Day: June 28, 2024

A new legal requirement for developers to demonstrate a biodiversity boost in planning applications could make a more meaningful impact on nature recovery if improvements are made to the way nature’s value is calculated, say researchers at the University of Cambridge.

From 2024, the UK’s Environment Act requires planning applications to demonstrate an overall biodiversity net gain of at least 10% as calculated using a new statutory biodiversity metric.

The researchers trialled the metric by using it to calculate the biodiversity value of 24 sites across England. These sites have all been monitored over the long-term, allowing the team to compare biodiversity species data with results from the metric.

Plant biodiversity at the sites matched values produced using the metric, but bird and butterfly biodiversity did not.

This means there’s no evidence that a 10% net biodiversity gain calculated using the statutory biodiversity metric will translate into real-life gains for birds and butterflies, without additional conservation management.

This is the first comprehensive study of the performance of Defra’s statutory biodiversity metric across England. The results are published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

Plants, birds and butterflies have been comprehensively surveyed in England over many years, and are used as indicators for the national state of nature.

The researchers say the metric must be improved to better capture the intricacies of the different species within an ecosystem.

“The statutory biodiversity metric is a really important opportunity, and has potential to direct a lot of money into biodiversity conservation from developers. It’s the responsibility of conservationists and policy makers to ensure that it provides a reliable indication of nature’s diversity,” said Dr Cicely Marshall in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Plant Sciences, first author of the paper.

She added: “At the moment the metric does capture plant diversity quite well, but it doesn’t reflect the intricacies of ecosystems – species like birds and butterflies use habitats in very different ways.”

The metric, created by the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), was introduced as part of the Environment Act with its legally binding agenda to deliver “the most ambitious environmental programme of any country on earth.” It scores the condition and distinctiveness of a piece of land to calculate its biodiversity value in standardised ‘biodiversity units.’

This allows developers to project biodiversity losses and gains across a site, so they can ensure the development achieves an overall minimum 10% biodiversity gain. Landowners can use the tool to calculate the biodiversity value of their land.

Marshall, who is also a Research Fellow at King’s College, Cambridge, said: “Many property developments have been very detrimental to nature in the past, and it’s exciting that England now has a requirement for developers to leave nature in a better state than they found it.

“We hope our study will contribute to improving the way nature’s value is calculated, to make the most of this valuable opportunity for nature recovery.”

The results of the study have been used to make recommendations to Defra and Natural England to help improve the metric.

The metric uses habitat as a proxy for biodiversity, scoring habitats’ intrinsic distinctiveness and current condition. Plans for biodiversity gain can involve replacing lost habitat with similar habitat – the researchers say that nature recovery could be improved if the particular species and habitats impacted by a development were also taken into account in this process.

There can be huge differences in biodiversity across habitats like croplands, for example, and these aren’t captured by the metric which assigns all cropland the same condition score. Conventional farms that regularly use artificial pesticides and herbicides have much lower biodiversity than organic farms that do not.

“There are great differences in the ecological value of cropland depending on how it’s managed, but the metric gives all cropland a low biodiversity score. It would be nice to see these differences reflected,” said Marshall.

The UK is committed to building 300,000 homes a year by mid-2020, so the net biodiversity gain requirement is expected to generate a market for biodiversity credits worth an estimated £135m-£274m annually – substantially increasing funding for nature conservation in England.

Waste leakage to aquatic ecosystems is a major concern threatening biodiversity as well as human health. Inadequate disposal of waste, particularly plastic waste, has been documented in all the major ocean basins, beaches, rivers, lakes, and even in remote environments such as the Arctic and Antarctic. Previous studies have focused on estimating specifically plastic emissions into the oceans. However, no study has comprehensively assessed waste leakage into aquatic environments from a waste management perspective.;

IIASA researchers adopted a waste systems perspective to identify hotspots of land-waste leakage, and determined which rivers, lakes, and coastal areas are particularly at risk. The results indicate a need for urgent action.

“Our study shows that the majority of leakage of municipal solid waste – everyday items that are discarded by people – into aquatic environments occur in Africa, China, India, and South Asia. It’s necessary to start focusing on improving waste management systems in these affected areas,” explains study lead author Adriana Gomez Sanabria, a researcher in the Pollution Management Research Group of the IIASA Energy, Climate, and Environment Program.

