

"And so, is there anything that the National Forest Service or BLM can do to change the course of the moon's orbit or the Earth's orbit around the sun? Obviously, that would have profound effects on our climate."

Eberlein paused before responding, "I would have to follow up with you on that one, Mr. Gohmert."

"Yeah? Well, if you figure out a way that you in the Forest Service can make that change, I'd like to know," Gohmert said.

Gohmert's question was widely mocked on social media, including by members of Congress.

"I know the answer to the question by Rep. Louie Gohmert," tweeted U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California. "Captain Marvel. She can alter planetary orbits with her superpowers. I’m going to work on a bipartisan resolution asking for her help."

Gohmert's idea was shot down by theoretical astrophysicist Katie Mack. She suggested two "equally distressing possibilities" explained Gohmert's question.

If the congressman believes the Forest Service or BLM could possibly move the orbits of Earth or the moon, "he does not understand how orbits work," Mack tweeted.

Or, Mack suggested Gohmert was being sarcastic, suggesting fighting climate change is as impossible as changing those orbits.

Gohmert responded to the backlash on Twitter by pointing out that Tuesday's hearing "was about the BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT & climate change."

USA TODAY has reached out to National Forest Service for comment. The National Forest System includes nearly 200 million acres of land managed by the Forest Service, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Gohmert has a history of making scientifically dubious claims. Last summer, Gohmert suggested he may have contracted COVID-19 because he was wearing a mask, despite health guidance encouraging mask-wearing to reduce the spread of the virus.

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODA

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paging Captain Marvel: Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert asks Forest Service to alter Earth's orbit, or the moon's, to fight climate change

Biden nominee for public lands boss faces GOP opposition

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — President Joe Biden's nominee to oversee vast expanses of U.S. public lands was criticized Tuesday by Republicans over her past involvement in partisan politics as a longtime Democratic aide and environmentalist, underscoring the importance lawmakers assign to a relatively small agency with broad influence over energy development and agriculture in western states.

Senate confirmation of Tracy Stone-Manning to direct the U.S. Bureau of Land Management would mark a stark change from the government's catering to oil and gas interests under former President Donald Trump.

It would take every Senate Republican plus at least one Democratic lawmaker to block her nomination. So far no Democratic defectors have emerged.

The land bureau has been in staffing turmoil after four years without a confirmed director and losing nearly 300 employees to retirement or resignation when its headquarters was relocated from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, Colorado.

UNION BUSTING BY MOVING HQ
Interior Department officials confirmed Tuesday that only three workers ultimately relocated to Grand Junction. The revelation, first reported by the media outlet Colorado Newsline, marks the latest example of the heavy toll on the federal workforce from a broad reorganization of government under Trump, which left agencies hobbled as they regulated industry and conducted climate research.

With roughly 9,000 employees, the land bureau has jurisdiction over 245 million acres (100 million hectares) of federally owned land in Western states, managing them for uses ranging from fossil fuel extraction, renewable power development and grazing, to recreation and wilderness.

Before joining the National Wildlife Federation four years ago, Stone-Manning worked as chief of staff to former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and supported him through his failed attempt to unseat Montana Sen. Steve Daines.

During a hearing Tuesday of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Republicans lambasted her role as treasurer and board member of the environmental group Montana Conservation Voters, which ran ads against Daines. The Republicans also raised concerns she would impede energy development.

“You've been incredibly partisan in your past,” said Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. “It seems like from your heart, you really don't care for Republicans.”

Stone-Manning, from Missoula, Montana, said her deceased Republican parents would be “rolling in their graves” over the allegation of partisanship. She indicated she wanted to move on from the 2020 election and said working in a collaborative manner was the only way to make progress in the West’s contentious public lands debates.

“Elections can be tough. I was supporting my former boss, Gov. Bullock. But the election is over, and I will honor the outcome of that election,” she said.

Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper asked Stone-Manning about the headquarters relocation, saying the move was “done in haste” and let down employees of the land bureau and the city of Grand Junction, which hoped for an economic boost.

Stone-Manning said the Interior Department was reviewing the headquarters move but gave no further details.

The director's post and 327 other positions were moved out of Washington under Trump, to Grand Junction and other western cities, bureau spokesperson Jeff Krauss said. The upheaval triggered the resignation or retirement of 278 people.

Of 41 positions created at the new Colorado headquarters, 11 career positions and two political positions including the director's office remain vacant, Krauss said.

Interior officials were unable to immediately say how many positions at the Grand Junction office remain unfilled.

At the National Wildlife Federation Stone-Manning led the group's efforts to preserve public lands in the West for wildlife, hiking, hunting and other nonindustrial uses.

She was previously an aide to Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and worked for a nonprofit group that pushed the clean up one of the country’s largest contaminated Superfund sites, Montana’s Clark Fork River.

Tester introduced Stone-Manning at Tuesday's hearing and rejected the GOP description of her as an ideologue.

“She is a good person with a good heart who understands the value of our public lands,” Tester said.

Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall questioned Stone-Manning on whether she had a conflict of interest in receiving a personal loan of $50,000 to $100,000 in 2008 while working on Tester's staff. Financial disclosure filings showed she received the 12-year loan from Missoula developer Stuart Goldberg at a 6% interest rate, which Marshall said was below the 11 % going rate for consumer loans at that time.

Stone-Manning responded that she had been “smacked by the recession and a friend loaned us some money to make sure we could get through.”

“We honored the loan,” she added.

The land management bureau’s director post went unfilled for four years under Trump, who instead relied on a string of acting directors to execute a loosening of restrictions on industry. Chief among them was conservative lawyer William Perry Pendley, who before he took the position advocated for selling off federal lands.

Pendley was ordered removed by a federal judge after leading the bureau for more than year without required Senate confirmation and getting sued by Bullock.

Stone-Manning backed the effort to oust Pendley and said he was an illegal appointee.

She would serve under Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a former Democratic congresswoman from New Mexico who was confirmed over opposition from Republicans citing her criticisms of the oil and gas industry.

Matthew Brown, The Associated Press

Washington's 'joints for jabs' vaccine program falling flat

SEATTLE (AP) — It was designed as an innovative way to promote COVID-19 vaccinations, but Washington’s new “joints for jabs” program is off to a rough start.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

Officials announced Monday that the state's nearly 500 licensed marijuana retailers could begin hosting vaccine clinics and offering a single, free pre-rolled marijuana cigarette to any 21-plus adult who received a shot there.

It's one of many vaccine incentives being offered in Washington, including free pints of beer, sports tickets and prize money to lure those who have been hesitant or just lazy. Washington and Colorado in 2012 were the first states to legalize the adult use of marijuana, with regulated sales beginning in 2014. The industry brought Washington close to $474 million in taxes in the last fiscal year.

