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File:  ltr to Congress, 76 scientists 2012.pdfResource Type: Letters

Lawson becomes chancellor - attacks miners, sells coal, oil and gas Channel Comment Louise Gill 14th August 2019 Teaser Media

North Sea Rocks Could Store Months Of Renewable Energy iflscience.com Government makes €4m available for renewable energy research siliconrepublic.com With little space for solar farms, suburbs are finding creative ways to embrace renewable energy chicagotribune.com Expansion of offshore wind energy successfully continued in 2018 – industry sector calls for rapid increase of expansion targets powermag.com SULTANATE’S FIRST WIND ENERGY PROJECT TO BE OPERATIONAL BY Q3 muscatdaily.com Egypt to set up 14GW solar PV plant constructionreviewonline.com Renewable energy gets behind NZ’s endangered big green parrot pv-magazine-australia.com Corpn. to set up more biogas plants, ring compost units soon thehindu.com

NOVA SCOTIA – Vancouver-based Atlantic Gold Corp. confirms that recent diamond drilling has confirmed mineralized extensions at both the Fifteen Mile Stream project and the Cochrane Hill project.

At Fifteen Mile Stream, located 57 km from the central mill at the Moose River Consolidated gold mine, Atlantic drilled 11,385 metres in 69 holes. The best results were 4.31 g/t gold over 9 metres, 3.24 g/t over 11 metres, 1.94 g/t over 12 metres, 0.921 g/t over 17 metres, 1.07 g/t over 12 metres, 0.84 g/t over 14 metres, and 1.35 g/t over 8 metres.

Atlantic drilled 16,242 metres in 70 holes at Cochrane Hill, which is 80 km northeast of Moose River. Here the highlights included 3.13 g/t gold over 23 metres, 10.46 g/t over 7 metres, 7.96 g/t over 6 metres, 1.61 g/t over 23 metres, 1.29 g/t over 22 metres, 2.75 g/t over 9 metres, and 3.51 g/t over 7 metres.

Readers may be interested in the corporate presentation at www.AtlanticGoldCorporation.com.

This story first appeared on Canadian Mining Journal

The post Atlantic confirms extensions at Fifteen Mile Stream and Cochrane Hill deposits appeared first on MINING.com.

So will the government refuse to sanction new projects if the identification is not done properly?

Matthew Vari | Post Courier | January 21, 2019

National Planning Minister Richard Maru has said the biggest mistake ever made for the first PNG LNG project was the lack of landowner identification before going ahead with the project.

Mr Maru said this when making reference to the next lot of key mining projects set for development within the next couple of years and the need for developers to learn from such oversights.

“The biggest mistake we did with the PNG LNG project is that we didn’t identify the landowners first, that is a requirement by law and the responsibility for that is on the resource developer and not the government, I want to make that clear,’’ he said.

“My appeal to the proponents of the Freida project and Wafi-Golpu is to make sure all the landowners are identified now and they all have NID (National Identification) cards.

“Identify them early so we do not have the same problem when it comes to the distribution of royalties and deciding who we deal with.”

He made the call to companies not to make the same mistakes and go out early and identify the genuine landowners.

“It will help the forum process because the right people will come and talk.

“So I want to appeal to the developers while we support the project we want them to follow the laws and identify the landowners now early so when it comes to negotiations, the right people are represented and they have their say so we avoid problems in the future.

“By just following the lawful legal processes established by law to make sure we involve our people very early,” he said.

BRITISH COLUMBIA – Wildsky Resources of Vancouver and Margaux Resources of Calgary have signed a letter of intent covering Wildsky’s Cassiar gold project 105 km south of Watson Lake. Wildsky will grant Margaux an option to acquire all of the common shares of Cassiar Gold Corp., a subsidiary of Wildsky.

Margaux will issue 58.2 million common shares to Wildsky at a deemed price of $0.08 per share for a total consideration of approximately $4.66 million. Margaux must also spend $400,000 this year at Cassiar. Wildsky is also being granted a 30% net profit interest on all minerals processed from Cassiar’s TM No.1 tailings pond on the Cassiar property. Wildsky will also be allowed to appoint up to three directors on the Margaux board over time.

High grade gold from the Main (Erickson) mine, part of the Cassiar gold project. (Image: Margaux Resources)

The Cassiar gold project produced about 350,000 oz. of gold from 920,000 tonnes of ore with an average grade of 11.9 g/t gold from 1979 to 1997 in a number of mines and mills under different owners. The property was subsequently amalgamated.

The project includes all areas of historical production (primarily from underground mines), a permitted 270 t/d flotation and gravity mill, surface buildings, a tailings storage facility and a 30-person camp with grid power. The site is accessible by road.

Details of the agreement are available at www.MargauxResources.com or www.WildskyResources.com.

This story first appeared on Canadian Mining Journal.

