Category Archives: Life Extension

Environmental activist Sue Nissen wears a teaspoon on a string around her neck, which she likes to hand out to lawmakers during hearings in the Minnesota state legislature. Thats because one teaspoon of salt is enough to pollute five gallons of water, making it inhospitable for life.

Road crews dump more than 20 million metric tons of salt on U.S. roads each winter to keep them free of ice and snow an almost unfathomable number of teaspoons. Now, Nissens organization, Stop Over Salting, is pushing for Minnesota to pass a bill to reduce that figure by helping applicators learn how to use less of it a technique called smart salting.

The reason, she said, is because the states freshwater bodies are in a crisis: 54 lakes and streams are impaired by high salt concentrations, meaning they fail to meet federal water quality standards, while dozens of others are drawing closer to that tipping point, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. But environmental activists and scientists argue that its possible to maintain winter safety while reducing the amount of salt spread on streets and highways.

There are solutions, Nissen told Grist. We can still have our winter mobility and be safe with less salt.

Road salt, which works by lowering the melting point of ice, is cheap and effective, reducing car accidents by up to 85 percent. But aside from corroding metal and concrete leading to an estimated $5 billion worth of damages each year it also ends up in rivers and lakes, where it has toxic effects on aquatic life. In January, researchers from the United States and Canada found that even salt concentrations below the threshold considered safe by governments were causing severe damage to organisms.

Warnings about the effects of road salt on freshwater bodies and ecosystems first started in the 1970s, said Bill Hintz, the studys lead author and an environmental scientist at the University of Toledo in Ohio. But salt use has tripled since then. Now, with climate change encouraging excessive salting by making winter storms more unpredictable, officials in states like Minnesota are starting to realize the magnitude of the problem.

The Minnesota bill, if it passes, would be one of the first state laws to encourage smart salting, a way to reduce road salt use while still maintaining winter safety. New Hampshire passed a similar law in 2013, while Wisconsin also has a salt wise training program. In New York, the Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force launched a three-year pilot program this month to reduce freshwater salt contamination.

The concept of smart salting encompasses a range of technologies and techniques. Brining involves laying down a liquid mixture of salt before a storm, which prevents ice from sticking and reduces the need for repetitive salting. It also includes applicators learning how to calibrate their equipment to know how much salt theyre using in the first place, as well as when to stop salting (below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, salt is much less effective). Minnesota has been training applicators in these techniques since 2005, but under the new bill, certified smart salters would be protected from liability, preventing them from being sued for slip-and-fall accidents.

Nissen hopes that this protection will encourage more private applicators to be certified in smart salting practices, which are not only better for the environment but help save money on salt. But convincing them is a challenge, she said, because people have come to associate the sight of salt with winter safety. If anybody calls in and says, I dont see enough salt, she said, they call the applicator and say get out there and put more salt down.

This overreliance on road salt has severe environmental consequences. The most common kind used for de-icing is sodium chloride rock salt but calcium and magnesium chlorides are sometimes used for colder weather. Once it enters a body of water, salt is almost impossible to remove, requiring expensive and energy-intensive processes like reverse osmosis. Chloride, in particular, binds tightly to water molecules, and can be highly toxic to organisms like fish, amphibians, and microscopic zooplankton, which form the basis of the food chain in a lake or river.

If the zooplankton die off, Hintz said, it can trigger a chain reaction that allows algae to flourish, causing toxic blooms and affecting native fish species that cant survive in murky waters. That should trouble recreational fishers everywhere, he said, but salt contamination has also made it into drinking water, particularly in areas where people rely on deep wells to reach groundwater. In the Adirondacks in upstate New York, a 2019 study found that 64 percent of wells tested for sodium exceeded federal limits which can be particularly dangerous for people with high blood pressure or others on sodium-restricted diets.

This makes salt-reduction programs like Minnesotas crucial, Hintz said, to flatten the curve of freshwater salt concentrations. Best management practices are critically important right now, Hintz said.

But reducing salt use will only slow down the crisis, not stop it, Hintz warned. Salt thats already been deposited might take years to show up in groundwater, and how much can be safely added without permanently damaging an ecosystem is an open question, he said. And non-salt alternatives, like sand or even beet juice, can come with their own problems, silting up rivers or introducing nutrients into ecosystems that can lead to algal blooms.

Some cities have opted for proactive solutions preventing snow and ice from building up in the first place, rather than melting it with salt once its already a problem. Since 1988, the town of Holland, Michigan, has invested in a snowmelt system, which uses pre-heated water from a nearby power plant to warm sidewalks and roads through a network of pipes underneath the surface, eliminating the need for salting. But solutions like this one are expensive and labor-intensive, said Amy Sasamoto, an official with the citys downtown development district. The town spent over $1 million to install the first 250,000 square feet of underground tubing, and the system still only encompasses a few streets in Hollands main downtown shopping area, although Sasamoto said it could expand along with future development.

