Innovation, collaboration, education emerge as themes of N.W.T. climate conference

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3-day conference intended to inform the territorial government’s next strategic framework

Natalie Pressman · CBC News · Posted: Jul 08, 2023 

Richard Nerysoo, a former N.W.T. politician, is now an "energy champion" with a federal initiative focused on supporting remote Indigenous communities in reducing diesel reliance. (Natalie Pressman/CBC)

To tackle our climate crisis, Richard Nerysoo says we can't be paralyzed by fear.

Nerysoo, a former N.W.T. politician, is now an "energy champion" with a federal initiative that supports remote Indigenous communities to reduce their reliance on diesel. He participated in a three-day conference this past week engaging residents, government representatives and industry on what is working and not working in the territory's plan to address climate change.

Input from the sessions is intended to inform a review of the 2019-2023 action plan, and contribute to developing the next strategy. 

"Because we fear, we don't take responsibility, and because we don't take responsibility — we don't take action," Nerysoo said Friday, on the final day of the event.

Robert Sexton is the director of energy for the government of the Northwest Territories and president of the board of directors of Arctic Energy Lines. He said events like this help channel diverse perspectives into a shared goal. (Natalie Pressman/CBC)

Nerysoo suggested some of that action start with including Indigenous people on boards and renovating homes to be more energy efficient rather than always building new. He said industry is also learning it has social responsibility in remediating sites.     

"To have markets, change has to happen," he said.

Robert Sexton is the director of energy for the government of the Northwest Territories and president of the board of directors of Arctic Energy Lines. Like Nerysoo, he said industry is changing and economics and environmentalism don't need to be at odds. 

"Investors want to see more sustainable mining, lower carbon mining, so the change is going to happen I think and it looks like that's the way it's going to go everywhere."

Sexton said events like the conference help channel diverse perspectives into a shared goal. 

"You have people from around the N.W.T. communities, Indigenous governments, leaders, NGOs, in this type of structured environment, there's a lot of things being said that we would never think of and absolutely need to take into account."

Posters from the event display participant ideas about different lenses from which to approach climate action. (Natalie Pressman/CBC)

As far as how the event will inform the territory's next climate plan, Sexton says it's too soon to say. 

In addition to the conference participants, the territory is collecting feedback from Indigenous governments and the public through an online portal until August 22 — though Sexton said he and his team would be happy to take feedback anytime. 

He said that will then be packed into a report, which will help to inform the territory's next government.   

 

Vince Teddy, a hamlet councillor in Tuktoyaktuk, said he's thinking about how best to communicate the issues to get the help his community, and the North has been asking for. 

He said leadership in Tuktoyaktuk and the Inuvialuit region have been proclaiming the dangers of rising sea levels and permafrost thaw for over a decade. 

"Finally over the last two years, there's been some action taken by the federal government and finally they've come across to say 'We hear you, we understand where you're coming from, we'll help you out to do mitigation, to look at ways to continue to live where you're living today as best as possible.' 

But we know the reality is we gotta move 50 years from now. We have to be out of there. So that's the stage we're at."

Vince Teddy, left, and Zain Ali, right, said that coming out of the conference, they're thinking about education. (Natalie Pressman/CBC)

Zain Ali, the education program manager with the environmental non-profit Ecology North, said educating on climate change is an important step in motivating people to take action. 

"Finding a way to take all of this information and make it digestible not only for the general public but also for youth and children that will end up using this as kind of a pathway to careers that they might take on to address this."

Ali also emphasized that through continued teamwork, it is possible to move toward a greener world. But it has to be ongoing. 

"We all can enact change," he said. "We've talked a lot about collaboration and coordination, it just needs to continue. It can't just happen just at conferences where we see each other, we make great relationships and then we don't see each other again for a certain amount of time. 

It'll be really nice if there was a way to kind of coordinate all the relationships that have been built."

STEEL CITY

Air monitoring shows high levels of cancer-causing pollutant in neighbourhoods across Hamilton

Citywide pollution-tracking found unhealthy levels of common steelmaking pollutant benzo(a)pyrene at monitoring sites from Dundas to Stoney Creek.

By Matthew Van Dongen Spectator Reporter
Saturday, July 8, 2023

The study, funded by Health Canada, measured several air pollutants last year at 60-plus sites using devices attached to utility poles. The air samplers were spread across the lower city — but also on the Mountain and in outlying communities.

