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Category: environmental crisis
Let's face facts: Louisiana is sick and dying | Opinion
worker | September 10, 2017 | 8:44 pm | Economy, environmental crisis, Local/State | Comments closed
http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2017/09/lets_face_facts_louisiana_is_s.html#incart_most-readopinions
Updated on September 8, 2017 at 5:46 PM Posted on September 8, 2017 at 6:36 AM Â
By Robert Mann, Columnist
Two questions have dogged me lately: If I could go back 18 years, would I raise my children in Louisiana? Would I still view this as a place that would nurture and educate them, offer opportunities for personal and financial growth and help my wife and me imbue in them the values important to us?
When my son and daughter were born, I believed the answer was yes. I had hope. Even three years ago, I still had faith in Louisiana, as I wrote in a column to young people who considered abandoning the state: "Stay here, find like-minded people, organize them, expand your influence, demand change, but don't give up on this amazing, beautiful place. Its good people — flawed as we might be — are worth your efforts."
When I wrote that, I believed Louisiana had brighter days. I hoped there was a small flame of desire to recreate something great here. I thought Louisiana's people wanted to redeem their state.
Today, I ask only, "Is this as good as it will ever be?" The answer, I believe, is yes. It's not getting better and could get much worse.
For all its rich and diverse culture and abundant natural resources, Louisiana is the sick man of the United States. We're an economic basket case and a toxic waste pit of environmental neglect and misconduct.
We are the state most adept at missing opportunities and abusing and wasting our abundant natural resources.
Louisiana is my home in every way and, at 59, I cannot imagine living anywhere else. And yet it's time to admit this is a place with no visible promise and little hope. To pretend otherwise is to engage in delusional thinking. We must face facts.
I'm not saying everyone should give up and leave. I'm staying and fighting for our future. There is much work to do, and I believe I can make a difference. I suspect most of you feel the same. But if we're staying, we must be honest about Louisiana's deplorable condition and bleak future.
Blame our leaders, if you like. But the problem is us. On average, we aspire to mediocrity; we are happy with good enough. We live in a land of plenty but view the world from an attitude of scarcity.
We mask our state's profound illness and disease with colorful festivals and spicy food.
We tolerate — sometimes celebrate — our corrupt politicians. (Witness the recent outpouring of affection for disgraced former Gov. Edwin Edwards on his 90th birthday.)
Speaking of celebrations, nothing makes us happier than college football, which is our true religion. In the fall, we worship on Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium, the state's holy shrine. Meanwhile, what transpires across campus — in the classrooms and lecture halls — barely concerns us.
Our elected leaders sell their souls to big oil and the chemical industry. The first has spoiled our land, pillaged our resources and damaged our coast, while the other has poisoned our air and water.
We are 47th in environmental quality. Perhaps it's no coincidence we have the nation's highest cancer rate.
Almost a third of our children live in poverty, the third-highest rate in the nation. That's not changed for decades.
We have the seventh-lowest median household income and the third-highest unemployment rate. After decades of so-called "reforms," we still have the worst public schools in the country. We've cut higher education funding more than almost every other state.
I could go on. We are first in almost everything that's bad and last (or near last) in almost everything that's good. In most cases, even mediocrity seems beyond our reach.
The experience of the last four decades should settle any question about whether Louisiana and its people will soon awaken from their coma of complacency. We know well the diseases of ignorance, poverty and pollution that afflict us — and have accepted them as sad facts, not obscenities.
The question isn't whether there is much hope or aspiration left in Louisiana's people. There is not. The question, instead, is whether this is a place our promising young people should abandon as soon as possible.
So here's what I'll tell my children: If you want to stay, then regard Louisiana as a mission field. However, if you want a place that will enlarge your life, expand your horizons, offer new opportunities and challenge your thinking, you should look elsewhere.
Our insular, prehistoric ways will not soon spawn a dynamic, creative culture to revive our economy and attract bright young minds to study at our universities and, after graduation, remain here to build a vibrant state. Our people have said loud and clear over the decades that we do not desire such a state.
It's time to admit that Louisiana is sick and dying.
Robert Mann, an author and former U.S. Senate and gubernatorial staffer, holds the Manship Chair in Journalism at the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University. Read more from him at his blog, Something Like the Truth. Follow him on Twitter @RTMannJr or email him at bob.mann@outlook.com.
Who is to blame for Greece's disastrous wildfires?
worker | August 15, 2017 | 8:03 pm | Analysis, Climate Change, Communist Party Greece (KKE), environmental crisis, Greece | Comments closed
https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/08/who-is-to-blame-for-greeces-disastrous.html
Firefighters in Greece battle wildfires northeast of Athens for a third day trying to prevent a blaze that scorched thousands of hectares of pine forest from spreading further. The fire near Athens started in Kalamos, a coastal holiday spot some 45 km (30 miles) northeast of the capital, and spread to three more towns, damaging dozens of homes. A state of emergency was declared in the area.
On Monday 14 August, firefighters battled more than 90 forest fires across Greece, an outbreak fed by dry winds and hot weather that saw blazes burning near Athens, in the Peloponnese, and on the Ionian islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia.
ΚΚΕ: Both SYRIZA and New Democracy share responsibility for their policies over forest protection, land commercialization, privatization of firefighting services.
Communicating with the Citizens Protection Minister Nikos Toskas, the parliamentary representative of the Communist Party of Greece Thanasis Pafilis asked for measures in order to combat wildfires, while a KKE group headed by MP Giannis Giokas visited the area of Varnavas in Attica.Â
In a statement issued on Monday, the KKE mentions: "The existence of a possible arson plan based on the commercialization of the land, not only does not decrease, but increases the responsibilities of the SYRIZA-ANEL government which, following the policy of the ND-PASOK governments, maintains and strengthens the under-funding and the huge deficiencies in the sector of forest protection and firefighting. As a result of that, the "fight" between the SYRIZA-ANEL government and New Democracy over the burned land, cannot hide their guilt for their "incendiary" policy". (Source: 902.gr).
Michalis Michael, Firefighter (retired):Â "All governments dismantled forest protection".
In an interview with Real FM radio, the retired firefighter and KKE member Michalis Michael, underlined that the state authorities should be ready to combat the weather conditions, the many fronts and any arson plan but it is not because the policy of the governments is to shrink spending on fire protection.
As Michael said, since 2009 and each following year, 120 million Euros have been reduced from the Firefighting Service budget and added that hundreds of firefighting vehicles are stationary due to faults, because the necessary credits do not exist.Â
Moreover, he said that the force of the Firefighting Service has been decreased by 4,000 seats in the permanent, while the aim is the privatization that has already taken place with air-firefighting and commercialization, the sale of fire safety as it has been done with Fraport, as well as of the privatized road axes.Â
IN DEFENSE OF COMMUNISM ©
Αναρτήθηκε από In Defense of Communism
Drink Up?! Brain-Eating Amoeba Found In Louisiana Water System
worker | June 30, 2017 | 7:48 pm | environmental crisis, Local/State | Comments closed
https://sputniknews.com/environment/201707011055134068-brain-amoeba-louisiana-water-system/
© AP Photo/ Thomas Kienzle
01:18 01.07.2017 (updated 03:43 01.07.2017) Get short URL
A potentially deadly brain-eating amoeba has been discovered by health officials in the water system of a Louisiana parish.
The Louisiana state Department of Health found Naegleria Fowleri in a sample taken from a water hydrant in Terrebonne Parish, in the Schriever water system, according to Consolidated Waterworks District No. 1 General Manager Michael Sobert.
He wrote on the parish government Facebook page, "We would caution the public to refrain from allowing water to enter their nasal passages," but also said "The water is safe to drink." The amoeba was found in a sample taken from local a fire hydrant.
© AFP 2017/ CDC
We All Fall Down: New Mexico Reports Three Cases of Deadly Plague
Two years ago, a sample from the same hydrant tested positive for the amoeba.
Residents have been advised to run hoses, shower and bath taps for five minutes before using them to flush out the pipes, and not to allow children to play with sprinklers or hoses unsupervised. They've also been told to continue these and other precautions until testing confirms that the amoeba is no longer present.
He added that officials have changed disinfectants to address the problem, converting to "free chlorine" method for 60 days to remove any remnants of the amoeba.
The amoeba occurs naturally in freshwater and causes a disease called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which can destroy brain tissue. Early symptoms of PAM can resemble bacterial meningitis.
Louisiana has tested for Naegleria Fowleri since 2015, sampling public waters systems as it gets warmer.
Parish resident Bernadee Pitre told the local CBS affiliate that he's hesitant to ingest the water even if it has been declared safe. "It's scary. You don't hear about them a lot … [I'm] definitely going to be more careful about that," he said.
Socialism makes the difference as Cuba confronts climate change
worker | June 17, 2017 | 9:24 pm | Climate Change, Cuba, environmental crisis, Fidel Castro, political struggle, socialism, United Nations | Comments closed
By W. T. Whitney Jr.