The post Margaux options Cassiar project from Wildsky Resources appeared first on MINING.com.

Mannheim, German territory: The preparations had been completed, around 30 young people once again adjusted the tables and waited for the first guests. On Saturday, January 19, the opening ceremony of the “Ewwe longt’s – Linkes Zentrum Mannheim” (leftwing center Mannheim) was to begin at 2 pm in Kobellstraße. The first guests were already there, including some children. But suddenly about 15 young people ran into the shop, many with black rain jackets and hoodies, which apparently did not come to celebrate.

Originally published by Kommunal Info Mannheim (KIM). Edited machine translation by Enough is Enough.

Note: Enough is Enough is not organizing any of these events, we are publishing this text for people across the US and Europe to be able to see what is going on and for documentation only

Among these people, including a woman, were some familiar faces. When a rally for rescue at sea in Heidelberg was disturbed, a similarly composed group had caused riots. People acting under the label “Identitary Movement” (IB) repeatedly cause a stir. Also present: Leon Stockmann, member of the state executive committee of the youth organization of the fascist AfD: “Junge Alternative”. Yesterday KIM had reported about him.

Pepper spray and Bengali fire

The people in charge of the “Ewwe longt’s” immediately spoke out a ban for the house, but the group did not want to leave. In front of the shop there was a war of words and pushing on the street. Then the far right activists started to spray pepper spray on visitors* inside the “Ewwe longt’s” and ignited a Bengali fire. Pepper spray was also sprayed on the employee of the KIM who was watching the event.

Meanwhile a riot police squat came running along the Kobellstraße from direction Käfertaler Straße. There were two police vans positioned – the police had already counted with a possible attack in advance. The “identitaries” ran away, only Leon Stockmann and another one stopped. Apparently he was waiting for his girlfriend, who had stayed behind alone.

Leon Stockmann, official in the state executive committee of the “Junge Alternative” was checked and searched.

In the Neckarstadt-Ost a car chase took place. Riot police ran after the presumed “identitaries” and could seize some. On the spot, Ralph Hartmannsgruber, the head of the police station, reported to KIM that the police were able to catch five people and that they were now carrying out ID checks and searches. Leon Stockmann was checked by the police a few metres next to the “Ewwe longt’s”. His backpack was searched.

Leon Stockmann, official in the state executive committee of the “Junge Alternative” was checked and searched.

Investigations into severe bodily injury and violation of the Explosives Act

In the “Ewwe longt’s” peace slowly returned. The whole incident lasted only a few minutes. Some guests were injured by pepper spray. The children were fortunately all in the building and hardly noticed the incident. Little by little more guests came and the program for the opening ceremony could start as planned at 3 pm.

An attacker is taken away by cops.

In the evening the police explained to KIM that they investigate because of severe bodily injury and offence against the explosives act by the attackers. In the course of the further search, a total of nine persons were checked. They all became a ban for the premises. One of them had been taken to the police station to be identified. Two cans with pepper spray were found during the searches. The investigations continued in the evening.

A report about the opening ceremony of the “Ewwe longt’s” follows in the KIM.

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What happens when a geologist and an author whose chief interest is California’s Silicon Valley get together to take a look at the United States’ dependence on foreign supplies of critical minerals? The result is a long hard look at how our southern neighbour failed to take advantage of its mineral resources. Instead the authors say that the reliance on foreign supply has created a national security issue. There are separate chapters on rare earths, the American uranium debacle, and the Pebble gold mine in Alaska.

Groundbreaking! looks first at risk/reward, why minerals matter, and the U.S. dependence foreign suppliers for critical minerals. There is a run-down of mineral wealth in the U.S., and how the country should rediscover that wealth. The book has a running theme of the role of domestic mineral production as a national security issue.

There are separate chapters on rare earths, the American uranium debacle, and the Pebble gold mine in Alaska. Each is packed with facts, illustrations and tables about its topic.

Groundbreaking! America’s New Quest for Mineral Independence. Dr. Ned Mamula and Ann Bridges. 294 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1729669525 / ISBN-10: 1729669522.

That is followed by three chapters about how the mineral industry is undermined, how to take back America’s mineral future, and a discussion of the growing support for mineral independence.

Finally there are recommendations, or as the authors call them “how to disrupt the status quo and win.”

To strengthen national security, the authors recommend keeping mineral ownership in American hands, re-thinking stockpile capabilities, and making plans to address potential disruptions in the supply chains.

In their view mineral independence can be promoted by streamlining permitting, stepping up the preparation of geological maps, and finding suitable tax incentives for the domestic mineral industry.

The federal government has a role to play. It needs to re-fund the Bureau of Mines and give it a clear, modern mission. Cabinet Secretaries should oversee executive orders related to critical minerals, providing modifications and updates as needed. The government also has an obligation to upgrade environmental protection acts, account for previous land withdrawals, and create partnerships with the environmental community.

