Category: Travel

The expansion of a tailings pond at a southeastern B.C. copper mine must not be allowed to go ahead without a thorough environmental assessment, says one of the founding organizers of Earth Day.In a recent op-ed for the Seattle Times, legendary clean energy advocate Denis Hayes warns that a proposal to “dramatically” expand a tailings pond at the Copper Mountain Mine, near the headwaters of the Similkameen River in southern British Columbia, is “flirting with disaster.”“‘Tailings pond’ is one of those well-massaged names, like ‘agricultural lagoon’, that make ugly messes sound innocuous, or even appealing. Don’t be misled,” Hayes warns. The environmental assessment that could help prevent future disaster is not currently in the cards, thanks to the province’s “ultra-pro mining laws”.Much of the impetus for new mine development in B.C., and the tailings ponds that follow, is being driven largely by demand for raw materials for the renewable energy equipment, electric vehicles, and batteries needed to reverse carbon pollution from that other well-known form of resource development, fossil fuels. “When proponents wax lyrical about the new energy economy, we tend to focus on sunshine and sea breezes,” he writes. ” But a new energy economy will also require mountains of minerals. One of the most essential is copper,” and “until a more circular economy arrives, we have to use virgin ores, often mined in foreign nations.”The op-ed lays out the tragic environmental damage that has resulted from past tailings pond failures, including the 2014 collapse at the Mount Polley copper mine, when 6.6 billion gallons/25 billion litres of toxic waste flooded into sockeye salmon spawning grounds and fresh water supplies.

Source: Expanding Tailings Pond at Copper Mountain Mine ‘Flirts with Disaster’ for B.C., Washington – The Energy Mix

Bullying at its best!

Credit Suisse hit the road, Jack!

Brendan Holt Dunn said he wanted to invoke the legacy of his great-great-grandfather, pioneering Quebec industrialist Sir Herbert Holt, in the name of his Montreal-based venture capital fund.Now, he may have to go to court to keep the name. His fund, The Holt Xchange, which invests in early stage financial technology startups, is being sued by international bank Credit Suisse for trademark violation.In a statement of claim filed last year with Federal Court in Edmonton, Credit Suisse subsidiary CSFB HOLT said it owns the right to use the brand “HOLT” when offering financial goods and services in Canada and that the branding and offerings of the Montreal venture capital fund — known as the Holt Accelerator when the lawsuit was filed — is too similar.The bank, which is seeking at least $100,000 in damages, argues that similarity “will cause confusion amongst Canadian consumers” and reduce the value and reputation of its trademark.

Source: Montreal investment fund sued over use of founder’s great-great-grandfather’s name | Times Colonist

Today, the United States SailGP Team announced that applications have opened for community sailing organizations to partner with ‘Foiling First’ – a breakthrough athlete development program created to advance diversity and inclusion in the sport through building the first ever professional pathway to foiling in the U.S.Developed as part of SailGP’s #RacefortheFuture purpose-led agenda to drive meaningful change towards a more inclusive sport and a better planet, Foiling First builds upon the U.S. SailGP Team’s existing social impact commitment to advance change in American sailing.Alongside this announcement, today the U.S. SailGP Team also welcomed Bristol Yacht Club / East Bay Sailing Foundation (EBSF) who have joined as a founding partner of the Foiling First: Partnership Program.”Since launching Foiling First we’ve been overwhelmed by the response from the American sailing community,” said U.S. SailGP Team CEO and Driver Jimmy Spithill. “We’re looking forward to working with Bristol Yacht Club/East Bay Sailing Foundation and we’re excited to invite more organizations to join. It’s really encouraging to see communities ready to participate in change on and off the water.”The partnership program is a multidimensional, long-term commitment, specifically designed to counter historic barriers to entry in professional sailing. It is comprised of three layers:Partner organizations will build a fleet of foiling boats upon which community members will learn to sail (organizations with existing fleets of foiling boats are welcome to apply).U.S. SailGP Team athletes and coaches will lead annual “Coach Clinics” with partner organizations – multi-day courses held at centralized national locations that will equip coaches to instruct foiling and serve as a forum for collaboration on training curriculums.To further increase accessibility for communities less exposed to the sport of sailing and to champion diversity, partner organizations will choose one diversity-focused organization in their community to work with, supported by Foiling First, to create introductions to the sport of sailing.”Kids want to learn how to race foiling boats and compete like the pros do,” said Kristin Browne of the East Bay Sailing Foundation. “At the same time, as a club, we want to contribute to making our sport more inclusive and we’re excited to partner with Foiling First and the U.S. SailGP Team to help begin that change.”As part of its commitment to join the Foiling First: Partnership Program, Bristol Yacht Club/EBSF will also host a Foiling First: Learn to Foil Camp on July 20th and 21st, in cooperation with Melges Performance Sailboats, where U.S. SailGP Team athletes will facilitate a multi-day course introducing community youth and coaches to foiling.As part of this camp, youth and coaches will participate in educational workshops from the team’s #RacefortheFuture partners, RISE and World Sailing Trust aimed at educating athletes on racism, social justice, and advancing inclusion in the sport.Sailing organizations interested in joining Foiling First can apply for both the partnership program and learn to foil camps at FoilingFirst.com.