B. Fidel Castro's speech at the Rio Earth Summit June 12, 1992 appears below
Cuba's Council on Ministers on April 25 approved "Life Task ("Tarea Vida"): the State's Plan for Confronting Climate Change." Life task will be submitted to Cuba's National Assembly for approval. Implementation will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment (CITMA). The ministry's head, Elba Rosa Pérez, indicated the Plan will require "progressive investments executed over short (the year 2020), medium (2030), long (2050), and very long (2100) terms."
The unveiling of Life Task comes as the latest manifestation of Cuba's sustained endeavor to contain the impact of climate change. Over the course of many years the Cuban government has dedicated resources and talent to the project. Policy makers have relied on facts, data, and ongoing research. The process has been orderly and thorough, and yet accepting of modifications to fit new realities. Crucially, the nation has responded to climate change on behalf of all Cubans.
Climate change, of course, affects the United States, in particular Virginia's Tangier Island, now being engulfed by Chesapeake Bay waters. "[A]t some point it will be too late to save Tangier," announced Virginia official John Bull on June 2. That was one day after President Donald Trump indicated the United States would be withdrawing from the non-binding Paris Climate Change agreement of 2015.
Cuba's approach is different. In June 1992, Cuban President Fidel Castro was in Rio de Janeiro attending the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development – the "Rio Earth Summit." There, nations of the world arranged for future UN – sponsored meetings at which scientific findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change would be reviewed. Those recurring meetings, each a so-called "Conference of the Parties," have led to agreements for reducing carbon emissions, such as the Paris agreement of 2015.
Castro could well have stayed home in 1992; Cubans were facing catastrophe, both humanitarian and economic, following the Soviet collapse. He was in Brazil because revolutionary Cuba speaks for solidarity with all people. In remarks to the delegates, he gave voice to Jose Marti who said: "the homeland is humanity." Castro warned of danger to humankind "due to the accelerated and progressive destruction of its natural living conditions."
Afterwards, the government he led took steps on behalf of its own people. It created the Institute of Meteorology, the Institute of Hydraulic Resources, and networks of environmental agencies. It produced maps: a "Climate Atlas," a national atlas, and soil and geological maps. In 1993 it created "The National Program for the Environment and Development." The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment took shape in 1994. In 1997, Law 81 defined the structure and functioning of centers specializing in environmental work.
Cuba's Academy of Sciences initiated studies in 1991. The Institute of Meteorology issued two major reports in 1998 and in 2000. After Hurricanes Charley and Ivan in 2004, research efforts intensified. Collective scientific work culminated in a summarizing report released by the Institute of Meteorology in 2014 after three years of work. Titled "Impacts of Climate Change and Measures for Adaptation in Cuba," the 430-page document contained articles by dozens of authors from 26 Cuban research institutes.
The report surveys climate – change manifestations in Cuba, presents likely climate scenarios "for 2050 and 2100," evaluates potential effects on various socio-economic sectors, identifies knowledge gaps, and establishes priorities in protecting natural resources. It calls upon the government to develop new capacities and to apply remedial and protective measures in an integrated fashion.
Findings of the report found their way into Cuba's contribution to the "Second National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change." Commenting on the report, Myrta Kaulard, a United Nations representative assigned to Cuba, observed that, "The team of Cuban experts was capable of achieving equilibrium between the scientific rigor imposed by an investigation of such magnitude and the necessity to explain the anticipated impacts in clear language."
CITMA head Elba Rosa Pérez on April 25 explained that the "Life Task" endeavor was the fruit of research, experimentation, agricultural innovations, and previous experience with protecting natural systems. She identified three priorities: "preserving lives in the most vulnerable areas," food security, and tourism.
The plan calls for "strategic actions," among them: a ban on new home construction in vulnerable coastal areas, adaptation of infrastructure to coastal flooding, adjustment of land use to drought and salt water contamination, and new farming methods.
Projects under Life Task will include : crop diversification; development of heat-resistant plant varieties; protection of urban infrastructure and dwellings; rebuilding of urban sea fronts; relocation of homes; restoration of protective eco-systems such as beaches, coral reefs, and mangrove swamps; improved engineering and hydraulic infrastructure for coastal regions; enhanced water availability; and reforestation to protect soil and water sources.
All in all, Cuba's preparations for meeting threats on the way from climate change have been persistent and comprehensive; planners relied on ample human resources and full government support.
In the United States, the Obama administration did issue executive orders in 2013 relating to carbon pollution, adverse climate – change effects, and U. S. international leadership. The Trump administration brushed them away. Despite popular mobilizations and despite former Vice President Al Gore's educational efforts – after he left office – the U. S. approach to climate has no overarching strategy or plan, and includes no significant legislation. Discussion in the United States centers on placating special interests.
Fidel Castro's remarks in 1992 in Brazil foreshadowed the tension that would come later between two opposed ways of dealing with climate change. People in wealthy nations, he said, enjoy "lifestyles and consumer habits that ruin the environment; … consumer societies are chiefly responsible for this appalling environmental destruction."
Castro was referring to the flow of wealth from poor to rich nations. He suggested implicitly that that acquisitiveness and production hikes go together in those societies. Industrialized nations, he emphasized, "have saturated the atmosphere with gases, altering climatic conditions with the catastrophic effects we are already beginning to suffer." Today we realize that production expands in tandem with unlimited energy sources, until now fossil fuels. So carbon emissions increase, and global warming accentuates.
"Make human life more rational," Castro insisted. "Adopt a just international economic order. Use science to achieve sustainable development without pollution. Pay the ecological debt. Eradicate hunger and not humanity." He was saying, in effect, that privilege in the industrialized countries depends on subjugation of the world's majority population to poverty and suffering.
The entire line of reasoning, from Castro in 1992 to what we know now, reveals the imperialist and exploitative underpinnings of the prevailing approach to climate change. The link between climate change and capitalist modes of living and producing is also readily apparent.
Socialist Cuba has long resisted big – power pretentions and long defended working people against capitalist exploitation. In responding to climate change, aggravated by capitalism, Cuba had the right tools at hand, those well – used ones that are essential for moving toward a socialist society. Cuba elaborated a plan, and did so collectively. Planners looked at realities, subjecting them to scientific study. Plans for which a socialist state is responsible serve the good of all. They don't allow for accumulation or profiteering. These devices aren't complicated.
Maybe, as suggested by Karl Marx, peoples imbued with socialist values are, on that account, respectful of nature. If so, perhaps they are uniquely qualified to defend against climate change. In his German Ideology, Marx wrote that, "The restricted attitude of men to nature determines their restricted relation to one another, and their restricted attitude to one another determines men's restricted relation to nature."
Cuban President Fidel Castro's speech at the Rio Earth Summit on June 12, 1992
An important biological species — humankind — is at risk of disappearing due to the rapid and progressive elimination of its natural habitat. We are becoming aware of this problem when it is almost too late to prevent it. It must be said that consumer societies are chiefly responsible for this appalling environmental destruction.
They were spawned by the former colonial metropolis. They are the offspring of imperial policies which, in turn, brought forth the backwardness and poverty that have become the scourge for the great majority of humankind.
With only 20% of the world's population, they consume two-thirds of all metals and three-fourths of the energy produced worldwide. They have poisoned the seas and the rivers. They have polluted the air. They have weakened and perforated the ozone layer. They have saturated the atmosphere with gases, altering climatic conditions with the catastrophic effects we are already beginning to suffer.
The forests are disappearing. The deserts are expanding. Billions of tons of fertile soil are washed every year into the sea. Numerous species are becoming extinct. Population pressures and poverty lead to desperate efforts to survive, even at the expense of nature. Third World countries, yesterday's colonies and today nations exploited and plundered by an unjust international economic order, cannot be blamed for all this.
The solution cannot be to prevent the development of those who need it the most. Because today, everything that contributes to underdevelopment and poverty is a flagrant rape of the environment.
As a result, tens of millions of men, women and children die every year in the Third World, more than in each of the two world wars.
Unequal trade, protectionism and the foreign debt assault the ecological balance and promote the destruction of the environment. If we want to save humanity from this self-destruction, wealth and available technologies must be distributed better throughout the planet. Less luxury and less waste in a few countries would mean less poverty and hunger in much of the world.
Stop transferring to the Third World lifestyles and consumer habits that ruin the environment. Make human life more rational. Adopt a just international economic order. Use science to achieve sustainable development without pollution. Pay the ecological debt. Eradicate hunger and not humanity.
Now that the supposed threat of communism has disappeared and there is no more pretext to wage cold wars or continue the arms race and military spending, what then is preventing these resources from going immediately to promote Third World development and fight the ecological destruction threatening the planet?
Enough of selfishness. Enough of schemes of domination. Enough of insensitivity, irresponsibility and deceit. Tomorrow will be too late to do what we should have done a long time ago.
https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/fidel-castro-earth-summit
Coltan: What You Should Know
worker | May 19, 2017 | 7:04 pm | Announcements, Economy, environmental crisis | Comments closed
http://www.congoweek.org/en/coltan-facts.html
What is Coltan?