The Hamilton Spectator file photo

The largest air-monitoring experiment in city history has found unhealthy levels of a cancer-linked contaminant across Hamilton — including in neighbourhoods kilometres away from polluting bayfront industries.

The results suggest coal-fired steelmaking pollutants like benzo(a)pyrene travel far beyond the lower city and pose “an even greater (health) impact than we may have expected,” said Matthew Adams, an urban air-quality expert who is co-ordinating the study alongside city staff.

A promised cut in coal use by Hamilton’s biggest steelmaker should eventually help clear the air — but not before 2028.

In the meantime, Adams said it’s up to governments to do more to regulate and reduce such dangerous pollutants. “It’s not the sort of risk an individual can realistically do much to protect themselves against.”

The study, funded by Health Canada, measured several air pollutants last year at 60-plus sites using devices attached to utility poles. The air samplers were spread across the lower city — but also on the Mountain and in outlying communities like Binbrook, Winona and Freelton — allowing the city to track air quality by neighbourhood and ward.

Results from the study will be shared in a public online meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. that residents can access via a link from project partner Environment Hamilton’s website by visiting bit.ly/airmeeting.

As expected, levels of pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide were generally worse in the lower city near industry or busy roadways, while rural air was cleaner, said Adams, a professor at the University of Toronto.

But nearly all of the 26 air monitors that tested for benzo(a)pyrene recorded summer concentrations above Ontario’s standard for air quality. That included samplers kilometres away from the industrial bayfront in Dundas, on the central and east Mountain, and in Stoney Creek.

The chemical compound, which studies link to cancer, is created by incomplete combustion of organic material. It can come from smouldering wood, cigarette smoke or even burning steak — but the biggest emissions come from coal-fired steelmaking.

Two of the top industrial emitters of benzo(a)pyrene in Ontario are steelmakers in Hamilton: ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Stelco’s bayfront coke plant.

Adams said neighbourhood air testing showed the highest levels near industry. “But what we saw is that most of the city, certainly the urban areas, (were) also above the guideline,” said Adams.

The results appear to ground truth past provincial models that suggest lifetime cancer risk due to benzo(a)pyrene and benzene is higher for Hamilton residents compared to the rest of Ontario.

While pollution levels in the city have dropped significantly since the 1990s, the latest test results show residents must “continue to push” for changes to protect their health, said Environment Hamilton head Ian Borsuk.

Some improvements — like factory pollution controls, but also electrified transportation and cleaner fuels — will have the double-barrelled benefit of cutting greenhouse gas emissions, he added.

One critical example is a “green steel” project by ArcelorMittal Dofasco, which has vowed to end the use of coal by transitioning to electric arc steelmaking furnaces as early as 2028. Both federal and provincial tax dollars are committed to the project, which is expected to dramatically slash both carbon emissions and air pollution.

Stelco has not publicly committed to ending coal use in Hamilton by a particular date, but lease documents suggest its polluting coke-making plant could shut down before 2030.

The province has also recognized the unique local health risk posed by benzene and benzo(a)pyrene by introducing tighter regulations for new industries seeking to set up shop in Hamilton.

Still, local politicians have expressed frustration with provincial air-quality exemptions routinely provided to the city’s big steelmakers that allow them to exceed standards for pollutants like benzo(a)pyrene.

City council voted earlier this year to send a letter opposing further exemptions after learning Dofasco’s latest “site specific standards” for various pollutants were about to expire.

The latest experiment just reinforces those concerns, said Mountain councillor John-Paul Danko. “This (pollution) is obviously a serious issue for people living near industry. But it is also a wider concern.”

Dofasco general manager of environment Gas Gebara said Friday the company is working with the province to develop a “technical standard compliance approach” for the steel industry. He added the planned green steel transition will “eliminate or vastly reduce” problem pollutants like benzene and benzo(a)pyrene.

Gebara also said the overall trend for benzo(a)pyrene emissions from the steelmaker is downward. National Pollutant Release Inventory data shows Dofasco’s annual emissions have dropped by more than half over the last decade.


Matthew Van Dongen is a transportation and environment reporter at The Spectator. mvandongen@thespec.com


Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton Spectator reporter. He lives in Hamilton and started working at The Spectator in 2011 after journalism stints in Peterborough and Niagara covering everything from arts to health to the environment. He has been recognized with awards for coverage of hidden pollution threats in Hamilton and historic flooding in Peterborough, among other projects.