But few things are simple in an industry that's illegal under federal law, and the hurdles to offering the free joints are substantial enough that few of the state's legal pot shops are saying they will participate, even if they would like to do so.

Retailers told the state Liquor and Cannabis Board during a meeting Wednesday that many don't have the space to host a vaccine clinic. Some health care providers are queasy about setting up a clinic on the site of a marijuana business because they don't want to jeopardize federal funding by being involved in the distribution of an illegal drug. And the program is set to expire July 12 — too soon for them to offer a second shot to customers who might show up for a first shot in mid- to late June.

The retailers also ruefully noted that the Liquor and Cannabis Board allowed breweries, wineries and bars to offer a free drink to customers who merely showed proof of vaccination — no onsite clinic required.

“We're hearing from retailers that they want to be a part of this,” said Aaron Pickus, a spokesman for the Washington CannaBusiness Association, an industry group. “Why can't we do this like the wineries and breweries did it?”

Board chair David Postman told them it was a member of the business group who late last month suggested the program, which he and Gov. Jay Inslee's office thought was a great idea.

While a marijuana retailer in Arizona offered free vaccines along with complimentary joints or edibles early this month, no other state appears to have a similar “joints for jabs” program. “We are out ahead on this," Postman said.

The requirement that the pot shops hold onsite vaccination clinics was partly motivated by the fact that people aren't allowed to consume cannabis at licensed retailers, unlike alcohol at a brewery or winery, he said — suggesting that people who showed their vaccine cards at multiple pot shops could wind up with a lot of free joints that might be given to youngsters.

He also said that the board gave the marijuana stores an advantage it didn't give to alcohol purveyors: a tax break on the product they give away.

“I guess I just beg for a little understanding,” Postman said. “If it’s not the right thing, then that’ll be too bad, because I think we all need to get as many people vaccinated as possible.”

Daniela Bernhard, the co-owner of Uncle Ike’s cannabis store in Seattle, told the board the industry is excited to be included in efforts to boost vaccination, but “disappointed that our legal and heavily regulated sector continues to be treated differently than our peer sectors in Washington.”

“If we are trusting adults driving with their vaccination cards to get a pint of beer and then responsibly get to their next destination, we can also trust that adults will pick up a joint and enjoy it later in a legal setting,” Bernhard said.

Bernhard said Uncle Ike's effort to host a vaccine clinic had been rejected by two health care providers, though she declined to identify them.

One public health agency, the Spokane Regional Health District, had not yet been approached by any licensed marijuana shops about setting up a vaccine clinic — but it had an answer ready.

“We would not be able to provide vaccine because of concerns about federal funding,” spokeswoman Kelli Hawkins said.

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

9/6/2021

The world is 'way behind' on investments into water and sanitation systems, CEO says

Abigail Ng 

JUNE 9,2021


The world has a long way to go in finding solutions to water shortages, according to John Streur of Calvert Research and Management, an investment management company.

"We're way behind in terms of the amount of investment we need to bring our industrial water systems, our (agricultural) systems and our residential systems up to where they need to be," Streur said.

TSMC is considered a leader in water management, Streur said, pointing out that at the company's best facility, water is circulated seven times before being disposed.

'A very long road' lies ahead in solving the world's water challenges, CEO says


The world is a long way from finding solutions to water shortages, according to an investment management company that focuses on sustainability.

"We're way behind in terms of the amount of investment we need to bring our industrial water systems, our (agricultural) systems and our residential systems up to where they need to be," said John Streur, chief executive officer of Calvert Research and Management.

Most CEOs of water-reliant companies will admit that the resource is "very underpriced," he said.© Provided by CNBC In an aerial view, low water levels are visible at Lake Oroville on June 01, 2021 in Oroville, California.

"As a result of that, the amount of effort that we've put into creating a safe and secure source of water is behind where we are in terms of our industrial development," he told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Tuesday.

Streur also pointed to a "significant health challenge" for people who don't have a steady supply of safe water.

According to a 2021 report by Unicef, 1.42 billion people live in areas of high or extremely high water vulnerability.

"In many cases, we haven't even built the necessary water infrastructure to provide access to clean drinking water and sanitation systems for population centers," Streur said.

He discussed ways that investors can invest in the water segment, including putting money into companies that develop filtration technology, or firms that use a lot of water and are efficient in conservation efforts.

Calvert Research and Management owns shares in Taiwanese chip foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) because it uses water efficiently, he added.

TSMC is considered a leader in water management, Streur said, pointing out that at the company's best facility, water is circulated seven times before being disposed.

"We and the industry are very tuned into the fact that water is a critical input, (and) it's often in shorter supply than they would like," Streur said. Taiwan is battling its worst drought in more than 50 years.

Semiconductor manufacturing plants require huge amounts of water every day, but have become more efficient in their use of the resource, he said.

SPIRIT ANIMAL

Partially white moose cools of amongst the lily pads (msn.com)

This cow moose was spotted cooling off in Marchington Lake eating lily pads.

Duration: 00:36

Thousands return home in east Congo after volcano eruption

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Thousands of people are returning to Goma and a surrounding region in eastern Congo hoping to find their homes still intact weeks after a volcano erupted, but fearing the worst.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

The eruption on May 22 of Mount Nyiragongo forced tens of thousands of people to flee with no warning as lava flowed through their communities.

More residents living on the outskirts of the North Kivu provincial capital were forced to evacuate again a week later when fears rose there would be another eruption. Authorities sent buses to take a number of people to safety in the town of Sake and other places in the days that followed.

But as people now start the journey home, they are worried about what awaits them and what help they will get.


“We had evacuated and the people stole everything we owned,” said Matuso Sumbuo, from Kihisi, in the outskirts of Goma. She complained that authorities have promised aid but said that they have not received any help yet.

Video: Congo volcano leaves smouldering wreckage but major city spared (Reuters)


“We, who lived from day to day with the small businesses, how we will live now?” she said before boarding a bus with her family to return home.

The government of Nord Kivu said that those who lost their houses will remain in shelters in different regions but the rest can go back to their houses.

The situation in Sake as well as in other towns receiving those displaced by the eruption was challenging.

“Here we were living on our own because since we arrived, we only received food once from WFP (the World Food Program), but it was not enough” said Esperance Suzane, who carried her belongs in a bag as she prepared to return home.

The last eruption of Mount Nyiragongo, one of the world’s most active volcanos, was in 2002, leaving hundreds dead. The lava coated the airport runways and also left more than 100,000 homeless in the aftermath. The volcano also erupted in 1977, killing more than 600 people.

Justin Kabumba Katumwa, The Associated Press

 

Photographer captures shooting star falling into a volcano

VIDEO Duration: 00:50 

Why North Atlantic right whales are smaller now than they were 40 years ago
Shane Fowler

CBC

JUNE9,2021

© Submitted by Joshua Stewart A recent study shows a significant reduction of the length of the average North Atlantic right whales.

