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Tons of British aid donated to help Hurricane Katrina victims to be BURNED by Americans
From Ryan Parry, US Correspondent in New York
19 September 2005
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid%3D16147117%26method%3
Dfull%26siteid%3D94762%26headline%3Dexclusive--58--up-in-flames-name_page.html
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
HUNDREDS of tons of British food aid shipped to America for starving Hurricane Katrina survivors is to be burned.
US red tape is stopping it from reaching hungry evacuees.
Instead tons of the badly needed Nato ration packs, the same as those eaten by British troops in Iraq, has been condemned as unfit for human consumption.
And unless the bureaucratic mess is cleared up soon it could be sent for incineration.
One British aid worker last night called the move "sickening senselessness" and said furious colleagues were "spitting blood".
The food, which cost British taxpayers millions, is sitting idle in a huge warehouse after the Food and Drug Agency recalled it when it had already left to be distributed.
Scores of lorries headed back to a warehouse in Little Rock, Arkansas, to dump it at an FDA incineration plant.
The Ministry of Defence in London said last night that 400,000 operational ration packs had been shipped to the US.
But officials blamed the US Department of Agriculture, which impounded the shipment under regulations relating to the import and export of meat.
The aid worker, who would not be named, said: "This is the most appalling act of sickening senselessness while people starve.
"The FDA has recalled aid from Britain because it has been condemned as unfit for human consumption, despite the fact that these are Nato approved rations of exactly the same type fed to British soldiers in Iraq.
"Under Nato, American soldiers are also entitled to eat such rations, yet the starving of the American South will see them go up in smoke because of FDA red tape madness."
The worker added: "There will be a cloud of smoke above Little Rock soon - of burned food, of anger and of shame that the world's richest nation couldn't organise a p**s up in a brewery and lets Americans starve while they arrogantly observe petty regulations.
"Everyone is revolted by the chaotic shambles the US is making of this crisis. Guys from Unicef are walking around spitting blood.
"This is utter madness. People have worked their socks off to get food into the region.
"It is perfectly good Nato approved food of the type British servicemen have. Yet the FDA are saying that because there is a meat content and it has come from Britain it must be destroyed.
"If they are trying to argue there is a BSE reason then that is ludicrously out of date. There is more BSE in the States than there ever was in Britain and UK meat has been safe for years."
The Ministry of Defence said: "We understand there was a glitch and these packs have been impounded by the US Department of Agriculture under regulations relating to the import and export of meat.
"The situation is changing all the time and at our last meeting on Friday we were told progress was being made in relation to the release of these packs. The Americans certainly haven't indicated to us that there are any more problems and they haven't asked us to take them back."
Food from Spain and Italy is also being held because it fails to meet US standards and has been judged unfit for human consumption.
And Israeli relief agencies are furious that thousands of gallons of pear juice are to be destroyed because it has been judged unfit.
The FDA said: "We did inspect some MREs (meals ready to eat) on September 13. They are the only MREs we looked at. There were 70 huge pallets of vegetarian MREs.
"They were from a foreign nation. We inspected them and then released them for distribution."
[Now we begin to see the difference between what the markets produce with Peak Oil and what the infrastructure damage and underlying shortages produce. All we have seen since Katrina is market manipulation based upon the decision by the President to open the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the International Energy Agency’s opening of emergency stockpiles. Just like the response of FEMA and the fact that Dick Cheney was out protecting oil infrastructure during and after the storm, the true priorities of government become clear: Protect the markets. Save the infrastructure. The people can wait. As G. Edward Griffin has written recently, FEMA did exactly what it was supposed to do.
Neither the initial post-Katrina spikes nor the much-ballyhooed drops in crude prices since have anything to do with underlying reality. The underlying reality is not fully known yet but this first glimpse pretty much convinces me that the world will see $80 oil before the year is out. Natural gas futures have already topped $14 per thousand cubic feet. Experts are warning of possible 50% increases in heating oil prices and we will see blackouts and significant death from cold here this winter.
