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Post by Blitz on May 15, 2023 16:23:43 GMT -5
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Post by Blitz on May 22, 2023 10:13:30 GMT -5
Thank you ESG/EV crowd for making our planet more polluted by exporting our pollution to China. And China is a far bigger pollution maker than USA. This worse than making things here in the US because we have more restrictive anti-pollution laws. And now this... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_ChinaChina's electric power industry is the world's largest electricity producer, passing the United States in 2011 after rapid growth since the early 1990s. In 2019, China produced 7.3 petawatt-hour (PWh) of electricity, more than the next three countries (United States, India, and Russia) combined.[2][3] Most of the electricity in China comes from coal, which accounted for 65% of the electricity generation mix in 2019.[4] This is a big part of greenhouse gas emissions by China. Power generated from renewable energy has also been continuously increasing, with national electricity generation from renewable energy reaching 594.7 TWh in Q1 2023, an increase of 11.4% year-on-year, including 342.2 TWh of wind and solar power, up 27.8% year-on-year.[5]
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Post by Blitz on May 22, 2023 10:15:08 GMT -5
Here's what the ESG/EV crowd has wrought to mine minerals for batteries. These people are digging with their hands and carrying bags rocks on their backs, for pennies per day. And now this: How 'modern-day slavery' in the Congo powers the rechargeable battery economy February 1, 2023 www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/02/01/1152893248/red-cobalt-congo-drc-mining-siddharth-karaAn artisanal miner carries a sack of ore at the Shabara artisanal mine near Kolwezi, DRC, on Oct. 12, 2022. Smartphones, computers and electric vehicles may be emblems of the modern world, but, says Siddharth Kara, their rechargeable batteries are frequently powered by cobalt mined by workers laboring in slave-like conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kara, a fellow at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health and at the Kennedy School, has been researching modern-day slavery, human trafficking and child labor for two decades. He says that although the DRC has more cobalt reserves than the rest of the planet combined, there's no such thing as a "clean" supply chain of cobalt from the country. In his new book, Cobalt Red, Kara writes that much of the DRC's cobalt is being extracted by so-called "artisanal" miners — freelance workers who do extremely dangerous labor for the equivalent of just a few dollars a day. "You have to imagine walking around some of these mining areas and dialing back our clock centuries," Kara says. "People are working in subhuman, grinding, degrading conditions. They use pickaxes, shovels, stretches of rebar to hack and scrounge at the earth in trenches and pits and tunnels to gather cobalt and feed it up the formal supply chain." Kara says the mining industry has ravaged the landscape of the DRC. Millions of trees have been cut down, the air around mines is hazy with dust and grit, and the water has been contaminated with toxic effluents from the mining processing. What's more, he says, "Cobalt is toxic to touch and breathe — and there are hundreds of thousands of poor Congolese people touching and breathing it day in and day out. Young mothers with babies strapped to their backs, all breathing in this toxic cobalt dust." In Idaho, America's first, and only, cobalt mine in decades is opening In Idaho, America's first, and only, cobalt mine in decades is opening Cobalt is used in the manufacture of almost all lithium ion rechargeable batteries used in the world today. And while those outside of the DRC differentiate between cobalt extracted by the country's high-tech industrial mining companies and that which was dug by artisanal miners, Kara says the two are fundamentally intertwined. "There's complete cross-contamination between industrial excavator-derived cobalt and cobalt dug by women and children with their bare hands," he says. "Industrial mines, almost all of them, have artisanal miners working, digging in and around them, feeding cobalt into the formal supply chain." Kara acknowledges the important role cobalt plays in tech devices and in the transition to sustainable energy sources. Rather than renouncing cobalt entirely, he says people should focus on fixing the supply chain. "We shouldn't be transitioning to the use of electric vehicles at the cost of the people and environment of one of the most downtrodden and impoverished corners of the world," he says. "The bottom of the supply chain, where almost all the world's cobalt is coming from, is a horror show." Some 20,000 people work at Shabara artisanal mine in the DRC, in shifts of 5,000 at a time. The DRC produced approximately 74% of the world's cobalt in 2021. Junior Kannah /AFP via Getty Images Interview Highlights On how "artisanal" cobalt mines continue to operate in the DRC — despite being illegal Technically, under the law, there should not be artisanal mining taking place in any industrial mine. And yet, lo and behold, at most of the industrial mines, there is some artisanal mining taking place. In some cases, predominantly artisanal mining is taking place. And the reason is, it's a penny-wage way to boost production. I mean, imagine you're in a part of the world where there are millions of people who barely get a dollar or two a day who are grindingly poor and will accept almost any labor arrangement just to survive. Well, you put them in a tight pit, cram them with 10,000 other people and pay them a couple of dollars, and they'll produce thousands of tons of cobalt per year for almost no wages. And so that's not legal, but it's happening. On why these conditions are on par with slavery Imagine an entire population of people who cannot survive without scrounging in hazardous conditions for a dollar or two a day. There is no alternative there. The mines have taken over everything. Siddharth Kara Imagine an entire population of people who cannot survive without scrounging in hazardous conditions for a dollar or two a day. There is no alternative there. The mines have taken over everything. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced because their villages were just bulldozed over to make place for large mining concessions. So you have people with no alternative, no other source of income, no livelihood. Now, add to that the menace in many cases of armed forces pressuring people to dig, parents having to make a painful decision, 'Do I send my child to school or do we eat today?' And if they choose the latter, that means bringing all their kids into these toxic pits to dig just to earn that extra fifty cents or a dollar a day, that could mean the difference between eating or not. So in the 21st century, this is modern-day slavery. It's not chattel slavery from the 18th century where you can buy and trade people and own title over a person like property. But the level of degradation, the level of exploitation is on par with old-world slavery. An artisanal miner holds a cobalt stone at the Shabara artisanal mine in the DRC. On the danger of collapse in artisanal mines Imagine a mountain of gravel and stone just avalanching down on people, crushing legs and arms, spines. I met people whose legs had been amputated, who had metal bars in where their legs used to be. Siddharth Kara I spoke with many families whose children, husbands, spouses, had suffered horrific injuries. Oftentimes, digging in these larger open-air pits, there are pit wall collapses. Imagine a mountain of gravel and stone just avalanching down on people, crushing legs and arms, spines. I met people whose legs had been amputated, who had metal bars in where their legs used to be. And then the worst of all is what happens in tunnel digging. There are probably 10,000 to 15,000 tunnels that are dug by hand by artisanal miners. None of them have supports, ventilation shafts, rock bolts, anything like that. And these tunnels collapse all the time, burying alive everyone who is down there, including children. It's a demise that is almost impossibly horrific to imagine. And yet I met mothers pounding their chests in grief, talking about their children who had been buried alive in a tunnel collapse. And these stories never get out of the Congo. People just don't know what's happening down there. On the trafficking of children to work in the mines Cobalt Red, by Siddharth Kara MacMillan There's money to be made in every corner and every direction. And you've got these militias. Sometimes they're called commandos and they will abduct children, traffic children, recruit children from even other parts of the Congo. I met children who had come from hundreds of miles away and have been brought through militia networks down into the copper cobalt mines to dig. And as they dig and earn their dollar or two, that's what funds these militia groups. So children are the most heavily exploited of all the people down there. They're the most vulnerable and oftentimes trafficked and exploited in some cases in very violent circumstances. On government corruption preventing change Corruption is a big part of the problem. That's what allows so much of this abuse to persist. And the thing is, imagine the Congo. It's a war-torn, deeply impoverished nation that has been subjected to generations of pillage and ransacking going all the way back, now centuries, to the slave trade. And so when big foreign stakeholders come waving around large sums of money, it's not a long stretch of the imagination to see that there would be corruption. ... Belgium returned a single tooth to the Congo this week. Here's why WORLD Belgium returned a single tooth to the Congo this week. Here's why The first democratically elected president of the Congo [in 1960], Patrice Lumumba, made a pledge that the country's immense mineral riches and resources would be used for the benefit of the people who live there. And in short order, within six months, he had been deposed, assassinated, chopped to pieces, dissolved in acid and replaced with a bloody dictator, a corrupt dictator who would keep the minerals flowing in the right direction. So if you don't play ball with the power brokers at the top of the chain and with the Global North, Patrice Lumumba showed what's the outcome, what will happen. And I think that's also a part of this lesson that we need to understand historically, when we talk about things like corruption. On how China came to own most of the industrial mines in the Congo China cornered the global cobalt market before anyone knew what was happening. It goes back to the year 2009 under the previous president in the Congo, Joseph Kabila. He signed a deal with the Chinese government for access to mining concessions in exchange for development assistance, a commitment to build roads and some public health clinics, schools, hospitals, things like that — and that opened the door. Before anyone knew what happened, Chinese companies had seized ownership of 15 of the 19 primary industrial copper-cobalt mining concessions down there. So they dominate mining excavation on the ground. And not just that, they dominate the chain all the way through to the battery level. They have about 70, 80% of the refined cobalt market and probably half of the battery market. Siddharth Kara's previous book Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery, won the 2010 Frederick Douglass Book Prize, awarded for the best book written in English on slavery or abolition. Lynn Savarese/MacMillan On witnessing suffering and trauma There are some incidents that are just so burned into me that they'll come at me just like a terror, and it's hard. I just hope I've done justice to those stories and to the people who shared their tragedies with me, courageously shared these tragedies with me. I just want their voices [to] reach the world and then the world will decide what to do with the truth and the testimonies of the Congolese people. But if I've done some justice to bringing those voices out into the world that can scarcely function without the suffering of the Congolese people, then it's all worth it. Even the nightmares and the terrors, it's all worth it. Sam Briger and Joel Wolfram produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Gisele Grayson adapted it for the web.
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Post by Blitz on May 22, 2023 10:32:40 GMT -5
49.3% of India's power grid fuel comes from coal... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_IndiaNearly 32,285 MW coal and gas-based thermal power projects are under construction as on 1 April 2021. ... Utility power. Source Installed Capacity (MW) % of Share in Total Fossil Fuels (Total) 237,269 57.7% Coal 205,235 49.3% Lignite 6,620 1.6% Gas 24,824 6.0%
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Post by Blitz on May 25, 2023 9:46:12 GMT -5
South Africa Considers Countering Its Energy Crisis With Coal By Tsvetana Paraskova - May 24, 2023, 8:30 AM CDT oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/South-Africa-Considers-Countering-Its-Energy-Crisis-With-Coal.htmlSouth Africa, which is going through an energy crisis, is weighing the possibility of extending the operational lives of two of its largest coal-fueled power plants to boost energy security, sources with knowledge of the plans told Bloomberg. The plants Kendal and Lethabo, which account for around a fifth of the power capacity of state-owned utility Eskom, could see their lives extended, according to Bloomberg’s sources. However, extensions of the lives of coal power plants could be a challenge to both the financially troubled Eskom and South Africa’s plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At present, the Kendal and Lethabo power plants are expected to be decommissioned after 2035. The government is still assessing whether it should allow extensions of the plants’ operations, weighing energy security against pledges to cut emissions. Coal is by far the primary energy source for South Africa, accounting for around 80% of the country’s energy mix. The country is also the world’s fifth-largest coal exporter. But South Africa is going through a significant energy crisis with daily rolling power cuts that cripple the economy, as state firm Eskom has failed to boost generation capacity to keep pace with growing demand in recent years. The South African government has recently started to push for more renewable power generation. Last month, South Africa issued the first request inviting proposals for renewable energy procurement for 3,740 megawatts (MW) in the biggest such program in Africa. “The release of this Phase One RFP comes at an opportune moment, with government remaining steadfast in eradicating the electricity and water supply challenges, and the rampant landfill shortages our country continues to face,” South Africa’s Public Works Minister Sihle Zikalala said in a statement at the time as carried by Bloomberg. Early this year, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen said that the United States supports South Africa’s transition to cleaner energy and will help mobilize financing from the private sector to assist the coal-dependent country. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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Post by Blitz on Jun 2, 2023 9:15:14 GMT -5
I sure am glad the USA's Left is trying to make up for the world's use of coal use, heavy oil, use, and other environmental issues like lithium mining. And now this... South Africa Could Ease Blackouts By Burning Heavy Fuel Oil By Julianne Geiger - Jun 01, 2023, 2:30 PM CDT oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/South-Africa-Could-Ease-Blackouts-By-Burning-Heavy-Fuel-Oil.htmlSouth Africa’s chronic 10-hours-per-day blackouts could finally have a solution that won’t sit well with energy transitioners—burning heavy fuel oil. South Africa’s Electricity Minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has announced that the country will start an emergency procurement program. The program will negotiate power purchase agreements, and will last for five years. Some of the power will come from natural gas from Turkey’s Karpowership through an existing agreement. At least 1,200 MW of the 2,000 MW needed will be sourced that way. The remaining power could come from a more controversial source: heavy fuel oil from Karpowership’s other plants, an anonymous source told Bloomberg. Talks are expected to begin this week. Heavy fuel oil is bound to raise a few eyebrows, especially since several environmental organizations have worked tirelessly to shut down Karpowership’s In order to prevent blackouts, power must be kept in near-perfect balance to keep the system synchronized. At last count, Karpowership has about 30 of these powerships—or power barges—at the ready. Heading into last winter, Germany used power barges to help it stave off blackouts. Ukraine was also in talks with Karpowership to utilize ship-based emergency power last November, followed by Cuba in December. Trinidad and Tobago were also in conversations with Turkey about these floating power vessels, which have the flexibility of switching between fuels. Last week, South Africa was reportedly considering extending the operational lives of two of its largest coal-fueled power plants to boost its energy security, Bloomberg sources said at the time. The two plants, Kendal and Oethabo, are currently set to be decommissioned after 2035. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com