What is port automation — and why are striking workers concerned about it?

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Canada lagging on industrial automation; union fears it 

could lead to significant job cuts

Nick Logan · CBC News · Posted: Jul 08, 2023 

Striking International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada workers march from the port to a rally, in Vancouver on Thursday, as talks remained stalled between the union and the B.C. Maritime Employers Association, which represents the province's ports. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

More than 7,400 unionized employees at more than 30 ports along British Columbia's coast are off the job in a labour dispute that concerns, among a number of issues, how automation will affect the future of work at vital maritime gateways for Canadian imports and exports.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU), which represents the striking workers, has warned for years automation will be a threat to current and future jobs at the province's ports. 

There are now more than 50 terminals around the world with some degree of automation, according to a report from the International Transport Federation (ITF), incorporating equipment such as automated stacking cranes, gantries and guided transport vehicles controlled from remote operating centres. 

British Columbia has two semi-automated container terminals: Global Container Terminals' (GCT) Deltaport, which is located at the Roberts Bank Superport, 37 kilometres south of downtown Vancouver in the city of Delta; and DP World's Fairview Container Terminal in Prince Rupert on the North Coast.

• What you need to know about the B.C. port strike

• Justin Trudeau, Danielle Smith call for B.C. port strike resolution

But a proposed third terminal, the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 expansion project, which recently received federal approval, has the ILWU warning of what could come.

Weeks before the contract talks broke down and the strike began, on July 1, ILWU Canada president Rob Ashton warned of the "domino effect" a new automated terminal could have on the Port of Vancouver — Canada's busiest port — possibly forcing conventional terminals to automate as well. 

While port workers walk the picket lines to demand protections against what the union describes as the "devastating impacts" of automation, others warn slow movement on automation may pose its own risks to the industry and Canada's economy. 

WATCH | Breaking down what the B.C. port strike means for you, Canada's economy: 

Workers at ports across B.C. are on strike. We break down why it's happening and what it means for you and for Canada's economy.

Canada lagging on automation

The legitimate concerns for job loss have to be weighed against the greater benefit to consumers and the economy, said Joel Bilt, an economics professor at the University of Waterloo who has researched automation and the future of work.

He said it's "worrisome" how much Canada is falling behind when it comes to automation, in general, and the country is going to pay a price if it doesn't start catching up, noting Canada is now the second-least productive economy among its Group of Seven partners, with Japan in the bottom slot. 

"I really do see both sides," Blit said. "But we can't, as a country, allow the interests of one particular group to sort of stall the technological advance and the productivity advance of our economy." 

ILWU's Ashton, speaking to CBC Vancouver's Early Edition, pointed out that there is already some automated equipment in use at conventional container terminals and the union has worked with terminal operators to procure technology that can "help make the workers' job easier."

But he said it's a different situation entirely when it comes to automation that will take away jobs. 

An automated crane picks up a shipping container at a port in Tianjin, China, on Jan. 16. It's one of more that 50 automated container terminals worldwide. (Mark Schiefelbein/The Associated Press)

Ashton referenced an ILWU-commissioned study, released in 2019, that estimated semi-automating work could lead to the elimination of 50 per cent of the workforce and as much as 90 per cent in the case of full automation — even when factoring in positions created as a result of automation.

Lessons from Long Beach and Los Angeles

While ports in other countries have already travelled further down the path to automation, they don't necessarily provide clear answers on whether it will kill jobs or keep people working.

In California, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles offer both possibilities, depending on which report you reference.

A report commissioned by the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents terminal operators and shipping lines in labour negotiations, found that from 2015, the last year before automated operations, through 2021 paid hours at the automated Long Beach Container Terminal and Los Angeles' TraPac Terminal grew 31.5 per cent – more than double the growth in paid hours at non-automated terminals. 

However, a separate report underwritten by the ILWU found that in 2020 and 2021, automation eliminated 572 full-time-equivalent jobs annually at the two terminals. 

Autonomous electric vehicles carry shipping containers at the Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT) in Long Beach, California, on April 20. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

Automation can't solve every problem

The Port of Vancouver is Canada's busiest port but also one of the least efficient in the world, according to the most recent Container Port Performance Index from the World Bank and S&P Global Intelligence, ranking second to last out of 348 international ports, right behind Long Beach. 

"[An] inefficient port acts like a tax on any kind of trade," said the University of Waterloo's Blit, who is also a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, explaining it not only drives up costs for consumers but also make companies less competitive.