The study highlights that focusing on single waste streams can lead to unintended consequences. For example, as single-use plastic cups are replaced with paper cups, the amount of paper waste has increased. Therefore, it is crucial to set targets that address multiple waste streams simultaneously. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of universal waste collection as the primary strategy to prevent waste leakage into terrestrial and aquatic environments, even in a scenario where overall waste generation is reduced.

“Our analysis shows that there is a pressing need to establish a standardized framework to monitor waste generation, composition, and flows. This framework should help us track the effectiveness of actions, including political, economic, and technological measures aimed at reducing waste and improving waste management systems,” notes Florian Lindl, a study coauthor and researcher in the IIASA Pollution Management Research Group.;

The research team notes that their study addresses a crucial gap in our understanding of how waste management systems play an important role in addressing various environmental impacts. By examining the interaction between waste management and waste leakage, effective strategies can be identified to reduce pollution in aquatic environments and preserve ecosystems. This knowledge is vital for shaping policies and promoting sustainable development practices that minimize the environmental footprint of our consumption habits.

“We need to understand that the primary function of waste management systems is to protect human health and the environment. As creators of the waste crisis, we must take responsibility by changing our behavior to reduce consumption through refuse, rethink, and reuse practices,” concludes Gomez Sanabria.

You can rely on my full personal support and the support of the government of the Republic of Armenia: Pashinyan to …  1Lurer

David Vergun

Due to high seas expected this weekend, U.S. Central Command has removed the temporary pier from its anchored position in Gaza and will tow it back to Ashdod, Israel, said Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon press secretary, during a briefing Friday.

“As always, the safety of our service members is a top priority, and temporarily relocating the pier will prevent potential structural damage that could be caused by the heightened sea state,” she said.;

In the past seven days, Centcom delivered more than 4,500 metric tons of aid to the marshaling yard in Gaza, she said.;

For historical context, the Defense Department delivered about 1,361 metric tons of aid to Japan over about two months after the devastating, 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, she said.;

Additionally, the pier enabled delivery of the second highest volume of aid from any entry point into Gaza this past week, Singh said.

Since May 17, Centcom has assisted in the delivery of more than 8,831 metric tons of humanitarian aid to the shore of Gaza for onward distribution by humanitarian organizations, she said.

The pier is not an end-all solution to getting aid into Gaza, she said, adding that land routes are the most effective delivery method. “We continue to urge for those land routes to be reopened.”;

The pier could be floated back to Gaza again if the commander makes that determination based on the sea state, she said.;

The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp entered the Mediterranean Sea on June 26 on a scheduled deployment to support allied and partner interests, including in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Singh said.

The Wasp and the embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit will be joined by two other ships: the USS Oak Hill, a Harpers Ferry-class, dock-landing ship that is currently in the Mediterranean Sea, and the USS New York, a San Antonio-class amphibious transport-dock ship that is currently operating in the Atlantic Ocean. ;

Together, the Navy and Marine Corps capability constitutes the Wasp amphibious ready group, which deployed from the U.S. East Coast on June 1.

Their presence “provides flexibility and enhanced capability” to U.S. assets in the region, Singh said.

Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, unlike majority of African leaders who have maintained their neutrality, showered praises for Russia’s ‘special military operation’ against Ukraine during his negotiations over increasing economic cooperation and defense supply with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on June 27. The ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine has, thus far, divided the world, further set in an economic instability, and with some countries looking forward to participating in reconstruction of global economic architecture away from unipolarity. In one way or the other, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has also provided an impetus for raising Africa’s importance in Russian foreign policy.

Sassou-Nguesso’s official visit, from June 25 to 29, has immense significance for the Kremlin. At least, Congo has raised the number of supporters and ‘friendly’ relations with Moscow. Congolese president was frank in remarks that he was visiting Russia in a complex international context, and at a time when Russia and its people “are acting bravely and resisting the illegal sanctions imposed on your state as a result of the Ukrainian and other conflicts.”

“It is precisely in times of ordeal that we must strengthen and boost our relations. This is the logic of my visit. We would like to hold talks in order to strengthen cooperation in all areas, including the economy, finance, defense, and security,” Sassou-Nguesso said.