All those stockpiles that were released to ease Katrina shortages – which have by no means been fixed – will have to be replenished over and above other production in 2006. Production that was coming through the Gulf from Mexico, Venezuela and other sources has been diverted to other nations because it cannot be stored. The countries (e.g. Spain, Portugal and others) which got the excess windfall are unlikely to give it up if New Orleans ever gets rebuilt. And the beleaguered and disingenuous Saudis are coming under increasing fire as the only extra oil they offer is heavy-sour crude which is useless to most refineries. Saudi oil is now being rejected around the world and the Saudis continue to cut its price while finding few buyers.
The naïve continue to spin all this as just a refinery problem. But those who have been following Peak Oil understand full well that new refineries won’t be built in any quantity. Why? The return on investment to pay for that is ever-more-remote. This has been known for at least 15 years and it won’t change now.
Now, we all watch with baited breath as Rita heads for the western part of the oil patch, which Katrina missed. I stand by my assessment that the American Empire will never recover from the storms of 2005 to resemble anything that we are familiar with, even the unholy mess it had become after 9/11. – MCR]
Oil Facilities in Gulf Defenseless Against Katrina's Fury
ABC News Granted First Look at Extensive Damage to Oil Rigs
Sep. 19, 2005
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
While Hurricane Katrina destroyed less than 2 percent of the crucial oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, oil production is down more than 50 percent because the damage to the oil industry is much deeper.
With waves 70 feet high and winds of 175 mph, Katrina inflicted massive damage to rigs in the Gulf. With fallen antennae and buckled platforms, some rigs are so battered they won't be pumping again for a long time, if ever.
Capt. Frank Paskewich, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard in New Orleans, took ABC News for an exclusive first look over the Gulf at the damage wrought by Katrina.
"That is the lifeblood of the industry," said Paskewich. "That's where you get supplies, you change the crews out, you get equipment that is needed to support daily operations, and when that is severely damaged, then you basically cut off the supply."
The damage is so extensive, Paskewich said, that some of the platforms are now lying on the Gulf floor.
It remains unknown how badly Katrina damaged the underwater oil pipeline system, but a preliminary count has found that of 140 damaged platforms in the Gulf, more than 40 are beyond repair.
Refineries, Roads, Storage Tanks All Damaged
All along the Mississippi River below New Orleans, it is evident how Katrina has hobbled the oil industry. Storage tanks have been knocked off their foundations, and oil refineries sit idle -- at least four will be inoperable for months. Spill crews have scrambled to clean up six different oil spills.
The only road to the region is still underwater in parts, and some areas are blocked by massive fishing boats, which were tossed around by Katrina. Many of the homes in the region, which belonged to oil workers, have been destroyed.
Oil production in the region is already off by 24 million barrels. With Tropical Storm Rita headed to the Gulf, there will be more delays in getting the platforms running. In the coming months, Hurricane Katrina will batter much more than the Gulf Coast, as fuel supplies are tight and prices remain high.
ABC News' Jeffrey Kofman filed this report for "World News Tonight."
Copyright © 2005 ABC News Internet Ventures
[It appears we owe our existence to abrupt climate change. It brought us in, and it may well throw us out. Life, however, will surely go on. Perhaps Kafka was right when he wrote, “There is plenty of hope – but not for us.”
--JAH]
BACKGROUND BOOKS AND LINKS:
Global warming 'past the point of no return'
By Steve Connor, Science Editor
16 September 2005
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article312997.ece
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
A record loss of sea ice in the Arctic this summer has convinced scientists that the northern hemisphere may have crossed a critical threshold beyond which the climate may never recover. Scientists fear that the Arctic has now entered an irreversible phase of warming which will accelerate the loss of the polar sea ice that has helped to keep the climate stable for thousands of years.
They believe global warming is melting Arctic ice so rapidly that the region is beginning to absorb more heat from the sun, causing the ice to melt still further and so reinforcing a vicious cycle of melting and heating.