These solutions may not be scalable to something like a four-lane highway, said Xianming Shi, an engineer and the director of the National Center for Transportation Infrastructure Durability & Life-Extension at Washington State University. Shi studies how connected infrastructure, such as cars tapped into an information-sharing network, can increase winter road safety. For example, sharing real-time information about road conditions can help road maintenance crews know how much salt to use, reducing oversalting.

But even improved technology and data-sharing wont be enough, Shi said, to stop the flow of salt. Instead, its going to be crucial to encourage safer winter driving habits like asking people to stay home during storms whenever possible, or to drive more slowly even on a highway.

Peoples mindset is more of this moment, like I want to drive fast through the winter, Shi said. They dont realize that this has a hidden consequence.

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Road salt is terrible for lakes and streams. Minnesota may have a solution - Grist

THE government officials say Cabinet has not made any decision yet, to shorten the life of parliament or increase it to five years.

Chief of Staff Robson Djokovic and Special Secretary to the Prime Minister (SSPM) Albert Kabui both rejected claims that the government had already made a decision on the parliament extension.

Speaking during the government press conference on Wednesday, Kabui said the Cabinet has not agreed to the suggestion to hold election earlier or to extend the term of the current Parliament.

Mr Djokovic in addition also echoed the same sentiments stating that no decision has been made as to the extension.

It is still in a consultation process. But, yes, it is definitely under consideration and nobody denies that but that process is ongoing, Djokovic said.

He clarified that the extension of parliament is not a government policy rather it is a response to the overarching policies of managing Covid-19 and maintaining economic livelihood in support of governments economic policy.

Djokovic further stated that they are still waiting on analysis of what are the impacts of extending parliament, the impacts of maintaining the national general election (NGE) next year and what are the impacts of calling an early election?

On the cost of the elections, Djokovic said it would cost about $100m.

He also pointed out that $300m is still outstanding to host Pacific Gamesadding that it has put a lot of pressure on the government.

SSPM Kabui in explaining why the government proposed to extend the life of parliament said:

In terms of man-power, resources and logistics we cant have both events in one year.

So, the government feels in order to accommodate the Pacific Games we have to move the election.

However, the Opposition Group has already opposed to the extension.

Leader of the Opposition Mathew Wale last week said Solomon Islands can do both with the support of its partners, but to have that with an excuse for an unnecessary amendment on the face of it, is self-serving and not the best option, and called on the government to step-down if it has no idea on how to run it.

Other groups and organisations have also objected to the idea to extend the parliament.

By FOLLET JOHN Newsroom, Honiara

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Govt: Extension of parliament still in process Solomon Star News - Solomon Star

Energy services firm Petrofac has secured a two-year operations and late life asset support contract extension with Spirit Energy.

Building on the pairs decade-long relationship, the deal includes the provision of operations and maintenance support for Spirits York platform in the southern North Sea.

It also covers engineering, project and consultancy services for all of the operators North Sea assets.

Petrofac (LON: PFC) has supported Spirit Energy assets since 2012.

From 2018 to 2019, it took part in preparation work for the decommissioning of the companys Audrey and Ensign platforms.

Nick Shorten, chief operating officer for Petrofacs asset solutions business, said: The renewal of this key contract is demonstrative of the successful working relationship our respective teams have developed over the past ten years and the value Petrofac has been able to add in the late life operations phase. Our support of Spirits recent life extension project on York, which has increased production by three to four years, is a great example of this. We look forward to continuing in this vein.

It was announced last year that the Spirit-owned York gas field had been given another three years of life following a successful extension project.

Located about 20 miles from the Yorkshire coastline, the asset started production in 2013.

Since then it has yielded 45 billion cubic feet of gas a further 18 billion cubic feet is expected as a result of the recent investment.

Initial estimates had York, which is 100% owned by Spirit, producing until 2020, though the extension project has pushed back that timeline until 2023/24.

Spirits other North Sea interests include a 15% stake in Shells Edinburgh well, which was spudded recently.

It has the potential to be one of the largest remaining undrilled structures in the central North Sea.

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Petrofac awarded two-year contract extension by Spirit Energy - Energy Voice

The idea of the multiverse has been a conundrum for modern physics and a disaster for modern popular culture. Im aware that some of you here in this universe will disagree, but more often than not a conceit that promises ingenuity and narrative abundance has delivered aggressive brand extension and the infinite recombination of clich. Had I but world enough and time, I might work these thoughts up into a thunderous supervillain rant, but instead Im happy to report that my research has uncovered a rare and precious exception.

That would be Everything Everywhere All at Once, an exuberant swirl of genre anarchy directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. The filmmakers who work under the name Daniels and who are best known for the wonderfully unclassifiable Swiss Army Man (starring Daniel Radcliffe as a flatulent corpse) are happy to defy the laws of probability, plausibility and coherence. This movies plot is as full of twists and kinks as the pot of noodles that appears in an early scene. Spoiling it would be impossible. Summarizing it would take forever literally!