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Post by Blitz on Jun 4, 2023 21:36:09 GMT -5
Clearly the looney left has not thought this through to the end game. And now this... Solar panels - an eco-disaster waiting to happen? 6/3/2023 www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65602519A fork-lift drops solar panels in a heap - IMAGE SOURCE,LAURENT JULLIAND By Daniel Gordon While they are being promoted around the world as a crucial weapon in reducing carbon emissions, solar panels only have a lifespan of up to 25 years. Experts say billions of panels will eventually all need to be disposed of and replaced. "The world has installed more than one terawatt of solar capacity. Ordinary solar panels have a capacity of about 400W, so if you count both rooftops and solar farms, there could be as many as 2.5 billion solar panels.," says Dr Rong Deng, an expert in solar panel recycling at the University of New South Wales in Australia. According to the British government, there are tens of millions of solar panels in the UK. But the specialist infrastructure to scrap and recycle them is lacking. Energy experts are calling for urgent government action to prevent a looming global environmental disaster. "It's going to be a waste mountain by 2050, unless we get recycling chains going now," says Ute Collier, deputy director of the International Renewable Energy Agency. "We're producing more and more solar panels - which is great - but how are we going to deal with the waste?" she asks. BBC Sounds - The Climate Question - How renewable are renewables? It is hoped a major step will be taken at the end of June, when the world's first factory dedicated to fully recycling solar panels officially opens in France. ROSI, the specialist solar recycling company which owns the facility, in the Alpine city of Grenoble, hopes eventually to be able to extract and re-use 99% of a unit's components. As well as recycling the glass fronts and aluminium frames, the new factory can recover nearly all of the precious materials contained within the panels, such as silver and copper, which are typically some of the hardest materials to extract. These rare materials can subsequently be recycled and reused to make new, more powerful, solar units. IMAGE SOURCE,ROSI - Silver fragments recovered from solar panels, at the ROSI plant in Grenoble Conventional methods of recycling solar panels recover most of the aluminium and glass - but ROSI says the glass, in particular, is of relatively low-quality. The glass recovered using those methods can be used to create tiles, or in sandblasting - it can also be mixed with other materials to make asphalt - but it cannot be used in applications where high-grade glass is required, such as the production of new solar panels. Boom period The new ROSI plant will open during a boom period for solar panel installations. The world's solar energy generation capacity grew by 22% in 2021. Around 13,000 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are fitted in the UK every month - most of them on the roofs of private houses. In many cases, solar units become relatively uneconomical before they reach the end of their expected lifespan. New, more efficient designs evolve at regular intervals, meaning it can prove cheaper to replace solar panels that are only 10 or 15 years old with updated versions. If current growth trends are sustained, Ms Collier says, the volume of scrap solar panels could be huge. "By 2030, we think we're going to have four million tonnes [of scrap] - which is still manageable - but by 2050, we could end up with more than 200 million tonnes globally." To put that into perspective, the world currently produces a total of 400 million tonnes of plastic every year. Recycling challenges The reason there are so few facilities for recycling solar panels is because there has not been much waste to process and reuse until recently. The first generation of domestic solar panels is only now coming to the end of its usable life. With those units now approaching retirement, experts say urgent action is needed. "Now is the time to think about this," says Ms Collier. France is already a leader among European nations when it comes to processing photovoltaic waste, says Nicolas Defrenne. His organisation, Soren, partners with ROSI and other firms, co-ordinating the decommissioning of solar panels all over France. "The biggest one [we decommissioned] took three months," Mr Defrenne recalls. His team at Soren has been experimenting with different ways of recycling what they collect: "We're throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks." IMAGE SOURCE,LAURENT JULLIAND - Image caption, Solar panels are delaminated in order to recover precious materials At ROSI's high-tech plant in Grenoble, the solar panels are painstakingly taken apart to recover the precious materials inside - such as copper, silicon and silver. Each solar panel contains only tiny fragments of these precious materials and those fragments are so intertwined with other components that, until now, it has not been economically viable to separate them. But because they are so valuable, extracting those precious materials efficiently could be a game-changer, says Mr Defrenne. "Over 60% of the value is contained in 3% of the weight of the solar panels," he says. The team at Soren are hopeful that, in the future, nearly three-quarters of the materials needed to make new solar panels - including silver - can be recovered from retired PV units and recycled - to help speed up production of new panels. Currently there is not enough silver available to build the millions of solar panels which will be required in the the transition from fossil fuels, says Mr Defrenne: "You can see where you have a production bottleneck, it's silver." Large truck transports solar panels - IMAGE SOURCE,LAURENT JULLIAND Meanwhile British scientists have been trying to develop similar technology to ROSI. Last year, researchers at the University of Leicester announced they had worked out how to extract silver from PV units using a form of saline. But so far, ROSI is the only company in its field to have scaled up its operation to industrial levels. Moreover, the technology is expensive. In Europe, importers or producers of solar panels are responsible for disposing of them when they become expendable. And many favour crushing or shredding the waste - which is far cheaper. Mr Defrenne acknowledges that intensive recycling of solar panels is still in its infancy. Soren and its partners recycled just under 4,000 tonnes of French solar panels last year. But there is potential to do a lot more. And he's making that his mission. "The weight of all the new solar panels sold last year in France was 232,000 tonnes - so, by the time those wear out in 20 years, that's how much I'll need to collect every year. "When that happens, my personal goal is to ensure France will be the technological leader of the world."
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Post by Blitz on Jun 4, 2023 21:39:01 GMT -5
Wind turbines are a recycling nightmare too... Wind energy has a massive waste problem. New technologies may be a step closer to solving it By Laura Paddison, CNN - Published 12:01 AM EDT, Sun May 28, 2023 www.cnn.com/2023/05/28/world/wind-turbine-recycling-climate-intl/index.htmlIn this aerial view, wind turbines adorn the landscape in the Southern Lake District on November 25, 2022 in Lambrigg, England. CNN — Wind turbines are built to last. Their tall bodies are topped with long fiberglass blades, some more than half a football field in length, made to withstand the harshest, windiest conditions. But this sturdiness brings a big problem: What to do with these blades when they reach the end of their lives. While about 90% of turbines are easily recyclable, their blades are not. They are made from fiberglass bound together with epoxy resin, a material so strong it is incredibly difficult and expensive to break down. Most blades end their lives in landfill or are incinerated. It’s a problem that’s vexed the wind energy industry and provided fodder for those who seek to discredit wind power. But in February, Danish wind company Vestas said it had cracked the problem. It announced a “breakthrough solution” that would allow wind turbine blades to be recycled without needing to change their design or materials. The company said the “newly discovered chemical technology” breaks down old blades in a liquid to produce high quality materials, which can eventually be used to make new blades, as well as components in other industries. Claire Barlow, a sustainability and materials engineer at Cambridge University, told CNN that if this kind of technology can be scaled up, it “could be a game changer.” Wind turbine blades waiting to be buried in the Casper Regional Landfill in Casper, Wyoming. In 2019, an image from Casper Regional Landfill in Wyoming showing piles of long, white blades waiting to be buried went viral, prompting criticism of the environmental credentials of wind power. Wind energy has been growing at a fast pace. It is the world’s leading renewable energy technology behind hydropower, and plays a vital role in helping countries move away from fossil fuel energy, which pumps out planet-heating pollution. But as the first generation of wind turbines start to reach the end of their service lives, while others are replaced early to make way for newer technology – including longer turbine blades that can sweep more wind and generate more energy – the question of what to do with their huge blades becomes more pressing. Blade waste is projected to reach 2.2 million tons in the US by 2050. Globally, the figure could be around 43 million tons by 2050. There are few easy ways to deal with it. Current options are not only wasteful but have environmental drawbacks. Incineration brings pollution and, while wind companies say there is no toxicity issue with landfilling blades, Barlow said that’s not yet totally clear. “That’s not as benign as you might think,” she said. Turbine blade materials make recycling hard and costly. The epoxy resins used to make turbine blades are called “thermosets.” “If you heat them up, they don’t change their properties until they just burn,” Barlow said. “You can’t just scrunch them up and recycle the material into something easily reusable.” That’s why Vestas hopes its new technology could hold real promise. “This has been the key sustainability challenge in the industry. And so we’re of course very excited to have found a solution,” Lisa Ekstrand, the head of sustainability at Vestas, told CNN. The process, which the company has been working on in partnership with Aarhus University, the Danish Technological Institute and US-based epoxy company Olin, uses a liquid chemical solution to break down the blade into epoxy fragments and fibers. The epoxy resin is then sent to Olin which can process it into “virgin-grade” epoxy, Ekstrand said. The process uses inexpensive, non-toxic chemicals that are readily available in large quantities, she added. “We expect this to be a low energy consuming, low CO2-emitting technology.” The company remains tight-lipped on further details, including the chemicals involved and how many times the process can be repeated. Ekstrand said they are filing patents and the plan is eventually to license it to other companies. So far, Vestas has tested the technology in a lab but is now building a pilot facility to test it on a bigger scale for two years, after which it hopes to commercialize it. Gummy bears from turbine blades Vestas is far from the first to try to tackle this knotty problem. Companies and scientists have been working on different approaches for years, although many potential solutions are nascent or remain small scale. One approach is to grind blades up and use the material in other industries. The downsides are that the enormous blades are tricky to transport and crush. “Because the material isn’t worth very much, it’s not really worthwhile doing it,” Barlow said. An old blade is prepared for transport to a landfill in Nebraska. An old blade is prepared for transport to a landfill in Nebraska. Olivia Sun/The Des Moines Register/USA Today Network But some companies say they’re making it work. Veolia, a resource management company headquartered in France, turns old blades into an ingredient for cement production. It shreds, sorts and blends blade materials before sending them to cement kilns. Using this blend reduces the planet-heating pollution produced in cement manufacturing by 27%, according to Veolia. The program has processed 2,600 blades so far. Carbon Rivers, a Tennessee-based company, has worked with the US Department of Energy to help scale up its “pyrolysis” technology – a form of chemical recycling that uses very high heat in an oxygen-free environment. The body of a humpack whale lies on a beach in Brigantine N.J., after it washed ashore on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. It was the seventh dead whale to wash ashore in New Jersey and New York in little over a month, prompting calls for a temporary halt in offshore wind farm preparation on the ocean floor from lawmakers and environmental groups who suspect the work might have something to do with the deaths. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) What's killing whales off the Northeast coast? It's not wind farm projects, experts say The company’s process produces glass fibers, which can then be used in new wind turbine blades, as well as in the automotive and shipping industries, it says. It also produces oil that can be used in energy production, David Morgan, chief strategy officer at Carbon Rivers, told CNN. The technology allows them “to fully and completely upcycle wind turbine blades” in a process that is “net positive energy,” Morgan added. Carbon Rivers has so far upcycled 41 blades weighing 268 tons and is building recycling facilities and with the aim of scaling up to more than 5,800 blades a day. Other efforts focus on changing the materials used to make turbines, to create a new generation of blades that are easier to recycle. In 2022, researchers at the University of Michigan announced they had made a new resin for blades by combining glass fibers with a plant derived polymer and a synthetic one, which could be recycled into ingredients for products, including new turbine blades, laptop covers, power tools – and even gummy bear candies. 01 renewable energy boom intl 'Beginning of the end' for fossil fuels: Global wind and solar reached record levels in 2022, study finds “We recovered food-grade potassium lactate and used it to make gummy bear candies, which I ate,” John Dorgan, a professor of chemical engineering at Michigan State University, said in a statement. For those concerned about eating an old turbine, Dorgan said: “A carbon atom derived from a plant, like corn or grass, is no different from a carbon atom that came from a fossil fuel. It’s all part of the global carbon cycle, and we’ve shown that we can go from biomass in the field to durable plastic materials and back to foodstuffs.” Of course, this won’t help with the blades being decommissioned now. The reason Vestas’ discovery could be so compelling, said Barlow, is that it’s promising a process to recover reusable materials from current turbine blades, without using noxious chemicals and huge amounts of energy. “That’s a real winner,” she said. Now the company has to scale up. “There will be all sorts of problems which they haven’t conceived of. So it may be slow, but this is a good starter for ten,” Barlow said.