Coltan is short for Columbite-tantalite – a black tar-like mineral found in major quantities in the Congo.. The Congo possesses 80 percent of the world's coltan. When coltan is refined it becomes a heat resistant powder that can hold a high electric charge. The properties of refined coltan is a vital element in creating devices that store energy or capacitors, which are used in a vast array of small electronic devices, especially in mobile phones, laptop computers, pagers, and other electronic devices.
Who are the primary exploiters of Coltan in the Congo?
Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and their proxy militias are the primary exploiters of coltan in the Congo. In an 18 month period Rwanda made $250 million as a result of exploitation of coltan in the Congo. Although Rwanda and Uganda possess little or no coltan, during the period of the war in the Congo, their exports escalated exponentially. For example, Rwanda's coltan export went from less than 50 tons in 1995 to almost 250 tons in 1998. Zero cassiterite was transported from the Congo to Uganda in 1998, however by 2000 151 drums were transported.
The United Nations notes in its 2001 report on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources in the congo that "The consequences of illegal exploitation has been twofold: (a)massive availability of financial resources for the Rwandan Patriotic Army, and the individual enrichment of top Ugandan military commanders and civilians; (b) the emergence of of illegal networks headed by either top military officers or businessmen."
Foreign Corporate exploitation
Although the countries mentioned above directly exploit coltan, foreign multi-national corporations have been deeply involved in the exploitation of coltan in the Congo. The coltan mined by rebels and foreign forces is sold to foreign corporations. Although, the United Nations in its reports on the Congo do not directly blame the multi-national corporations for the conflict in the Congo, the United Nations does say that these companies serve as "the engine of the conflict in the DRC."
Major United States players include:
Cabot Corporation, Boston, MA
OM Group, Cleveland, Ohio
AVX, Myrtle Beach, SC
Eagle Wings Resources International, Ohio
Trinitech International, Ohio
Kemet Electronics Corporation, Greenville, SC
Vishay Sprague. Malvern, PA
Corporations from other countries have been a part of the coltan exploitation chain. These companies include but are not limited to Germany's HC Starc and EPCOS, China's Nigncxia, and Belgium's George Forrest International.
Once the coltan is processed and converted to capacitors, it is then sold to companies such as Nokia, Motorola, Compaq, Alcatel, Dell, Hewlett-Packard , IBM, Lucent, Ericsson and Sony for use in a wide assortment of everyday products ranging from cell phones to computer chips and game consoles.
What are some of the uses of coltan in modern society?
• Laptop computers
• Cellular phones
• Jet engines
• Rockets
• Cutting tools
• Camera lenses
• X-ray film
• Ink jet printers
• Hearing aids
• Pacemakers
• Airbag protection systems
• Ignition and motor control modules, GPS, ABS systems in automobiles
• Game consoles such as playstation, xbox and nintendo
• Video cameras
• Digital still cameras
• Sputtering targets
• Chemical process equipment
• Cathodic protection systems for steel structures such as bridges, water tanks
• Prosthetic devices for humans – hips, plates in the skull, also mesh to repair bone removed after damage by cancer
• Suture clips
• Corrosion resistant fasteners, screws, nuts, bolts
• High temperature furnace parts.
• High temperature alloys for air and land based turbines
Coltan Wiki Facts
Guns, Money and Cell Phones
United Nations Coltan Primer
Congo's Coltan Rush!
POLE Institute Report "The Coltan Phenomenon!" (PDF)
Columbium and Tantulum: US Geological Survey (PDF)
"Stolen Goods: Coltan and Conflict …" by Dana Montague (PDF)
More Against Trump: Huge Climate Change Marches Against President's Policies
worker | April 29, 2017 | 4:12 pm | Analysis, Climate Change, Donald Trump, environmental crisis, political struggle | Comments closed
© AP Photo/ Pablo Martinez Monsivais
https://sputniknews.com/environment/201704291053143178-climate-change-march-against-trump/
People's Climate Marches are taking place in Washington, DC, and hundreds of other locations around the globe today, one more action in an ongoing series of responses to the environmental policies of US President Donald Trump.
© Photo: Pixabay
'Truly Uncharted Territory': Climate Change Surpasses Human Understanding
Coinciding with Trump's 100th day in office, the global event, an offshoot of the 2014 global climate change march — the largest in history — is centered around the march in Washington DC, where some 200,000 marchers have taken to the streets as temperatures hover in the mid-90s.With luminaries including former US Vice President Al Gore, billionaire aerospace leader Richard Branson and Hollywood superstar Leonardo Dicaprio in attendance, the protests are seen as a continuation of the current increase in popular activism in the wake of Trump's election.
Including heavily attended events such as the Women's March in January and the March for Science last week — as well as multiple protests at airports to fight the Trump administration's immigration travel ban — the level of popular activism in response to the policies of Trump's administration is unusual, and perhaps unprecedented.
In what is considered to be the most divisive US presidency in modern times, Trump's administration in just its first 100 days has quickly rolled back newly implemented Environmental Protection Agency regulations regarding the use of fossil fuels, including coal, and introduced sweeping budget cuts. Trump also approved the hotly-disputed Keystone XL pipeline, which the administration of US President Barack Obama had formerly blocked.
"Trump is undoing everything Obama did. He doesn't realize climate change impacts everyone. It impacts him. Change is inevitable, and only we can solve it — the impact is just changing the way we live," said a marcher, according to CNN.
Although official tallies are not currently available, police put the number in the hundreds of thousands in Washington, DC, and in cities across the globe, tens of thousands more are said to be participating.
Africa/Global: Scaling Up Solar
worker | March 21, 2017 | 8:12 pm | Africa, environmental crisis | Comments closed
AfricaFocus Bulletin
March 21, 2017 (170321)
(Reposted from sources cited below)
Even in the United States, where action on climate change is under
aggressive assault by climate deniers in the Trump
administration and Congress, renewable energy is projected to
continue to advance rapidly, on the basis of its still rapidly
growing cost advantages over fossil fuels. According to a report
just released by GTM research, the US total solar market, already
supplying the largest share of new power production, is poised to
triple over the next five years. The prospect for renewable energy
to power increased access to electricity in Africa is also dramatic,
according to a new report from the Africa Progress Panel.
For a version of this Bulletin in html format, more suitable for
printing, go to http://www.africafocus.org/docs17/clim1703.php, and
click on "format for print or mobile."
To share this on Facebook, click on
https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http://www.africafocus.org/docs17/clim1703.php
In both developed countries and in regions where hundreds of
millions lack any access at all to electricity, the technical
capacity for rapid massive expansion of renewable energy supplies
has already been demonstrated. Scaling up, however, requires
financial innovation as well, and that still depends in large part
on public policy as well as private sector financing. Fortunately,
in Africa as well as at the global level, recognition of the
potential benefits is growing almost as fast as technical
This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains opening remarks by Kofi Annan on
the launch of a new report by the Africa Progress Panel: "Lights,
Power, Action: Electrifying Africa." The full report stresses the
central role of off-grid and mini-grid systems in providing access
to electricity for the estimated 620 million Africans currently
without such access. The report, too long and complexly formatted to
be excerpted here, is available in pdf format (http://tinyurl.com/jr8g7q8).
While acknowledging the role of extending the grid and some
continued reliance on large-scale power-production projects, the
report's emphasis is the demonstrable untapped potential for scaling
up both small-scale household systems and community-level mini-
grids, both of which have been demonstrated in practice as cost-
effective.
Also included is the executive summary of a World Resources
Institute study published in December 2016, focusing particularly on
the remarkable success and even-greater potential of "pay-as-you-go"
solar systems, using the case studies of Kenya and Tanzania. The
principal obstacle to scaling up, the study concludes, is not
technical but rather financial. New forms of financing and seed
funds have enormous potential for expansion.
For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on climate change and energy,
visit http://www.africafocus.org/intro-env.php
++++++++++++++++++++++end editor's note+++++++++++++++++
Opening remarks by Kofi Annan, Chair of the Africa Progress Panel,
at the launch of "Lights, Power, Action: Electrifying Africa" in
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire on 13 March 2017.
Africa Progress Panel
http://tinyurl.com/k7t9cdl
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to be with you in Abidjan this morning.
Achieving universal access to modern energy is critical to Africa's
The Africa Progress Panel, which I chair, welcomes the opportunity
to collaborate with the African Development Bank and other key
stakeholders in pushing for the changes we need to see.
It was in that spirit that I gladly accepted President Adesina's
invitation last year to serve as a lead champion of the New Deal on
Energy in Africa. His leadership in positioning the AfDB at the
forefront of the New Deal process is precisely what is needed to
change the game for Africa.
The Africa Progress Panel first drew attention to the need for
bolder action to electrify Africa faster in our 2015 Report: "Power,
People, Planet: Seizing Africa's Energy and Climate opportunities".