The greatest fear is that the Arctic has reached a "tipping point" beyond which nothing can reverse the continual loss of sea ice and with it the massive land glaciers of Greenland, which will raise sea levels dramatically.
Satellites monitoring the Arctic have found that the extent of the sea ice this August has reached its lowest monthly point on record, dipping an unprecedented 18.2 per cent below the long-term average.
Experts believe that such a loss of Arctic sea ice in summer has not occurred in hundreds and possibly thousands of years. It is the fourth year in a row that the sea ice in August has fallen below the monthly downward trend - a clear sign that melting has accelerated.
Scientists are now preparing to report a record loss of Arctic sea ice for September, when the surface area covered by the ice traditionally reaches its minimum extent at the end of the summer melting period.
Sea ice naturally melts in summer and reforms in winter but for the first time on record this annual rebound did not occur last winter when the ice of the Arctic failed to recover significantly.
Arctic specialists at the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre at Colorado University, who have documented the gradual loss of polar sea ice since 1978, believe that a more dramatic melt began about four years ago.
In September 2002 the sea ice coverage of the Arctic reached its lowest level in recorded history. Such lows have normally been followed the next year by a rebound to more normal levels, but this did not occur in the summers of either 2003 or 2004. This summer has been even worse. The surface area covered by sea ice was at a record monthly minimum for each of the summer months - June, July and now August.
Scientists analysing the latest satellite data for September - the traditional minimum extent for each summer - are preparing to announce a significant shift in the stability of the Arctic sea ice, the northern hemisphere's major "heat sink" that moderates climatic extremes.
"The changes we've seen in the Arctic over the past few decades are nothing short of remarkable," said Mark Serreze, one of the scientists at the Snow and Ice Data Centre who monitor Arctic sea ice.
Scientists at the data centre are bracing themselves for the 2005 annual minimum, which is expected to be reached in mid-September, when another record loss is forecast. A major announcement is scheduled for 20 September. "It looks like we're going to exceed it or be real close one way or the other. It is probably going to be at least as comparable to September 2002," Dr Serreze said.
"This will be four Septembers in a row that we've seen a downward trend. The feeling is we are reaching a tipping point or threshold beyond which sea ice will not recover."
The extent of the sea ice in September is the most valuable indicator of its health. This year's record melt means that more of the long-term ice formed over many winters - so called multi-year ice - has disappeared than at any time in recorded history.
Sea ice floats on the surface of the Arctic Ocean and its neighbouring seas and normally covers an area of some 7 million square kilometres (2.4 million square miles) during September - about the size of Australia. However, in September 2002, this dwindled to about 2 million square miles - 16 per cent below average.
Sea ice data for August closely mirrors that for September and last month's record low - 18.2 per cent below the monthly average - strongly suggests that this September will see the smallest coverage of Arctic sea ice ever recorded.
As more and more sea ice is lost during the summer, greater expanses of open ocean are exposed to the sun which increases the rate at which heat is absorbed in the Arctic region, Dr Serreze said.
Sea ice reflects up to 80 per cent of sunlight hitting it but this "albedo effect" is mostly lost when the sea is uncovered. "We've exposed all this dark ocean to the sun's heat so that the overall heat content increases," he explained.
Current computer models suggest that the Arctic will be entirely ice-free during summer by the year 2070 but some scientists now believe that even this dire prediction may be over-optimistic, said Professor Peter Wadhams, an Arctic ice specialist at Cambridge University.
"When the ice becomes so thin it breaks up mechanically rather than thermodynamically. So these predictions may well be on the over-optimistic side," he said.
As the sea ice melts, and more of the sun's energy is absorbed by the exposed ocean, a positive feedback is created leading to the loss of yet more ice, Professor Wadhams said.
"If anything we may be underestimating the dangers. The computer models may not take into account collaborative positive feedback," he said.