American citizens, too, need education on the importance of the mineral industry. Mineral basics should be taught at all educational levels. Private/public partnerships and collaborations should be encouraged to teach mining skills. Punitive trade measures are recommended for countries that condone child labour, allow unfair labour practices or are negligent in protecting the environmental.

Lastly the authors recommend creating a groundswell of support for mining by contacting elected representatives, and encouraging all industries – not just mining – to take up the cause.

If our readers wish to contact Ned Mamula, they may do so at middleburg@mindspring.com or 540-454-3057. He is the adjunct scholar in geosciences at the Centre for the Study of Science, Cato Institute in Washington, DC.

This story first appeared on Canadian Mining Journal.

The post Groundbreaking! America’s new quest for mineral independence appeared first on MINING.com.

Finally, some good news about the otherwise terrible partial government shutdown. A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration cannot issue permits to conduct seismic testing during the government impasse.

The Justice Department sought to delay—or stay—a motion filed by a range of coastal cities, businesses and conservation organizations that are suing the Trump administration over offshore oil drilling, Reuters reported. The department argued that it did not have the resources it needed to work on the case due to the shutdown.

Although Judge Richard Gergel of the U.S. District Court in South Carolina granted the stay on Friday, at the same time, he effectively halted federal workers from moving forward on any oil-drilling matters until the government re-opens and is funded, as the Southern Environmental Law Center explained in a celebratory press release.

"The government was trying to have its cake and eat it too, and we're pleased the Court did not allow that to happen," said Laura Cantral, executive director of the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, one of the groups suing to stop seismic blasting in the Atlantic, in the press release. "This is an issue of critical importance to the coast, and one that must be handled openly, transparently, and fairly. This ruling will allow that to happen, and that is good for all concerned."

Environmentalists have been angered about the federal government giving Big Oil a bye during the shutdown, after the Department of Interior recalled Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) workers to continue permitting onshore and offshore oil and gas drilling and testing.

But as Gergel wrote in his order: "The Court hereby enjoins the federal defendants, BOEM, and any other federal agency or entity from taking action to promulgate permits, otherwise approve, or take any other official action regarding the pending permit applications for oil and gas surveys in the Atlantic."

Freshman Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-SC), who introduced a bill that puts a 10-year moratorium on drilling off the Atlantic Coast and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, celebrated the ruling.

"I applaud the decision of the federal court to block the Trump Administration from issuing permits to conduct seismic testing during this government shutdown. As I have said before, any step towards offshore drilling is a step in the wrong direction," he said in a press release.

However, he urged for a more "permanent solution to the threat of dangerous and unwanted offshore drilling and seismic airgun blasting."

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson is motioning to join a federal lawsuit that opposes the Trump administration's plans to conduct seismic airgun blasting off the Atlantic coast.

"Practically, that means the case over the seismic permits will be on hold for the duration of the shutdown plus as many as 18 additional days to hear Wilson's motion to intervene," the Southern Environmental Law Center said.

Solar-plus-storage is already competitive with the world's most efficient form of gas generation in Morocco and Jordan, according to new research by Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables.

Solar on its own is much cheaper than combined-cycle gas turbines (CCGTs) in both markets, states the Solar-plus-storage in the Middle East and Africa market opportunity assessment published this month.

The fact that solar was still competitive with the most efficient gas technology after adding battery storage, which bumps up the cost by 126 percent, was “quite big news,” said Rory McCarthy, senior storage analyst for Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables. 

The firm’s latest figures show the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for solar-plus-storage ranging between around $60 and $100 per megawatt-hour across five Middle East and African countries: Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, South Africa and United Arab Emirates (UEA).

This puts the combination of solar and batteries on level footing today with CCGTs in Morocco, which have a fuel cost of $6.90 to $9 per million Btu, and starting this year in Jordan, where the fuel cost is from $5.60 to $6.80 per mmBtu. In Egypt, for comparison, the gas price to the power sector is currently $3 per mmBtu.

"For gas-poor countries like Morrocco and Jordan, solar-plus-storage will be driven by the need to reduce reliance on expensive gas imports," the report states. 

By 2023, Wood Mackenzie predicts that the cost premium for storage will have dropped to 85 percent and solar LCOEs will have come down, too.

In South Africa, the most expensive market surveyed, Wood Mackenzie expects solar LCOEs to go from $41.70 per megawatt-hour today down to $32.90 in 2023. And in the UAE, the lowest-cost market for solar among those surveyed, PV LCOEs are forecast to drop from $25.70 to $20 per megawatt-hour.

These cost reductions mean that by 2023 the LCOEs of PV with batteries will have fallen to between $40 and $60 per megawatt-hour, beating CCGTs in all of the countries surveyed except for Egypt. Egyptian solar-plus-storage will remain unable to compete with CCGTs because of the low cost of gas in the country, which is expected to be a net gas exporter between now and 2023.