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Post by Blitz on Jul 2, 2023 15:41:41 GMT -5
More fails for ESG fairy tales... Yale Study: ESG Investing Isn’t Doing Much For The Environment By City A.M - Jul 02, 2023, 10:00 AM CDT oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Yale-Study-ESG-Investing-Isnt-Doing-Much-For-The-Environment.html- There are examples of large oil producers offloading older assets to improve their green credentials, only for their mines and oil rigs to become dirtier in the hands of new owners - When brown, or not so green companies are starved of capital, they become dirtier to avoid bankruptcy. - Ultimately it will take big investments, including by ‘dirty’ industry, energy producers and newer green start-ups to solve our environmental challenges. When companies with poor environmental credentials are starved of capital thanks to investors obsessed with ESG, they become dirtier to avoid bankruptcy, writes Matthew Lesh ESG or environmental, social and governance investing is facing troubles. Higher bond yields drove an astonishing £304m out of the sector in May. This largely reflects a natural market dynamic – investors are chasing higher returns by moving from shares to bonds. Yet perhaps there should be some deeper angst at play. Is ESG investing really everything it is cracked up to be? It’s easy to understand the underlying appeal. Putting your savings into “good” companies, rather than those amoral profit-seeking entities, feels righteous. But it’s worth unpacking what that means in practice. The companies that score the highest on ESG metrics, particularly on the environmental side, are the ones that have a relatively low level of carbon per pound of revenue. That means the likes of financial services, healthcare and digital are “green”. By contrast, companies that produce building materials, fertiliser or energy are “brown”. The result of ESG investing is the transfer of capital from good to bad companies – thus it is meant to incentivise “brown” companies to reduce their emissions. Related: Oil Prices Set For A Monthly Gain But Yet Another Quarterly Loss But, in an ironic twist, a new study indicates that ESG investing is counterproductive in practice. Kelly Shue of Yale University and Samuel M. Hartzmark of Boston College investigated the environmental impact of over 3,000 large companies between 2002 and 2020. They find that green companies’ lower cost of capital does not lead to reduced emissions. This makes sense since the likes of Spotify or a hospital are not particularly heavy emitters and have little capacity to reduce emissions; brown companies produce 260 times higher environmental impact. By contrast, when brown companies are starved of capital, they become dirtier to avoid bankruptcy. “When you punish brown firms, they become more short-termist,” Shue writes. This all means much less capital available for green technologies. The green investing agenda may also have other unintended consequences. For example, there are examples of large oil producers offloading older assets to improve their green credentials, only for their mines and oil rigs to become dirtier in the hands of new owners, who operate them for longer. It’s the same principle for the UK, where efforts to prevent new domestic oil and gas production have only resulted in importing expensive hydrocarbons (often from less-than-democratic places like the Middle East or Russia). We must be realistic that humanity’s impact on the environment cannot turn to zero overnight. Humanity still needs the goods produced by environmentally unfriendly companies and, even under the most optimistic net zero scenarios, this will be the case for some time. The likes of fertiliser are necessary to feed billions of people. Building materials are needed to solve our dire housing crisis. Even the “green” companies still need electricity and transport. Meanwhile, according to the World Health Organization, 3.2 million people die yearly from household air pollution caused by burning fuels like kerosene for heating and cooking. That’s because they don’t have electricity. For these people, even dirty coal-fired power stations would be a better alternative. Ultimately it will take big investments, including by ‘dirty’ industry, energy producers and newer green start-ups to solve our environmental challenges. There is a central role of government in ensuring that pollution costs are properly accounted for in production, particularly to incentivise innovation, through the likes of carbon taxes. But sometimes even the most apparently virtuous behaviour, like investing in ESG funds, may not quite get us to the desired results. By Matthew Lesh via CityAM
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Post by Blitz on Jul 5, 2023 17:19:09 GMT -5
Take That, Internet Censors! A court ruling knocks digital censorship to the canvas, ordering a sweeping halt to the "nothingburger" described in Missouri v. Biden and the Twitter Files MATT TAIBBI - JUL 5 www.racket.news/p/take-that-internet-censors?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=emailLouisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry Here’s how federal judge Terry Doughty yesterday described the digital censorship controversy at which pundits a half-year now have repeatedly rolled eyes, dismissed, and mocked as a nothingburger: “If the allegations made by Plaintiffs are true, the present case arguably involves the most massive attack against free speech in United States’ history.” Doughty then ordered a sweeping halt to the censorship schemes outlined in both the extant Missouri v. Biden lawsuit and in the Twitter Files. Critics who’ve been snickering about this issue might want to read this 155-page ruling now, and ask themselves if the current Supreme Court would or would not agree with Doughty. Still think this is a nothingburger? With this ruling in the Missouri v. Biden censorship case, Doughty went out of his way on the Fourth of July, to issue a stern rebuke at a conga line of government officials, many of them characters in the Twitter Files. Racket readers will recognize names like Elvis Chan and Laura Dehmlow (of the FBI), Jen Easterly and Brian Scully (of the Department of Homeland Security), Laura Rosenberger (Special Assistant to the President, and one of the creators of Hamilton 68) and Daniel Kimmage (of the Global Engagement Center), who were all just ordered to get the hell off the First Amendment’s lawn. Paraphrasing, Doughty enjoined them from: meeting with social-media companies for the purpose of pressuring or inducing in any manner the removal or suppression of protected free speech; flagging posts on social-media platforms and/or forwarding to social-media companies urging the same; collaborating with the Election Integrity Partnership, the Virality Project, the Stanford Internet Observatory, or any “like project” or group for the same purpose; threatening or coercing social-media companies to remove protected free speech. The New York Times, which instantly wrung its hands and stressed the ruling could “curtail efforts to fight disinformation,” grumblingly handed blame to the Twitter Files, without naming them of course, and mislabeling it as a partisan enterprise: Elon Musk has echoed Republican arguments, releasing internal company documents to chosen journalists suggesting what they claimed was collusion between company and government officials. Though that remains far from proven, some of the documents Mr. Musk disclosed ended up in the lawsuit’s arguments. The investigation led by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and Missouri’s Andrew Bailey, produced documents showing overt government requests to censor people like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a White House official expressing frustration to Facebook that they weren’t “removing bad information from search,” and emails in which a Facebook official pleads with the White House to understand that they’re already “reducing the virality” of “often-true content” that might promote vaccine hesitancy, among many other things. The Attorneys General likewise scored depositions with people like Dr. Anthony Fauci, and confronted him with documents showing Facebook sending his office updates about how “we are expanding the list of false claims we will remove.” White House official asks Twitter “if we can get moving” on having posts by RFK, Jr. removed, “ASAP” Was this illegal? Unconsititional? Did it show a pattern of mighty tech companies like Facebook and Twitter acting like they were reporting to federal officials like Fauci on content moderation? I knew what I thought it looked like, but what judges or a jury might say, who knew? Yesterday’s ruling, which naturally will be dismissed as Republican clickbait, shows at least one federal judge agreed with the argument that a complex system to mass-funnel content recommendations from enforcement agencies and politicians to tech platforms represents what the Attorneys General called a “sprawling federal ‘Censorship Enterprise.’” As one of the plaintiffs, Dr. Aaron Kheriaty wrote, the evidence in the suit revealed a far broader range of topics monitored by government than most people know of even now, from gender ideology to abortion to monetary policy to the war in Ukraine and beyond. “Take any contentious issue in American public life,” said Kheriaty today, “and it seems like the federal government, once they got this machinery rolling, just thought, ‘Okay, we can combat quote-unquote misinformation on all kinds of things.’” The Missouri v. Biden investigators found the same fact patterns found by Twitter Files reporters like me, Michael Shellenberger, Bari Weiss, Lee Fang, David Zweig, and Paul Thacker, and then later Andrew Lowenthal, Aaron Mate, Sue Schmidt, Matt Orfalea, Tom Wyatt, Matt Farwell, @techno_Fog, and many others did. They also echoed descriptions by like Jacob Siegel at Tablet, or Robby Soave at Reason, who wrote about similar issues at Facebook. Those of us who worked on the Twitter Files story initially experienced the same problem investigators and plaintiffs in the Missouri v. Biden case apparently did, being unsure of what to make of the sheer quantity of agencies and companies involved in what looked like organized censorship schemes. I know I wasn’t alone among Twitter Files reporters in being nervous to report that content moderation “requests” were coming from “agencies across the federal government — from the State Department to the Pentagon to the CIA.” It’s what we were seeing, but seemed too nuts to be true. But as time went on, even more topics, government offices, and state-partnered organizations started popping up, leaving little question of what we were looking at. Eventually, we found the same plot outlined in Missouri v. Biden: pressure from government in the form of threatened regulation, followed by a stream of recommendations about content from multiple agencies (the investigators in this lawsuit even found meddling by the Census Bureau). This was capped by the construction of quasi-private bureaucracies that in some cases appeared to have been conceived as a way for the government to partner on content moderation without being in direct violation of the First Amendment. Most of us covering the Twitter Files tried to avoid delving into the constitutionality/legality question, but couldn’t help wondering in some cases, for instance with Stanford’s Election Integrity Partnership and Virality Partnership, which created cross-platform content ticketing systems about the 2020 race and Covid-19. We all thought we were looking at a potentially major problem there, since the principals from places like Stanford weren’t shy about saying they wanted to “fill the gap of the things that the government cannot do themselves” because partners like DHS/CISA lacked “the funding and the legal authorizations” to do the work. What might happen if judges or juries were presented with that whole picture, including details about the open, ongoing partnerships of these groups with government agencies like CISA and the Surgeon General? We have some idea now. The dismissal of these complaints as partisan “tinfoil hat” conspiracy by politicians like the ones who interrogated Michael Shellenberger and me in Congress, and by papers like the New York Times and Washington Post, has all along felt like the the same kind of error that led to the mis-call of the 2016 election and the massive loss of audience for traditional media stations in the years that ensued. These mainstream news observers are trapped in a bubble of their own making and can’t or won’t see that the average American looks at letters from the White House to shut down social media accounts, or piles of “suggestions” on content from the FBI, and feels instinctively that he or she really doesn’t like that, whatever it is. One can hope at least a few censorship advocates will read the ruling and grasp that in a democracy, you can’t have a situation where only half (or less) of the population thinks something as basic as the speech landscape is fairly arranged. That just won’t hold, making rulings like this foreseeable, if not inevitable. No matter what, this can’t be anything but good news for the First Amendment. “Hopefully,” said Kheriaty, “yesterday was the beginning of the end of the censorship Leviathan.”
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Post by Blitz on Jul 6, 2023 8:09:19 GMT -5
Another example of facts beating loony left fairy tale logic... Blocking West of Shetland oil projects counter-productive in terms of emissions June 27, 2023 www.offshore-mag.com/field-development/article/14295643/blocking-west-of-shetland-oil-projects-counterproductive-in-terms-of-emissionsDevelopment of the deepwater Rosebank and Cambo oil fields West of Shetland would be far less emissions intensive for the UK than importing the equivalent volumes of oil and gas, according to Wood Mackenzie. Photo 186004882 © Azman Mohamad | Dreamstime.com Offshore Oil And Gas - View Image Gallery - Offshore staff LONDON — Development of the deepwater Rosebank and Cambo oil fields west of Shetland would be far less emissions intensive for the UK than importing the equivalent volumes of oil and gas, according to Wood Mackenzie. Although Equinor is thought to be advancing its proposal for the Rosebank project, environmental lobby groups are heavily opposed to Cambo. Shell recently withdrew from this project, with operator Ithaca Energy struggling to secure finance for the development. However, Malcolm Forbes-Cable, vice president of Energy Consulting (Upstream, EMEA) with Wood Mackenzie, said the two projects would save the UK 17 MM metric tons in CO2 emissions over their projected life spans compared to importing the equivalent volumes of oil and gas. During his presentation at the recent DEVEX conference in Aberdeen, he added that the two projects could bring £40 billion of gross value add (GVA) to the UK economy and create 900 long-term jobs. “The UK plays a critical role in the integrated European energy market, and these developments would seek to reduce the need for the UK to import carbon-intensive alternatives," he said. "From an economic perspective, the business case for the development of these two fields is compelling, and there is the added benefit of the additional energy security it would bring to the UK.” According to Wood Mackenzie’s Emissions Benchmarking tool, UK oil and gas production typically generates materially lower emissions than imports, and the added emissions from imports would be 500% more than from hydrocarbons from an electrified Rosebank and Cambo. Courtesy Wood Mackenzie “With final investment decisions looming, both Rosebank and Cambo act as barometers for the future of oil and gas production in the UK North Sea,” Forbes-Cable said. “If neither of these fields go to full development, it will be difficult to make a clear economic case for fields with less potential.” Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, has stated that Labour would issue no further licenses for exploration in the North Sea if it wins the UK’s next election, as is widely expected. In an interview with the BBC, Ithaca Energy’s executive chairman Gilad Myerson commented, “By a new government imagining they’ll be able to stop licenses and oil development in the UK, ultimately what that means is that they’ll be starving the UK of energy, and it will become very dependent on energy from abroad." "Politicians keep making statements, which spook investors,” he added. “You have to make sure that the environment is stable because this is a project that will last for 10 years.” The Energy Profits Levy, which the Conservative administration introduced last year and then raised further, will remain until 2028 unless oil and gas prices fall for a sustained period. “The taxation regime is changing constantly,” Myerson continued, “and it’s very difficult to invest huge amounts of capital when you don’t know what type of return you’ll be getting.” 06.27.2023
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Post by Blitz on Jul 24, 2023 8:38:37 GMT -5
Opinion: The opposite of helping—Biden energy policies miss the mark Edward Cross, President, Kansas Independent Oil & Gas Association July 21, 2023 www.worldoil.com/news/2023/7/21/opinion-the-opposite-of-helping-biden-energy-policies-miss-the-mark/(WO) - President Biden and his supporters continue to look for every opportunity to attack, weaken, and destroy domestic oil and natural gas production. The Biden administration’s actions are making it harder for our economy to recover and are damaging our nation’s future energy security. The public primarily sees energy policy as an economic issue or an environmental issue. Republicans primarily view energy policy as an economic issue. Democrats are far more likely to view energy policy as an environmental issue. The energy policy challenge for President Biden and the 118th Congress is to mediate these two opposing viewpoints to create policy that is beneficial to the economy and the environment. The U.S. public wants energy policy that will help bolster the economy, protect the environment, and require very minimal personal sacrifice by the consumer. In his State of the Union speech last February, President Biden focused on three problems: 1. The decline of U.S. industry and infrastructure; 2. The global energy crisis; and 3. The supply chain crisis. Biden portrayed himself as the solution to all three problems. But he is, in fact, a major cause. Because industry and infrastructure require development, Biden’s anti-development environmental policies have been a major obstacle to responsible development. In his State of the Union speech, Biden asked, “Where is it written that America can’t lead the world in manufacturing again?” The answer is simple. It is written in the endless anti-development and anti-energy regulations that the Biden administration continues to spew. Biden portrayed the global energy crisis as a problem that he is solving. In fact, it is a problem he has helped cause and is making it worse with anti-fossil fuel policies. But the main cause is global anti-fossil fuel policies championed and supported by Biden. Restrictions on domestic oil and gas production in the U.S. are pushing operations to countries with lower environmental and human rights standards. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) says global oil and natural gas demand will increase over the next 30 years. And nearly half of the world’s energy is expected to come from oil and natural gas in 2045. That demand will be met, one way or another. If America does not meet it, it will be met by other countries that do not share our security interests, environmental standards, or values. The solutions are right here in America, and we need to seize them. Biden policies make things worse. Not only has Biden been a significant cause of the global energy crisis, but he has also taken actions to compound it by continuing to threaten fossil fuel producers. Biden says, “I guarantee you, we’re going to end fossil fuels” and then cannot understand why oil companies don’t invest more into increasing production. Biden blamed the supply chain crisis on “the pandemic.” The supply chain crisis is caused in part by bad pandemic policies but also by general hostility toward energy and development by the Biden administration and many other world leaders. Hostility toward energy and development makes it hard for supply chains to recover. The oil and natural gas industry can be part of the solution to our nation’s energy policy challenges. Entrepreneurs in the private sector and smart, state-led policies have created and will continue to drive American energy leadership. It does not make sense to place unnecessary political and legal obstacles in the way of responsible American oil and natural gas production, cancel oil pipelines, discourage investment in fossil fuels, stimulate demand through outlandish spending, and then beg OPEC+ for more oil to contain inflation. A dose of energy intelligence. The prevailing view, that the energy transition is a linear trajectory from fossil fuels to renewables, is misleading and potentially dangerous to a world that will continue to be thirsty for all energy sources. To place expected future energy demand in some context, the 2022 World Energy Outlook sees total world energy demand increasing 23% from 2021 to 2045. Oil’s share of total energy in 2045 will only decline from 30.9% to 28.6%. Coal will fall further, from 26.1% to 16.6%. Natural gas will rise, as will nuclear, hydro and biomass. The biggest growth area will be renewables, which will grow from 2.6% in 2021 to 10.9% in 2045. If you are in the oil business today, you will still be in 2045. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that oil and natural gas supplied 68% of U.S. energy in 2022. By 2045, the EIA estimates that oil and natural gas will supply roughly 50% of U.S. energy needs. Despite the aspirational policies attempting to define a transition away from fossil fuels, actions speak louder than words. Countries are showing every day that they are more interested in affordable energy than in paying a green premium. That’s proving particularly true in light of the energy crisis, whether considering China’s interest in buying Russian oil, or Germany’s decision to hold onto coal. Believe what you see, and what is actually happening, in the marketplace, not what you hear. People want an energy policy that will help bolster the economy, protect the environment, and require very minimal personal sacrifice. The situation transcends politics. American energy policy is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. It is an American prosperity and leadership issue. The American people want, expect and deserve elected leaders, who will place what’s best for our state and national economies and energy future above partisan ideology and political posturing. I strongly believe that the American people need, and want, moral, intellectual and strategic clarity and courage from our policymakers. The most pressing issues facing the U.S. economy in the foreseeable future are not those arising from climate change or an energy transition. Rather, the factors to watch are inflation, rising energy costs, and national security threats. A long way to go. While the ambitious pledges from various international bodies and governments would suggest the energy transition is near, the gap between theory and reality is vast. It will likely be decades before an energy transition can take place. The energy transition may have begun, but there is a very long way to go before fossil fuel dominance is truly challenged. The time to end the intrusion of extreme political ideology or personal agendas in energy policy debate is now. The only limits on our nation’s energy potential will be self-imposed by short-sighted, politically motivated energy policy decisions. The American public and future generations deserve better.