Sea ice keeps a cap on frigid water, keeping it cold and protecting it from heating up. Losing the sea ice of the Arctic is likely to have major repercussions for the climate, he said. "There could be dramatic changes to the climate of the northern region due to the creation of a vast expanse of open water where there was once effectively land," Professor Wadhams said. "You're essentially changing land into ocean and the creation of a huge area of open ocean where there was once land will have a very big impact on other climate parameters," he said.
Experts Foresee More Katrinas
Brace for more hurricanes, say experts
Agence France-Presse, August 31, 2005
http://www.heatisonline.org/contentserver/objecthandlers/index.cfm?id=5448&method=full
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
PARIS – For all its numbing ferocity, Hurricane Katrina will not be a unique event, say scientists, who say that global warming appears to be pumping up the power of big Atlantic storms.
This year is on track to be the worst-ever year for hurricanes, according to experts measuring ocean temperatures and trade winds — the two big factors that breed these storms in the Caribbean and tropical North Atlantic.
Earlier this month, Tropical Storm Risk, a London-based consortium of experts, predicted that the region would see 22 tropical storms during the six-month June-November season, the most ever recorded and more than twice the average annual tally since records began in 1851.
Seven of these storms would strike the United States, of which three would be hurricanes, it said.
Already, 2004 and 2003 were exceptional years: they marked the highest two-year totals ever recorded for overall hurricane activity in the North Atlantic.
This increase has also coincided with a big rise in Earth's surface temperature in recent years, driven by greenhouse gases that cause the Sun's heat to be stored in the sea, land and air rather than radiate back out to space.
But experts are cautious, also noting that hurricane numbers seem to undergo swings, over decades.
About 90 tropical storms — a term that includes hurricanes and their Asian counterparts, typhoons — occur each year.
The global total seems to be stable, although regional tallies vary a lot, and in particular seem to be influenced by the El Nino weather pattern in the Western Pacific.
"Atlantic cyclones have been increasing in numbers since 1995, but one can't say with certainty that there is a link to global warming," says Patrick Galois with the French weather service Meteo-France.
"There have been other high-frequency periods for storms, such as in the 1950s and '60s, and it could be that what we are seeing now is simply part of a cycle, with highs and lows."
On the other hand, more and more scientists estimate that global warming, while not necessarily making hurricanes more frequent or likelier to make landfall, is making them more vicious.
Hurricanes derive from clusters of thunderstorms over tropical waters that are warmer than 27.2 C (81 C).
A key factor in ferocity is the temperature differential between the sea surface and the air above the storm. The warmer the sea, the bigger the differential and the bigger the potential to "pump up" the storm.
Just a tiny increase in surface temperature can have an extraordinary effect, says researcher Kerry Emanuel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
In a study published in Nature in July, Emanuel found that the destructive power of North Atlantic storms had doubled over the past 30 years, during which the sea-surface temperature rose by only 0.5 C (0.9 F).
Emanuel's yardstick is storm duration and windpower: hurricanes lasted longer and packed higher windspeeds than before.
Another factor in destructiveness is flooding. Kevin Trenberth of the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research suggests that hurricanes are dumping more rainfall as warmer seas [release] more moisture into the air, swelling the storm clouds.
The indirect evidence for this is that water vapor over oceans worldwide has increased by about 2% since 1988. But data is sketchy for precipitation dropped by recent hurricanes.
"The intensity of and rainfalls from hurricanes are probably increasing, even if this increase cannot yet be proven with a formal statistical test," Trenberth wrote in the U.S. journal Science in June. He said computer models "suggest a shift" toward the extreme in hurricane intensities.
[ACORE unintentionally reveals exactly why renewables offer no escape from the certain Peak Oil crisis.
"What are the national policies that will result in renewable energy contributing 20%-30%-40% of national energy supply by 2020- 2030-2040?"
20% Renewable Energy by 2020 is no solution for the Peak Oil crisis that is here now.
-- MK]
ACORE Previews Phase II Policy for Renewable Energy
Regional Roundtables Held in 12 Cities
Press Release from American Council On Renewable Energy
12 September, 2005
Next Phase of Renewable Energy Policy for the U.S. Begins to Take Shape
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/market/business/viewstory?id=36533
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
Washington , DC - The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) today announced the completion of renewable energy policy roundtable meetings in 12 cities across the nation, seeking to define the next phase of national policy for renewable energy in America.