At least, Russia and Congo have maintained stable diplomatic relations for more than 30 years after the unexpected collapse of the Soviet Union. In a snapshot assessment, political dialogue has been on track as top diplomats shuttled between Moscow and Kinshasa. The economic cooperation largely lags behind political dialogue, but that seems to change as Russia’s economic interest is currently rising within the context of geopolitical developments. Policy experts strongly suggest that African leaders and corporate business executives, as a contentious model strategy, could take advantage of the contradictions in the changing landscape to indiscriminately forge balanced and profitable relations with both new and traditional partners, the wealthy global players. The principle of participatory and inclusivity be considered as the main basis for multipolarity.

In an explicit acknowledgement, President Vladimir Putin after the talks at the Kremlin awarded (decorated) Denis Sassou-Nguesso with the Order of Honor. The document, published on Kremlin website, says that Sassou-Nguesso has been honored with the award “for his major contribution to boosting and strengthening relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of the Congo.” The ‘State Decoration of the Russian Federation’ also marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Kinshasa. Russia and Congo have indeed maintained friendly relations and solidarity for 60 years. Historical records show that Sassou-Nguesso several times as a civil servant during the Soviet era, and as president, visited Russia, including participation in the two Russia-Africa Summits held in Sochi and St. Petersburg, and consequently was gifted with a collage of photographs and Pravda newspaper clips documenting these visits.

Congolese leader noted that “African people have experienced a period of growth and gained power in their fight against colonisation and for liberation,” but are still struggling for effective development.; In particular, Congolese authorities are conscious of the huge resources, but for decades, economic growth has been hindered by lack of innovative development approach combined with lack of modern technology.

According to data provided by Putin at the negotiations in July 2023, trade turnover between Russia and Congo soared by 85% in January-April 2023. Overall bilateral trade however is relatively small at about $250 million. Russia exports wheat and petroleum products, while the Congo exports mainly fruits. Congo, like many African countries, has extremely little, or a better description no economic presence in the Russian Federation. Despite the public declarations about trade, economy and infrastructure, Putin or Lavrov hardly commissions completed projects in the continent. Trade has fallen far short of expectations, and the $40 billion target set in documents issued in 2019 in Sochi, southern coastal city of Russia.

Prior to the meeting in the Kremlin, on June 24, the delegation headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francophonie and Congolese Abroad of the Republic of the Congo, Jean-Claude Gakosso, had discussed Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov issues such as building up partnership in trade, the economy and investment, implementing lucrative joint energy projects, building infrastructure facilities, and developing mineral resources in the Republic of the Congo. In early June, Lavrov was in Guinea, Congo and Burkina Faso – his sixth official visit to Africa since 2022. He held discussions over the same questions relating to economic cooperation in Oyo city, noted that “leading Russian companies, including Lukoil, Yandex, and Rosatom, are working effectively in Congo.” In this context, they noted the importance of a meeting of the Russian-Congolese Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation and Trade scheduled to be held in September. Concurrently, the ministers also noted that interaction in education and humanitarian contacts was steadily expanding.;

In retrospective series of meetings, particularly one held in May 2010, with the participation of Russian economic operators and local business organizations thoroughly discussed ways to enhance cooperation in areas such as energy, transport, mining and finance. As a result of that joint meeting a cooperation agreement was signed between the chambers of commerce of the two countries, aimed at creating favorable conditions for the development of trade and economic relations between Russia and Congo.;

In terms of education, training of Congolese citizens in Russian universities is steadily developing. In the 2023-2024 academic year, the number of government scholarships for Congo was increased to 250. This is part of the agreement to grant Russia companies complete access to exploring resources. There are also possibilities of recruiting students on commercial (contract) basis to pursue academic courses in universities and institutes in the Russian Federation. That compared, policy experts told this author in separate interviews that China and India (Asia), Europe and United States are highly preferable study destinations for African students, further stressing that middle-class families are attracted by the relative affordability of studying in China, and the prestige of undertaking studies in United States or Europe.;

As part of the comprehensive agenda, the delegation went to St. Petersburg, held a meeting with the city’s governor, Honorary Consul of the Republic of the Congo in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. The president delivered a speech at the Academic Council of the National Research University Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg.

Sassou-Nguesso’s return to the Kremlin to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin over economic and security cooperation, most probably, opened next chapter in the Russian-Congolese bilateral relations. The visit was intended to seek support for long-term security and political stability, and next to review the possibility of turning round Congo’s staggering development into a more viable one. Congo’s estimated 80% of the population still lives in abject poverty, despite the fact that the country boasts huge resources. It has geopolitical allegiance with many external powers.