And while PV and batteries are expected to reach cost competitiveness in four of the five spotlight countries, analysts say it's unlikely that demand will spike, due largely to the duration limits of energy storage. The Wood Mackenzie report modelled PV coupled with four hours of lithium-ion battery storage. 

For comparison, the authors also looked at the competitiveness of concentrated solar power (CSP) plus thermal storage in Morocco, South Africa and the UAE.

The report noted CSP thermal stores were typically designed for long-duration discharge applications, with up to 15 hours of storage. “If tenders are designed for long-duration storage, lithium-ion projects may find it difficult to scale and compete at this level,” it said.

“However, if tenders are modeled based on a technology-neutral approach, solar-plus-storage could compete and win on an LCOE basis after the expected cost reductions have come to fruition for four-hour systems.”

McCarthy noted that in pitting solar-plus storage against CCGTs the analyst team was not intending to carry out an apples-to-apples comparison, since the gas turbines are designed for baseload operation. Instead, the aim of the study was to chart how far solar-plus-storage had come in terms of competitiveness in the Middle East and Africa.

“CCGTs are arguably the most efficient fossil-fuel plants out there,” McCarthy said.

Still, the report shows that solar-plus-storage, which was a very expensive combination until recently, "is beating the most cost-effective fossil-fuel plants in areas where fossil fuels are among the cheapest in the world," he said. "Five years ago, you would have been called crazy to say this was on the cards in 2019.”

It remains to be seen whether Middle East and African policymakers will take note, though.

Although appetite for PV is booming, with capacity expected to almost double this year, only 147 megawatts of front-of-the-meter storage has so far been commissioned or contracted across the whole of the Middle East and Africa, according to Wood Mackenzie. Around 38 megawatts of this is made up of co-located PV and battery storage. 

“It’s unlikely that solar-plus-storage will see the same growth pattern in the region as standalone PV, as many of the market fundamentals are yet to be introduced," the report states. “But in markets that will face grid-balancing issues from high-penetration renewables or are in the process of phasing out gas subsidies, it is likely that PV projects will increasingly co-site battery storage where grid services are valued.”

Danish power giant Ørsted has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, better known as TEPCO, to explore the possibility and to work jointly on developing offshore wind projects in Japan

Submitted by Rio Bravo Action Camp

Comunidades fronterizas, indígenas, y primeras naciones están movilizándose para tomar acción directa en contra de leyes fascistas en sus comunidades y planes para extender el muro, cuales ya existen como los monumentos más grandes de la supremacía blanca, a través de nuestras tierras sagradas. // Border communities, indigenous, and first nation people are rising up to take direct action against fascist laws in their communities and plans to extend the border wall, which already exists as the largest white supremacist monument through our sacred lands.

Comunidades fronterizas, indígenas, y primeras naciones están movilizándose para tomar acción directa en contra de leyes fascistas en sus comunidades y planes para extender el muro, cuales ya existen como los monumentos más grandes de la supremacía blanca, a través de nuestras tierras sagradas. Solicitaciones ya están abiertas para el Campamento de Accion Río Bravo, cuatro días de entrenamiento sobre Acción Directa en la frontera del Valle Río Grande de Tejas desde Febrero 15 al 18. Plazo para aplicar es Viernes, Febrero 1ro. La intención del campamento es crear espacio para que personas compartan habilidades y conocimiento comunitario, tambien será liderado con el permiso y en conjunción con la Tribu Carrizo/Comecrudo, quienes tierras ancestrales – esto’k g’na – será impactada por el muro. El campamento de accion Río Bravo es gratis para todo participante, incluyendo comida, alojamiento, cuidado de niñxs, y entrenamiento facilitado a ningún costo. Aporte económico limitado estará disponible para personas que necesiten apoyo para viajar y asistir el campamento. Interpretación de Español e Inglés será proporcionado para todo entrenamiento y taller. Liderado por organizadorxs del Valle de Río Bravo, organidarxs de comunidades de primera línea, y cómplices en la lucha de liberación, el campamento será alojado por Otro Golfo es Posible, La Tribu de Tejas, Carrizo Comecrudo, La delegación de Socialistas Democráticos de América, y el Movimiento de NO MURO del RGV.