"The renewable energy provisions in the 2005 energy bill are helpful but are not the total answer. The challenge is to build a strategy that is a market-focused synthesis of the best ideas currently in play from the labs, the states, and Wall Street," said Hank Habicht, CEO of Global Environment & Technology Foundation and a member of ACORE's Advisory Board.
"The call for Phase II happened last year at ACORE's policy conference, and it caught on across the country," said Rob Pratt, Director of the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust and ACORE Chairman. "Now, a question for policy development is: what are the national policies that will result in renewable energy contributing 20%-30%-40% of national energy supply by 2020- 2030-2040?"
ACORE held meetings in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Worcester, and Washington, DC during July and August. Typically, the meetings involved 20 to 40, and as many as 65, experts on renewable energy technologies, economics, applications, industry, regulation, and policy. In total, over 300 experts participated in the series, which leads into ACORE's national policy conference on October 17-18, 2005 in the Cannon Caucus Room in Washington, DC. More information about the national conference is available at www.acore.org.
Based on the regional meetings, two key elements of a Phase II policy framework will be a commitment to longer-term, more stable and predictable government policy, and greater political balance with liberal arguments for a better society, moderate arguments for economic growth and jobs, and conservative arguments for lower taxation.
Policy options for the electricity sector emerged in the roundtables, dealing in fundamental economics. These included:
-- Developing a backbone transmission system as a national priority to link renewable energy in rural areas with load centers;
-- Looking at fundamentally new ways of setting utility rates based on long-term fixed rate options;
-- Monetizing the environmental benefits of renewable energy through national and regional trading of RECs so that Wall Street can create a futures market;
-- Looking at the RPS mechanism and other means of encouraging utility acceptance of renewable energy, both mandatory and voluntary;
-- Shifting economic incentives from cost-based subsidies that were useful for early adopters in Phase I, to revenue-side (or so-called performance based) incentives that attract private investment in Phase II;
-- Accelerating the adoption of distributed generation and smart grid technology; and
-- Amending DOE's charter to focus on technology transfer rather than demonstrations.
Policy options for the transportation sector also emerged in the roundtables, dealing in economics and consumer behavior. It was noted that there is no government incentive, at any level of government in America for consumers to purchase biofuels, and no government incentive for people to upgrade the efficiency of their cars. "Isn't it odd," one participant asked, "that government policy seems to have missed some of the most basic issues in the real world?"
There was widespread support for developing a more comprehensive policy for the transportation energy sector based on what will be best for the American people, encouraging the basic parameters of "changing the vehicle mix" and "changing the fuel mix."
Policy options for the buildings sector were likewise practical. For example, there was support for integrating economic incentive polices that encourage energy efficiency and solar energy together. There also was support - ranging from New England to Texas to California - for reforming codes, standards and especially permitting. As one participant said: "you shouldn't have to get a permit to put solar on your house...you should have to get a permit for not putting solar on your house."
In most cases, it appears that Phase II will cause a refining and combining of existing policies into packages that are more market oriented and less industry oriented. In addition, there are several areas, as noted above, where whole new avenues of policy need to be explored.
"There is a tremendous amount of policy work to be done before Phase II is in the implementation mode," said Roger Ballentine, President of Green Strategies, Inc. and an ACORE conference co-chair. "For that reason, the time to start is now."
The Phase II national policy conference is set to take place October 17-18, 2005 in the Cannon Caucus Room in Washington, DC. Speakers include either Energy Secretary Bodman or Under Secretary Garman, Agriculture Secretary Johanns, one or more Governors who are in process of committing, corporate executives from GE and John Hancock, policy leaders from over ten states in the East, Mid-America and the West, and noted experts in electricity, fuels, transportation, buildings, and other aspects of renewable energy utilization.