• Fears over supply-chain disruption grow as B.C. port strike talks remain deadlocked

• Port union warns Ottawa to 'stay out of our business,' as strike talks fail to reach deal

But automation may not be the solution when it comes to solving backlogs at container ports, according to Peter Turnbull, a professor at the University of Bristol's School of Management who has studied port labour relations since the 1980s.

He told CBC News one of the shortfalls of automation may be less flexibility and decreased ability to solve problems happening in the moment.

"If I'm on the terminal with a scanner, and I realize it's the wrong [container] box … I can work out where I can put it," he said, explaining a misplaced container can have a ripple effect leading to more work and delays.

He said other complications, like ship delays, weather factors and equipment repairs, may also be more easily managed when workers are on the spot rather than operating equipment. 

A longshoreman watches over the automation software running equipment at the Long Beach Container Terminal in Long Beach, California on February 9. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

A 2018 survey from the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company not only suggested productivity at automated ports fell seven to 15 per cent, but cost reductions were actually less than expectations. 

Turnbull said there can be new opportunities borne out of technological change but he explained there is a sense of "pride" port workers have in everyone doing their part to keeping everything moving smoothly but "machines take that away" when greater automation is introduced. 

Although Blit believes there is a need for more automation, he said steps need to be taken to protect livelihoods, noting robotic automation is more likely to displace people at the "lower end of the scale of distribution" while computerization tends to impact mid-scale jobs. 

"If it is a small group that is bearing the cost, we need to make sure that we're helping those folks again to retrain, maybe with other kinds of support, and not just leaving them, you know, hanging them out to dry," he said.

Container ships are pictured moored in English Bay near the Port of Vancouver on July 5, days after port workers walked off the job. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

With files from Reuters

NJ 
As Fatal Ship Fire Burns On, a New Challenge: Keep It From Capsizing


Tracey Tully and Erin Nolan
Fri, July 7, 2023

Firefighters at the scene of a blaze on the Grande Costa d’Avorio, which was carrying new and used vehicles when a fire started, in Port Newark, N.J. on July 6, 2023.

 (Dakota Santiago/The New York Times)

Smoke continued to pour from an Italian ship moored at Port Newark in New Jersey on Friday, more than 36 hours after vehicles stowed onboard the vessel burst into flames and started a fast-moving blaze that caused the deaths of two Newark firefighters.

The U.S. Coast Guard took control of the firefighting operation late Thursday after heavy smoke began to waft from the ship, the Grande Costa d’Avorio, and loud sounds could be heard coming from inside its 12-deck interior.

Early Friday, officials said they were still trying to contain the fire from outside the ship and to cool it down without filling the vessel with too much water, which could cause it to tip over into a channel that flows into Newark Bay and, farther away, the Atlantic Ocean.

The vessel is carrying about 1,200 used and new vehicles, many of them at least partially filled with gasoline and oil.

“Our goal is to always get it back to what we call an even keel, which is level,” said Gordon Lorenson, a project manager at Donjon Marine, a salvage and dredging company involved in the firefighting effort.

The fire erupted just before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday on the ship’s 10th deck and spread quickly to two upper decks. In the initial response, firefighters from around the region went onto the ship to try to knock the blaze down. Two Newark firefighters, Augusto Acabou, 45, and Wayne Brooks Jr., 49, died in the effort.

Officials said firefighters would not be able to reenter the ship until the fire was contained and cooled. Fire boats continued to spray the blaze with water siphoned from the channel early Friday. A similar volume of water was being pumped off the ship to keep it from listing further, officials said.

Since it started, the fire has burned at temperatures so extreme that firefighters said their feet were being scalded by water that had reached its boiling point soon after being sprayed at the flames.

At a news conference at the port Friday, Lorenson said the intense heat continued to pose a major risk.

“It’s a steel box,” he said. “So it’s a very complex situation.

“It is burning very hot,” he added, “so currently, a lot of the decks that are burning and the cars that are burning are inaccessible to our fire teams.”

c.2023 The New York Times Company

The UN refuses to retract its condemnation of Israel over the Jenin military operation

Palestinians walk on a damaged road following two days of Israeli military raid on the militant stronghold of the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, Wednesday, July 5, 2023. The Israeli military says it has withdrawn its troops from the refugee camp. The pullout Wednesday morning ended an intense two-day operation that killed at least 13 Palestinians, drove thousands of people from their homes and left a wide swath of damage in its wake. One Israeli soldier was also killed. 