Research shows that Congo’s oil-driven growth model has reached its limits. Many foreign companies have been eyeing the development of resources there. On May 27, the French energy giant TotalEnergies decided to invest $600 million in 2024 to enhance its exploration and production efforts in the Republic of Congo. The investment would fund exploration and sustain production in the deep offshore Moho Nord field.;

TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné has expressed his optimism that the field expected to yield a discovery before the end of 2024. The investment would be used to support exploration and uphold production in the deep offshore Moho Nord field of the country, which produces about 140,000 barrels per day (bpd). This can significantly contribute to reducing energy poverty and promoting industrialization in Congo.

In addition to TotalEnergies’s investment efforts in the country, Sassou-Nguesso has engaged in a game-changing strategy, widening its search for a reliable partner ready to explore its oil reserves, undoubtedly after Russia’s delay in acting on its bilateral agreements which were signed several years ago.

In an interview with TASS News Agency, Sassou-Nguesso underscored the fact that “Russia is an important country, a strategic partner that may play its role in the period when Africa is looking for cooperation in building a new world in the region, building infrastructure, and building new economic and security systems. The African people want to develop their economy and establish themselves in the global arena. Russia may hold a strategic position on this issue.”

Despite the praise given to Russia, the leadership of the Congo has shifted to Russia’s neighbour, Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held both tete-a-tete and expanded negotiations with Congolese President Denis Sassou-Nguesso in early April 2024, a statement on the Azerbaijani leader’s website said.

The report monitored by this author indicated that Azerbaijan and Congo signed a package of documents aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation following high-level negotiations in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. It therefore implies that the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and the National Oil Company of the Congo, by the signed agreement, will jointly, on specified conditions, develop and expand the Congolaise de Raffinage oil refinery. Congolaise de Raffinage specializes in the processing of light oil, its website says. The refinery’s capacity is one million tonnes of oil per year. Production started in 1982.

Both will jointly pursue various projects under the protocol of intent signed between the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development on cooperation in the fields of the environment, sustainable management of natural resources, and climate change.

Nearly 80% of the population still lives in abject poverty, despite the fact that the country boasts huge resources. The Republic of Congo has become the fourth largest oil producer in the Gulf of Guinea, providing the country with a high degree of potential prosperity despite its internal ethnic conflicts and economic disparity. It has a large untapped mineral wealth and large untapped metal, gold, iron, and phosphate deposits. In 2018, the Republic of the Congo joined the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Readers following the media for the latest news on China need only to check the coverage of the Washington Post on the Chang’e lunar programme success in collecting and returning to earth a much sought sample of the lunar surface to grasp the extent of prejudice and bias that the Post – and many other western news organisations – bring into their China reporting.

The Chinese achievement has been lauded by scientific experts from many countries as a historic event. As example, two French scientists who collaborated with their Chinese counterparts on the successful mission; provided these comments which are conspicuously missing from Western media reporting

PIERRE-YVES MESLIN, Chief Scientist, Research Institute in Astrophysics and Planetology “We have been thinking about this moment for years and even more intensely for the last few months and weeks and days. We were watching at the moon every night almost here in Beijing and now we are there on the far side. So actually, it went very smoothly and so it seems that everything went perfect.”

SYLVESTRE MAURICE, Professor, Research Institute in Astrophysics and Planetology “It’s hard to land on a planet. It’s very hard, especially on the moon. Don’t think it’s easy. And what I’ve seen today seems to have worked absolutely perfectly. They are right. They landed right where they want it to. And remember it’s on the far side of the moon. It’s not the moon we can see the other side. And for that they had even to put a relay. So, there was another satellite to watch landing because we cannot see it. So, it’s quite an achievement, something we’ve been looking for so many so many years.”

US Deafening Silence on China’s Space Achievements;

One would expect that the leaders and media of the nation that flew the first human to the moon when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969 would applaud this China achievement. They must be aware of its importance in furthering the prospect of international collaboration for mankind to progress in our space exploration.;

But the opposite has taken place. From US political leaders usually quick to comment on any China news, there has been a deafening silence. From most of the US media, there has been a relegation of the event into the back pages or a refusal to include news or reference to it.;;

Washington Post Lives Up to Its Tagline

Living up to its tag line Democracy Dies in Darkness in a perverse way, the Washington Post, essential reading for the power elite in DC, not only managed to keep the mission success news out of its science and technology news coverage.; It also strategically ran an interview with NASA one day before the successful return of Chang’e to Inner Mongolia to cast more aspersions on China’s space programme and achievements.