Two years later, this need remains as urgent as ever.
Nearly two-thirds of Africans – 620 million people – still do not
have access to "affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern
electricity", the energy goal that is central to Agenda 2030.
Africa's energy deficit continues to stifle economic growth, job
creation, agricultural transformation, and improvements in health
and education. Meeting Sustainable Development Goal 7, the energy
goal, is a pre-condition for achieving many of the other goals.
The good news is that we are no longer in the dark, so to speak,
about how to tackle this challenge.
In several countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco and South
Africa, renewable energy makes up an increasingly important share of
national power generation.
There are also a number of promising initiatives aimed at providing
electricity across borders, mostly drawing on renewable resources
such as solar, wind and hydro power.
We now need to see more of them deployed at far greater scale to
bring power and light to Africans who still lack modern energy.
That is the core message of the APP's new report, Lights, Power,
Action: Electrifying Africa, which is launched today.
Traditional approaches to extending the grid are no longer viable as
the main option for African countries. They take too long and do not
meet the needs of our growing economies and societies. Instead,
governments and their partners need to re-imagine their energy
We are not saying countries should immediately stop using fossil
fuels and switch to renewable sources of energy. As our report
clearly states, the cost of transitioning to renewables may be
prohibitively high in the short term – especially for countries that
use their sizeable endowments of coal and other fossil fuels to
generate energy.
What we are advocating is that African governments harness every
available energy option, so that no one is left behind. Each country
needs to decide on the most cost-effective, technologically
efficient energy mix that works best for its own needs.
To meeting rapidly growing demand, that energy mix will gradually
progress towards greater use of off-grid household systems and mini-
grids. It should also lead to the emergence of more flexible, hybrid
national energy systems that link grids to off-grid generation.
Mobile phone technology has already helped Africa to leapfrog over
conventional technology and to improve financial and social
inclusion. In the same way, we foresee that innovation will bring
millions of Africans into the energy loop, leading to better health,
better education, better access to markets, and better jobs.
Off-grid electricity generation used to be regarded in Africa as a
stop-gap measure – a way to power a few lights during the long wait
for a grid connection. In recent years, the number of households
connected to off-grid power has soared, improving millions of lives
while relieving a chronic shortage of power.
Some of these home systems may in future connect to grids through
buy-back schemes, enabling households to earn extra cash from the
power they generate. Such arrangements are already working in
Australia, some parts of Europe and the United States. Overall,
however, policy and regulatory environments in Africa need to
improve considerably to make such linkages reality.
As we document in our new report, off-grid solar products can act as
rungs on an "energy ladder", providing a range of energy services to
households and enterprises with different energy needs and incomes.
Mini-grids can also offer sustainable permanent alternatives to
connecting to the grid, especially as reliable and affordable
products come on-stream that are attractive to small and medium-
sized enterprises as well as communities operating far from the
national grid.
The agenda is clear and the challenges are well known.
As well as leading the way in promoting wider use of off-grid and
mini-grid technology, African governments must continue to work hard
to transform national energy grids that are often unreliable and
financially fragile.
Many energy utilities are mismanaged and inefficient. A lack of
accountability and transparency in their governance also nurtures
corruption.
Electricity theft at staggering scale is often the result of this
malpractice; rolling black-outs are the result of mismanagement. All
continue to feed a deep sense of frustration among citizens.
They also highlight why power provision has become a highly
political issue in several countries.
Poor energy governance reflects the wider governance deficit that
threatens to derail development efforts in a number of countries.
So what do African governments and their partners need to do to make
this vision of an empowered Africa a reality?
Africa's leadership, in both public and private sectors, needs to
step up and champion the "energy for all" agenda.
Governments need to intensify their efforts to put in place
regulatory environments that give the energy sector incentives to
deliver on its transformative potential.
The private sector, African and non-African, should be encouraged to
enter energy generation, transmission and distribution markets,
deepen linkages throughout the value chain, and build the investment
partnerships that can drive growth and create jobs.
While the onus is on African leadership and ownership of this
agenda, Africa's energy future is also an issue of global relevance.
Although Africa only accounts for a tiny fraction of global
emissions, it wholeheartedly embraced the Paris climate agreement's
overarching ambition – limiting global warming through unshakeable
and progressive commitment to a low-carbon planet.
The Paris commitment has led the industrialized countries to pledge
billions of dollars to supporting the low carbon transition, in
Africa and elsewhere. However, and as we have repeatedly highlighted
in our reports and our public advocacy, very little of that money is
moving yet.
As our new report shows, where there is good leadership, there are
excellent prospects for energy transition, and leaders in a number
of countries are demonstrating the levels and intensity of political
will needed to address these serious and persistent problems.
We urge governments to put in place the integrated plans and
policies that can scale up Africa's energy transition. The success
of countries such as Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Morocco, Rwanda and
South Africa shows what can be achieved.
Achievements at the national level are essential but only part of
the solution. To fully address the energy challenges, governments
must collaborate more closely on a continental scale. Improved
cross-border power trade is crucial to realising Africa's energy
potential. Yet less than 8 per cent of power is currently traded
across borders in Sub-Saharan Africa.
There is a glaring need to adopt a more continental approach to
power infrastructure development and management in order to
accelerate regional power integration.
This must involve a greater pooling of electricity resources and
harmonisation of national grids. Massive increases in investment in
regional transmission infrastructure and the development of new
power trading arrangements are also essential.
The ultimate goal should be to interlink Africa's numerous and
fragmented power initiatives to create a single pan-African power
grid.
We know what is needed to reduce and ultimately eliminate Africa's
energy deficit. Now we must focus on implementation.
The time for excuses is over.
It's time for action.
Stimulating Pay-As-You-Go Energy Access in Kenya And Tanzania: The
Role of Development Finance
Sanjoy Sanyal, Jeffrey Prins, Feli Visco, and Ariel Pinchot
http://tinyurl.com/mhsps2l
Nearly 620 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack electricity
access. Improving access to affordable and reliable energy is
critical to reducing poverty and improving quality of life (IEA
2011). To improve energy access, it is important to develop
financing and payment schemes that fit consumer energy budgets.
"Pay-as-you-go" (PAYG) business models harness technology to provide
a "one-stop-shop" solution for consumer finance and energy products.
The PAYG model originated in Kenya, and addresses the key challenges
of extending end-user finance and collecting payments from remote
customers who often have erratic and limited cash flow. PAYG
companies, at this point, typically provide basic lighting and
mobile phone charging services. The technology can play an important
role in expanding access to electricity services to remote and low-
income populations.
This issue brief draws on findings from desk research, workshops,
and inter views with PAYG companies, donors, and development finance
institutions (DFIs) active in energy access in East Africa to assess
how PAYG companies have stepped up to serve the approximately 35
million people in Kenya and 36 million people in Tanzania who lack
access to electricity, as well as additional millions who are
underserved. Our paper also draws on interviews with stakeholders
involved in Bangladesh's IDCOL program to provide insight into how
DFIs and donors supported the Bangladesh program, in order to elicit
lessons relevant to the Kenyan and Tanzanian contexts. We chose
Bangladesh's IDCOL program as a reference point for two reasons: the
energy enterprises in Bangladesh perform the same one-stop-shop role
as the PAYG companies, and IDCOL provides an example of where DFIs
have played a significant role in channeling finance (US$750
million) to achieve substantial energy access goals (three million
solar home systems).
Given the nascent stage of most energy access markets, much of the
existing PAYG literature focuses on analyzing the innovative
variations of business models as well as factors that could improve
the enabling environment. However, market players in both Kenya and
Tanzania have evolved beyond an early-stage pilot phase. These
pioneering companies have successfully raised grant, equity, and–
more recently– debt finance to pilot, develop, and scale their
businesses. According to our estimates, they have reached more than
half a million households through rapid sales growth. The market
overall is also evolving, as suggested by the participation of 52
international private sector investors–ranging from foundations to
large companies–and five debt deals struck in 2015, the largest of
which was a US$45 million raise by one company. Market leaders such
as M-KOPA, Mobisol, and Off-Grid Electric have begun expanding into
regional markets.
While encouraging progress has been made, the addressable markets in
Kenya and Tanzania are much larger than those reached by existing
companies so far, and the products they offer need to be larger in
capacity if they are to provide more than basic lighting and mobile
charging. PAYG companies will require about one billion dollars
across these two countries to scale for broader impact. Therefore,
this issue brief focuses on how this broader impact can be created.
We look at how successful PAYG businesses operating in Kenya and
Tanzania have raised finance and the constraints faced by the
industry, and we propose recommendations for how donors and DFIs can
continue to support the development of these markets.