"The Phase II conference will set the stage for the next 30 years of renewable energy policy," said conference co-chair Dan Reicher, President of new Energy Capital and former Assistant Secretary of Energy.
The Phase II conference is being organized by ACORE in conjunction with the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucuses of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, and in cooperation with the Energy & Environment Studies Institute. There are only 400 seats in the Cannon Caucus Room, so people who are hoping to attend should register earlier than later. Information about the conference can be seen at www.acore.org.
About The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE)
ACORE, a 501(c)(3) membership nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, is dedicated to bringing renewable energy into the mainstream of the US economy and lifestyle through information and communications programs. ACORE provides a common platform for the wide range of interests in the renewable energy community including industries, associations, utilities, end users, professional service firms, financial institutions and government agencies. ACORE serves as a forum through which the parties work together on common interests.
The information on this page was created and posted by the company identified above. RenewableEnergyAccess.com does not endorse, edit, or substantiate this information and assumes no obligation for this content's accuracy.
Western refineries spurning sulphurous Saudi oil
By Carl Mortished, International Business Editor
Times Online UK
September 16, 2005
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9072-1782657,00.html
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
SAUDI ARABIA is struggling to sell its crude oil despite record fuel prices and calls on the Kingdom to bring further supplies to the market.
Saudi Aramco, the state oil company, has been forced to offer ever-greater discounts to tempt refiners to buy its product, which is shunned for its high sulphur content.
The official selling price for Saudi oil for October delivery is currently set at a discount of more than $13 per barrel to US light crude which was yesterday selling for just under $65 per barrel.
Weak demand for Arab Light, the main Saudi crude blend, has forced the Kingdom to increase the discount from $10.45 in August to $13.40 in October.
Evidence of the weak demand for Arabian and other high sulphur crudes is likely to increase the tension between Opec leaders and Western governments over the cause of the high petrol prices.
Leo Drollas, of the Centre for Global Energy Studies, reckons that Saudi Arabia may not have cut its price far enough. “Despite $60 oil, there is a lot of crude sloshing about in the market,” he said.
Refiners seeking to make high specification petrol and diesel tend to prefer low-sulphur crudes such as Brent or Nigeria’s Bonny Light.
Few refineries are able to convert more of the heavy sulphurous “sour” crudes into petrol and most of those are in the United States. The damage caused by Hurricane Katrina has forced refiners to turn to light North Sea and US crude blends which are already in diminishing supply.
Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia yesterday blamed the recent surge in the oil price on a shortage of refining capacity. He repeated the Kingdom’s pledge to keep the market well supplied with crude but said: “The current rise in oil prices does not stem from a shortage in crude oil supplies but is due to, as everyone knows, increased demand for products and a shortage in refining capacity.”
The Crown Prince’s comments are a rebuke to Gordon Brown, the UK Chancellor, who this week called on Opec to increase supplies as he defended the Government’s high fuel taxes.
Further evidence of a growing pool of oil-seeking buyers emerged as Opec reduced its forecast of growth in demand for oil. Hurricane Katrina and the high price of petrol are curbing growth in demand for oil, the cartel said.
The devastation to US refineries and distribution systems has cut American consumption while price pressure is curbing demand in China and the United States. Opec has sliced 100,000 barrels per day from its forecast of growth in crude demand this year.
Opec now expects demand to increase by 1.4 million bpd to 83.5 million bpd.
The continuing strength of the oil price in the face of rising stocks of crude is a puzzle for oil analysts. Some believe that the shortage of refined products is dragging the crude price upwards. Others point to speculative hedge funds which are convinced that the world’s energy market is making a shift towards a post-oil world.
Opec’s fifth consecutive cut in forecast demand provides further evidence of the disconnect between the tight market for fuels and the growing supply in the underlying crude oil market. The cartel is producing more than 30 million bpd and has increased its output by 4 million bpd over the past three years.
Copyright 2005 Times Newspapers Ltd.
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Tons of British aid donated to help Hurricane Katrina victims to be BURNED by Americans