In its lead article on Space on 25 June, the paper featured NASA chief administrator, Bill Nelson, and his claim that the US was “on schedule” to return astronauts to the lunar surface ahead of China. Together with this predictable chest thumping by the NASA boss who is under pressure for his leadership of an underachieving agency, was included the allegation that China’s space program is operating secretly and is an arm of the military. Also that China may not be abiding “by accepted norms of behaviour in space”. No evidence was provided in the article to support the charges. Nor was there an attempt to spell out what the US government’s version of “accepted norms” in space may be.

Presumably these behaviour norms are part of the burgeoning concoction of ‘international rule of law and order’ and sanctions put in place by the United States and its western allies in their effort to derail China’s development and bring down its government.

The Post article conveniently failed to point out that first and foremost in US devised norms relating to outer space exploration is the Wolf Amendment passed by the US Congress in 2011. This legislation prohibits NASA; from using government funds to engage in direct, bilateral cooperation with the Chinese government and China-affiliated organisations without explicit authorization from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Congress.;

The legislation, driven by domestic cold war hawks targeting China as the existential threat to US global leadership, has been inserted into appropriation bills since then. Perhaps the most notable and glaring effect is that It has been used to ban China’s astronauts from visiting or taking part in operations on the International Space Station. For now, the station is host to astronauts from all countries of the world except for China. Sir Martin Rees, the fifteenth Astronomer Royal of Great Britain, has called the ban a “deplorable ‘own goal’ by the US”.

China’s Space Programme Policy;

The Chinese response to the exclusion policy has been to put up its own space station, the Tiangong, and to implement a policy opening the space station to astronauts from all friendly countries. Clearly what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. This truism can be seen to also apply to US sanctions and other punitive acts aimed at Huawei, Tiktok and other Chinese successes.;;

Unlike the US obsession to be dominant and first in all international activity – including in what western media has been broadcasting as the “great space race” which the Americans see themselves as the pace setter and leader – China has supported international exchange and cooperation in all spheres, including in lunar exploration and argued for the mutual benefit, peaceful use and common development of outer space.

On 27 June, Bian Zhigang, vice-administrator of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), said that scientists worldwide were encouraged “to jointly carry out scientific research on lunar samples and data”. In response to a question whether scientists from the US wanted to take part in that research, Bian said: “I believe they do.”

He also noted that; “if the US really wants to have normal space exchanges with China, I think they should take practical measures to remove obstacles” that limit cooperation. According to him, the root cause of the obstacles … lies in domestic laws such as the Wolf Amendment of the United States, which hinder Sino-US space cooperation.”

The Washington Post and other western media will be doing their readers the right thing by reporting China’s space programme without malice and without any hidden agenda. The Post should also encourage the White House and Congress to work with China to ensure the peaceful development of national space programmes and the collaborative exploration of our planetary system.;;;

Last night, I watched the debate between Trump and Biden on CNN, held in Atlanta. It was an embarrassing spectacle for the United States, highlighting the deep crisis within American politics.

Donald Trump, as usual, distorted the facts, spreading misinformation and lies. Throughout the debate, his inconsistencies and aggressive demeanor stood out. He consistently attacked his opponent, Joe Biden, with baseless and misleading accusations.

Joe Biden, on the other hand, appeared aged and exhausted. During the debate, he often hesitated and struggled to find the right words. His health issues, likely exacerbated by his age, were evident. Biden gave the impression that he should step back and focus on rest and treatment rather than actively participating in the presidential race.

It is clear that the U.S. presidential race needs new and younger candidates. Both Trump and Biden, instead of offering solutions to current problems, were overshadowed by their pasts and present weaknesses. This situation is alarming not only for the U.S. but also for the world.

A similar scenario exists in our political landscape. Long-standing figures in politics have drifted away from dynamic and innovative policies. There is a pressing need for energetic and visionary leaders who can address the public’s issues.

In conclusion, both in the U.S. and other countries, it is essential for younger and more dynamic candidates to emerge on the political stage. Current leaders should make way for the new generation of politicians, which will pave the way for democracy and social progress.

Armenia Considering Referendum on EU Membership  Atlas News

NPR News: 06-28-2024 7PM EDT

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