North Atlantic right whales seem to be shrinking: They are an average of a metre shorter today than whales of the same species were in the 1980s.

And some whales are as much as three metres smaller than their predecessors.

To put that into perspective, some of today's 10-year-old whales are only growing the size of a one- or two-year-old whale from 40 years ago.

That's the finding of a recent study looking at several decades of data. It's another blow to the endangered species, which has struggling to survive. The whales, which currently number less than 400, are dying after being trapped in fishing gear or hit by ships each year, despite efforts by both Canadian and American government interventions.

"I was pretty shocked," said Joshua Stewart, a research associate with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the study's lead author on the paper, which appears in Current Biology, a peer-reviewed journal.

Stewart started looking into the topic when field biologists would photograph what they thought was a one-year-old calf based on its size, only to realize later the whale was actually five to 10 years old.

With the help of various other researchers and biologists, Stewart amassed as much data as he could on the size of the whales dating back to the early 80s.

"The data was being collected before I was even born," he said from Mexico, where he's currently working.

For the study, the researchers compared decades-old aerial shots from planes to more recent shots from drones. Detailed field biologists' notes and measurements dating back to the 80's also proved crucial to their work.

When the research was completed, the size difference became clear.

Video: Rare beluga whale encounter off the coast of Nova Scotia (The Weather Network)

The likely culprit? Whales are getting caught in fishing gear.

"The big thing that we found were that whales that have these extended entanglements that last for months or years are stunted compared to whales that aren't entangled," said Stewart.

Most North Atlantic right whales become trapped in fishing nets and traps at some point in their lives.

"Over 85 per cent of the population has entanglement injuries, either scars or attached gear, so it's a pretty chronic problem for this population," said Amy Knowlton, co-author of the paper and a senior scientist with the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life based in Cambridge, Mass.

Knowlton contributed the entanglement data for the study after spending years documenting whale entanglements.

The toll being caught in nets and lines is extremely damaging to a whale's body and often leads to its death.

"You could sort of imagine like if we were to strap a sandbag to you and you had to drag that around for a few months or a year," said Stewart. "You're going to have a lot less energy to devote to other things, especially if you're still growing. You might end up stunted just because you're burning so much energy dragging that sandbag around."

Stewart says there's a good chance other whale species that are often ensnared are experiencing a similar decrease in size. But as North Atlantic right whales have been on the brink of extinction for so long, they're one of the few species with such a detailed data set dating back decades that researchers can use to prove it.

It's not just the mature whales caught in gear that are getting smaller.

Whale calves whose mothers are entangled are also more likely to be stunted according to the study.

That's because mothers caught in gear are also trying to produce milk and feed their young. Spending energy on trying to survive takes away from energy that would otherwise be spent producing milk.

"For a female with severe injuries there would also be the energy she's needing to heal from those injuries and that's diverting energy away from nursing her calf so that she can try and heal and survive," said Knowlton.

Using weaker ropes for fishing would give whales a better chance at freeing themselves according to Knowlton. Better yet getting rid of ropes altogether, using ropeless traps, would prevent whales from getting caught in the first place.

Both scientists believe that if the whales given the chance to recover the species would eventually return to its normal size.

HUBRIS RESULTS IN IRONIC SCHADENFRUEDE 
Joe Manchin's Bill Demanding Equal Pay for Women's Soccer Could Be Blocked By Filibuster

UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Aila Slisco  

NEWSWEEK

JUNE 9,2021


West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, a staunch defender of the filibuster and advocate for bipartisanship, could soon see his bill demanding equal pay for women's soccer players blocked by Republicans under the Senate rule he insists on preserving

.

© Susan Walsh/Getty Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) could soon see one of his own bills blocked by a GOP filibuster after introducing the GOALS Act without the support of any Republicans on Wednesday. Manchin is pictured during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C. on June 9, 2021.

Manchin and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) introduced the Give Our Athletes Level Salaries (GOALS) Act to the Senate Wednesday. Manchin proposed a similar bill in 2019. The GOALS Act was co-sponsored by 11 other Democratic senators. Since no GOP senators have expressed support for the bill, it appears unlikely to reach the 60-vote threshold required to avoid a filibuster.

The bill would block federal funding for the men's 2026 World Cup—set to be jointly hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada—unless the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT) is given equal pay to the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team (USMNT).

While introducing the bill on Wednesday, the Democrat congressman said that he was "disappointed" Senate Republicans were "unable to come together" and instead used the filibuster to block the Paycheck Fairness Act, another bill intended to combat gender-based pay discrimination, on the previous night.

"While we were unable to pass the much-needed legislation last night, today I'm introducing the GOALS Act with my Senate colleagues to ensure that, our phenomenal U.S. Women's National Soccer Team are paid equitably compared to their male counterparts in order to receive any federal funds for the 2026 World Cup," Manchin said in a statement.

"The first vote I took as a Senator was to support paycheck fairness, and to this day, I am proud to lead the fight for equal pay across all workplaces, including the soccer field," he added. "I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this commonsense bill to ensure a level playing field for everyone, including our top-notch U.S. Women's National Soccer Team."

The USWNT, the most successful team in the history of women's international soccer, has been fighting for equal pay with their less-lauded male counterparts for many years. The USWNT earns up to 89 percent less than the USMNT while playing the same number of games, while bonuses for World Cup games pay the men more to lose than the women get for wins, according to a 2019 article from The Washington Post.

Attempts to achieve soccer pay parity using the courts have been unsuccessful, with a 2019 discrimination lawsuit from 28 USWNT players being dismissed by a federal judge in May 2020, although the players have appealed the decision. The GOALS Act was initially introduced to the House by Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) in 2019. Manchin championed the Senate version.

After it failed to advance in 2019, Matsui and DeLauro reintroduced the bill to the House in March of this year. Although the federal government will not directly fund the 2026 World Cup, the GOALS Act would block funds going to host cities or local organizations facilitating the tournament unless the U.S. Soccer Federation agrees to pay the USMNT and USWNT equally.

Since Manchin has steadfastly refused to eliminate or weaken the filibuster under any circumstances, the GOALS Act has virtually no chance of becoming law without the support of at least 10 Republicans in the Senate. Based on Wednesday's blocking of the Paycheck Fairness Act, expectations that bipartisanship will win out on equal pay for the country's soccer players only may be far-fetched.

Newsweek reached out to Manchin's office for comment.

Mandryk: Saskatchewan's low minimum wage is a long-standing constant

Murray Mandryk 

OPINION

REGINA LEADER POST

JUNE 9,2021

The Saskatchewan Party government announced on Friday a plan to increase what is close to the lowest minimum wage in Canada.

© Provided by Leader Post Fear of job losses remains one of the government's argument against more substantial increases to Saskatchewan's minimum wage.