(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Palestinians walk by a damaged house in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, Wednesday, July 5, 2023, after the Israeli army withdrew its forces from the militant stronghold. The withdrawal of troops from the camp ended an intense two-day operation that killed at least 13 Palestinians, drove thousands of people from their homes and left a wide swath of damage in its wake. One Israeli soldier was also killed. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Palestinians walk by a damaged house in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, Wednesday, July 5, 2023, after the Israeli army withdrew its forces from the militant stronghold. The withdrawal of troops from the camp ended an intense two-day operation that killed at least 13 Palestinians, drove thousands of people from their homes and left a wide swath of damage in its wake. One Israeli soldier was also killed. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY EDITH M. LEDERER
Published  July 7, 2023

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Israel’s United Nations ambassador called on Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to retract his condemnation of the country for its excessive use of force in its largest military operation in two decades targeting a refugee camp in the West Bank.

U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said the secretary-general conveyed his views on Thursday “and he stands by those views.”

Guterres, angered by the impact of the Israeli airstrikes and attack on the Jenin refugee camp, said the operation left over 100 civilians injured, uprooted thousands of residents, damaged schools and hospitals, and disrupted water and electricity networks. He also criticized Israel for preventing the injured from getting medical care and humanitarian workers from reaching everyone in need.

Israel’s two-day offensive meant to crack down on Palestinian militants destroyed the Jenin camp’s narrow roads and alleyways, forced thousands of people to flee their homes and killed 12 Palestinians. One Israeli soldier also was killed.

“I strongly condemn all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror,” Guterres told reporters.

Asked whether this condemnation applied to Israel, he replied: “It applies to all use of excessive force, and obviously in this situation, there was an excessive force used by Israeli forces.”

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan called the U.N. chief’s remarks “shameful, far-fetched, and completely detached from reality.” He said the Israeli military action in Jenin “focused solely on combating the murderous Palestinian terror targeting innocent Israeli civilians.”

Haq, the U.N. spokesperson, said Guterres “clearly condemns all of the violence that has been affecting the civilians in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, regardless of who is the perpetrator.”

The U.N. Security Council discussed Israel’s military operation in Jenin behind closed doors Friday at the request of the United Arab Emirates and received a briefing from Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari.

Erdan sent a letter to the 15 council members and Guterres before the council meeting saying that over the past year, 52 Israelis were killed by Palestinians, and many attacks were carried out from Jenin or from the area.

“The international community and the Security Council must unconditionally condemn the latest Palestinian terror attacks and hold Palestinian leadership accountable,” he said.

The Security Council took no action.

Mark Rutte Bets on Hard Migration Stance for New Dutch Election

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte pulled the plug on his own government by cornering coalition partners over a deal to limit the inflow of migrants, setting the stage for a more conservative campaign ahead of elections expected late this year.

Diederik Baazil and Cagan Koc
Published Jul 08, 2023 • 

(Bloomberg) — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte pulled the plug on his own government by cornering coalition partners over a deal to limit the inflow of migrants, setting the stage for a more conservative campaign ahead of elections expected late this year.

“All parties have gone to great lengths to find a solution,” Rutte said at a press conference on Friday as he announced the abrupt collapse of his fourth cabinet over a disagreement on the right to family reunions for refugees from war zones.

Rutte put himself into a position which could have let to only one outcome: the collapse of his four-party coalition, said people familiar with the talks who declined to be identified discussing non-public matters.

Rutte Coalition Falls Over Asylum Crisis as Dutch Face Vote

The coalition partners — Rutte’s VVD, the Christian Democrats, progressive D66 and the smaller Christian Union — have been in talks over the asylum policy for weeks. They were close to a deal at the start of the week until Rutte abruptly introduced non-negotiable demands on Wednesday, the people said.

The prime minister asked his coalition parties to leave the cabinet if they didn’t agree with a proposal to limit the right to family reunions for refugees from war zones to 200 people per month after a period of two years, two of the people said. That splintered trust among the coalition partners, said two people familiar with the thinking of D66 and the Christian Union. Rutte apologized on Thursday, but that was too little, too late for his coalition partners, the people said.

Spokespeople for the prime minister’s office, the Christian Union and D66 declined to comment. A spokesperson for the Christian Democrats didn’t respond to calls seeking comment.