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Post by Blitz on Jul 25, 2023 7:05:43 GMT -5
It appears the only approved power source is solar and that has to be direct sunlight. Like a solar dryer for your laundry... that what we used to call a clothesline. And now this example of a very clean energy being demonized making this article another example of how illogical the loony left's logic really is... Extending The Life Of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Could Cost $45 Billion By Charles Kennedy - Jul 25, 2023, 2:23 AM CDT Extending the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant could cost Californians $45 billion, a climate activist group has warned. According to the Environmental Working Group, the number represents the costs of running the facility between this year and 2045 or later. The Diablo Canyon nuclear power is slated for retirement in two years but the utility operating it, Pacific Gas & Electric, is seeking a 20-year extension of its life. For now, California’s leadership appears only willing to grant a much shorter extension of the nuclear power plant’s life, until 2030. Governor Gavin Newsom even said keeping the plant open until 2030 was critical for California’s transition to wind and solar. Not everyone agrees, however. Besides the Environmental Working Group, another activist organization is also challenging Diablo Canyon’s life extension. In April this year, the group, Friends of the Earth, filed a lawsuit at the San Francisco Superior Court to force the state government to stick to original plans to retire the nuclear plant in 2025. The saga with Diablo Canyon is illustrative of the nuclear power conundrum of the energy transition. Nuclear energy is zero-emission once a plant begins operation, pretty much like wind and solar. However, there is a strong and vocal anti-nuclear lobby in transition circles that insist nuclear has no place in a renewable energy grid. At the same time, there are many proponents of nuclear power who argue that the transition to net-zero will be impossible without a heavy leaning on nuclear, which, unlike wind and solar, is a dispatchable form of energy, like coal and gas. Opponents’ main arguments are the risk of a reactor meltdown and the storage of waste fuel. Proponents’ arguments focus on a clean track record for U.S. nuclear power in terms of dangerous accidents, and advancements in waste fuel treatment and storage. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
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Post by Blitz on Aug 27, 2023 8:08:00 GMT -5
A clear fail for the Dems' policies and San Francisco's former mayor, Dianne Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi's Congressional District. And now this... From boomtown to bust, the story of San Francisco A variety of social problems have cast a shadow over the once-gleaming City by the Bay San Francisco's drug-addicted and homeless population is among the nation's highestIllustrated / Getty Images JUSTIN KLAWANS - AUGUST 26, 2023 theweek.com/in-depth/1025947/san-francisco-boom-bust-declineSan Francisco is a city of two realities. The Bay Area is arguably the tech capital of the world, and the Silicon Valley region has "both the largest tech talent pool and the highest number of tech roles of any U.S. market," according to TheRealDeal. San Francisco also remains a global leader in arts, culture and education, with its greater metropolitan area containing colleges like Stanford and UC Berkeley. It's also among the wealthiest cities in the world. It has more than 285,000 millionaires, per a 2023 report from Henley and Partners, and also has 63 billionaires — more than any other city on the planet. The Bay Area is also known for its high cost of living and consistently ranks among the 10 most expensive cities in the world, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit. Data released at the end of 2022 showed that San Francisco's "housing costs were 113% higher and utility costs were 67.5% higher … than the national average," SFGate reported. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco is $3,000, among the highest in the country, according to Zumper. Heading into downtown, though, displays a much less glamorous version of the city. San Francisco has been grappling with several societal ills for years, including a widespread drug addiction crisis. In 2019, the city had "more drug addicts than it [had] students enrolled in its public high schools," the San Francisco Chronicle reported, by a margin of more than 8,000 people. While the city's rate of violent crime is lower than the national average, San Francisco has high rates of property crimes like theft and burglary. Combined with the ongoing drug crisis, this has led to a large homeless population in the city. A mid-2022 report showed that 20,000 people were expected to experience homelessness in San Francisco that year, per the San Francisco Chronicle, and "for every one person housed by a city program, four more will become unhoused." But San Francisco has had a long history of ups and downs. So how did the Bay Area get here, and is there still a way for the city to recover? Or is San Francisco destined for failure? Why is it an epicenter of drugs and homelessness? The influx of fentanyl is causing many of the problems, just as it is in cities across the United States. The drug has become almost ubiquitous in San Francisco. This past June, the California Highway Patrol "seized enough fentanyl in San Francisco to potentially kill over 2.1 million people," according to the Office of the Governor. Given the city's population of just over 800,000, this would be enough to kill everyone in San Francisco nearly three times over. At least 268 people in San Francisco died from fentanyl overdoses in the first four months of 2023, per the city's chief medical examiner. Many additional overdose deaths were attributed to heroin, methamphetamines, medicinal opioids and cocaine. As a result of this fentanyl surge, users smoking drugs in public has become a common sight. However, unlike many other major cities, San Francisco "largely does not prosecute public drug use," The San Francisco Standard reported. While drug possession remains a misdemeanor crime, experts told the Standard that the city's "harm reduction" approach was the "result of a growing sentiment that … the government should take a public health approach that focuses on mitigating the harmful consequences of drug use." These drug issues have contributed to the city's growing homelessness epidemic. California itself is home to half of the American homeless population, per McKinsey and Company, and "on any given night, 38,000 individuals in the Bay Area are homeless." Drugs don't appear to be the root cause of the city's homelessness, though. A recent comprehensive study by ASR on the matter found that the problem was the result of a "severe shortage in affordable housing, a widening gap between rising housing costs and stagnant wages, and an insufficient safety net for individuals with disabling conditions." While 12% of respondents to the study said drug and alcohol abuse was the cause of their homelessness, this was only the third-most cited reason. Fourteen percent reported eviction as the culprit, and another 21% — more than a fifth of respondents — said they were homeless because they lost their jobs. What role does wealth disparity play? Not only is the cost of living increasing in the city, but the gap is widening, which researchers say is significantly contributing to the overall rise in poverty. If Silicon Valley were its own nation, it would be a "politically unstable country with extreme wealth inequalities," according to a 2023 study from San Jose State University. The study added that "African American, Latinx, Indigenous and various Asian American communities continue to receive considerably less of the economic, political, education and social rewards" afforded to other races in San Francisco. A poll from the Chronicle found that even the city's wealthiest individuals feel the gap between rich and poor is a major problem. Among 1,653 people sampled, 75% of those who made over $200,000 per year said the wealth gap was a "problem that should be made smaller." Those who made between $50,000 and $100,000 were the likeliest to believe that the wealth gap was a problem, at 80%. This is a notable statistic because these are people "who traditionally would have been able to afford homes but are not able to because of the city's high cost of living," Jacob Denney, of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association, told the Chronicle. "People who are making $53,000 a year effectively are barely able to survive here," Denney concluded. How can the city's problems be fixed? One solution: Build homes. "Build lots of homes everywhere in the Bay Area. Fill in all the empty lots and surface parking with places to live. Convert commercial buildings to residential ones," Adam Rogers wrote for Insider. This could potentially be compounded by unused office space scattered throughout downtown post-Covid. While the city is already working on these initiatives, Rogers argued against zoning laws that prevent homeless people from being housed. "Fix the zoning issues that privilege big single-family homes and make multiplexes illegal. Get rid of rules that require every living unit to include parking for cars. Turn first floors into small retail spaces that local businesses can afford," he said. And despite cooled-off criminalization against drug addicts, police have begun arresting open-air users. While this has been panned by some critics as the "wrong approach to deal with addiction and could even increase overdose deaths," CBS News reported, the user's risk "depends entirely on what you do after the arrest," Stanford addiction researcher Keith Humphreys told the outlet. He added that these arrests should be coupled with "immediate enrollment in good medication" so people don't suffer from withdrawals. While San Francisco undoubtedly has its downfalls, "its problems aren't all that different from other major metros," Vox reported. Rather, the city has received large amounts of negative press coverage because it "occupies a unique space in the identity of the U.S." "San Francisco's always had this mythology of being this future-forward, progressive city," Aliyah Salahuddin, a Standford historian, told Vox. "But the rights of the disenfranchised have historically always been undercut and challenged."
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Post by Blitz on Aug 27, 2023 8:16:30 GMT -5
Another Dem fail, NYC's Time Square... Excerpt: Times Square back to the bad old days: ‘It’s a sh-thole’ By Georgia Worrell - August 26, 2023 nypost.com/2023/08/26/times-square-overrun-by-squalor-crime-its-a-sh-thole/Man stabbed in the head on NYC subway in one of two attacks just 10 minutes apart Knife-wielding Times Square maniac busted again in domestic case: prosecutors Man punched in face inside NYC’s Times Square subway station: cops You’re not in Disney anymore. Times Square is looking a lot like its bad old self, with vagrants, boozy migrants, junkies, and scofflaws making the Crossroads of the World look more like the third world, infuriating those who played an important role in its cleanup. On three separate days over the past week, The Post saw junkies brazenly smoking crack pipes on West 43rd Street, drug dealers peddling their wares within eyeshot of cops, hobos conked out wherever they can find a spot, and scores of aimless migrants loitering the day away. “A lot of people are worried about [Times Square] collapsing. And unless they start getting it together for a rebuild, it might actually collapse,” said William Bratton, the NYPD commissioner who helped then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani clean up the area in the 1990s. “We had a lot more to work with than the current commissioner and the mayor have in 2023,” Bratton added. “There was a lot more of a criminal justice system back then. The courts, district attorneys, and the police were pretty much united about doing something about crime in Times Square. So you had a collaboration that is not in place today.”
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Post by Blitz on Aug 29, 2023 6:35:18 GMT -5
There's a pretty accurate listing of Lefty failures that have left the USA vulnerable in a number areas.
And now this...