RECUERDE: Aplicación para el campamento de acción está requerido para atender y el plazo para aplicar es el Viernes, Febrero 1ro. Organizadorxs piden que solo lxs que son/están basadxs en el Valle de Rio Grande, TX y/o de otras comunidades fronterizas de los Estados Unidos/México (TX, NM, AZ, y/o Sur de CA) apliquen. Ellxs apoyan sumamente qué personas indígenas, primeras naciones, mujeres, personas de color, LGBTQIA y otras personas de género no conforme, primera y segunda generación de inmigrantes, y lxs que tienen recursos económicos limitados que apliquen. ¡Chinga tu Muro! Ayuda a crear una fuerza colectiva para tumbar las barreras que nos dejan divididxs y desconectadxs. Si tienes preguntas, por favor manda correo a anothergulfispossible@gmail.com. #NoBorderWall #NoAlMuro #ChingaTuMuro

Para apoyar el campamento, haga clic aquí.

Border communities, Indigenous, and First Nation people are rising up to take direct action against fascist laws in their communities and plans to extend the border wall, which already exists as the largest white supremacist monument through our sacred lands. Applications are now open for the Rio Bravo Action Camp, four days of direct action training in the Rio Grande Valley borderlands of Texas February 15th – 18th. Deadline to apply is Friday, February 1st. The camp intends to create a space for folks to share skills and community knowledge and is being led with permission and in conjunction with the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe, whose ancestral lands – the esto’k g’na- will be impacted by the border wall. The Rio Bravo Action Camp is free to all participants, with food, lodging, childcare, and trainings provided at no cost. Limited travel stipends will be available for people who need support with transportation to attend the camp. Spanish and English interpretation will be provided for all trainings and workshops. Led by organizers from the Rio Grande Valley, organizers from frontline communities, and accomplices in the fight for liberation, the camp is being hosted by Another
Gulf Is Possible, the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas, the Rio Grande Valley chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, and the RGV No Border Wall Movement.

PLEASE NOTE: Applying to the action camp is required to attend and the deadline to apply is Friday, February 1st. Organizers ask that only those from/based in the Rio Grande Valley, TX and/or other United States/Mexico borderland communities (TX, NM, AZ and/or Southern CA) apply. They highly encourage Indigenous and first nations folks, women, folks of color, LGBTQIA and gender non-conforming folks, first and second generation immigrants, and those with limited financial resources to apply. Chinga tu muro! Help build a collective force to tear down all walls that keep us divided and disconnected. If you have any questions, please email anothergulfispossible@gmail.com. #NoBorderWall #NoAlMuro #ChingaTuMur

To support the camp, click here.

President Donald Trump — who built his political career on the false claim that the nation’s first African-American president was born in Kenya and launched his presidential campaign by smearing immigrants — marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a two-minute visit to the civil-rights icon’s memorial.

Trump on Monday was joined by Vice President Mike Pence and David Bernhardt, acting secretary of the Interior, as he laid a wreath at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The entire trip, including the motorcade, took about fifteen minutes.

The unscheduled visit came after a tweet earlier that day, in which Trump wrote, “Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or the place of our birth, we are all created equal by God.”

Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or the place of our birth, we are all created equal by God. #MLKDay https://t.co/pEaVpCB8M4

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2019

Reacting to Trump’s tweet, Gary Orfield, co-director of The Civil Rights Project at the University of California, Los Angeles, told ThinkProgress: “Trump often tries to spin reality, but his tweet suggesting he affirms the ideals of Martin Luther King is truly incredible.

“He was elected in a racist campaign,” Orfield said, “and his administration has attacked civil rights in appointments, in regulation changes, in attacking affirmative action, in creating unspeakable conditions for refugee families, and turning the Supreme Court to the hard right.

Orfield said Trump’s statements and policies “have unleashed the demons of racial hate and encouraged white nationalists.”

“I was in the original March on Washington,” he said. “Those who believe in Dr. King’s vision of the ‘beloved community’ should be marching now because this administration is the most hostile we’ve experienced in a century.”

After years of advocating for his racist “birther” conspiracy, Trump announced his presidential candidacy in 2015 by declaring that Mexico was not “sending its best” to immigrate to the U.S.

“They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists,” he said at the time. “Some, I assume, are good people.”

Throughout both his campaign and his presidency, Trump has repeatedly doubled down on racist and anti-immigrant statements.

He repeatedly berated U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who presided over two lawsuits into the failed Trump University, and claimed he was biased due to his ethnicity. “I think it has to do with, perhaps, the fact that I’m very, very strong on the border — very, very strong on the border,” Trump told Fox News in February 2017. “He has been extremely hostile to me. Now, he is Hispanic, I believe.”

During his campaign, Trump marketed himself to African-American voters by asking, “What do you have to lose?” As president, he declared that there were some “very fine people” among the white nationalist protesters at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, and referred to Haiti, El Salvador and several African nations as “shithole countries.”

Two years after Trump asked black voters what they have to lose, the answer is clear: Plenty

A rhetorical campaign question with a sobering but predictable answer.

In his defense of the border wall — a key campaign promise — Trump has repeatedly derided immigrants. Prior to the 2018 midterm elections, he released an ad claiming that convicted cop-killer Luis Bracamontes had illegally entered the country under the Democrats’ watch, when in reality he had entered in 2002 when George W. Bush was president.