Source: U.S. SailGP Team announces ‘Foiling First’ program supporting community sailing organizations

All of this has huge implications for the world’s energy markets at a time when, in erecting a fortress to safeguard oil, Abdulaziz and Saudi Arabia seem to be on the wrong side of history. Abdulaziz, the first member of the royal family to be the kingdom’s energy minister, is the most important single person in the oil market today. As influential in global economic terms as some central bankers, he has repeatedly taken bold, successful steps to control the markets, manage the flow of oil supplies, and shore up prices.But a rancorous OPEC+ meeting in July showed just how difficult it’s going to be for Abdulaziz to consistently get his way in an era when oil-producing nations—their self-­interests often in conflict—are contemplating a future of declining oil consumption. By the time OPEC+ ministers convened over videoconference, resurgent demand had already pushed crude prices up 50% this year. When the talks collapsed, oil prices jumped to the highest level in more than six years.

Source: Saudi Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Seeks to Tame Oil Prices, OPEC, Russia – Bloomberg

Fossil fuel subsidies have more than doubled in British Columbia since the Premier John Horgan’s NDP government took office in 2017, with oil and gas fracking companies the biggest winners, according to an analysis released this week by Stand.earth and Dogwood.The total hit C$1.3 billion for the province’s 2020-21 financial year and is on track to exceed $1.8 billion in 2023-24, Stand states, on the landing page for the report. That’s more than triple the annual largesse the industry took away from the previous Liberal government led by then-premier Christy Clark.Like this story? Subscribe to The Energy Mix and never miss an edition of our free e-digest.SUBSCRIBE“In 2020-21, the NDP government gave the oil and gas industry almost five times as much money in subsidies as it earned in oil and gas royalties ($282 million), a higher ratio than it did in 2019-20,” the organization writes. “The NDP government spent more subsidizing fossil fuels ($1.3 billion) than it did on its climate change program ($1.1 billion),” and will be boosting its fossil funding over the next three years “while simultaneously reducing investment in energy efficiency and clean energy alternatives.”That path, Stand warns, “is not only short-sighted, it threatens the future of B.C.’s economy.”The report shows the province’s fossil subsidies rising from $555 and $557 million per year in the last two years of the Clark government to $922 million in 2018-19, $1.2 billion in 2019-20, and $1.3 billion in 2020-21, then escalating from there. The landing page says B.C. “is second only to Alberta in the generosity of subsidies it gives to the fossil fuel industry,” mostly to support the province’s faint hope of an economic boom driven by liquefied natural gas.In a release, Stand says the biggest subsidy hike “comes in the form of Deep Well Royalty Credits, a tax credit for fracking wells, which is budgeted at $421 million this year. However, more troubling is the fact that for at least five consecutive years, the government has given out more royalty credits than the companies can claim, leading to surplus of credits totaling $3.1 billion.” Because the companies will be able to claim those credits in future years, the surplus “means lost revenue for future governments.”“Premier Horgan was elected on a promise that he was working for us, but looking at these numbers makes it seem more like he works for big fracking corporations,” said Sven Biggs, Stand’s Canadian oil and gas program director. “What other explanation can there be for allowing subsidies to double on your watch, or to give out tax breaks and incentives totaling five times the amount this industry contributes to provincial treasury through royalties?”“British Columbians who put their trust in John Horgan to deliver an effective climate plan are going to be incredibly disappointed to see handouts to oil and gas companies ballooning while clean energy investments get slashed,” said Dogwood Campaigns Manager Alexandra Woodsworth. “As long as the government keeps funding the main industry fuelling emissions, B.C.’s climate plan will keep failing—it’s like trying to get a smoker to quit by giving them more packs of cigarettes every day.”The report calls on the Horgan government to phase out all fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, cancel the Deep Well Royalty Credit and other loopholes in the province’s royalty regime, and redirect fossil fuel tax breaks to invest in renewable energy and low-carbon infrastructure.