It held another news event that same day singing the praises of Saskatchewan’s nation-leading May job numbers in the monthly Statistics Canada labour force survey.

So you might ask: If we are creating jobs, doesn’t that mean we might be able to afford to look at a higher minimum wage?

You’d think that would the case, but job politics in Saskatchewan gets complicated rather quickly — especially given that having to have a low minimum wage here is something that’s almost ingrained in our psyche.

Friday, Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan announced a meagre 36-cent-an-hour increase to $11.81 an hour (effective, Oct. 1) from the current $11.45/hour minimum pay.

By the fall, only New Brunswick will have a lower minimum wage. At that point, Saskatchewan minimum wage earners will finally surpass Manitoba’s minimum wage circa 2019, the minimum wage level of P.E.I., Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia in 2018, B.C.’s and Quebec’s minimum wage of 2017 and Ontario and Alberta’s minimum wage of 2016.

Morgan explained the paltry annual inflationary increase was more appropriate than ever because it is “supporting both businesses and workers as we move into recovery after the pandemic.”

Clearly, this government has no interest in departing from this formula that’s produced 13 similar minimal annual increases since the Sask. Party took over from the NDP in 2007 when the minimum wage was just $7.95 an hour.

Critics on the left, now demanding a $15-an-hour minimum wage, were quick to condemn the government for ignoring the plight of minimum wage workers who’ve risked their health during the COVID-19 pandemic while working in the frontlines in retail, food services and hospitality industries.

However, it’s worth noting some of these same critics also argued restaurants and bars and places of commerce should have faced more restrictions and shutdowns during the pandemic that might have left even more such workers out of a job. Today, they have less to say about the Sask. Party government strategy that does seem to have produced a better employment outcome than elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Trade and Investment Minister Jeremy Harrison boasted Friday of having the lowest unemployment rate in Canada. He also noted Saskatchewan was one of the few provinces that actually created jobs from April until May — not as great an accomplishment as the minister’s spin would suggest.

A 4,100-job increase in the month when construction season starts, farmers are seeding and university students are landing summer jobs is more seasonal than spectacular. Moreover, Saskatchewan having the lowest unemployment rate (6.3 per cent in May) in the country is part of a long-standing conscious effort tied to having the lowest minimum wage.

There are valid reasons for the pushback by labour and the left, but our low minimum wage is nothing new. It has always been that way — or at least since the Allan Blakeney NDP administration in the 1970s. But the argument has always been that we are an agrarian-based economy where residents have traditionally enjoyed lower housing costs and utility rates.

Even when times got better here, the approach to the minimum wage didn’t much change.

According to Statistics Canada, in the 20-year span between 1998 and 2018 — years of acknowledged growth and prosperity here in Saskatchewan — the rate of workers earning minimum wage in Canada increased to 10.4 per cent from 5.2 per cent with urban workers surpassing rural workers because of the growth in retail jobs.

But the real argument in Saskatchewan for keeping the minimum wage low has always been the fear of businesses shutting down and an increased exodus to Alberta and B.C. (although no one ever leaves here for just a better minimum wage).

We didn’t see big increases to the minimum wage a decade ago when jobs were plentiful. Don’t expect to see things change now that times are less certain.

But do expect more days when government argues jobs numbers are great, but the minimum wage must remain low.

Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

Exxon's board shakeup could force review of billions of dollars in spending

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The recent overhaul of Exxon Mobil Corp's board of directors could shift billions of dollars in spending and strategy over several years, but any changes likely will take time, analysts and investors say.

A quarter of directors last month lost their seats to outsiders, and the March appointment of activist Jeff Ubben puts a third of the 12-member board in new and more cost-conscious hands. Investors who rejected Exxon's view of a slow transition to lower-carbon fuels also want spending to be revisited, they said.

The Exxon boardroom contest shocked the energy industry and came after years of weak financial returns at the largest U.S. oil producer. Shares are up by about 50% this year as oil prices have recovered from pandemic lows.

Exxon's board has been a prestige post for former CEOs, typically without any energy experience. Critics said the practice led Exxon to miss industry shifts and play catch-up at the expense of its balance sheet. Exxon bought in to natural gas near its peak, leading it to reduce the value of properties in the United States, Canada and Argentina by more than $19 billion last year, and paid up to arrive late to the shale oil party.

New directors with energy experience likely will address Exxon's spending “far more vigorously,” said Anne Simpson, investment director at shareholder California Public Employees' Retirement System.

Investors want a "fundamental rethink on strategy," she said, with “the big measure" being its $16 billion-$19 billion annual project spending. The shakeup puts in play billions of dollars in shale, liquefied natural gas, refining and chemical projects.

Asked to comment on its new board and strategy, Exxon said only that it welcomed the new directors. "We look forward to working with them collectively to benefit all of our shareholders."

STRATEGY REVIEW

Exxon needs "a real review of its strategy" in the wake of last month's International Energy Agency report that challenges the need for new projects if the world wants to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century, said Bess Joffe, head of responsible investment at the Church Commissioners for England.

"The board is going to have to adapt" by giving investors more information on projects and environmental, social, and governance issues, or ESG, said David Larcker, director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

"It's just not a company that can turn on a dime," Larcker cautioned, adding that this year's budget is set. It is midway into big outlays in Guyana, Brazil, U.S. shale and chemicals, analysts said.

Existing directors believe coupling oil and gas investment with a gradual shift to alternative energy is Exxon's best path forward, long-time director Ursula Burns said at a virtual event hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas last week.

Exxon failed to communicate the importance of that phase-in to investors, she said.

"It has not been well done by Exxon Mobil for sure and that's one of the things that we have to work on is how do we tell the story," said Burns, who has served in many roles including as former chairman and CEO of Xerox Corp.

She said Exxon did not pay attention early enough to public frustration over global warming and ESG. Investors, she said, "wanted a direct, in some cases, (and) in some ways, an impossible message to be given." Burns added that "most of the board" thinks an energy transition is needed and that companies like Exxon need to be engaged in how that happens.

LOCKED-IN PROJECTS

Energy analysts do not see Exxon slashing its biggest ventures - offshore oil in Guyana and Brazil, or liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Asia and the United States - due to long-term commitments. It already has cut spending in the United States and could lower further, they said.

Guyana and Brazil's offshore fields will be prioritized, said Ruaraidh Montgomery at researcher Welligence. LNG projects that supplant oil production also can help Exxon reduce emissions, said Tom Ellacott, at consultants Wood Mackenzie.

In the United States, Exxon has sharply cut drilling and reduced its shale output goals to 700,000 barrels per day from 1 million. But even there, Exxon's multi-year projects "are hard to undo," said Peter McNally, an analyst with investment research firm Third Bridge Group.

However, investors are not buying the poor-messaging explanation or belief that spending decisions cannot be revisited.