His repeated focus on how “illegal immigrants” are committing more crimes is also false. The libertarian Cato Institute has found that immigrants commit crime at a disproportionately lower rate than naturalized citizens.

Meanwhile, the partial government shutdown — now the longest in U.S. history — has disproportionately impacted African Americans. As the Guardian noted, African Americans make up 12 percent of the U.S. population, but 18 percent of the federal workforce. The shutdown is also centered around a border wall, which, as ThinkProgress has previously noted, would do little to combat smuggling and only serve as red meat to Trump’s base.

“Donald Trump’s actions are shattering the ‘beloved community’ that Dr. King dreamed for our nation. If Trump and his administration truly wanted to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., they would stop their ongoing assault on our civil and human rights,” Vanita Gupta, president and chief executive of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, told ThinkProgress.

The irony, however, of presiding over all of this while simultaneously attempting to honor King was apparently lost on both Trump and Pence. In an interview with Fox News Sunday, Pence went so far as to liken Trump to King.

“[This] weekend we are remembering the life and the work of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.,” Pence said. “He inspired us to change through the legislative process, to become a more perfect union…that’s exactly what President Trump is calling on the Congress to do, come to the table in a spirit of good faith.”

The NAACP labeled the interview “an insult to Dr. King’s legacy.”

King’s son, Martin Luther King III, hit back.

“The vice president attempted to compare the president to Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a bridge builder, not a wall builder,” his son said. “Martin Luther King, Jr. would say, ‘Love, not hate, will make America great.'”

One year ago today the fascist Turkish state launched its brazen invasion of Afrin canton in Rojava. Empowered by the imperialist powers, specifically Russia, the US, and several EU/NATO countries, Turkey embarked on a barbaric campaign aimed at stopping revolutionary momentum in Rojava, and continuing its colonial campaign against Kurdish liberation.

Originally published by Abolition Media Worldwide.

Note: Enough is Enough is not organizing any of these events, we are publishing this text for people across the US and Europe to be able to see what is going on and for documentation only

Afrin Canton was renowned, being one of the most peaceful regions in Syria throughout the entirety of the Syrian Civil War.

The nation-states involved in the Syrian War felt Afrin – and the Rojava Revolution in particular – was an obstacle to furthering their geopolitical ambitions. The Russian state wanted the regime to have total control over the territory, while the Americans believed Turkish appeasement was paramount to maintaining its dominance in the Middle East.

With all these mammoth obstacles revolutionaries put up a valiant resistance and held the territory for several months. The guerrilla campaigns against the Turkish state and resistance against ISIS fascism in the previous years provided an example in sacrifice, dedication, and most importantly, experience in the battlefield.

We commemorate the one year anniversary of the Afrin invasion. We were in afrin from the beginning until the end. We were active on the Raco and Cinderese front and were prepared for the final defense of the city. We support the continued struggle of the people in Afrin! pic.twitter.com/iRkmjOPgma

— Tekoşîna Anarşîst (@TA_Anarsist) 21. Januar 2019 Alliances and New Formations

The resistance in Afrin saw the birth of several new revolutionary formations. The Anti-Fascist Forces in Afrin (AFFA), coupled with its main fighting component the Sehid Michael Israel Brigade was announced. Michael Israel was a Sacramento, California based revolutionary who died defending the revolution.

AFFA was founded as an emergency response to the invasion. The group consisted of former commanders and fighters from the International Freedom Battalion and various YPG units. Devrimci Güçler was another revolutionary formation that became active in the defense of the revolution. In their founding statement they stated they were fighting against occupation from Palestine to Afrin making clear their internationalist perspective. Both of these constellations were comprised of revolutionaries from TIKKO, BÖG, MLSPB, TKEP-L, MKP, and anarchists as well. This coordination is significant and demonstrates a fundamental maturation in revolutionary organizing that acknowledges our historical responsibility in the fight against fascism and occupation.

While these were temporary military formations, they should be viewed in a larger context. Rojava has birthed several new revolutionary alliances that will prove significant in the near future. The International Freedom Battalion (IFB) was established in Rojava, and was an extraordinarily important formation for defense of the revolution. The IFB, for instance, also established the conditions for the formation of Halkların Birleşik Devrim Hareketi (HBDH), which is an alliance of revolutionary forces fighting for the overthrow of Erdogans’ fascist regime.

The influx of international revolutionaries set the stage for the announcement of the anarchist military collective Tekoşîna Anarşîst who has defended Afrin as well, but now is preparing for future conflict in Rojava.

The Fallen

The Turkish state’s occupation has led to tremendous displacement and suffering. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates 300,000 Kurdish people have been expelled from Afrin.