Currently, the various types of capital (debt, impact equity
capital, grant) that PAYG companies need are available almost
exclusively from international investors. Local financial
institutions in Kenya and Tanzania have been hesitant to provide
financing to PAYG customers: they perceive PAYG companies as early-
stage, risky businesses and are unfamiliar with the technology as
well as the creditworthiness of rural consumers. The absence of
local capital sources to some extent explains the fact that almost
all the successful PAYG companies are foreign owned and foreign
managed. Local companies often lack the initial resources, as well
as the networks and skills, to raise both early-stage capital and
develop complex financial structures to raise debt capital from
international markets. Local companies are also hesitant to take on
foreign currency risk.
Technological barriers to the PAYG business are falling, and the
sector is likely to see the entry of a larger number of companies.
This is not yet happening, because access to finance remains a key
entry barrier, particularly for locally owned and managed companies.
Finance is most critically needed to build out marketing, sales, and
service infrastructure and to provide customers with financing. The
relative lack of access to finance results in fewer companies and
less competition in the PAYG sector.
DFIs and donors have a role to play in supporting local financial
institutions to extend local currency debt. In Bangladesh,
international DFIs and donors channeled funds for energy access
through IDCOL, a government-owned financial intermediary. IDCOL also
played a strong role in market development. The market support roles
played by IDCOL can be adapted to the Kenyan and Tanzanian contexts.
The debt- financing role in Kenya and Tanzania can be played by
commercial banks from the very beginning. Involving commercial banks
would have the advantage of ensuring that funds are available to the
sector even after donors withdraw. …
Drawing on the success of the IDCOL program and the unique needs of
PAYG companies, we offer recommendations targeted primarily to DFIs
and donors regarding how they can support local financial
institutions in their efforts to expand energy access in Kenya and
Tanzania.
* International DFIs and donors can leverage their long relation-
ships with local financial institutions in Kenya and Tanzania to
stimulate local finance for the PAYG sector. DFIs and donors can
provide guarantee schemes and lines of credit to local banks. This
support would help banks develop a deeper understanding and
familiarity with PAYG business models, and make finance more
accessible to local companies. International DFIs and donors can
"crowd in" private sector investment in PAYG by channeling their
investments through fund of funds run by professional impact
investors and incentivize PAYG companies to invest in targeted
marketing and distribution infrastructure through results-based
financing. DFIs and donors can also provide technical assistance to
public organizations to support capacity building in monitoring and
* Local commercial banks can begin to explore the PAYG sec- tor, and
understand company cash flow patterns, through the provision of
short-term trade finance. They can also explore mechanisms such as a
debt ser vice coverage account to partially cover for default risks.
* National governments can provide support through a suite of policy
and regulatory measures to unlock domestic commercial financing for
distributed renewable energy including, for example, the development
of mechanisms to coordinate roles of institutions in this space and
encourage private sector activity by setting clear national
priorities and releasing grid extension plans to the public.
* Private sector investors can help companies to access different
types of capital and partnerships in response to evolving business
needs. This may include support for raising capital from local
commercial banks. Foundations and family offices can provide loss
guarantees to local banks.
* Private sector PAYG businesses can adopt standardized accounting
standards to assist in transactions with local banks.
The scope of this issue brief is confined to analysis of financing
in support of PAYG solar home system companies. While we recognize
that PAYG products providing lower-level energy services are not
comprehensive solutions to the energy access challenge, we believe
that our recommendations will also support the broader energy access
sector, including mini- and micro-grids.
The Imperatives of the Electricity Access Challenge
Nearly 1.3 billion people, or 18 per cent of the world's population,
still lack access to grid electricity (IEA 2014a). An additional one
billion are "under electrified," a status charac terized by unstable
grid connection with regular power outages (A.T. Kearney and GOGLA
2014; IEA 2013). Sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate share
of this burden. Over 620 million people, nearly two-thirds of the
region's population, are without electricity access (IEA 2014b).
Increasing access to afford- able and reliable energy services is
fundamental to reducing poverty and improving other human
development indicators (IEA 2011).
Electricity access has long been measured by the physical connection
of a household to grid electricity or the presence of a nearby
electric pole. This binary definition of electricity access has
increasingly come into question in recent years, because it fails to
capture the quality of electricity services received by end users.
In response, the World Bank's Energy Sector Management Assistance
Program (ESMAP) has developed a multi-tier framework for defining
and measuring levels of energy access. Under this approach, access
to electricity refers to the ability to obtain electricity that is
characterized by the following attributes: "adequate, available when
needed, reliable, of good quality, affordable, legal, convenient,
healthy and safe for all required applications across households,
productive enterprises and community institutions" (Angelou and
Bhatia 2015).
The framework measures electricity access across five tiers; each
tier reflects a specific level of performance of an electricity
supply system defined by the attributes. Tier 1 and Tier 2 are the
low-power capacity levels (minimum 3W and 50W, respectively). At
Tier 1 level, electricity access is defined as providing lighting
and mobile charging for a minimum of four hours per day. At Tier 2
level, access additionally includes the ability to power a fan
and/or television for four hours (see Annex II).
The PAYG businesses that we study in this issue brief provide
electricity access mainly at the Tier 1 and Tier 2 levels through
standalone solar home systems (SHSs). The standalone solar system
comes with a battery, a charge controller, a solar panel and LED
(light emitting diode) bulbs, and a mobile charger. Larger systems
(typically 50W and above) can potentially connect direct current
(DC) appliances such as a television. Even at lower tiers of
electricity access, there are numerous household-level benefits.
These benefits stem from the fact that the SHSs replace alternate
sources, which are often very expensive.
Previous WRI research conducted in collaboration with the
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis indicates that
household kerosene use is significantly lower for house- holds with
SHSs, even when compared with grid customers. While 80 percent of
households with access to grid electricity continue to use kerosene,
only about 25 percent of homes with SHSs use kerosene. The
reliability of SHS electricity supply may explain this finding (Rao,
Agarwal, and Wood 2016). Other research indicates benefits such as
prevention of GHG emissions (both carbon dioxide and black soot)
(Kaufman et al. 2000; Wang et al. 2011), increased household
disposable income because of reduced spending on kerosene and
candles (Mills 2005; Tracy and Jacobson 2012), health benefits such
as reduced accidents and indoor pollution (Mills 2014; Samad et al.
2013) and social benefits such as increased evening study hours for
children (A.T. Kearney and GOGLA 2014; Khan and Azad 2014; Samad et
al. 2013).
The Importance of "Pay-as- You-Go" (PAYG)
Previous WRI research has underscored the importance of designing
financing and payment schemes that fit consumer energy budgets. The
research notes that energy enterprises have to design innovative
financing and payment schemes to encourage consumers to purchase
their products, because customers are accustomed to buying energy in
small increments (Ballesteros et al. 2013). …
PAYG is a technology-driven method that allows consumers to pay the
lease amount for a given energy system or pay a fee for the service
of using the system. It uses information technology to enable remote
activation with payment receipt (Alstone et al. 2015). PAYG includes
a range of business models, which differ as to how payments are
accepted and to whom the ownership of the system ultimately
devolves. From the consumer's point of view, the PAYG model offers a
one-stop shop, where the product and the financing are available
from the same source. The willingness of companies to finance
products gives customers confidence in the new technology. Indeed,
energy companies have tried to partner with microfinance
institutions (MFIs) but often with limited success. The energy
service companies have typically been smaller than their counterpart
MFIs, and partnerships have been hard to manage given the differing
expectations of the two parties. In Kenya, for example, consumers
could not access technical maintenance services from the energy
companies, which were limited in their geographic outreach. The poor
after-sales service left many customers dissatisfied with their
products, which in turn led to a refusal to repay loans (Rolffs,
Byrne, and Ockwell 2014).
The benefits of the PAYG model in providing a one-stop-shop solution
to customers are several. As we have already noted, the offer of
finance by the energy company instills trust in consumers regarding
the quality of the product. Operational efficiency is improved
because there is no need for coordination between finance providers
and technology providers. With PAYG, the companies are able to
provide longer-term loans than those usually offered by MFIs. PAYG
models also allow the provision of relatively large credit amounts
(to cover the cost of the renewable energy system) to consumers
whose credit worthiness may be unknown. The credit risk is partially
mitigated by the incentive system that links payments to service
provision. PAYG approaches, which use mobile communication
technologies, also reduce the costs associated with collecting
repayments (Rolffs, Byrne, and Ockwell 2014). Finally, PAYG enables
significant data collection. This gives enterprises the advantage of
understanding product performance and consumer behavior (Alstone et
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providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with a
particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus
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AfricaFocus Bulletin can be reached at africafocus@igc.org. Please
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(NaturalNews) Back in April of 2014, this author presented an article about how cannabis is very helpful for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The story of Jeff Waters, diagnosed with stage III COPD at the age of 36, was featured in that article. Some may wonder how he's doing now.
Jeff was on 15 pharmaceuticals including COPD drugs, high blood pressure meds and drugs for depression, anxiety, aggression, high cholesterol, insomnia and pain. Acute upper respiratory disease is a black box warning on some of them.
After spending 28 days in intensive care going in and out of a coma from a reaction to one of those drugs, Jeff decided to find a better way to handle his COPD than what the medical monopoly and Big Pharma offered.