"This is a call to reassess fundamentals of supply and demand for energy in the long term, and to question whether Exxon's current thinking around renewables gaining market share is too modest," said Stewart Glickman, analyst at CFRA Research, in a client note.

(Reporting by Jennifer Hiller in Houston; Editing by Gary McWilliams and Matthew Lewis)

Police say nearly 250 arrested in Minnesota pipeline protest


FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Nearly 250 people were arrested when protesters attempting to stop the final leg of the reconstruction of an oil pipeline across northwestern Minnesota took over a pump station, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.

Hubbard County Sheriff Cory Aukes said that 43 workers at the Enbridge Energy Line 3 pump station were trapped inside the site for some time Monday morning when demonstrators locked them in behind the front gate. Protesters also put up barricades and dug trenches across roads, “presumably in preparation" for a standoff with law enforcement, Aukes said.

The workers were eventually able to leave the site. No injuries were reported.

"This is unacceptable, and we will seek the full prosecution of all involved," Enbridge Energy spokeswoman Juli Kellner said.

Aukes said 179 people were arrested and charged with gross misdemeanor trespassing. An additional 68 people were cited for public nuisance and unlawful assembly. It was the largest show of resistance since protesters set their sights on the project.

The sheriff said demonstrators caused “a large amount of damage” to equipment “and other assets." Kellner said damage included vandalism of contractor equipment, as well as slashed tires, cut hoses, rocks and dirt in engines, forced entry into offices and destroyed electrical wiring in equipment. She did not give a damage estimate.

Demonstrators hauled in a large boat to block the main entrance to the pumping station and about 20 people barricaded themselves to it, Aukes said. The final four protesters were removed from the boat by midday Tuesday, when Kellner said some employees returned to work at the site near Park Rapids, about 85 miles (137 kilometers) east of Fargo.

Monday was billed as the Treaty People Gathering. As protesters made their move on the pump station, a separate group held a prayer service near the headwaters of the Mississippi River, some 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, before an estimated 1,000 people marched to the site where the pipeline crosses under the river. That peaceful meeting including music, prayers and speeches, including one by environmentalist and author Bill McKibben.

“The thing about climate change, it’s a timed test,” McKibben told The Associated Press before the march. “If we don’t get it right soon we will never get it right.”

Another protest against the pipeline is scheduled Thursday in Minneapolis outside the office of Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar. The group TakeAction Minnesota says Klobuchar should pressure President Joe Biden to halt construction of Line 3.

Environmental and tribal groups say Enbridge Energy’s plan to replace Line 3 would worsen climate change and risk spills in sensitive areas where Native Americans harvest wild rice, hunt, fish, gather medicinal plants, and claim treaty rights. The line would cross the Mississippi River while carrying Canadian tar sands oil and regular crude from Alberta and across North Dakota and Minnesota to Wisconsin.

Enbridge says the original pipeline — built in the 1960s — is deteriorating and can run at only about half its original capacity. It says the new line, made from stronger steel, will better protect the environment while restoring its capacity and ensuring reliable deliveries to U.S. refineries.

Dave Kolpack, The Associated Press

Opinion: Time to reframe the question around our energy needs

Jim Elliott, OPINION

REGINA LEADER POST

The recent “fight” over Line 5 in Ontario presupposes a narrative that is unproductive and pushes us into the game of whack-a-mole. If it isn’t Line 5, then it is Energy East. If it isn’t Energy East, then it is Keystone. If it isn’t Keystone … you get the picture.

© Provided by Leader Post A view of the Imperial Oil refinery, located near Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline, which Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered shut down, is pictured in Sarnia, Ont., on March 20, 2021. PHOTO BY CARLOS OSORIO /REUTERS

I believe we need to change the language and the question. Most politicians and the fossil fuel industry would want you to believe that energy = fossil fuels. We need energy, therefore, we need fossil fuels. If it isn’t coal, then it is natural gas. If it isn’t natural gas, then it is oil or bitumen. The fossil fuel industry wants you to believe there is no other path.

I will admit that most of what happens on this planet is based on energy use. But here is a scenario and different language: If you are a plant, you get your energy through photosynthesis with the source of that energy as the sun. You don’t need fossil fuels. If you are a human, then you need to eat plants and animals for energy. Energy is a service provider, not a product or widget.

We have to therefore ask a different question. Not, “Can we sell you coal, natural gas or oil?” We need to ask what services are you in need of and, once that is defined, you begin to assess the amount of need. In the case of a building and warmth, can that service of warmth be provided through the capture of energy that is already there instead of simply pumping more warmth into a very leaky building? Can that energy be maintained longer inside your home by building a better sealed energy envelop? If you design a building in which you have no need for a furnace, then what use is natural gas or oil or coal?

Once you have exhausted ways to reduce your energy need, then and only then should you be looking for energy sources. And you need to find the most-efficient and effective way to provide that energy source. For example, if your location has the highest and strongest source of solar energy (i.e. Estevan, often billed as Canada sunniest city) then why would you not look at photovoltaic or passive solar installations or geothermal energy? You don’t need to jump to the conclusion of we got to have more pipelines.

© Provided by Leader Post 

Solar should be the first option for energy production some argue.

What the fossil fuel industry has done is convince us to build leaky buildings and only get energy from fossil fuels. Our provincial utilities have been widget sellers for decades. We need to be converting them into energy service corporations and solve your problems with the best way possible, not just sell you more widgets.

Many of the pipelines will become stranded assets unless we wish to dig them up and recycle the steel. Oil and gas wells will become abandoned or, at best, converted to geothermal wells tapping into the renewable energy of the earth. The scar on the surface that is the tar sands can and will be left for the people of the next millennium and beyond to clean up and help nature restore the surface.

If we can only stop the fossil fuel industry from creating more sacrifice zones on the planet, we might have the possibility to take a different road, paved with long term sustainability, healthy people and a healthy planet.

Jim Elliott is chairperson of the Regina chapter of the Council of Canadians.

MORE UCP FIREWALL ALBERTA BS
Province proposes equalization referendum question

Alberta has introduced a motion in the provincial legislature to hold a referendum on equalization with the vote happening across the province in October.

On Monday, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney introduced the motion, noting Alberta can’t unilaterally implement the outcome of the vote, rather it is intended to be a strategy to negotiate with the federal government.

On Oct. 18 Albertans will be asked: Should the section of the Constitution that commits the Government of Canada to the principle of making equalization payments be removed?

The premier said this is a concern he has heard from Albertans across the province.

"For millions of Albertans, equalization has become the most powerful symbol of the unfairness for Alberta's deal in Confederation and for good reason," Kenney said.

"This is a strategy to elevate Alberta's fight for fairness in the federation to the top of the national agenda – to get Ottawa's attention," he said.

The premier said this move is a legal tool to make a strong political and legal point to Ottawa.