Rutte’s proposal is set against the almost 48,000 asylum seekers who entered the Netherlands last year; of those, 10,927 arrived via family reunification, according to official data. The government expects the number of arriving asylum seekers to rise to about 70,000 this year.

The prime minister’s behavior was said to be very unlike Rutte, who’s known for tirelessly seeking compromises and an ability to form alliances in a fragmented political landscape — a trait that also makes him popular in the European Union.

The abrupt collapse of the coalition over the migration issue raised the possibility that Rutte was pursuing a deliberate tactic to enhance his prospects for reelection — by pushing his party further to the right at a time populism seems on the rise in Europe.

Some polls already suggest Rutte’s party remains the most popular and that he’ll look to secure a fifth term by stitching together a new coalition. Rutte, 56, signaled he may run for a fifth term as premier, saying “if you ask now, the answer is yes.” The vote is likely to be mid-November at the earliest.

Rutte is the Netherlands’ longest-serving prime minister and the most senior leader in the European Union along with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. But Rutte also oversaw the worst Senate election result of his premiership this year as the Farmer-Citizen Movement, or BBB, became the biggest party in the Dutch upper house after opposing a government push to halve nitrogen emissions by 2030.

Intensive farming has devastated biodiversity in the Netherlands, the world’s second-largest exporter of food by value, forcing its government to impose drastic measures to comply with European Union rules on reducing nitrogen pollution.

Farmers have raged against new policies, with thousands taking part in months-long protests against measures likely to put some of them out of business. The stinging electoral defeat due to the nitrogen controversy pushed Rutte’s coalition to the brink of collapse earlier this year.

The Christian Democrats, who traditionally have appealed to farmers and people in rural areas, have suffered the most from the rise of the Farmer-Citizen Movement, winning record-low support in the senate election.

Rutte will likely need to seek new coalition partners, potentially among the right-wing parties who may be more in line with his new stance on migration.

Although BBB’s leader Caroline van der Plas said she wouldn’t favor a coalition with VVD under Rutte’s premiership, her party has recently signaled it may support some of the VVD’s asylum policies. Environmental policies in general, and the nitrogen crisis specifically, will be among the most important topics for any deal.

A June poll of Ipsos suggested VVD would take 28 seats in a parliamentary election against 22 for BBB, while coalition partners CDA and D66 stand to lose several seats. Also in June, an I&O poll projected BBB could overtake the VVD. And another challenge for Rutte may come from the left, amid an anticipated merger between the Green Left and the Labor Party.

The coalition’s collapse also comes amid a rise of anti-migration sentiment frequently stoked by Geert Wilders, who came to prominence for his anti-Islamic positions. Other parties have typically rejected the idea of working with Wilders’ Freedom Party, which came third after VVD and D66 in the 2021 vote. Wilders, who’s lived under police protection since 2004 following death threats, has been a vocal opponent migration to the Netherlands.

Rutte’s first cabinet, formed in 2010, fell in 18 months and was then supported by the Freedom Party. Wilders has signaled he’s willing to work with Rutte once again to limit the inflow of migrants to the Netherlands.

For all his challenges, Rutte is famous for surviving political crises and so far can count on his personal popularity with voters. His tenure as prime minister has spanned coalitions with parties across much of the political spectrum.

He endured a scandal over childcare subsidies, which tipped thousands into poverty and triggered the collapse of his third cabinet, and has battled with high inflation and an energy crisis over the past year. Rutte has repeatedly demonstrated his skills in escaping accountability from a slew of scandals, earning him the nickname “Teflon Mark.”

Yellen swaps stories of being 'the only woman in the room' with Chinese economists

Andrea Shalal , Yew Lun Tian | Posted: a day ago | 

By Andrea Shalal and Yew Lun Tian

BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, a trailblazer in the field of economics, met with six female economists in Beijing on Saturday, an effort to spotlight gender diversity following meetings with China's largely male government leaders.

Yellen, the first woman to head the U.S. Treasury, has made women's contributions and importance to economies a focal point of her tenure, often meeting with women economists and entrepreneurs during her travels, and hailing the benefits of boosting women's participation in the workforce and leadership.

A senior Treasury official said the lunch with the Chinese economists would give Yellen, who was also the first woman to head the U.S. Federal Reserve, a chance to "interact with a number of people kind of outside the normal policy structure." Treasury did not name the women participating.

Yellen, 76, told the women she had seen China's adoption of market-based economic policies transform the country and lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty since she began her career in the 1970s.