Hundreds of civilians were killed from the Turkish state and allied Free Syrian Army regiments.

Thousands of YPG forces were killed in the fighting as well from the Turkish air force. The revolutionary forces lost many fighters as well.

Anarchist fighter Şevger Makhno, from Tekoşîna Anarşîst, died in the struggle. International anarchists, Haukur Hilmarsson and Anna Campbell, also fell in combat. Sinan Ate, Nurhak Cem, Bayram Ali, and Taylan Demircioğlu are other revolutionary fighters who fell in the struggle, who haven’t gotten as much international acclaim but who will permanently celebrated by international revolutionaries.

The Defense of the Revolution Continues

The occupation in Afrin is now being met with a fierce guerrilla campaign led by the Afrin Liberation Forces. The Turkish state and its proxies are taking heavy losses on a daily basis.

As the United States prepares its withdrawal from Syria the Turkish state is preparing for a full scale invasion of revolutionary territory. The defense of Rojava’s political project is paramount..

Revolutionary forces on the ground have sacrificed and set an example for solidarity. But as fascist forces prepare to attack it becomes increasingly important for organizations around the world to prepare.

The Turkish state is sleepwalking to its own death, but without international pressure against all fascist and capitalist forces this dance with counter revolutionary forces will continue in perpetuity.

Rojava have bore the brunt of these struggles, but in the near future we should create two, three, man Rojava’s.

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The revolution in Rojava, which started in 2011, based on the pillars of woman’s liberation, ecology and radical democracy. Since 2017, Internationalists of the Internationalist Commune of Rojava are working in the civil structures in Rojava, Northern Syria to learn from this revolution and support the upbuilding of democratic and ecological society, on the base of the liberation of women.

Originally published by Internationalist Commune of Rojava.

Note: Enough is Enough is not organizing any of these events, we are publishing this text for people across the US and Europe to be able to see what is going on and for documentation only

One of their Project is the ecological Campaign Make Rojava Green Again. But now, with the concrete threat of the fascist Erdogan Regime, the ecological works got interrupted and activists of Make Rojava Green Again left, in order to report from the preparation of the people in Rojava and Northern Syria for the resistance against the aggression of the Turkish army and their affiliated jihadist gangs.

In the coming time, this activists will catch the voices of the people, and reporting from a society which has the will and ability to resist against the occupation plans of Erdogan.

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Donation for our work in the Enough is Enough info-shop and our independent reporting on our blog and social media channels. Even 1€ can make a difference.

€1.00

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The negative effects of trade disputes on global growth this year will push down demand for base metals and steel-making commodities, while the economic uncertainty will drive gold prices higher, CIBC says.

“CIBC economists are not forecasting a recession in 2019, but we expect increasing trade barriers and tariffs to slow down global growth over the next 18 months, delaying our previously forecast 2020 recovery to 2021,” the bank’s institutional equity research department writes in a research note.

Consequently, the bank’s analysts have trimmed their copper price forecasts for 2019 to US$2.75 per lb. (down 10.6%), and to US$2.85 per lb. (down 12.3%) in 2020. CIBC forecasts zinc prices of US$1.29 per lb. this year (down 9.6%), and US$1.35 per lb. in 2020 (down 3.9%).

“We acknowledge that a stronger-than-expected fiscal and monetary policy response from China, and/or supply disruptions (i.e., Chuquicamata in copper, Chinese smelting constraints in zinc), may support higher price estimates,” it wrote. “However, a demand slowdown is likely to trump higher sustainable prices.”

“The stage appears set in favour of precious metals for the year ahead, with trade war uncertainty weighing on global growth, lowered rate hike expectations, Brexit uncertainty, and constructive demand-supply fundamentals for gold and gold equities”

CIBC is raising its forecast for gold to US$1,350 per oz. in 2019 from its earlier forecast of US$1,300 per oz., and US$1,400 per oz. in 2020. It expects silver to average US$17.00 per oz. this year and US$17.50 per oz. next year.

The bank also anticipates a gold deficit this year “on the back of stronger demand for the commodity over the next two years, primarily from bar hoarding, net Central bank buying, and Exchange Traded Products, whereas supply is expected to remain relatively flat year-over-year.”

Over the last 24 months, the gold industry has been “forced to refocus on shareholder returns leading to improved balance sheets, asset rationalization, and improvements in return on invested capital,” the bank’s analysts write. “This fiscal discipline has also pushed out development pipelines and further reduced expected mine production over the next decade, thereby reducing the expected excess supply profile over the next several years.”

“Although large-scale M&A has kicked off once again, history has shown that it takes time for the industry to rationalize production pipelines.”

This story first appeared on The Northern Miner.

The post Slower growth weighs on base metals but constructive for gold, CIBC says appeared first on MINING.com.