Kenney campaigned in the last provincial election on holding a referendum on equalization, which he said other provinces benefit from while Alberta is financially hurt by decisions made in Ottawa and other provinces. The Fair Deal Panel put forward a referendum on equalization as a recommendation in its report.

The premier cited a litany of reasons for the strategy – the federal government “surrendering” to then-President Barrack Obama’s veto of Keystone XL, scrapping the Northern Gateway pipeline, opposing the Energy East pipeline, and allowing British Columbia to delay the Trans Mountain pipeline as just a few reasons Albertans wanted changes to the equalization program.

“One of the biggest sources of frustration, at least in my conversations with Albertans, has been the fundamental unfairness of the equalization program. While the experts and pundits often mock the very idea of trying to change equalization, Albertans do not,” Kenney said.

Most Albertans Kenney spoke with said that they don't mind helping out their fellow Canadians, but the premier said they don’t like the hostile way Alberta's oil industry is treated.

The results of the vote will have no legal impact, and changing the program will require a change to the Constitution, which would require two-thirds of the provinces voting in support.

Equalization payments are one of three federal transfer programs and the money for the program is generated through federal revenue, including GST and personal and corporate taxes.

Then the federal government transfers payments through the program to provinces whose economies are struggling. Provinces that do not have a difficult time raising revenue do not receive payments from the federal government.

The formula works by calculating what a province's revenue would be if all the tax rates were the same as the national average. Then equalization tops up provinces who are lower than the national average.

The program is intended to ensure there are no disparities across the provinces and all Canadians can enjoy similar services, regardless of which province they call home.

The vote will take place during municipal elections this fall.

Jennifer Henderson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, St. Albert Gazette

Braid: Hydrogen could be the fuel for Kenney's popularity rebound

Don Braid, Calgary Herald 

Premier Jason Kenney’s overall approval rating from Albertans is down again, to 31 per cent.

© Provided by Calgary Herald Premier Jason Kenney in Edmonton on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, announced a strategy to grow and expand the natural gas sector.

Hot air won’t lift him up. Maybe hydrogen will, unless he and his ministers are hit with more scandals around COVID-19 rules.

Wednesday’s announcement of a $1.3-billion hydrogen project in Edmonton’s Heartland area was just the kind of news the UCP government needs.

Such a project is transformative, literally. It uses a good old Alberta feedstock, natural gas, to produce hydrogen while capturing and storing the CO2 from the natural gas.

The traditional industry is ensured markets, while the end product is high on most lists of “net-zero” emission fuels for decades to come.

When (and if) agreements with the company are finalized, this project will be a valuable symbol of Alberta’s shift to modern energy products that align with climate goals.

Albertans desperately desire two things, it seems to me — an end to this pandemic and the creation of a durable, prosperous economy that builds respectfully on the past.

There is no space between Alberta and Ottawa on the hydrogen push. Kenney agrees with the federal focus. The news conference was a symphony of mutual praise.

The U.S. chair and CEO of Air Products, Seifi Ghasemi, said the company is attracted by Canada’s world leadership in emissions policy.

“We are proud to expand our presence in this dynamic region, where we have found a vision for decarbonization that mirrors our core values,” he said.

Kenney pitched in enthusiastically. Forgotten for the moment was hostility to Ottawa’s far less friendly attitude toward oil and pipelines.

Even on that front there was critical movement Wednesday, as five major oilsands producers promised net-zero production by 2050, with help from both the Alberta and federal governments.

The NDP immediately challenged Kenney to match Leader Rachel Notley’s goal of a net-zero electricity grid by 2035 . She also says the whole province should be emission-free by 2050.

Soon enough, the UCP came out with comments like “socialist meddling.”

The NDP loves to goad the UCP into statements that seem hostile to environment and climate action. Works every time, and blurs the fact that the UCP is taking serious steps on several fronts.

The government needs to keep its environmental message straight and consistent, both for its own political future and the province’s image.

Are the UCP just piecemeal fans of net-zero when big money and jobs are at stake? Or do they really want the energy business — and the provincial economy itself — to transform into a dynamic new form?

It’s never quite clear, partly because of the UCP’s confusing and contradictory attitude toward Ottawa.

Kenney had nothing but praise Wednesday for the collaboration needed to put the hydrogen deal together. In return, he got hallelujahs from the key federal players, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, and Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Reagan.

Two days earlier, Kenney was trumpeting the provincial referendum to remove the equalization formula from Canada’s Constitution.

Equalization has not been kind to Alberta. You can still see the bitter slogans on cars and fence posts — “No pipelines? No equalization!” This program needs major reform.

But if Albertans vote to actually abolish equalization, Alberta would be the national villain just when the only hope for change is co-operation from other provinces.

Wednesday afternoon, the province formally announced the windup of its Keystone XL Partnership with TC Energy .

Of all the bad memories in recent energy disputes, this is the worst — President Joe Biden cancelling the whole project on his first day in office, after Kenney had risked more than $1.3 billion of Albertans’ money.

Rather than go through this dismal cycle again, it makes so much more sense to create products at home that the world wants to buy. May hydrogen prosper.

Don Braid’s column appears regularly in the Herald

dbraid@postmedia.com

Twitter: @DonBraid

Facebook: Don Braid Politics

Fuel of the future? 

What hydrogen can (and can't) do for Canada
Daniel Martins 

WEATHER NETWORK

JUNE 9,2021

It sounds too good to be true: hydrogen, the miraculous ‘fuel of the future,’ will power the zero-emission economy we’d need to stave off the worst of climate change. It could also unlock new industries worth billions of dollars.

By means of a chemical process involving hydrogen and water, the fuel is used to generate the electricity needed to run a wide range of vehicles, and the only real byproduct of the process is water — meaning hydrogen-fuelled vehicles could roam the roads spitting out nothing but molecules of H20.

It sounds satirical, like a spoof of what some 1950s futurist would scribble in their journal of half-baked sci-fi story pitches. But it’s very real, and governments are putting down very real money to make it a reality.

The U.S. and European Union both laid the groundwork for formal hydrogen strategies in the last year. At home, the federal government has its own strategy to capture a share of what it estimates will be an $11-trillion global market, with a made-in-Canada hydrogen industry that could be worth as much as $50 billion and employ 350,000 people by mid-century.

The private sector is increasingly showing signs of wanting in on that action. In the last few months, Thyssenkrupp announced plans for a production plant in Quebec, Ballard is set to produce hydrogen fuel cells for CPR locomotives, and, on a smaller scale, Toyota is partnering with Lyft to improve visibility of its hydrogen passenger vehicles in British Columbia.