DECLINING U.S. DETERRENCE, INCREASED VULNERABILITYAND OUR FUTURE IN CHINA’S NEW WORLD ORDER. By: Marvin L. Covault, Lt. Gen. US Army retired April 12, 2023 ASSERTION: China wants to control the world, as in, “To exercise authoritative or dominative influence over.” One might even alter this official definition by substituting “and” for “or”. FACTS BEARING ON THE PROBLEM: What follows is a potpourri of what I believe to be critical issues associated with China’s long-range strategic plan to control the world. I further believe they are well past the planning stage and at least into phase 3 of execution. This conclusion becomes more obvious when we take a look at what our four existing enemies, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are doing. CHANGE: Changes in foreign affairs and foreign relations can be good, advantageous, bad, fast, slow, uplifting, dangerous, etc. If it is a combination of fast and bad, we need to recognize it, admit to it, and then do something about it. The U.S. may already be so far behind the power curve that we cannot save ourselves. WHAT OUR ENEMIES ARE UP TO: China’s Achilles' heel has been the availability of natural gas and oil. They currently import 10-12 million barrels of crude oil per day from two major oil sources, Russia and the Middle East. Included in all of their recent foreign relations are actions that will insure a sustained future supply of oil and gas 2001: For decades during the post-WW II Cold War period, China and Russia were at odds with each other over which one was to be the dominant figure in transitioning the world to communism/socialism. Those days concluded in 2001 when China and Russia signed a long-range friendship and cooperation treaty. 2013: China’s Belt and Road Initiative, launched by Xi Jinping, is a multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure program that is intended to link China with more than 100 of the 195 world countries. China has provided funding for roads, railroads, power plants, ports, mining, and energy projects. Some of the projects consist of huge loans to poorer countries that ultimately cannot be paid back to China. China then uses leverage and bartering to gain control over critical natural resources. CHINA AND RARE EARTH ELEMENTS such as cobalt, nickel, copper, and lithium are essential components in producing renewable energy technology, semiconductors, and other electronics. Access to these resources has never been more important; they will define future economic growth. China has taken the lead in this global “gold rush.” China’s mining companies are merging with other firms, creating a global force in the extraction of rare elements. Additionally, China holds a monopoly in processing the elements with 80% of U.S. refined rare earth elements imports coming from China. For example, it is reported that China controls about 80% of the mineable lithium deposits in the world. So, what happens when the U.S. has 50 million electric vehicles on the road and we are out of lithium for new batteries? November 2020: There was a signing ceremony in which 15 Asian nations, led by China, agreed to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership which casts China as a champion of globalization and multilateral cooperation in a multi-nation effort towards freer trade and future prosperity. It is the world’s largest free trade bloc. The U.S. is not included. March 2021: China and Iran signed a strategic cooperation agreement that includes oil and mining rights for China, military cooperation, and China’s $400 billion economic investment. China is Iran’s leading trade partner. This is a significant step in reducing U.S. influence in the Middle East, crippling the U.S. sanctions on Iran and firming up China’s future supply of imported oil. June 2021: Putin and Xi Jinping announced the extension of the 20-year-old friendship and cooperation treaty. February 2022: Putin and Xi Jinping signed a new statement that outlines a bold New World Order and a partnership between the two states without any limitations. It openly declares against NATO and its concern over AUKUS, a security partnership between the U.S., Australia, and the United Kingdom. The most crucial element of the joint declaration was their alliance against the U.S. Additionally, they signed a new deal under which Russia will deliver gas to China via the Far Eastern route strengthening their energy cooperation. June 2022: China’s crude oil imports from Russia soared 55% from a year earlier, surpassing Saudi Arabia as China’s top supplier. This happened despite sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. September 2022: Putin, Xi, and the president of Mongolia agreed to a plan for a new pipeline capable of delivering 50 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia to China via Mongolia. December 2022: China and Saudi Arabia released a statement agreeing to a range of issues including energy, security, Iran’s nuclear program, the crisis in Yemen, and Russia’s war in Ukraine. January 2023: Notwithstanding the three-year Covid bump in the road, China’s economy is on track for a resurgence. China’s Gross Domestic Product growth over the last 10 years was 6% or better annually until Covid hit in 2020. Their target GDP growth for 2023 is 5% while defense spending is 7.2%. By the way, the U.S. GDP growth in 2023 is projected to be south of 2%. March 2023: China and Brazil, the largest economy in Latin America, have agreed to stop trading with the U.S. dollar and use their own currencies instead. They will carry out their immense economic dealings without use of the dollar as a medium of exchange. Twenty-three countries representing about 60% of the world’s GDP are setting up swap lines that bypass the U.S. dollar as the medium of exchange. Included in the 23 are Russia, China, India, Germany, France, and the UK. 23 March 2023: China and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement granting Saudi Arabia the status of a “dialogue partner” in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a club of mostly ex-Soviet states as well as other major economic players such as India and Pakistan. This agreement is a step towards full membership for Saudi Arabia. As Ali Shihabi, a Saudi analyst put it, “The traditional monogamous relationship with the U.S. is now over.” 1984: Iran was designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism. Since 2005 EU, UN, and U.S. sanctions have targeted Iran for violating treaties under which it promised not to pursue nuclear weapons. By 2015 the sanctions resulted in unemployment and high inflation rates thereby devastating Iran’s economy. When was the last time you saw a product that was “made in Iran?”The point is, Iran’s economic highs and lows are directly tied to the export of oil. It follows that Iran’s support of terrorism and its nuclear program are therefore also tied to oil export income. President Trump tightened down the sanctions on Iran and crushed their economy. Oil exports plummeted from 2.1 million barrels a day in 2017 to 404,000 in 2020. President Biden relaxed the sanctions to get back the failed nuclear agreement with Iran and their oil exports nearly doubled in 2021 and continues to rise every day since. 2016: Russia agreed with Iran to build nuclear power capabilities inside Iran which has obviously been advantageous as their nuclear production capability is now imminent. March 2021: Iran and China signed a 25-year cooperation agreement that will strengthen their relationship concerning political, strategic, military, and economic components. China has contracts totaling hundreds of billions of dollars in Iran’s gas and oil industry including exclusive rights to several Iranian oil and natural gas fields. It is not lost on China planners that Iran ranks as the fourth-largest reserve of oil and the second-largest reserve of natural gas in the world. Iran has signed on to China’s One Belt and Road program as a key part of China’s geopolitical ambitions in central Asia and the Middle East. They are also linked militarily with China providing advanced systems to include control technology for long-range missile development. January 2022: Iran, China, and Russia held their third joint naval drills in the northern Indian Ocean. There also continue to be Chinese nuclear experts, scientists, and technicians present in Iran. 20 July 2022: On his first trip abroad since the invasion of Ukraine, Putin visited Iran to, “Strengthen our cooperation on international security issues, making a significant contribution to the settlement of the Syrian conflict.” The same day Iran’s oil ministry signed a $40 billion deal with Russia which includes developing Iranian gas fields and building new gas export pipelines. 1 March 2023: Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Colin Kahl reported to Congress that, “Iran can produce enough fissile material for one nuclear bomb in about 12 days.” 11 March 2023: After years of hostility, China brokered a deal whereby Saudi Arabia and Iran will reestablish relations; reopening embassies in Tehran and Riyadh within the next two months. February 2023: CIA Director says Russia is offering Iran help with its missile program in exchange for military aid; and says the partnership is, “growing in a very dangerous direction.” Now that Russia is struggling through a war in Ukraine, Iran can reciprocate in their relationship by providing hundreds of attack drones to Russia thereby further strengthening their cooperation. NORTH KOREA, RECENT HEADLINES: North Korea has conducted 270 missile launches and nuclear tests since 1984; well over 100 of those since Biden took office. 2018, 2019: President Trump made three trips to Asia to meet with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un. We do not know what Trump said, but nuclear and missile testing stopped. They resumed a month after Biden took office and have continued at a torrid pace since. In February 2023; North Korea fired four strategic cruise missiles demonstrating its ability to conduct a nuclear counterattack. 9 March 2023: North Korea launched six short-range ballistic missiles; describing their ability to attack military airfields in South Korea. 12 March 2023: While North Korea has been launching ballistic missiles from a submarine since 2016, the latest launch, 12 March 2023, is proof-of-concept of a more capable missile. 2023: North Korea launches a test missile with the range to hit the U.S. The White House says President Biden was briefed on the situation and will continue to consult with allies. OK, and………? North Korea’s growing nuclear arsenal and provocations have raised the urgency for South Korea and Japan to strengthen their defense postures. China is considered North Korea’s closest ally; they have had a mutual aid and cooperation treaty since 1961. Their relationship declined earlier this century over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. However, relations have been increasingly close since 2018. U.S./SAUDI ARABIA RELATIONSHIPS THEN AND NOW: Bilateral agreements, particularly in the energy and security sectors have endured between the U.S. and Saudi for decades. Saudi Arabia is one of the U.S.’s largest trading partners in the Middle East. The U.S. has been instrumental over the decades in organizing, training, and equipping the Saudi military. The Obama/Biden and now the Biden administration’s bungling of the nuclear issues as they apply to Iran have created a deep mistrust between Saudi Arabia in particular and other Middle East nations in general towards the U.S. They do not want a nuclear Iran and believe Biden has facilitated it. In 2017, President Trump’s first overseas trip was to Saudi Arabia which was described as, “A pro-American extravaganza” where Trump and the King signed a $110 billion arms deal. Saudi Arabia is engaged in a war with their southern neighbor, Yemen. The terrorist group, Houthi, engaged the Yemen government forces in 2014 and succeeded in capturing most of the country. The ousted Yemen president asked Saudi Arabia for assistance. The Saudis put together a coalition of nine Middle East nations to assist. During the conflict, the U.S. provided intelligence and logistical support as well as the sale of arms to coalition states. The Houthi terrorist group is sponsored by and equipped by Iran. They routinely attack Saudi oil-producing areas and oil refineries. Because of all that, President Trump put the Houthis on the international terrorist list. China’s extensive move into the affairs of Middle East countries has been alarmingly rapid and extensive. Why? Because Biden facilitated it. During his 2020 campaign Biden frequently referred to Saudi Arabia as a “pariah” nation. January 2021: Enter the Biden Administration. They immediately removed the Houthis from the terrorist list and canceled a Saudi order for military equipment needed to fight the Houthis. Biden went on to announce an end to American support for Saudi-led offensive operations against the Houthis. A perfect lesson on how not to treat friends and valued allies. Additionally, during his 2020 campaign Biden labeled Saudi Arabia a “pariah state” over the murder of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Given those underpinnings, Biden’s trip in July 2022 to Saudi Arabia to beg for oil ended up being all about a fist bump and was a national disgrace. BIDEN AND ISRAEL: It began with the Obama/Biden administration and has been exacerbated in the Biden administration; that is, they simply abandoned the U.S. decades-old policy of uncompromising support to Israel, our most valued friend, and ally in the Middle East. March 2023: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was engaged in Israel’s proposed judicial reform. On 23 March, Biden spoke publicly on the issue making it clear that Netanyahu is still not on his schedule for a White House visit, “Not in the near term”, he said. This breaks precedent with every U.S. president for decades. 6 April 2023: Dozens of rockets were fired into Israel from Lebanon and Gaza by Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists. The response from President Biden, as he departed for a long Easter weekend, “My expectation and hope is that this will be closing down sooner than later.” Wow, tough talk from the supposed-to-be leader of the free world and decades-old close and valued ally, Israel. Mr. President, “hope” is not a process. U.S. LEADERSHIP IN LATIN AMERICA: March 2023: Honduras recently cut ties with Taiwan and established diplomatic ties with China. The opposition in Paraguay recently announced that if it wins the elections in April, it will do the same. In the past four years, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Panama have each switched their recognition from Taiwan to China. March 2022: China has extended its Belt and Road infrastructure investment program into Latin America; there are 26 projects in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. Additionally, China has strengthened its military ties, especially with Venezuela. China has replaced the U.S. as Latin America’s leading trade partner. This is all happening despite President Biden's 2020 campaign pledge that he would restore American leadership to Latin America and counter China's growing influence there. 8 March 2023: "What concerns me as a Combatant Commander is the myriad of ways in which the PRC is spreading its malign influence, wielding its economic might, and conducting gray zone activities to expand its military and political access and influence.”; testimony by General Laura Jane Richardson, Commander, US Southern Command, to the House Armed Services Committee. The dominoes in Latin America are falling at an ever-increasing pace while the U.S. remains passively standing on the sidelines, politically and economically, watching as China turns the continent into its subject. LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD: The U.S. emerged on the world stage during World War I, that accelerated during WW II and through the Cold War. As a result, for decades the U.S. president has been referred to as, “The leader of the free world.” That title was not ceremonial, it existed because the free world believed it. But President Biden’s actions over the past two years have disappointed and disillusioned world leaders. For example: ü The embarrassing and unnecessary military/political collapse in Afghanistan. ü Disrespect for a leader who would instantly squander his nation’s energy independence to make a trite political point. ü Astonishment that President Biden would willingly and deliberately threaten our national security by opening our borders to millions of unvetted, untested criminals, gang members, terrorists, drug dealers, human traffickers, hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied minors, and millions of common folks with no known skillsets from over 170 countries. ü Inability to admit to or deal with growing lawlessness across the U.S. ü Obvious disinterest and/or inability to deal with North Korea’s ramped-up nuclear and long-range missile testing. ü His inability to speak to difficult and demanding world issues without a prepared script and/or staged Q and A. ü His propensity to blame every, I mean EVERY, issue that is not going well for the American people on President Trump. No, zero, accountability. ü And finally, the icing on the cake. The world watched the Russian buildup of an invasion force on the border with Ukraine from October 2021 through 24 February 2022. While China and North Korea refused to condemn the invasion, the remainder of the world thought otherwise. But the shockwave instantaneously hit the world when President Biden, in a rare extemporaneous moment, said, “Russia will be held accountable if it invades. It depends on what it does. It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion and then we end up fighting about what to do and not do, et cetera.” The world’s interpretation of that statement is, a little invasion will be OK. Biden’s minions moved quickly to issue a what-the-president-meant-to-say statement but the irrevocable damage had been done. Suspicions confirmed: the president of the United States can no longer be trusted or respected as the leader of the free world. Our allies and enemies alike are wondering who is in charge. There are obvious global doubts about President Biden’s physical and cognitive capacity to deal with the rigorous demands of a “leader of the free world.” U.S. MILITARY DETERRENCE: Deterrence is a mindset outside the U.S. Simply stated, our allies trust us to have their back in international affairs and our enemies fear our military capabilities and willingness to take them on. Here is a summary of an unclassified online U.S. military operation that definitively illustrates deterrence on today’s battlefields and the connection between small unit operations to the military’s most senior leaders. June 2014: U.S. Launched Operation Inherent Resolve to destroy the Islamic State Group in Iraq and Syria, ISIS. Russia had committed military forces