WHEELHOUSE RECORDS' RUNAWAY JUNE made their national television debut this morning (11/1) on NBC-TV'S "Today." The trio sang their current single, "Buy My Own Drinks." Enjoy the performance here.
Country icon MARTINA MCBRIDE also made an appearance on "Today" as part of the show's "Today Food" segment. MCBRIDE joined hosts CARSON DALY and HODA KOTB to make her mother's pot roast and mashed potatoes recipe. Watch here.


To request a SearchSpring integration on your dedicated mobile site please reach out to your Customer Success Manager or create a support ticket by e-mailing support@searchspring.com including a link to your dedicated mobile site. Please include any cart access we may need to edit your dedicated mobile templates. For Magento clients, please also include FTP access information.
Once we have this information SearchSpring will review your dedicate mobile site and follow-up with you with any clarifying questions about design or functionality if any. When any questions have been answered SearchSpring will schedule a dedicated mobile integration with our integration team. This process generally takes 2 to 3 weeks to deliver a design mockup. Once our integration team has finished their mockup it will be provided to you for review. We ask that you than provide us any revisions you may have as a single list of changes for us to make. Once those changes we can integrate the design seen in the mockup on to your dedicated mobile site.
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If your site is responsive SearchSpring will already inherit the responsive styling of your site when we complete your initial integration. There is no need for a dedicated mobile integration if you already have a responsive design?
Are there any costs involved with a dedicated mobile integration?
A mobile integration does require a mockup fee and a new contract agreement.


Because our mission is to help the UTC community become better writers, rather than simply "fixing" individual texts, we work to make consultation sessions as interactive as possible. No papers or other written documents are dropped off for editing or proofreading. Instead, writers read their texts aloud while tutors listen and follow up with questions for clarification and feedback on focus, thesis, organization, etc. tutors will respond to writing from any discipline, as well as help with resumes, cover letters, graduate school applications, and personal/creative writing.


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Archive for the tag "Graham M. Wilson"
Opinion: Wonder why there is seemingly for some still undecided between Trump and Clinton? The madness called the US Presidential Election Campaigns of 2016 is soon over!
It's been a weird timeline for this American Presidential Election, the months upon months with madness and craziness. The undetermined now have either looked to many times at Friends, Game of Thrones or even browsed quickly at Fox and CNN; still not able to make a decision who to cast their vote for un Tuesday 8th November 2016.
There been Primary race in the major parties, the Republican Party with the wildest and biggest amount of candidates, where 16 candidates went in and tried. Some familiar faces other local heroes trying to figure out how to become a National Candidate. The ones standing out was Jeb Bush, who had to become JEB! Because his family name isn't ringing out with joy as it did before Bill Clinton, those we're the days. Than you had Marco Rubio, the Florida man who robotic answers made the automatic telephone answer-machine obsolete for little while. Than you had Ted Cruz, the Texan who with coded language tried to sound friendly, but just seemed interested in his own career over policy; you had John Kasich from Ohio who seemed sincere and like a fellow from the Mitt Romney and John McCain wing of the Republican Party, but he went hard and continued without any tally of results.
Than you had the Democratic Party where there we're fewer candidates and there was more or less two candidates that had a significant amounts of people behind them. You had the Governor of Maryland Martin O'Malley, I am sure the man is a decent and kind fellow, but he didn't grab attention or attraction as the competitors owned the field. The one that we're close and can still make difference is Bernie Sanders the Senator of Vermont. In the Primaries he we're a real threat and showed how he could garn popularity with Millennials and get small donations from people and not the giant multi-national corporations. Not building a super-PAC, but still making sense of policies, political framework and how to build society. He still one 22 states in the Primaries and we're a serious contender with a strong message. Should be remembering his fight against the internal-system and electoral machine from his competitor who had loyalist in the Central leadership of the Democratic National Committee.
So now with this, there are two candidates left: Donald J. Trump from the Republican Party and Hillary Clinton of the Democratic Party. Other candidates are Jill Stein of the Green Party and Gary Johnson of the Libertarians. Jill Stein at one point thought Wi-Fi was a treat to kids and said she deserves the Bernie Sanders votes. Also that she is the one to vote for instead of lesser of two evils (Trump and Clinton). Gary Johnson will be remembered for not being able to answer on MSNBC Morning Joe, what Aleppo and who Aleppo is. So the Foreign Affairs hasn't been key importance for the Libertarians as they are focused on spliffs, little state, more personal freedom and a strong army. Something that would enforce the undoubted republicans to vote for Johnson as a protest this year; might be might be not, but he might gain more than normally.
Now that we're days before the polls, the ballots casted and final tallies in all the states, the 270 Electoral Votes and the whole Electoral College is secured. We still have the final race to the finish line. Initially this race is between Trump and Clinton.
Trump, he is rare character of orange hatred, patriotism and notorious chauvinism and racism. As an outsider it's weird that Republicans went for this man and accept this. This blended with his attitude and his brash words against anybody; his nonchalant of fluid morality towards others. While he can crucify fellow peers for their maladministration's and wrong doings, he will never ever accept that he has done the same and crossed the line. His flabbergasting rhetoric on immigration, woman and media has been out of this world. Sounding more like a power-hungry dictator than a man whose plan is to restructure America. His personality and decisions has cared more about getting more spotlight than making sure that his vision comes clear. If he believes the words he says and if any significant plan of any kind has if he gets into office can be unsure of. Seemingly it seems more important with the title and winning than actually making a difference. Together with his brawls and attacks on peers, fellow Republican Senators, House Speaker Paul Ryan and others shows the inability of even working together with his own. Trump has to own the spotlight and be KING. If not it doesn't matter. AS long as he is King, even if the Palace is bailing out, the golden letters with his name is fading and his stars are built with giant walls around them. Still, the thing that matters to Trump isn't working-class families in Wisconsin or Michigan; it's his ego and his reputation.
Then it's Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Presidential Candidate who has been doing this before and lost to Barrack Obama, back in the day and has been a Senator for New York and Secretary of State at one point. She has been flogged in public, by certain stations been named so reckless and destructive at one point the only missing flaw per today: is that was the main reason behind World War III. Not that she has a perfect record, but when you been in public light and in office all your life you got to have some bad apples and made mistakes. Hillary Clinton carries them and even answered for why she has changed opinion. Trump would say, "Where did you get that? That wasn't me? Do you have the tape?" He would deflect it. Not that Hillary hasn't had enough trouble, for instance with the internal releases of E-Mail's leaks from WikiLeaks, Guccifer and DCLeaks. They have leaked information through the cycle that has showed how the Campaign Team and Clinton Foundation have not been ethical correct or been correct. They have used methods and used money in questionable ways, even fraudulent. That is a fact and not fiction. That she can't trust the American Public to show gratitude for her service is clear as she couldn't even ask for silence and relaxation as she had pneumonia during the Campaigns. Than the Republican media nearly said she had AIDS and dying; by the way called her deceiving for it as well. That proves how hard they tackle her grievances. Instead of asking why she was sick and why she didn't want to release the information, the American Media went into a frenzy attacking her personality. Which shows what kind of Corporate case of misjudgement and attitude towards her.
With this all in mind, with the statements and character flaws that are in play together with the public sphere, the electoral laws in the 50 states and with the decades of elitism. In this day and age, in this time and with the coming problems together with ones we are piling up today, what kind of leadership does the United States of America need?
Do they need a hot-headed, non-sequential policy based and self-promoting snake-oil salesman on the top of the food-chain in nation and serve them with some form dignity, if that dignity is believable. That will only be believable if he uses as much time on the golf-course as George W. Bush, Donald Trump can only be functioning if he tries to have camps with Sheiks to donate funds to US if he serves them halal-parties at Camp David. I cannot see him making sense of public policy like Barrack Obama or even the former War-Lord Dick Cheney; at least he could be able to make sense of the statements coming out of his mouth.
We can all question if the Hillary Clinton, the moderate, Wall-Street infused and money hungry Politician is the right one as well. She isn't demoralising or counter-aggressive. She has posted herself as Progressive, but that isn't true. Hillary is so moderate that she can fall in-between certain wings of Republican Party and Democratic Party. Bi-Partisanship will be thing under wings for sure. Her real stance on matters is something we can wonder as the leaks showed that much of groundwork and policies made by her team not by her own making. They have all been suggestion by close aides and surrogates while she has been on the road reading from a teleprompter. The last piece should Trump do to, he sound like Drunk Uncle so often… how can the Drunk Uncle all of sudden become the Command-in-Chief; it's not funny. Especially for an outsider to see how degraded the democratic process has become in the US as they get this guy to counter a Political Opponent the way he does. That Clinton becomes Crooked Hillary and it's been the sticker from Trump. The pathetic smear campaign to weaken her, instead of looking at facts… facts and fiction has been nearly the same, Clinton has gotten tainted with old sins, and sins she couldn't commit and couldn't even do. She created ISIS, she killed somebody while Bill Clinton was in Office, she had Alien intervention in her body, and she has a deadly infection and so on. Clinton has been targeted for the machine she has created.