WATCH BELOW: LYFT PARTNERS WITH TOYOTA TO PROVIDE HYDROGEN VEHICLES TO DRIVERS
Embedded content: https://players.brightcove.net/1942203455001/B1CSR9sVf_default/index.html?videoId=6231413831001

To harness some of that interest Edmonton launched the country’s first ‘hydrogen hub’ in April, with funding from all three levels of government, and partners with a range of interest groups, to kick-start the hydrogen industry in that province.

Canada’s oil and gas heartland might seem like an odd place for a clean fuel revolution, but the province’s experience actually improves the region’s chances of capitalizing on it, at least according to David Layzell, the research director of Transition Accelerator, one of the partners of the Edmonton hydrogen hub.

Video: As climate change intensifies, hydrogen gains more traction as alternative fuel (The Weather Network)
Embedded content: https://players.brightcove.net/1942203455001/B1CSR9sVf_default/index.html?videoId=6257822591001

“What we’re looking at is piggybacking on the hydrogen production that’s now used as an industrial feedstock, and diverting that and making that into an end-use fuel,” he said in an interview with The Weather Network.

Layzell says Alberta is well-placed to tap into the burgeoning alternative fuel market due to its experience with hydrogen, derived from natural gas, in cracking bitumen into synthetic crude oil. Alberta, he says, produces 5,000 of the 8,000 tonnes of hydrogen made in Canada daily, and beyond the province, some refineries use hydrogen to convert crude into petrochemicals.

NOT ALL HYDROGEN IS CREATED EQUAL

Though hydrogen is, famously, the simplest and most abundant element in the universe, it rarely occurs naturally on its own, and is instead combined with other elements. Pure hydrogen is derived from some kinds of fossil fuels, or by electrolysis of water. The difference lies in the source of the electricity used in the production process, and the industry uses colour-coded language to distinguish between the emissions levels of different energy inputs.

At the top of the pyramid is “green” hydrogen, produced using renewable energy, and as such has no CO2 emissions anywhere during the process (the renewable part of the hydrogen colour spectrum gets a bit more crowded when you factor in “pink” hydrogen, produced from nuclear, and “yellow” hydrogen, from solar).

The next-best option is “blue” hydrogen, produced from fossil fuels like natural gas but where the emissions are captured and sequestered during the process, while at the very bottom sits “grey” hydrogen, produced from fossil fuels but without CO2 sequestration.

Layzell says carbon capture of emissions from the hydrogen production process is completely feasible in Alberta and, in the long run, existing pipelines can even be reconfigured to transport liquid hydrogen domestically or for export.

“It’s not a matter of putting [oil and gas] companies out of business, it’s changing what they do, what they make, and how they do it,” he says.

WATCH BELOW: CANADIAN COMPANY CAPTURES CARBON DIOXIDE AND USES IT TO MAKE CONCRETE
Embedded content: https://players.brightcove.net/1942203455001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6184813184001

Though some automakers are experimenting with hydrogen passenger vehicles, Layzell says hydrogen isn’t really meant to compete with EVs in that realm. The real beneficiaries, Layzell says, would be heavier-duty vehicles, such as trains, ships, or freight trucks, that don’t get much downtime to refuel.

In other realms, battery-based electric and hydrogen will be suitable for different things — the former for heating systems and some industrial purposes, the latter for producing the electricity itself, as well as larger, more intensive industries such as steel-making.

“There’s an opportunity for a ‘hydricity system’ — hydrogen-electricity — to actually be more equitable around the world in terms of access to the energy that society needs,” Layzell says.

Layzell says the biggest challenge would be coordinating investment throughout the hydrogen process, from production to end-use, so that it scales up sustainably: in hubs like Edmonton, initially, then in ‘corridors,’ then a widespread network across the country, so that the new hydrogen infrastructure can endure once public money stops and private money steps up.

“Like any chain, it’s only as strong as its weakest link,” Layzell says. “So we need to focus both public and private investment at the critical parts along the value chain, so that each link in the chain is similarly strong, and we can have the strongest chain possible that meets societal needs economically and socially, providing the energy resources we need.”

BLUE HYDROGEN

How the feds see a big role for Big Oil in a hydrogen future

As some climate advocates push for hydrogen made from renewable energy, Natural Resources Canada is on the hunt for ways to include the oil and gas industry in the fuel’s future.

“Canada’s oil and gas sector is well-positioned to develop domestic hydrogen supply chains,” reads a meeting note Canada’s National Observer received through a federal access-to-information request. “In the short term, existing infrastructure and grey hydrogen production can kick-start Canada’s hydrogen economy.”

The note was prepared for Natural Resources deputy minister Jean-François Tremblay following a conference call March 10 between assistant deputy ministers Glenn Hargove, Mollie Johnson, Drew Leyburne, Frank Des Rosiers, and executive director of the ARC Energy Research Institute Peter Tertzakian. Tertzakian was not available for comment by deadline.

Hydrogen is increasingly seen as a fuel that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but experts realize any climate benefits are intrinsically tied to how the hydrogen is produced. The types of hydrogen produced are colour coded, with grey meaning produced from natural gas, blue meaning produced from natural gas with carbon capture technology used, and green meaning produced using renewable electricity. According to the Pembina Institute, more than 99 per cent of all hydrogen is grey, with blue and green together representing less than one per cent.

The note recognizes financing as a major obstacle for the oil and gas industry looking to break into hydrogen production, and reveals where Canada’s policy priorities might be.

“How would you address the debate over green versus blue hydrogen to persuade financial institutions to invest in blue hydrogen projects?” reads the note. “In your view, how can the government of Canada work with industry and the provinces to make headway on oil and gas sector diversification and competitiveness and reduce regulatory burden?” it also asks.

The note calls carbon capture “an essential part of Canada’s transition to a net-zero economy,” and says there are opportunities to deploy the technology in natural gas, upgrading, refining and petrochemical subsectors — depending on available financing — to curb emissions. Using carbon capture to convert natural gas to hydrogen would represent a new revenue stream for fossil fuel companies, the note says.

Green Party parliamentary leader Elizabeth May says Canadians should be skeptical of climate solutions that don’t seek to phase out the oil and gas sector, calling carbon capture, nuclear power, and hydrogen — unless explicitly green — “scams” that keep a needed transition at bay.

“What we need to do is say out loud: We have to shut down the oilsands by 2030, let's plan for that. Let's make sure we have a plan for workers, let's make sure there's a plan for communities, let's make sure the Alberta economy benefits from all these other technologies that actually are green technologies,” she said.

“We cannot afford to blow it on hitting the Paris target, and that means we can't have fake, fraudulent, technology that continues to perpetuate fossil fuels,” she added.

Natural Resources Canada maintains the goal is to lower emissions and sees hydrogen as a key part of that.

“Our government released the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada in December 2020, outlining a path for Canada to capitalize on this opportunity to grow the economy and lower emissions,” said Ian Cameron, a spokesperson for Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan. “The goal of the strategy is to make Canada a top global producer of low-emission hydrogen.”