to Syria. The U.S. was allied with Kurdish and Syrian Democratic Forces against ISIS. Russia and the U.S. had opened a communications hotline to avoid direct conflict with each other. February 2018: During one afternoon a small group of 30 U.S. Special Operations Forces plus their local forces watched a surveillance drone feed as an enemy force of about 500 troops, 27 vehicles, and Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers, about 20 miles away, positioned itself to attack the small U.S. outpost. The Russian element consisted of Wagner Group personnel. Wagner Group is a private military company of mercenaries that operates beyond the law under the control of President Putin. The U.S. higher headquarters in Qatar was alerted and air support was placed on strip alert. At 8:30 p.m. the enemy force moved out and a nearby U.S. ground quick-reaction force launched in support with anti-tank missiles. The enemy opened fire at 10:30. By then, former General Jim Mattis, then Secretary of Defense, was on the hotline with his Russian counterpart who declared the attackers were not Russians. Mattis, later testified before Congress, saying he immediately called the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and told him to take out the enemy force. Waves of F-22 fighters, F-15E strike fighters, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, AC-130 gunships, B-52 bombers, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and Marine artillery relentlessly attacked the enemy force. An enemy Russian mercenary survivor later said, “We should never have been there; our leadership messed up. The Americans knew exactly where we were.” At about 1:00 a.m. the surviving enemy force fled the area leaving behind 200-300 KIA. One Syrian soldier at the outpost was wounded. There were no U.S. casualties. A month later, a group of Syrian fighters and Russian mercenaries began a similar buildup, also near an American outpost. This time when Sec Def called his Russian counterpart the enemy forces immediately dispersed. That is deterrence in action on today’s battlefields in today’s ugly world where enemy countries, led by thugs, only understand power or the lack thereof. January 2021- April 2023: Within the last two years, the Biden administration has dictated that the U.S. military, as an organization, sign up for diversity, equity, and inclusion, (DEI). This flies in the face of everything a capable military force must be and do. “Equity” is pure poison to any military organization. A new generation of leaders is being DEI indoctrinated. The force can no longer recruit America’s best and brightest. Across the board, military standards are being lowered. Meritocracy, the foundation of every military organization from the squad to Army-level commands, is dying or already dead; mediocracy rules the day and the future is bleak. August 2021: U.S. deterrence died when Commander in Chief Biden directed the cut-and-run operation from Afghanistan. Our in-country allies were left dumb-founded and in harm’s way from the immediate Taliban takeover. U.S. citizens were left stranded in Afghanistan. Our long-time loyal individual Afghan supporters on the ground were abandoned and left to be hunted down and killed by the Taliban. All of this unfolded on the world stage within a few days. 6 April 2023: The White House released a 12-page after-action review of the Afghanistan withdrawal. A National Security Council spokesperson took questions as the President shuffled off to his helicopter for a long weekend at Camp David. The bottom line is that the Biden Administration, true to form, blamed the whole thing on President Trump. The report actually named Trump 14 times and uses the word “accountability” once. A fact-checked review of key actions tells a very different story. This was, pure and simple, Biden’s withdrawal; here’s why: ü February 2020: The U.S. negotiated a withdrawal agreement with the Taliban that included many requirements and concessions from both sides. The date set for final withdrawal was 1 May 2021. ü 2020: Negotiations continued throughout the year with the Taliban continuously failing to meet their end of the agreement. ü 15 January 2021: U.S. force levels reached 2500 as required by the agreement. ü 19 February 2021: Biden, “My administration strongly supports the diplomatic process that’s underway and to bring an end to this war that is closing out 20 years.” at that point, Biden owned it, period. ü 7 March 2021: Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he is “concerned that the security situation will worsen and the Taliban could make rapid territorial gains.” Biden is aware of the tenuous situation. ü 25 March 2021: Gen. Richard Clarke, commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee that “it is clear that the Taliban have not upheld what they said they would do and reduce the violence.” More input to Biden. ü 14 April 2021: Biden announces that all troops will be removed by 11 September 2021. ü 18 May 2021 The Defense Department IG reports that during the first three months of 2021, “The Taliban initiated 37% more attacks than during the same period in 2020,”More input to the President. ü 6 July 2021: The U.S. military has pulled out of Bagram Airfield. Why? Because the command could not simultaneously secure/operate Bagram Airbase and the U.S. Embassy (Biden’s priority for security) in Kabul with only 2,500 troops. ü 8 July 2021: Biden moves up the timeline for full troop withdrawal to Aug. 31, saying, “The likelihood there’s going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely.” ü 6 August 2021: The Taliban takes control of its first province despite the agreement it signed with the U.S. ü 15 August 2021: Taliban fighters enter the capital; the Afghan president flees the country; the U.S. evacuates the embassy by helicopter. Note: during the critical days of the collapse, Biden was at Camp David instead of in the White House situation room with his National Security team. ü 16 August 2021: In a speech to the nation, Biden said, “I do not regret my decision to end America’s warfighting in Afghanistan,” and deflected blame for the government’s swift collapse. ü 26 August. 2021: 13 U.S. service members were killed by a suicide bomber at the Kabul airport. Why? Because the Bagram Airbase had been closed prematurely to meet troop constraint numbers. All air operations could have/should have been conducted out of a secure Bagram, not the unsecured Kabul airport. At any time during the chaotic early hours of the withdrawal, additional U.S./NATO troops could have/should have been brought in to renew Bagram operations. ü 31 August.2021: In a speech to the nation, Biden calls the Afghan withdrawal an, “extraordinary success.” ü 6 April 2023: Following the release of the withdrawal after action review, the White House spokesperson said the administration is “proud” of the Afghanistan withdrawal. Tell that to the families of the 13 dead service members, Mr. President. But the president did not hear that statement because he snuck out of the White House, avoided reporters by not using the South Lawn helipad, motored to Fort McNair, and took his helicopter to Camp David for an extended Easter vacation. Pathetic leadership /accountability. U.S. VULNERABILITIES: Given that our deterrent posture has been shattered, that a New World Order led by China is rapidly emerging, that our reliance on decades-old alliances is suspect or nonexistent and, given the status of current U.S. leadership, where does the U.S. stand on the issue of vulnerability? let’s take a look at some of what our enemies may be capable of doing to us. 6 May 2021, CYBER-ATTACK: A cyber-attack, believed to have been initiated in Russia, shut down one of the US’ largest (5,500 miles) pipelines, highlighting heightened concerns over the vulnerability of the nation’s critical infrastructure. The attack shut down the flow of gasoline and jet fuel across the South and up to New York for about a week. This is an example of our vulnerability to cyber-attacks. It was only an inconvenience but was certainly proof-of-concept success for Russia. Biden’s response: Biden and Putin met a month later at a scheduled international conference where Biden told reporters, “I gave him a list of 16 specific entities defined a critical infrastructure under U.S. policy from the energy sector to our water systems.” This ridiculous response simply raised the question, is everything that is not on the list fair game for attack? A different response might have been a phone call; something like this: “Vlad, this is Joe. I just shut down your gas and oil pipeline to China. I’m sure you will soon be hearing from our friend Xi. My people tell me that no matter what your techies do, we can keep it down for at least a month. I see three alternatives. One, you do nothing. Two, you retaliate with another cyberattack on the U.S. Keep in mind that we have all of your other pipelines queued up to also be immediately shut down. Or three, you and I can agree, today, that neither of us will ever again initiate a cyberattack on the other. I need your answer by this afternoon. Have a nice day, goodbye.” China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran all have sophisticated cyber-attack capabilities. Imagine if they ganged up under guidance from China and shut down all of the major gasoline pipelines for a month? We would likely see massive lawlessness and the beginnings of anarchy throughout the nation. 3 December 2022, POWER GRID: I was home in North Carolina when th Le lights went out. We were soon informed by Duke Energy that shooters had taken out two nearby electrical distribution substations leaving about 40,000 residents without electrical power for several days. How vulnerable is our power grid? At least 6 such attacks occurred across the nation in 2021 and 20 in 2022. Power Grid Facts: The power grid is a distribution system of power plants, substations, transformers, and power lines with about 55,000 substations like the one near my home in NC. The systems are increasingly decrepit, poorly maintained, and frightfully vulnerable to accidents, disasters, and enemy action including cyber warfare. Most of the system is unguarded. Low-tech in nature, these attacks can be highly organized and professionally executed. Because the entire grid is so complex, any failure in the system has the possibility of creating a “cascading failure effect”. When that happens, shutdowns can cascade like dominoes, and the entire grid can be subject to shutting down. How vulnerable are we? Of the 55,000 substations, there are 30 that are most critical for the interconnection of the entire grid. Furthermore, by initiating a coordinated attack and destroying only 9 of those 30 interconnected substations, studies estimate the entire U.S. grid could be down for, “at least 18 months, probably longer.” Instantly it would not be 2023, it would be like 1823 or perhaps 1723 and we are not prepared for that. Consider this short list of what would no longer be available: water supply, telecommunications, food production and delivery, fuel extraction, refining, and distribution, law enforcement, emergency services, hospitals, and the reality that you may never hear from family and loved ones again; ever. Immediate anarchy would prevail and tens of millions of Americans would be dead in the first month. Could this happen? Yes, consider just this one scenario: Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism with access to and some control over most terrorist organizations. Iran’s leadership is morally corrupt and would like nothing more than to achieve their long-term and frequently stated goal of “Death to America.” The above information leads one to believe that a dozen 3-4-person terrorist teams of marksmen could simultaneously take down the 9 critical substations out of the existing 55,000 and thereby take America into darkness. Where would the terrorist teams come from? They may already be here after coming across our open border. Were the 20 attacks last year simply a series of proof-of-concept operations? 2023, UNPREPARED FOR WAR: Results from recent war-game simulations with the U.S. vs China in the South China Sea, conclude the U.S. would run out of some types of critical guided missiles within a week. This is all unclassified information available to anyone including China. Military equipment and munitions to Ukraine have reduced war reserves to such dangerously low levels that, under current production capabilities, some will not be renewed for 5-8 years. For example, there is one U.S. production facility for 155mm howitzer shells and The U.S. is capable of producing about 14,000 per month. On average Ukraine is firing 7,700 each day. You do the math. Recent testimony in a Congressional committee revealed that the U.S. is currently dependent on imports of certain rare metals from China and Russia for the production of bullets, explosives, nuclear weapons, and an array of military equipment. For example, there is no domestic mine for antimony, a rare metal required in the production of ammunition. The U.S. currently relies almost entirely on China for antimony to be able to produce a single bullet. ENERGY DEPENDENCE: 3 April 2023: Saudi-led oil producers announced they will cut oil production by one million barrels a day beginning in May. Since Biden’s assault on the U.S. fossil-fuel production, we are continuously vulnerable to oil production abroad. This is a serious national security issue that the president will not even address. STRATEGIC OIL RESERVES: Strategic reserves are dangerously low. One year ago, we had 577 million barrels and today it is 371 million; down 36% in one year. Why? Biden sold off reserves to reduce U.S. gas prices before the 2022 election. The U.S. consumption rate is about 20 million barrels per day. Another serious national security issue. ONE OF MANY EXAMPLES OF OUR OVER-DEPENDENCE ON CHINA: Medicine: Chinese firms supply more than 90% of U.S. antibiotics, and 70% of Tylenol and recent studies found that about 80% of the basic ingredients in U.S.-produced drugs come from China. Imagine a call from Xi Jinping to Biden: “ I have just ordered the cancelation of all shipments of pharmaceuticals to the U.S. unless you do (or don’t do) “X”. I need to know your decision this afternoon.” You get the picture, that’s leverage that would impact the life of every American. Leverage we do not have. LEADERSHIP WEAKNESS: 28 January 2023: The Chinese spy balloon entered Alaska air space, collected data for seven days, and was shot down. What did Biden do? Nothing. 14 March 2023: A Russian fighter jet shot down a U.S. drone over the Black Sea. What did Biden do? Nothing. SOUTH CHINA SEA: 1988: I was the deputy plans officer for the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions at U.S. Pacific Command Headquarters in Hawaii. I recall discussions about and seeing photos of habitable shacks on stilts being placed on reefs in the South China Sea by the Chinese. They would raise a flag, somehow provide provisions to the inhabitants and declare it was Chinese sovereign territory. Today structures at three of the man-made islands have been fully militarized with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment, and long runways for fighter jets to be capable of controlling any nation utilizing those shipping lanes. It’s important to note that one-third of all global shipping transits the South China Sea lanes. Additionally, Japan and South Korea together import about 5 million barrels of oil per day on that sea lane which can now be controlled by China. Without massive oil imports our two principal allies in that region, Japan and Korea, would be powerless within a few weeks. Another example of control resulted from brilliant long-range strategic planning and execution by China. CHINA’S NAVAL FORCES: 2023: To control the world, China needs a world-class navy. In the past few years, China has concentrated on building modern surface combatants, submarines, aircraft carriers, fighter jets, amphibious assault ships, ballistic nuclear missile submarines, large coast guard cutters, and polar icebreakers. Its Navy has more than tripled in size in only two decades and has become the world’s largest naval force, and there is no end in sight. ELECCTROMAGNETIC PULSE (EMP): An EMP occurs naturally in space but can also be a burst of electromagnetic energy produced by a nuclear explosion in the atmosphere. It is the ultimate weapon capable of completely destroying America in seconds. The size of the nuclear weapon and the altitude at which it is detonated determines the size of the destruction area. We will not see any damage but the electronic pulse will simply take out the electric grid and every object that has an electric component. For example, every vehicle would die in place and never move again. Every gadget in our homes would be worthless. No communications, water pumps, transportation, production, emergency services, nothing would work. U.S. nuclear retaliation would not be possible. Lawlessness would prevail; ammunition would become the operative currency. We would be a nation of hunter-gatherers and within weeks die by the tens of millions. Only a few would survive. China and Russia have this capability. North Korea may have it. Iran wants it. CONCLUSIONS: Organizations that are great long-range strategic planners, like China, also tend towards agility and are capable of capitalizing on an unforeseen occurrence and accelerating their timeline to achieve their end state. That unforeseen occurrence was the self-inflicted wound suffered by the U.S.’ despicable cut-and-run from Afghanistan in August 2021. Look at China’s aggressive global activities toward control over the past 18 months; it’s staggering. The Afghanistan withdrawal instantly created a circumstance that could lead to a rapid change toward a New World Order. U.S. leadership took a nose-dive in the minds of our enemies and allies. It created a vacuum that would/could be filled and China was ready, willing, and able to do so. ü We are moving towards an increasingly polarized world. ü We have forfeited our decades-old military deterrent status. ü What has commonly been known as the “West” for decades is without a leader. ü While NATO continues to grow in numbers, it does not appear to be a force to be reckoned with by any adversary beyond Russia. ü The do-nothing United Nations will remain powerless because of the one-veto power of China and Russia in the UN Security Council. ü The U.S. must take immediate steps to regain our energy independence or risk being leveraged by the China-led Middle East. ü This president and this Congress need to take immediate steps to energize our military-industrial complex that can more rapidly refill depleted war reserves. ü China is executing a plan to control the world and this administration has either chosen to not acknowledge it or we are aware but are clueless as to what to do about it. ü “Woke warrior” is a contradiction. A woke military is a national security liability.