It's true she has gotten wealthy on Wall Street money and used a weird company in Cincinnati on an estate that got 250,000 LLC's on the compound. That is true and that isn't something she should have. Her husband been a con and a man-whore at some point, but that isn't her fault; that's the sins of Bill and he has to carry.
Trump on the other hand has used mafia to build his tower, not paid taxes for decades, not cared for paying employees and contractors, stifled monies from even campaign pollsters during his Presidential Campaign, reckless behaviour of litigations, sued for fraud countless times, used donations to his Foundations to buy private luxurious merchandize, running a University and enrolling students without proper State Educational Licences and so on. That is without cherry-picking his marriages, his womanizing and his acts of fidelity and forged public persona.
So that a man who has that towards the other one, shows how simple it should be to pick; but the United States population seems to be drawn by the scandals of the FBI and others who carries into weight without having any significant records of forcing through new investigations. The public perception with the constant leaks has hurt Clinton and that deservedly, but still the other guy isn't really a catch. The Clinton mistake is systematic and organic, the Trump mistakes is deceiving and inappropriate.
I wonder if the United States wants to become a laughing stock and not be the man who helps out with their armies and their structures. With Trump as President should the United Nation Headquarters still be there; when you have a man who wishes to deteriorate the foreign affairs, the relationship between trading-partners and allies in the NATO. Does the United States wanted to be so internally focused in the image of Trump that they will be internal focused and only thinking of his best, not the great American Best. That comes in second fiddle kind of like Ariana Grande comes second to Beyoncé.
Posted in America, Business, Civil Service, Development, Diplomacy, Economic Measures, Economy, Election, Ethics, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, Politics and tagged 2nd Amendment, African American, Alt-Right, America First, American Continent, American Democracy, American Election 2016, American Horse Shows Association, American Idol, American Political System, American Politician, American Primaries, American Primary Elections, Angry Clue-less White Rednecks, Angry White Men, Anti-Voter Fraud, Ariana Grande, Arizona, Arkansas, Ballot Integrity, Ballot Security, Barack Obama, Barrack Hussain Obama, Barrack Obama, Benjamin Franklin, Bernie Sanders, Beyonce, Bigotry, Bill Clinton, Black Lives Matters, BLM, British, Bun B, Cable Companies, CAFTA PNTR, Campaign Leaks, Campaign Managers, Censored, Christian Values, Clayton Cox, Climate Change, Clinton Foundation, CNN, Coca Cola, Colgate, Conservative, Conservative Republicans, Corey Lewandoski, DCLeaks, Deez Nuts, Democratic, Democratic National Commitee, Democratic National Party, Democratic Party, Deplorables, Deportation, Deporting, DeRay, Dialogue, Dick Cheney, Disenfranchisement, Disenfranchisement Felons, DNC, DNC Communication Director, Donald J. Trump, Donald Trump, Donald Trump University LLC, Donor Contribution, Donors, DP, DreamWorks, Drunk Uncle, E-Mail Leaks, E-Mail Scandal, Election Law, Election Rigging, Eric Shoenberg, Establishment, Fear, Fear of Immigrants, Fear Politics, Fear Tacticts, Fear-Mongering, Felon, Felons, Florida, Florida AG, Fox News, Fundraising, Gary Johnson, George Lindemann, George Lindemann Junior, George W. Bush, Goldstar Family, GOP, Governor Mike Pence, Graham M. Wilson, Grand Old Party, Gucci Mane, Guccifer, Harry Ford Sinclair, Hell's Kitchen, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, House Representatives, HRC, immigration, ISIS, Jill Stein, John Kasich, John Kerry, John Stevens, Karina Marquez, Katrina Pierson, Kellyanne Conway, Khan, Kyoto Protocol, Latin America, Latin American States, Lawrence Benson, Liberal, Libertarian, Libertarian Party, Litigation, Lobbying, Louisiana, Luis Miranda, Make America Angry Again, Make America Great Again, Making America Great Again, Mark Paustenbach, Martin O'Malley, McCarthy, McCarthyism, McClatchy Newspapers, Media Corporation, Media Corporations Owners, Media Ratings, Medicaid, Megyn Kelly, Mexian, Michael Moore, Michigan, Mid-West, Mike Pence, Mississippi, Money in Politics, Money Laundering, Monsanto, Monster INC, Morgan Stanley, Morning Joe, MSNBC, NAFTA, New York, New York Times, Obama Administration, Obamacare, Ohio, Ohio Gang, Oil Company, Oil Money in Politics, Open Racist, Outrages, Ozone Hole, Ozone Layer, PAC, PACs, Pamphleteers, Pamphlets, Pat Buchannan, Pennsylvania, Pepsi, Petroleum Company, Philadelphia, Pierre Maroun, Podestaleaks, Political Action Committee, Politics of Fear, Poll Monitoring, Poll Watchers, Poor, Poverty, President Harding, President Obama, Presidential Candidates, Presidential Nomination, Privatizing Social Security, Racism, Racist, Rating, Republican National Committee, Republican National Party, Republican Party, Rhetoric, Rich, Rigged System, River Chadwick, RNC, Rob Gleason, Ronald Reagan, Ronna Romney McDaniel, Sanders, Sec. Kerry, Second Amendment, Secretary Clinton, Self-Cencorship, Senate, Solomon Ortiz, Sponsors, Spreading Fear, State of Michigan, Super-Predators, SuperPacs, Survivor, Tax related, Tea, Tea Pot Scandal, Tea-Monopoly, Tea-Party, Ted Cruz, Texas, The Blaze, Tomas Jefferson, Tomi Lahren, TPP, Trans-Pacific Partnership, Trump, Trump Campaign, Trump Foundation, Trump Tower, Trump University, UGK, UK, Underground Kingz, United Kingdom, US Presidential Election, US Presidential Election 2016, Verizon, Vermont, Vetting, Volunteers, Voter Fraud, Wall Mart, Wall Streeet, Wealthy, White Supremacist, WikiLeaks, Willam Clinton, Xenophombia | Leave a comment
DNCLeaks: Exposing Hillary Clinton Campaign donor vetting and the DNC damage-control of the internal procedure when it comes to "money-laundering" scandal!
It's that time again, been a while since I looked and browsed through dozen of documents on Wikileaks, the once who has read my articles or blogs; have seen themed pieces on it. Today was a similar day, as the WikiLeaks released new-emails from Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee. The DNC have been smacked with their own-words; this is bigger than the latest release by an independent hacker Guccifer 2.0. Still, this is apparently the play of affairs from one of the two giant parties. What is worrying is that similar attacks and similar releases don't happen with the Republic National Committee or the RNC!
But this is not about the gob-smacking charlatan Donald Trump, though in his mind he loves this, but since this is to many words; he will read anything about except the Rush Limbaugh headlines and Newt Gingrich comments on Fox News. So he could get stronger words against the competitor, but that wise he is not. This DNC Leak, is in favor of Trump and Libertarian Johnson… though none seem to capture the traction as the VP for Hillary Clinton overshadow the leak. This leak proves certain level of works when it comes PR tactics to slow down the money-laundering of Campaign Funds, also how the DNC vets donors and surrogates for the party; which is interesting insider information as the DNC Campaign Team and other ones proves their due diligence. Some things though is not all good news. Take a look at what I consider interesting from the E-Mail leak!
The DNC worked hard for instance to vet a scandalous donor to the Party, a honorable George Lindemann Junior, as the Democratic Party doesn't care where the money comes from, even if the conspiracy and men have been trialed for it: "Lindemann was convicted of three counts of wire fraud in 1995 and was sentenced to a 33-month term in federal prison with two years probation after his release. He was sentenced to pay a $500,000 fine, $250,000 in restitution to the insurance company, and the cost of his prison stay. He was expelled from the American Horse Shows Association ("AHSA"), and upon his release, filed a $100 million antitrust suit against the AHSA for refusing to allow him to compete" (…)"CONVICT CONTRIBUTIONS "Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has accepted thousands of dollars in campaign donations from convicted criminals. After being informed of the source of the donations, the Schumer campaign said it would give $17,000 in questionable contributions to charity. (…) He accepted $2,000 from George Lindemann Jr., who was convicted in 1996 of ordering the killing of a show horse to collect insurance money [The National Journal, 6/10/2004]". Clayton Cox the DNC Regional Finance Manager still wanted to Donor Vet him on 9th May 2016!
On the 15th April 2016, Representative Wasserman Shultz wrote: "He called and wants to speak with DWS about a meeting between him, DWS, and Pierre Maroun. He says that Pierre wants to give 50K to the Democratic Party but wants to talk to meet with DWS to discuss first. Kate – who does this go to? Former Congressman Solomon Ortiz: 361-877-2220 (cell)". This was later answered by Scott Comer on the same day: "Henry thinks she should take the meeting. Says he's good for the money". By 29th April the reasonable approach from Scott Comer to the Representative: " We're going to vet Pierre first". Vetting meaning, making sure the money is coming without any issues from Pierre Maroun.