“I don't think we're categorically against blue hydrogen, but we don't want the carbon capture to involve enhanced oil recovery,” said NDP natural resources critic Richard Cannings, adding “that would be really extending the life of an industry we know that we have to move away from over the next 30 years.”

Cannings said aiming for green “is the way to go,” and that he is open to blue hydrogen production if it can be done without enhanced oil recovery, calling that “one step forward, two steps back.”

The same week assistant deputy minister for the Energy Technology Sector Glenn Hargrove and assistant deputy minister for the Strategic Petroleum Policy and Investments Office Drew Leyburne had a conference call with Tertzakian to discuss hydrogen supply chains, the two also hopped on a bi-weekly call with executives from Suncor, Cenovus, and Canadian Natural Resources Limited to discuss decarbonizing the sector.

According to a meeting note Canada’s National Observer received through a federal access-to-information request, the industry is looking for long-term policy predictability to feel more confident investing in technologies like carbon capture. The department admits in the note that some technology like post-combustion carbon capture has not been used in the oilsands, but expects to see multiple companies deploy the technology by 2030.

May says the government needs to ask of every piece of technology, “Does this get us off fossil fuels or not?”

“If it doesn't, then you don't do it, and you certainly don't spend public money on it, and you don't lie to Canadians and tell them you've embraced a clean economy agenda when embedded in it are fraudulent methods of keeping fossil fuels in use longer than they need to be,” she said.

The Pembina Institute says for hydrogen to help in the fight against climate change, it is best used in hard-to-decarbonize sectors that are already dominated by fossil fuels, like transportation or heavy industry.

John Woodside, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, National Observer

Airbus tells EU hydrogen won't be widely used in planes before 2050
By Tim Hepher and Laurence Frost  

© Reuters/FABIAN BIMMER FILE PHOTO: A general view in a new A320 production line at the Airbus plant in Hamburg

PARIS (Reuters) - Most airliners will rely on traditional jet engines until at least 2050, with the introduction of zero-emissions hydrogen limited to regional and short-range planes, Airbus told European Union officials in a briefing released on Thursday.

The planemaker has emerged as the industry's leading champion for hydrogen propulsion, saying it plans to develop the world's first zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035.

It has not publicly said whether the technology will be ready in time for the European industry's next major milestone - a replacement for the medium-haul A320 in the 2030s - but February's briefing to EU officials appeared to rule this out.

"Zero-emission hydrogen aircraft will be primarily focused on regional and shorter-range aircraft from 2035. Which means that current and future iterations of highly efficient gas turbines will still be required as we move towards 2050, especially for long-haul operations," the presentation said.

Slides from the presentation to the office of European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans were released by InfluenceMap, an investor-led climate lobbying watchdog which said it obtained them through a freedom of information request.

"It is not yet decided what market segment the first zero-emission aircraft will target," an Airbus spokesperson said on Thursday, declining further comment on the February meeting.

Although research remains at an early stage, possible paths to replacement of the A320 are already a major focus of debate as rival Boeing ponders how to shore up the competing 737 MAX and engine makers focus on evolving gas turbines.

Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun last week ruled out using hydrogen on a significant scale before 2050.

Hydrogen has also taken centre-stage in talks over European government support for aviation during the COVID-19 crisis.

In June last year, France announced an increase in funding for the CORAC aviation research body including 1.5 billion euros over three years for technology such as hydrogen, rescuing 500 out of 15,000 jobs threatened by an Airbus restructuring.

The finance ministry listed five key targets for the investment including a successor to the workhorse A320, which it said would use hydrogen instead of today’s gas turbines and enter service between 2033 and 2035.

2022 CONCEPT DECISION

Industry officials have played down the prospect of a switch to hydrogen for the A320 family's replacement because of the aircraft's size and range, and infrastructure needed globally. Airbus says an A320 takes off or lands every 1.6 seconds.

Airbus officials say the research will in any case seed disruptive technology likely to play a role in the next generation of airplanes.

As an interim step, Airbus and others have called for more widespread use of sustainable fuels in existing planes.

In February's presentation, Airbus displayed industry forecasts suggesting the A320's medium-haul category of 150-250 seats would be powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) first, and "potentially some hydrogen" from 2050.

A smaller niche between 100-150 seats, which includes its A220 and Embraer E2, would use electric power, hydrogen and/or SAF from 2040, while only regional 50-100 seaters would be ready for hydrogen in the 2030s.

Airbus currently serves that market through its 50-70-seat ATR turboprop co-venture with Italy's Leonardo.

In September last year, Airbus presented three concepts for a hydrogen plane to enter service in 2035 including a turboprop, a traditional-looking twin-engined plane powered by hybrid-hydrogen engines and a more radical blended-wing body aircraft.

Airbus has said it will choose the final product for a new decarbonised plane in 2025. The briefing said it would also narrow down the choice of broad concept as early as mid-2022.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher and Laurence Frost; Editing by Mark Potter)

#NOTOKYOOLYMPICS
Japan's Olympic sponsors hire consultants to assess potential brand damage-FT


TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese corporate 2020 Olympic sponsors have hired consulting firms to advise them on whether to push ahead with Olympic-themed marketing plans or limit their association with an event that could damage their brands, the Financial Times reported.

 Reuters/Kim Kyung Hoon FILE PHOTO: Olympic rings reinstallation at the waterfront area at Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo

The consultants include Kantar Group from Britain and two Japan-based firms, Macromill Inc and Intage Holdings, the FT said, citing unidentified people.

More than 60 Japanese companies, such as Toyota Motor Corp and and beverage maker Asahi Holdings, have together paid more than $3 billion to sponsor the Tokyo Games.

Most Japanese want the games canceled or delayed again, amid concern that tens of thousands of foreign athletes and Olympic officials could bring new coronavirus variants and further pressure on an already stretched medical system.

(Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Peter Graff)

JAPANESE STATE-CAPITALI$M 

Probe concludes Toshiba, with government, sought to pressure shareholders at AGM

By Makiko Yamazaki  

 Reuters/Toru Hanai FILE PHOTO: Logo of Toshiba Corp is seen as Window cleaners work on the company's headquarters in Tokyo

TOKYO (Reuters) - An independent probe into Toshiba Corp's controversial annual shareholders' meeting last year concluded that the company, together with the government's industry ministry, effectively colluded to undermine shareholders' rights.

Activist investors including Effissimo Capital Management had successfully pushed for an investigation into whether the Japanese conglomerate applied pressure on shareholders over voting at the meeting.

"Toshiba, so to speak in unison with METI, devised a plan to prevent Effissimo from exercising its shareholder proposal right at the AGM," investigators said in the report which was released by Toshiba.

The controversy comes amid a push by Japan's government for improved corporate governance.

(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Edwina Gibbs)