Source: Fracking Companies Win as B.C. Doubles Fossil Fuel Subsidies – The Energy Mix

Tankers of all sizes have been banned from travelling through Active Pass, a narrow stretch of water between Mayne and Galiano islands, following a public outcry and Tyee reporting.ANNOUNCEMENTS, EVENTS & MORE FROM TYEE AND SELECT PARTNERSThank You! Tyee Adds 900 New Members To Monthly Supporter Program Our Builders are foundational to our growth and future success. A note of gratitude from our team.The Pacific Pilotage Authority, a federal Crown corporation, issued the ban following a Tyee report that highlighted the lack of regulation on tankers transiting the narrow, busy waterway.The interim ban covers ships carrying bulk oil, pollutants and hazardous cargo, and it stands until a risk assessment is completed for commercial vessels in Active Pass.The Pacific Pilotage Authority told The Tyee it doesn’t yet know when it can do the risk assessment.Most commercial ships travelling in B.C. coastal waters are required to use a pilot from the authority to ensure safety. The ban only covers ships piloted by the authority.The Tyee is supported by readers like you Join us and grow independent media in CanadaThe document, known as a Notice to Industry, says ships 150 metres or smaller carrying non-pollutant cargo may still take Active Pass “when special circumstances and/or prevailing conditions warrant.” BC Ferries and pleasure craft can still take the waterway.Marine oil spill expert Gerald Graham, who raised the alarm when a tanker travelled through Active Passage in April, said he was surprised but pleased that the authority issued the public document.When The Tyee previously reported on the issue, we were told the authority would issue an internal document only.Graham said a public document would be stronger so people can read it and hold a ship’s captain and owner accountable if they try to transit the pass.This spring, Graham became a loud advocate for banning tanker traffic from Active Pass after he was sent a picture of the MV Kassos, a 102-metre-long oil tanker, transiting the pass. He estimates there were 41,513 barrels of oil on board.There is no justifiable reason for an oil tanker of any size to take the riskier route instead of neighbouring Boundary Pass, which most commercial ships stick to, Graham said.

Source: ‘We’re Not Going to See Tankers in Active Pass Ever Again’ | The Tyee

Amsterdam’s well-known tolerance of recreational drugs and sex has long attracted tourists in search of the seedier side to the city of canals and cycle paths.But when border closures and lockdowns brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic emptied the Dutch capital of all visitors, many locals found the absence of the noisier, intoxicated ones to be a breath of fresh air.Delighted by the calm atmosphere of their newly deserted historic city center and picturesque waterways, residents reclaimed sections of the city they’d avoided for years. Now they’re not sure they want to give them back.”Amsterdam needs tourists, without them our wonderful museums and restaurants wouldn’t survive,” says Nicola Theobald, who has lived in the center of the city for 30 years.”But it was a bonus during the pandemic when they couldn’t come. No more large groups thronging the canal area, at worst throwing up from drink and drugs. We got our city back and liked it that way.”In truth, Amsterdam has been struggling with the impact of tourists causing excessive noise, littering and urinating in public for years amid growing disgruntlement among residents.

Source: Amsterdam tells rowdy tourists to stay away | CNN Travel