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Post by Blitz on Aug 29, 2023 6:55:48 GMT -5
"World Outlook - The Fruits of Weakness" From an old friend... .... this old friend writes letters , spurns computers ... and most else that has developed over the years. He was very cynical about Jamaican infrastructure in 1972. His recent letter had to do with Chinese Toll roads in Jamaica... China , "Loaned" about $750 millions of dollars which started with the funding a toll road from Kingston to Ocho Rios (appx 50mi/80kl) with the idea that tolls would pay off the debt. The tolls prices... ($12US car /1,900Jamaican Dollar)...( $23US Pickup /3,600Ja.D) ...( $40US Semi/5,900Ja.D). My friend said, this ain't going to happen ... Why? Would you pay $12.00 to take I-10 from Chattahoochee to Tallahassee or would you just stay on Hwy 90? So, according to his local knowledge, Jamaicans won't use the road enough to pay off the debt. Jamacia will be forced make a payoff in real estate and natural resources that will result in a huge port and Chinese military installation west of Kingston nearer to Negril on the far end of the Island. China is doing this sort of "Loaning", all over the world, Burma, India, Tibet, etc and they are doing it with the same subtlety that they fly their Spy Balloons all over every the where. ///////////////// What percentage of world trade travels by sea? The main transport mode for global trade is ocean shipping: around 90% of traded goods are carried over the waves.
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Post by Blitz on Sept 5, 2023 16:01:45 GMT -5
I Left Out the Full Truth to Get My Climate Change Paper Published I just got published in Nature because I stuck to a narrative I knew the editors would like. That’s not the way science should work. By Patrick T Brown - September 5, 2023 www.thefp.com/p/i-overhyped-climate-change-to-get-publishedIf you’ve been reading any news about wildfires this summer—from Canada to Europe to Maui—you will surely get the impression that they are mostly the result of climate change. Here’s the AP: Climate change keeps making wildfires and smoke worse. Scientists call it the “new abnormal.” And PBS NewsHour: Wildfires driven by climate change are on the rise—Spain must do more to prepare, experts say. And The New York Times: How Climate Change Turned Lush Hawaii Into a Tinderbox. And Bloomberg: Maui Fires Show Climate Change’s Ugly Reach. I am a climate scientist. And while climate change is an important factor affecting wildfires over many parts of the world, it isn’t close to the only factor that deserves our sole focus. So why does the press focus so intently on climate change as the root cause? Perhaps for the same reasons I just did in an academic paper about wildfires in Nature, one of the world’s most prestigious journals: it fits a simple storyline that rewards the person telling it. The paper I just published—“Climate warming increases extreme daily wildfire growth risk in California”—focuses exclusively on how climate change has affected extreme wildfire behavior. I knew not to try to quantify key aspects other than climate change in my research because it would dilute the story that prestigious journals like Nature and its rival, Science, want to tell. This matters because it is critically important for scientists to be published in high-profile journals; in many ways, they are the gatekeepers for career success in academia. And the editors of these journals have made it abundantly clear, both by what they publish and what they reject, that they want climate papers that support certain preapproved narratives—even when those narratives come at the expense of broader knowledge for society. To put it bluntly, climate science has become less about understanding the complexities of the world and more about serving as a kind of Cassandra, urgently warning the public about the dangers of climate change. However understandable this instinct may be, it distorts a great deal of climate science research, misinforms the public, and most importantly, makes practical solutions more difficult to achieve. The aftermath of the wildfire in western Maui, Hawaii, on August 14, 2023. (Yuki Iwamura via Getty Images) Why is this happening? It starts with the fact that a researcher’s career depends on his or her work being cited widely and perceived as important. This triggers the self-reinforcing feedback loops of name recognition, funding, quality applications from aspiring PhD students and postdocs, and of course, accolades. But as the number of researchers has skyrocketed in recent years—there are close to six times more PhDs earned in the U.S. each year than there were in the early 1960s—it has become more difficult than ever to stand out from the crowd. So while there has always been a tremendous premium placed on publishing in journals like Nature and Science, it’s also become extraordinarily more competitive. In theory, scientific research should prize curiosity, dispassionate objectivity, and a commitment to uncovering the truth. Surely those are the qualities that editors of scientific journals should value. In reality, though, the biases of the editors (and the reviewers they call upon to evaluate submissions) exert a major influence on the collective output of entire fields. They select what gets published from a large pool of entries, and in doing so, they also shape how research is conducted more broadly. Savvy researchers tailor their studies to maximize the likelihood that their work is accepted. I know this because I am one of them. Here’s how it works. The first thing the astute climate researcher knows is that his or her work should support the mainstream narrative—namely, that the effects of climate change are both pervasive and catastrophic and that the primary way to deal with them is not by employing practical adaptation measures like stronger, more resilient infrastructure, better zoning and building codes, more air conditioning—or in the case of wildfires, better forest management or undergrounding power lines—but through policies like the Inflation Reduction Act, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. So in my recent Nature paper, which I authored with seven others, I focused narrowly on the influence of climate change on extreme wildfire behavior. Make no mistake: that influence is very real. But there are also other factors that can be just as or more important, such as poor forest management and the increasing number of people who start wildfires either accidentally or purposely. (A startling fact: over 80 percent of wildfires in the US are ignited by humans.) In my paper, we didn’t bother to study the influence of these other obviously relevant factors. Did I know that including them would make for a more realistic and useful analysis? I did. But I also knew that it would detract from the clean narrative centered on the negative impact of climate change and thus decrease the odds that the paper would pass muster with Nature’s editors and reviewers. This type of framing, with the influence of climate change unrealistically considered in isolation, is the norm for high-profile research papers. For example, in another recent influential Nature paper, scientists calculated that the two largest climate change impacts on society are deaths related to extreme heat and damage to agriculture. However, the authors never mention that climate change is not the dominant driver for either one of these impacts: heat-related deaths have been declining, and crop yields have been increasing for decades despite climate change. To acknowledge this would imply that the world has succeeded in some areas despite climate change—which, the thinking goes, would undermine the motivation for emissions reductions. This leads to a second unspoken rule in writing a successful climate paper. The authors should ignore—or at least downplay—practical actions that can counter the impact of climate change. If deaths due to extreme heat are decreasing and crop yields are increasing, then it stands to reason that we can overcome some major negative effects of climate change. Shouldn’t we then study how we have been able to achieve success so that we can facilitate more of it? Of course we should. But studying solutions rather than focusing on problems is simply not going to rouse the public—or the press. Besides, many mainstream climate scientists tend to view the whole prospect of, say, using technology to adapt to climate change as wrongheaded; addressing emissions is the right approach. So the savvy researcher knows to stay away from practical solutions. Here’s a third trick: be sure to focus on metrics that will generate the most eye-popping numbers. Our paper, for instance, could have focused on a simple, intuitive metric like the number of additional acres that burned or the increase in intensity of wildfires because of climate change. Instead, we followed the common practice of looking at the change in risk of an extreme event—in our case, the increased risk of wildfires burning more than 10,000 acres in a single day. This is a far less intuitive metric that is more difficult to translate into actionable information. So why is this more complicated and less useful kind of metric so common? Because it generally produces larger factors of increase than other calculations. To wit: you get bigger numbers that justify the importance of your work, its rightful place in Nature or Science, and widespread media coverage. Another way to get the kind of big numbers that will justify the importance of your research—and impress editors, reviewers, and the media—is to always assess the magnitude of climate change over centuries, even if that timescale is irrelevant to the impact you are studying. For example, it is standard practice to assess impacts on society using the amount of climate change since the industrial revolution, but to ignore technological and societal changes over that time. This makes little sense from a practical standpoint since societal changes in population distribution, infrastructure, behavior, disaster preparedness, etc., have had far more influence on our sensitivity to weather extremes than climate change has since the 1800s. This can be seen, for example, in the precipitous decline in deaths from weather and climate disasters over the last century. Similarly, it is standard practice to calculate impacts for scary hypothetical future warming scenarios that strain credibility while ignoring potential changes in technology and resilience that would lessen the impact. Those scenarios always make for good headlines. A much more useful analysis would focus on changes in climate from the recent past that living people have actually experienced and then forecasting the foreseeable future—the next several decades—while accounting for changes in technology and resilience. In the case of my recent Nature paper, this would mean considering the impact of climate change in conjunction with anticipated reforms to forest management practices over the next several decades. In fact, our current research indicates that these changes in forest management practices could completely negate the detrimental impacts of climate change on wildfires. This more practical kind of analysis is discouraged, however, because looking at changes in impacts over shorter time periods and including other relevant factors reduces the calculated magnitude of the impact of climate change, and thus it weakens the case for greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Science journals—once considered the gold standard for truth—have succumbed to the confirmation biases of their editors and reviewers. (Astrid Riecken via Getty Images) You might be wondering at this point if I’m disowning my own paper. I’m not. On the contrary, I think it advances our understanding of climate change’s role in day-to-day wildfire behavior. It’s just that the process of customizing the research for an eminent journal caused it to be less useful than it could have been. As to why I followed the formula despite my criticisms, the answer is simple: I wanted the research to be published in the highest profile venue possible. When I began the research for this paper in 2020, I was a new assistant professor needing to maximize my prospects for a successful career. When I had previously attempted to deviate from the formula, my papers were rejected out of hand by the editors of distinguished journals, and I had to settle for less prestigious outlets. To put it another way, I sacrificed contributing the most valuable knowledge for society in order for the research to be compatible with the confirmation bias of the editors and reviewers of the journals I was targeting. I left academia over a year ago, partially because I felt the pressures put on academic scientists caused too much of the research to be distorted. Now, as a member of a private nonprofit research center, The Breakthrough Institute, I feel much less pressure to mold my research to the preferences of prominent journal editors and the rest of the field. This means conducting the version of the research on wildfires that I believe adds much more practical value for real-world decisions: studying the impacts of climate change over relevant time frames and in the context of other important changes, like the number of fires started by people and the effects of forest management. The research may not generate the same clean story and desired headlines, but it will be more useful in devising climate change strategies. But climate scientists shouldn’t have to exile themselves from academia to publish the most useful versions of their research. We need a culture change across academia and elite media that allows for a much broader conversation on societal resilience to climate. The media, for instance, should stop accepting these papers at face value and do some digging on what’s been left out. The editors of the prominent journals need to expand beyond a narrow focus that pushes the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. And the researchers themselves need to start standing up to editors, or find other places to publish. What really should matter isn’t citations for the journals, clicks for the media, or career status for the academics—but research that actually helps society. Patrick Brown is a PhD climate scientist and co-director of the Climate and Energy Team at The Breakthrough Institute. Follow him on Twitter (now X) @patricktbrown31. And read Jamie Blackett’s Free Press piece to find out how European farmers are fighting climate change through innovation.