Concerned over the lackluster pace of capacity addition in the solar power sector, the Indian government has made amendments to the auction and project implementation timelines. The recent amendments to the policies would result in much quicker implementation of large-scale solar power projects giving hope to the government that the 2022 target of 100 gigawatts solar power capacity will be realized.

The copper price came under renewed pressure on Monday after headline figures showed a slowdown in the Chinese economy to annual rates of growth not seen in nearly three decades.

In thin holiday trade in the US, copper for delivery in March slumped 1.6% compared to Friday's close to $2.7655 per pound ($5,897 a tonne) on the Comex market in New York wiping out the metal's gains for the year.

Data released on Monday showed Chinese economic growth slowing to 6.4% during the fourth quarter, the lowest in almost a decade and the third quarter in a row of slowing growth. For 2018 as a whole the country's GDP expanded by 6.6%, which was the lowest rate since 1990.

Source: March 2019 Futures Comex $/lb via Bloomberg

In a note released on Monday, economists from CIBC said while it is not expecting a recession in 2019, it expects "increasing trade barriers and tariffs to slow down global growth over the next 18 months, delaying our previously forecast 2020 recovery to 2021.”

The Canadian bank's analysts adjusted their copper price forecast for 2019 to $2.75 per pound, down 10.6% from the previous prediction. For 2020 the bank expects copper to average $2.85, down more than 12%:

“We acknowledge that a stronger-than-expected fiscal and monetary policy response from China, and/or supply disruptions (i.e., Chuquicamata in copper, Chinese smelting constraints in zinc), may support higher price estimates.

“However, a demand slowdown is likely to trump higher sustainable prices.”

China consumes nearly half the world's copper and the metal is considered a good barometer of economic conditions given its widespread use in power grids, communication networks, manufacturing and construction.

At the start of 2019, copper fell to a near two-year low of $2.54 a pound. Copper is technically in a bear market with the price plunging more than 20% since peaking in June 2018 over fears of the impact of the trade dispute between China and the US.

The post Copper price falls after Chinese economic growth hits 28-year low appeared first on MINING.com.

The new Interreg NWE project Ocean DEMO has been officially launched today. It provides funding to developers of marine renewable technologies to test their products or services in real sea environments. Ocean DEMO specifically targets multi-machine ocean energy installations. This will allow developers to move closer to market by demonstrating their technologies at full commercial scale. Ocean DEMO will release a first call for applications this year and devices will be installed from 2020 to 2022.

Climate change has been called the biggest challenge of our time. Last year, scientists with the United Nations said we basically have 12 years to limit global warming to 1.5ºC to avoid planetary catastrophe.

Amid a backdrop of rising global carbon emissions, there's a real case for pessimism. However, many scientists are hopeful of a way out.

Now, a new climate model shows that we can achieve and even beat the 1.5ºC threshold by transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050 and implementing natural climate solutions.

The "One Earth Climate Model"—presented Monday at the World Economic Forum in Davos—is a compilation of two years of research by scientists at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the German Aerospace Center and the University of Melbourne. The research was funded by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.

"With the pace of urgent climate warnings now increasing, it's clear that our planet cannot wait for meaningful action," actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio said in a press release for the study. "This ambitious and necessary pathway shows that a transition to 100 percent renewable energy and strong measures to protect and restore our natural ecosystems, taken together, can deliver a more stable climate within a single generation."

Using state-of-the-art computer modeling, the researchers present a pathway of how each unique region in the world can stay below 1.5ºC using currently available resources and technologies.

One Earth Climate Model

Karl Burkart, the director of Innovation, Media & Technology at the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation delved deeper into the new study:

Some have doubted that a transition to 100 percent renewables is even possible. To explore the potential, the scientists at UTS created the most sophisticated computer model of the world's electrical grids to date—with 10 regional and 72 sub-regional energy grids modeled in hourly increments to the year 2050 along with a comprehensive assessment of available renewable resources like wind and solar, minerals required for manufacturing of components, and configurations for meeting projected energy demand and storage most efficiently for all sectors over the next 30 years.

The researchers focused their study on six major energy and conservation measures to limit global warming to 1.5ºC, including advancement in renewables and energy storage; improvements in energy efficiency; major global electrification; re-purposing the existing fossil fuels-based infrastructure; a just transition from fossil fuels jobs to ones in renewable energy; and forest reforestation.

University of Technology, Sydney

"The main barrier is neither technical nor economic—it's political," lead author Sven Teske, research director at the UTS's Sydney's Institute for Sustainable Futures, told The Sydney Morning Herald.

Teske added "it's not too late" to limit global warming to 1.5ºC, the lower target of the Paris climate agreement.

The estimated to cost of the proposal is approximately $1.7 trillion per year, which is quite the sum but "pales in comparison" to the $5 trillion a year that governments currently provide to the fossil fuels industry, the press release noted.