"It is my hope for the benefit of both China and the United States, as well as for the broader global economy, that those policies are carried out moving forward," Yellen said, echoing comments on Friday to Chinese Premier Li Qiang, in which she urged China to adopt more market-based reforms.

Yellen told the women - one of whom described herself as a feminist economist - she was curious to learn more about their backgrounds and research.

"I'm sure we share similar stories and experiences about what a career in economics is like, and the challenges you can face," Yellen said. "I see it all the time when I'm almost the only woman in the room, and I'm sure many of you have that same experience at decision-making tables."

Treasury said Yellen and the participants discussed the Chinese economy and opportunities to increase the representation of women in the workforce, including in leadership positions.

"The Secretary underscored that women’s participation in the workforce is one of the major drivers of creating inclusive growth," Treasury said. "She also noted that women’s contributions to economics, in particular, are important to help ensure that economic research and policymaking appropriately reflect society’s priorities."

Chinese President Xi Jinping's decade as the ruling Communist Party's general secretary has seen the number of women in politics and top government roles decline and gender gaps in the workforce widen, with the government emphasizing more traditional roles for women.

A June report by the United Nations urged China to adopt statutory quotas and a gender parity system to boost women's representation in government.

The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women found that women comprise just over 26% of deputies to China's 14th National People's Congress and since October have had no representation in the 24-member Politburo of the Communist Party, a first in 20 years.

China's top female politician is Shen Yiqin, appointed in March as one of five state councillors. She ranks higher than a minister and oversees social welfare, veteran affairs and sports.

President Joe Biden's 25-member Cabinet, by contrast, is the most gender-diverse in U.S. history, with Yellen being one of 13 female members.

One-quarter of the U.S. Senate and 28.7% of the House of Representatives seats are held by women, according to Rutgers University's Center for Women in Politics.

China also lags in terms of women's representation in the top echelons of industry, a recent study showed.

Bain & Co and leadership advisory firm Spencer Stuart reported in March that women account for only 19% of top business executives, compared to an average of 25% in leading countries.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Yew Lun Tian in Beijing; Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather Timmons, Leslie Adler, William Mallard and Kim Coghill)

'Absolutely logical' Japan's Fukushima water release draws interest: IAEA chief

Protesters march toward the Japanese Embassy during rally against the Japanese government's decision to release treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, July 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

09 Jul 2023 

SEOUL: It is "absolutely logical" that Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from its Fukushima nuclear plant is attracting great interest in the region, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said on Sunday (Jul 9).

Grossi also said he understands concerns remain over the plan but added that a review by the IAEA released last week found it was "in conformity with international safety standards" if executed according to plan.

Grossi met with South Korea's opposition Democratic Party members on Sunday who expressed strong public concerns over Japan's plan and criticised the IAEA's findings.

"The issue at hand today has attracted a lot of interest, and this is absolutely logical because the actions and the way in which Japan will be addressing this ... have important implications," Grossi said in the meeting.

Students wearing masks featuring Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi attend a protest against Japan's plan to discharge treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean, in Seoul, South Korea, Jul 7, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Yonhap)

A Democratic Party member who chairs a special committee on the issue said the IAEA's findings had "shortcomings", and the widespread public concerns over safety in the country were "legitimate and reasonable".

"We deeply regret that the IAEA concluded Japan's plan to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant meets international standards," Wi Seong-gon, the committee chairman, told Grossi.

Grossi was met with angry protests by civic groups as he arrived in South Korea on Friday from Japan and drew street rallies on Saturday criticising the plan.

South Korea's government said on Friday it respected the IAEA's report and that its own analysis had found the release will not have "any meaningful impact" on its waters.

Protesters stage a rally against the Japanese government's decision to release treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, in Seoul, South Korea, Jul 8, 2023.

 (Photo: AP/Ahn Young-joon)

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Wednesday criticised the move towards discharging the water and threatened action if the plan should move ahead.

North Korea also criticised IAEA's backing of Japan's plan, calling it "unjust" and a demonstration of double standards, citing the UN nuclear watchdog's work to curb Pyongyang's nuclear programme.

North Korea has faced UN Security Council sanctions for its six underground nuclear tests.

South Korea: IAEA chief discusses Fukushima water concerns

Rafael Grossi traveled to South Korea to advocate for Japan's plan to release water from the Fukushima nuclear plant amid harsh criticism from the South Korean public and opposition party.

IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi was met by protesters upon arrival in South Korea

YONHAP NEWS AGENCY via REUTERS

Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), arrived in South Korea following his trip to Japan, in an attempt to allay concerns about Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Grossi's three-day visit included meetings with South Korea's foreign minister and a top nuclear safety official.

Demonstrators criticized the IAEA for not being able to verify environmental standards

Yonhap/picture alliance

Upon arriving in South Korea, Grossi was met by protesters at Gimpo Airport in Seoul. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in central Seoul, criticizing the IAEA's review as inadequate. Demonstrators held signs criticizing the IAEA and Japan's plan, with one stating, "IAEA is not qualified to verify environmental standards."

There had been "no disagreement" among experts involved in the review that gave the go-ahead for the decades-long project, the IAEA chief said in an interview with South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

"This is the final comprehensive report... No experts have come to me saying he or she disagrees on the contents," he said.

"It was a very thorough process."

Japan to release treated Fukushima wastewater into Pacific  02:43

Opposition wants to put halt to the plan

South Korea conducted an independent review of the plan and concluded that Japan would meet or exceed international standards, with the release having minimal environmental consequences.

During a press conference held in Japan, Grossi expressed his intention to also meet with South Korea's opposition party, which had been critical of the discharge plan.

The leader of the opposition Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, has urged the government to try to stop the plan, suggesting that it be taken to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

The South Korean government stated that it respected the IAEA's report. President Yoo Suk Yeol's administration has been cautious in its stance on Japan's proposal, aiming to foster better ties with Tokyo.

Nevertheless, the plan has sparked anger and concern among South Koreans, leading some individuals to stock up on sea salt. Despite South Korea giving its approval to the discharge plan, a ban on food and seafood products from the Fukushima region will remain active.

los/ab (AFP, Reuters)

South Koreans protest against Japan’s Fukushima water release plan during IAEA chief’s visit

Editorial by SCMP 

No room for mistakes with release of water from Fukushima

As Japan prepares to put plan at wrecked nuclear power station into action, the radiation concerns of neighbouring countries must be addressed

Published:  8 Jul, 2023

People gather near the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on Friday to protest against Japan’s plan to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea. 

Photo: Kyodo

Radiation cannot be seen or felt, so it is often feared regardless of whether it exists at benign natural levels or dangerous doses.

It is understandable that grave concern has been raised by Japan’s plans to release radioactive water from its wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.

The water was contaminated while cooling three reactors that melted down after a massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit the country’s coast killing thousands of people. For 12 years, the waste liquid has been stored on-site in 1,000 huge tanks that are now nearly full.

Japan has proposed resolving the crisis by filtering and diluting the water before releasing it through an underwater tunnel that stretches 1km (0.6 miles) into the ocean.



Why fears remain about Japan's plan to release treated Fukushima nuclear plant water into the sea

Tokyo insists that radiation levels in the water will be below international safety standards, an assessment supported by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Neighbouring countries are far from convinced. Pacific island nations fear the water will contribute to nuclear contamination of the so-called Blue Pacific.

South Korea is on edge with panicked consumers buying sea salt, and seafood markets stepping up the frequency of radiation tests. The Seoul government, however, said yesterday that it respected the IAEA review.

China has extended its ban on edible imports from 10 Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima, and will require full screening of all shipments from other regions instead of spot checks.

Customs officials said Tokyo “failed to fully reflect expert opinions” and “all necessary measures” must be taken ensure the safety of Chinese consumers, who are already boycotting cosmetics from Japan.

IAEA did not fully consult experts in Fukushima report: Chinese researcher
7 Jul 2023


Yesterday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the government was considering an outright ban on food from high-risk areas. Hong Kong currently does not allow imports of live or frozen aquatic products from Fukushima and four neighbouring prefectures without a certificate showing they are free of radiation.

Such action will deepen concerns among those in Japan’s fishing industry who have already voiced opposition to the plan saying it will only increase reputational damage from the initial disaster.

The liquid is too dangerous to simply leave in place, so it seems unlikely that Japan will change its plans.

But since releasing more than 1 million tonnes of water may take two to three decades, Tokyo must diligently monitor the discharge for as long as it takes.

It is imperative that those authorities concerned act responsibly and provide clear, transparent details about how such hazardous waste is being handled, since failure to get it right may have a profound impact on public health.

China imposes ban on Japanese seafood over Fukushima water release plan