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Post by Blitz on Sept 9, 2023 8:41:09 GMT -5
UK Renewable Auction Fails To Attract A Single Offshore Wind Bid By Tsvetana Paraskova - Sep 08, 2023, 6:00 AM CDT oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/UK-Renewable-Auction-Fails-To-Attract-A-Single-Offshore-Wind-Bid.htmlDespite the fact that a record number of renewable energy capacity projects were awarded government funding in the UK’s latest clean energy auction, not a single offshore wind bid featured in the tender in another blow to Britain’s offshore wind ambitions. A record number of 95 onshore wind, solar, and tidal stream projects in Scotland, England, and Wales won allocations in the fifth Contracts for Difference (CfD) round, for a total of 3.7 gigawatts (GW) of future renewable energy capacity. “While offshore and floating offshore wind do not feature in this year’s allocation, this is in line with similar results in countries including Germany and Spain, as a result of the global rise in inflation and the impact on supply chains which presented challenges for projects participating in this round,” the UK government said. The UK is committed to its ambition of securing 50 GW of offshore wind capacity and 5 GW of floating offshore wind by 2030, up from 14 GW total offshore wind capacity now. In this round for clean power contracts, up to 5 GW of offshore wind was eligible to compete. This could have powered nearly 8 million homes a year and saved consumers $2.5 billion (£2 billion) a year compared to the cost of electricity from gas, RenewableUK association said. “However, offshore wind projects did not bid into the auction as a result of the maximum price being set too low,” the industry body noted. Commenting on the results, RenewableUK CEO Dan McGrail said “Industry has warned that rising costs should have been properly priced into this auction. If the UK isn’t offering prices that allow investors to make a return, they will simply invest elsewhere.” In a sign of the more difficult offshore wind conditions, Swedish utility Vattenfall said in July it was halting the development of a major offshore wind power project in the UK due to surging costs and challenging market conditions pressuring new developments. Vattenfall will not proceed with the development of the 1.4-GW Norfolk Boreas offshore wind project as the industry has seen cost increases by up to 40%, the company said. In a response to the latest UK auction results today, RenewableUK’s Executive Director for Policy and Engagement, Ana Musat, said, “We urgently need Government to provide reassurance that next year’s auction round will offer investable parameters, and that in the longer term a joined-up strategy for maximising the potential of the offshore wind sector is developed.” By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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Post by Blitz on Sept 9, 2023 8:58:49 GMT -5
Why the US Offshore Wind Industry is in the Doldrums brazilenergyinsight.com/2023/09/07/why-the-us-offshore-wind-industry-is-in-the-doldrums/(Reuters) The value of Danish energy company Orsted, the world’s largest offshore wind farm developer and a big player in the U.S., has plunged about 31% since it declared $2.3 billion in U.S. impairments in late August due to supply delays, high interest rates and a lack of new tax credits. The company is just one of several energy firms trying to build new offshore wind farms in the U.S., but the pain it is feeling is rippling across the entire industry, raising questions about the future of fleet of projects that U.S. President Joe Biden hopes can help fight climate change. Biden’s administration wants the U.S. to deploy 30,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind by 2030 from a mere 41 MW now, a key part of his plan to decarbonize the power sector and revitalize domestic manufacturing, and has passed lucrative subsidies aimed at helping companies do that. But even with regulatory rules and subsidies in place, developers are facing a whole new set of headwinds. Here is what they are: INFLATION The U.S. offshore wind industry has developed much more slowly than in Europe because it took years for the states and federal government to provide subsidies and draw up rules and regulations governing the industry, slowing leasing and permitting. However, as government policies started to line up in the industry’s favor in recent years, offshore wind developers unveiled a host of new project proposals, mostly off the U.S. East Coast. Two small projects came into operation – Orsted’s five-turbine Block Island wind farm off Rhode Island and the first two test turbines of U.S. energy firm Dominion Energy‘s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind off Virginia. Then came a hitch. The COVID-19 pandemic gummed up supply chains and increased the cost of equipment and labor, making new projects far more expensive than initially projected. “It appears the offshore wind industry bid aggressively for early projects to gain a foothold in a promising new industry, anticipating steep (cost) declines similar to those for onshore wind, solar and batteries over the past decade,” Eli Rubin, senior energy analyst at energy consulting firm EBW Analytics Group, told Reuters. “Instead, steep cost gains threw project financing and development into disarray,” Rubin said, noting many contracts will likely be renegotiated as states look to decarbonize, with higher prices ultimately falling onto power customers. INTEREST RATES Financing costs also spiraled as the U.S. Federal Reserve boosted interest rates to tame inflation. Many contracts for offshore wind projects have no mechanism for adjustment in the case of higher interest rates or costs. Some developers have paid to get out of their contracts rather than build them and face years of losses or low returns. In Massachusetts, two offshore wind developers, SouthCoast Wind and Commonwealth Wind, for example, agreed to pay to terminate deals that would have delivered around 2,400 MW of energy, enough to power over one million homes. In New York, offshore wind developers also sought to boost the price of power produced at their projects. Norway’s Equinor and its partner BP are seeking a 54% increase for the power produced at three planned offshore wind farms – Empire Wind 1 and 2 and Beacon Wind. Orsted, meanwhile, told utility regulators in June that it would not be able to make a planned final investment decision to build its proposed 924-MW Sunrise Wind project unless its power purchase agreement was amended to factor in inflation. INSUFFICIENT SUBSIDIES Biden’s administration has sought to supercharge clean energy development with passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a sweeping law that provides billions of dollars of incentives to projects that fight climate change. Since the law passed last year, companies have announced billions of dollars in new manufacturing for solar and electric vehicle (EV) batteries across the U.S. But the offshore wind industry is not fully satisfied. Bonus incentives for using domestic materials and for siting projects in disadvantaged communities are too hard to secure, developers say, and they are crucial to making projects work in a high-cost environment. The credits are each worth 10% of a project’s cost and can be claimed as bonuses on top of the IRA’s base 30% credit for renewable energy projects – bringing a project’s total subsidy to as much as 50%. Equinor, France’s Engie , Portugal’s EDP Renewables, and trade groups representing other developers pursuing offshore wind projects in the U.S. told Reuters they are pressing officials to rewrite the requirements, and warning of lost jobs and investments otherwise.
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Post by Blitz on Sept 9, 2023 9:01:32 GMT -5
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Post by Blitz on Sept 26, 2023 14:43:11 GMT -5
Yay, woke get out of jail free cards... each location closing is in a state run by loony Left fantasy land politicians... that are somehow profiting from the mess they are making. And now this... Target to close nine stores across four states because of theft and crime The Minneapolis-based company will close locations in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, Seattle, Portland and the San Francisco Bay Area effective Oct. 21. By Nicole Norfleet Star Tribune SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 — 2:01PM www.startribune.com/theft-crime-spur-target-close-nine-stores-four-states-minneapols-san-francisco-portland-seattle-nyc/600307683/The Target store in East Harlem was the company’s first in Manhattan, opened in July 2010, but it will now close on Oct. 21, 2023 because of retail crime. Target Corp. will shutter nine stores across four states on Oct. 21 because of theft and crime, the company announced Tuesday. Target said it made the "difficult decision" to close the stores — which include locations in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, Seattle, Portland and the San Francisco Bay Area — after the Minneapolis-based company tried ineffective theft-preventive measures. The company tried adding more security, including third-party guards, and used theft deterrents like locking up merchandise. "In this case, we cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests and contributing to unsustainable business performance," the company said in a statement. "We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all." Target leaders have continued to publicly decry organized retail crime, which the company has said it has seen high levels of for about a year, and it has negatively impacted the company's bottom line. In the spring, Target executives said they expected inventory shrink, which they attributed in large part to theft and organized retail crime, to reduce the company's profitability by more than $500 million this year compared to last year. Target CEO Brian Cornell said "violent incidents" continued to increase in stores and across the retail industry. Last month, during a call about the company's second-quarter earnings, Cornell said during the first five months of the year, Target's stores saw a 120% increase in theft incidents involving violence or threats of violence. "Our team continues to face an unacceptable amount of retail theft and organized retail crime. ... Shrink in the second quarter remained consistent with our expectations but well above the sustainable level where we expect to operate over time," Cornell said at the time. "And unfortunately, safety incidents associated with theft are moving in the wrong direction." But at the same time, company leaders said they have seen signs that loss rates from shrink might soon plateau. The National Retail Federation (NRF), which represents retailers across the country, reported Tuesday the average shrink rate in fiscal year 2022 increased to 1.6%, up from 1.4% the year before that. Shrink, which theft primarily drives, represented $112.1 billion in losses for the industry in 2022, according to the NRF. Last year, the NRF, with support from retailers like Target and Best Buy, successfully advocated for Congress to pass the INFORM Consumers Act, which requires online marketplaces to verify the identity of high-volume, third-party sellers. That could help prevent larger criminal enterprises from selling stolen items online. The stores that will close include: - 517 E. 117th St., New York, N.Y. - 4535 University Way N.E., Seattle, Wash. - 1448 N.W. Market St., Seattle, Wash. - 1690 Folsom St., San Francisco, Calif. - 2650 Broadway, Oakland, Calif. - 4301 Century Blvd., Pittsburg, Calif. - 939 S.W. Morrison St., Portland, Ore. - 3031 S.E. Powell Blvd., Portland, Ore. - 4030 N.E. Halsey St., Portland, Ore. Nicole Norfleet covers the fast-paced retail scene including industry giants Target and Best Buy. She previously covered commercial real estate and professional services.
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Post by Blitz on Oct 21, 2023 10:11:38 GMT -5
This is some of dirtiest oil in the world... Senator Manchin slams Venezuelan oil, gas sanction relief, calls for boost in domestic production Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Bloomberg October 20, 2023 www.worldoil.com/news/2023/10/20/senator-manchin-slams-venezuelan-oil-gas-sanction-relief-calls-for-boost-in-domestic-production/(Bloomberg) - Senator Joe Manchin condemned the Biden administration’s decision to lift sanctions against Venezuela’s oil and gas sector, arguing the U.S. should instead turn to domestic crude production to fill any shortfall. The administration is looking to “one of the world’s dirtiest energy producers and an oppressor of its own people to help make up the production that they refuse to allow in America,” Manchin said at the start of an unrelated Senate hearing Thursday. The sanctions relief follows the issuance of the government’s smallest plan in decades for offshore oil and gas leasing during the next five years, Manchin stressed. The six-month sanction suspension announced late Wednesday was cast as a goodwill gesture tied to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s talks with political opponents. But Manchin, a key moderate Democrat and swing vote in the Senate, expressed skepticism. While the administration believes this will encourage Venezuela to make democratic reforms, “that has been tried, and we’ve failed before,” he said. “It makes no sense at all to reward bad actors before they actually take the action you want. We tried that with Iran, and now here we are with Venezuela.”
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Post by Blitz on Oct 25, 2023 5:41:38 GMT -5
I recall when NYC folks made fun of Florida's governor for sending illegals to NYC. They said Ron had no right to do it. They said Ron had no compassion. Sort like old Joe calling Trump out for mishandling classified documents and then having boxes of classified documents found in his own garage. Now the tide has turned and their hypocrisy has been exposed. Excerpt: Majority of New Yorkers worry migrant crisis will ‘destroy’ NYC as some sour on Biden in new Siena poll By DAVE GOLDINER | dgoldiner@nydailynews.com | New York Daily News PUBLISHED: October 24, 2023 at 5:30 a.m. | UPDATED: October 24, 2023 at 6:51 p.m. New Yorkers are increasingly concerned about the flood of undocumented immigrants arriving in the city and are souring on President Biden with a year to go before the 2024 election, a new poll revealed Tuesday. A large and growing majority of New Yorkers say the migrants pose a “serious problem” and 58% agree with Mayor Adams’ statement made last month that crisis could “destroy New York City,” a new Siena College poll of voters found. “Seldom do we see an issue where at least 79% of Democrats, Republicans, independents, men, women, upstaters, downstaters, Blacks, whites, Latinos, Catholics, Jews, and Protestants all agree: the migrant influx is a serious problem,” pollster David Greenberg said. www.nydailynews.com/2023/10/24/new-yorkers-increasingly-worried-about-migrants-and-sour-on-biden-in-new-siena-poll/
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Post by Blitz on Oct 28, 2023 9:38:27 GMT -5
This is just the number for what the government caught or will admit to. With Hamas, Hezbollah, and, Iran threatening attacks on the USA... this huge purposefully non-enforcemnet of of US border protections could easily have potentially huge catastrophic consequences. I'm guessing Iran has already threatened POTUS with using sleeper cells. Thanks team Biden for leaving our gates open and unprotected. If anyone thinks that there are no terrorists in this mix... I've got a gold mine in the Everglades I'll sell you. And now this... How many migrants crossed the border in 2023? More than 2.8 million migrants have had encounters with authorities so far this fiscal year, compared to more than 2.7 million migrants in 2022, according to the latest Customs and Border Protection (CBP) statistics. The current migrant figure includes August, but not September, the last month of this fiscal year, which has yet to be announced. And now this... FAIR Analysis: 5.5 Million Illegal Aliens Have Crossed our Borders Since Biden Took Office--How is Secretary Mayorkas Still Employed? PR Newswire - October 25, 2022·3 min read WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Federation for American Immigration Reform issued the following statement, as well as a deeper dive into FY 2022 border numbers, based on data quietly released late Friday night by the Biden administration: The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is a national, nonprofit, public-interest, membership organization of concerned citizens who share a common belief that our nation's immigration policies must be reformed to serve the national interest. Visit FAIR's website at www.fairus.org . (PRNewsFoto/FAIR) The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is a national, nonprofit, public-interest, membership organization of concerned citizens who share a common belief that our nation's immigration policies must be reformed to serve the national interest. Visit FAIR's website at www.fairus.org . (PRNewsFoto/FAIR) "In typical fashion, the Biden administration attempted to conceal the reality of a historic crisis they created by releasing final FY 2022 border numbers late on a Friday evening, hoping in vain that no one would notice on the eve of consequential midterm elections. After digging through them, we can see why," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). "Some 2.7 million migrants—those who illegally entered or were otherwise inadmissible at a port of entry—were encountered at our borders in FY 2022, bringing the total under President Biden to a whopping 5.5 million. One thing is clear: These record-breaking numbers are a direct consequence of open-borders policies implemented by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the person who appointed him, President Joe Biden," charged Stein. "This deliberate sabotage of our nation's immigration laws demands that the president remove Mayorkas from his position immediately. Otherwise, the impeachment of his disgraced cabinet member is sure to be one of the first orders of business in the next Congress." "Nothing will improve until there is a public servant leading the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who believes in borders—and secure ones at that. We cannot even begin to reverse this disaster so long as our nation's immigration policies are in the hands of someone who is bent on compounding it. No matter how late at night this administration releases data, the numbers still speak for themselves. President Biden needs to clean house at DHS, and, if he is not prepared to do it, Congress needs to clean it for him, beginning with the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas," Stein concluded. FAIR Border Snapshot for FY 2022 Some 2.7 million migrants—those who illegally entered or were otherwise inadmissible at a port of entry—were encountered at our borders in FY 2022. Since President Biden took office, around 5.5 million illegal aliens have crossed our borders—a crisis of epic proportions. Border Patrol agents encountered 98 known or suspected terrorists in FY 2022. In FY 2021, that number was 15. In FY 2020, it was three and in FY 2019, zero. Migrant deaths at the southwest border totaled 856 in FY 2022—the deadliest year on record. The amount of fentanyl seized in the last month of the fiscal year is equivalent of more than 414 million lethal doses—bringing the FY 2022 lethal dose total well into the billions. Contact: Ron Kovach, 202-328-7004 or rkovach@fairus.org. ABOUT FAIR Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fair-analysis-5-5-million-illegal-aliens-have-crossed-our-borders-since-biden-took-officehow-is-secretary-mayorkas-still-employed-301658734.html SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)
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