Sanders place after Primaries:
On the 20th April 2016 Fox News Political Correspondent sent a mail to Hillary Clinton on questioning reports following: "Allies of both Clinton and Sanders have urged Democratic leaders to meet some of Sanders's more mundane demands for greater inclusion at the Philadelphia convention. Their decision to do so is expected to be finalized by the end of the week, according to two people familiar with the discussions. But growing mistrust between Sanders supporters and party leaders have threatened to undermine that effort" (Washington Post, 19.05.2016), while he asked this: "Accurate? Can you confirm, please? Thanks.-Mike". The Press Secretary of Hillary Clinton, Mark Paustenbach wrote this on to another staffer: "Told Mike we didn't have anything right now and I'd get back to him if that changes".
Talk to a Editor about Campaign funding?
As Mark Paustenbach wrote to Luis Miranda and Walker on the 29th April 2016, he wrote this about a possible donor: "David is hoping to chat with the Chair today about party fundraising and also the money to fund the convention. How the public funds/subsidies for the convention were cut by Congress and that since then the amounts individuals can give to the convention, and the parties more generally, have gone up. Does this help the party in the age of SuperPACs?". David Goldstein happens to be the National Editor of McClatchy Newspapers.
Litigation against the DNC in Arizona:
On the 29th April 2016 this came up: "FELDMAN, ET AL. V. ARIZONA SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE, ET AL. – LITIGATION HOLD NOTICE – YOUR ASSISTANCE AND RESPONSE REQUIRED – ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGED/WORK PRODUCT" (…) "You are receiving this message because you may have materials potentially related to a voting-rights case in which the DNC is a plaintiff, Leslie Feldman, et al. v. Arizona Secretary of State's Office, et al., D. Ariz. No.CV-16-01065-PHX-DLR. This lawsuit challenges three aspects of Arizona elections: (1) Maricopa County's allocation of polling locations; (2) Arizona's practice of not counting provisional ballots cast out of precinct; and (3) Arizona's prohibition on ballot collection. This message contains instructions you must follow in connection with this matter until you receive further instructions from legal counsel" (… )" The allegations and statements in the Complaint (a copy of which is attached to this message), including, but not limited to, any documents that are in any way related to your, your members' or your constituents' experiences voting in Arizona generally and, specifically, in the 2016 presidential preference election, Maricopa County's allocation of polling locations, Arizona's rejection of provisional ballots cast out of precinct, and Arizona's prohibition on ballot collection; * Get-out-the-vote, voter registration, voter assistance, or voter education efforts that you have or will engage in in Arizona , including documents related to any money and/or resources expended in relation to the same" (… )" Lindsey Reynolds | Chief Operating Officer Democratic National Committee".
On Money Laundering claims for the DNC:
""The suggestion there's anything unusual about our joint victory funds has no basis in the law or reality. Independent experts like the Election Law" (…) "The money raised by the joint victory funds, even when the money goes to the DNC, still helps state parties. The funds help strengthen, for example, our national voter file and communications, research and digital support for state parties and down ballot candidates. That includes training across a variety of areas, for example, and access to media monitoring and rapid response support. This is helping the Party right NOW build the infrastructure we need for the general election". This was quotes written by Luis Miranda, the DNC Communication Director, who sent this mail to Graham M. Wilson is a lawyer in Perkins Coie LLP, after he accepted the quotes. While the Chief Executive Officer of the DNC Amy K. Dacey wrote this today: "I like it with this additional thoughts".
As this story continues:
Mark Plaustenbach wrote this on the 30th April to Luis Miranda: "The DNC offered to engage in the same joint fundraising efforts with all the major presidential candidates early in the cycle and we welcome the efforts of the candidates to help raise money for the DNC and state parties now to ensure we can build out the infrastructure to win in November". His answer on the 2nd May 2016 we're: "The suggestion there's anything unusual about our joint victory funds has no basis in the law or reality, as recognized by numerous independent experts that have looked at this. The fact is both campaigns signed on to similar agreements. While only one campaign is currently using their joint victory fund we encourage both of our campaigns to identify opportunities to support the national and state Democratic parties now so that we can continue to build the infrastructure to help elect Democrats up and down the ballot in November".
On the So-Called DNC rigging Clinton:
On the 3rd May 2016, the advice to counter Bernie Sanders claimed for rigged election in favor of Clinton, Marc E. Elias wrote: "My suggestion is that the DNC put out a statement saying that the accusations the Sanders campaign are not true. The fact that CNN notes that you aren't getting between the two campaigns is the problem. Here, Sanders is attacking the DNC and its current practice, its past practice with the POTUS and with Sec Kerry. Just as the RNC pushes back directly on Trump over "rigged system", the DNC should push back DIRECTLY at Sanders and say that what he is saying is false and harmful the the Democratic party".
On 5th May 2016 a mail about certain vetted givers was Lawrence Benson who we're wiring USD 50k to the Hillary Clinton Campaign and sending a baseball that he wanted to get signed, as the one he had from 2008 got stolen. At the same mail from Andy, this expectation was set: "Separately, I'm hoping for a six-figure wire from Eric Schoenberg in the next few days".
The Hillary Clinton campaign through their own goodwill vetted Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson, The DNC wanted him vetted as a surrogate for Hillary Clinton on the 16th May 2016. River Chadwick wrote this on a mail about him the 16th of May: "Finance asked us to vet DeRay to act as a surrogate, possibly with the Chair, at an upcoming event. He has been an issue since 9/2015 with no updates for his involvement in Black Lives Matter protests. I believe he is currently running for Mayor of Baltimore".
On the 17th May 2016 lawyer Jonah M. Wilson sent a mail to Karina Marquez as he said this, also with security clearance so he come to a fund-raiser for the Clinton Campaign: "I will be buying two tickets – for $20,000. I would like to pay by check. We can wire the funds. Can you provide wire instructions? This is being done at the request of Robert Rubenstein". By the morning on 18th May 2016, he had wired 20k to the DNC. By the evening Clayton Cox we're triumphantly writing: "$20k wire in!".
If this wasn't interesting, then I don't know what it is. This proves how certain part of the Campaign works for the DNC, one of the biggest parties in the world and also a key component in the "Democratic" tradition of the United States. So there you have it, this might not be televised. Peace.
Posted in America, Business, Civil Service, Development, Diplomacy, Economic Measures, Economy, Election, Ethics, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, Politics and tagged American Horse Shows Association, Arizona, Bernie Sanders, Clayton Cox, Democratic, Democratic National Commitee, Democratic National Party, DeRay, DNC Communication Director, Donald J. Trump, Donald Trump, Donors, Election Law, Eric Shoenberg, Fundraising, Gary Johnson, George Lindemann, George Lindemann Junior, Graham M. Wilson, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, HRC, John Kerry, Karina Marquez, Lawrence Benson, Libertarian, Litigation, Luis Miranda, Mark Paustenbach, McClatchy Newspapers, Money Laundering, PACs, Philadelphia, Pierre Maroun, Republican National Committee, Republican National Party, Republican Party, Rigged System, River Chadwick, Sanders, Sec. Kerry, Solomon Ortiz, SuperPacs, Vetting | Leave a comment

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Stakeholders in mining sector urged on licenses
October 20, 2019 Joe Heman 0
By DUMAH RANDONG
STAKEHOLDERS in the mining sector in Plateau State have been adviced to acquire mining license in order to ensure adequate and productive exploration of all mineral resources in the state.
Governor Simon Lalong gave the admonition when Chairman Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee Plateau State, Senator Davou Zang led other members of the committee on a courtesy visit at the Government House, Rayfield, Jos last Tuesday.
Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee was created by the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007 under the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development with membership drawn from the Federal, State and the Local Government Areas.
Governor Lalong while appreciating them for the visit said the committee was very crucial considering their assignment which was adding value to the economy through the sector.
Represented by his Deputy, Professor Sonni Tyoden. Lalong noted that although mining was under the exclusive list, the state government will partner with the committee to ensure they deliver on their mandate for the benefit of the citizens.
He pointed out that the sensitization embarked upon by the committee was very critical as currently the bulk of the mining activities were done by the informal miners and stressed the need to formalize the activities of miners so that they can get the best of the facilities available by both the Federal government and the foreign investors.
Earlier, the chairman, Senator Davou Zang appreciated the governor for the peace being enjoyed in the state which gave rise to the resumption of full mining activities in the state and disclosed that progress has been recorded in the area of sensitization between the stakeholders mining sector and host communities adding that the committee was able to resolve crisis among them and ensure the accessibility of intervention funds for miners in the state.
The chairman of the committee appealed to the state government to support them with operational vehicles and include the committee in the annual budget and payment of counterpart funds of N7 million to enable them carryout their functions.
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