But while the hectic action sequences and flights of science-fiction mumbo-jumbo are a big part of the fun (and the marketing), they arent really the point. This whirligig runs on tenderness and charm. As in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Pixars Inside Out, the antic cleverness serves a sincere and generous heart. Yes, the movie is a metaphysical multiverse galaxy-brain head trip, but deep down and also right on the surface its a bittersweet domestic drama, a marital comedy, a story of immigrant striving and a hurt-filled ballad of mother-daughter love.

At the center of it all is Evelyn Wang, played by the great Michelle Yeoh with grace, grit and perfect comic timing. Evelyn, who left China as a young woman, runs a laundromat somewhere in America with her husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan). Her life is its own small universe of stress and frustration. Evelyns father (James Hong), who all but disowned her when she married Waymond, is visiting to celebrate his birthday. An I.R.S. audit looms. Waymond is filing for divorce, which he says is the only way he can get his wifes attention. Their daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), has self-esteem issues and also a girlfriend named Becky (Tallie Medel), and Evelyn doesnt know how to deal with Joys teenage angst or her sexuality.

The first stretch of Everything Everywhere All At Once is played in a key of almost-realism. There are hints of the cosmic chaos to come, in the form of ominous musical cues (the score is by Son Lux) and swiveling camera movements (the cinematography is by Larkin Seiple) but the mundane chaos of Evelyns existence provides plenty of drama.

To put it another way, the Daniels understand that she and her circumstances are already interesting. The key to Everything is that the proliferating timelines and possibilities, though full of danger and silliness, dont so much represent an alternative to realitys drabness as an extension of its complexity.

Things start to get glitchy as Waymond and Evelyn approach their dreaded meeting with Deirdre, an I.R.S. bureaucrat played with impeccable unpleasantness by Jamie Lee Curtis. Waymond until now a timid, nervous fellow turns into a combat-ready space commando, wielding his fanny pack as a deadly weapon. He hurriedly explains to Evelyn that the stability of the multiverse is threatened by a power-mad fiend named Jobu Tupaki, and that Evelyn must train herself to jump between universes to do battle. The leaps are accomplished by doing something crazy and then pressing a button on an earpiece. The tax office turns into a scene of martial-arts mayhem. Eventually, Jobu Tupaki shows up, and turns out to be

Youll see for yourself. And I hope you do. The Daniels command of modern cinematic tropes is encyclopedic, and also eccentric. As Evelyn zigzags through various universes, she finds herself in a live-action rip-off of Ratatouille; a smoky sendup of Wong Kar-wais In the Mood For Love; a world where humans have hot dogs for fingers and play the piano with their feet; and a childs birthday party where she is a piata. That is a small sampling. The philosophical foundation for this zaniness is the notion that every choice Evelyn (and everyone else) has made in her life was an unwitting act of cosmogenesis. The roads not taken blossom into new universes. World without end.

The metaphysical high jinks turn out to rest on a sturdy moral foundation. The multiverse to say nothing of her own family may lie beyond Evelyns control, but she possesses free will, which means responsibility for her own actions and obligations to the people around her. As her adventures grow more elaborate, she seems at first to be one of those solitary, quasi-messianic movie heroes, the one who has the power to face down absolute evil.

Yeoh certainly has the necessary charisma, but Everything Everywhere is really about something other than the usual heroics. Nobody is alone in the multiverse, which turns out to be a place where families can work on their issues. And while you are likely be tickled and dazzled by the visual variety and whiz-bang effects, you may be surprised to find yourself moved by the performances. Quan, a child star in the 1980s (in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Goonies), has an almost Chaplinesque ability to swerve from clownishness to pathos. Hsu strikes every note in the Gen-Z songbook with perfect poise. And dont sleep on grandpa: Hong nearly steals the show.

Is it perfect? No movie with this kind of premise or that title will ever be a neat, no-loose-ends kind of deal. Maybe it goes on too long. Maybe it drags in places, or spins too frantically in others. But I like my multiverses messy, and if I say that Everything Everywhere All at Once is too much, its a way of acknowledging the Daniels generosity.

Everything Everywhere All at OnceRated R. Fighting and swearing. Running time: 2 hours 12 minutes. In theaters.

See the article here:

Everything Everywhere All at Once Review: Its Messy, and Glorious - The New York Times

Louis S. St-Laurent during a previous refit at Davie (Chantier Davie)

PublishedMar 14, 2022 3:54 AM by The Maritime Executive

Canadas largest icebreaker,Louis S. St-Laurent, is set to undergo major repair, refit and maintenance work to extend its lifespan and keep the ship in service, giving Canada more time forthe construction of two replacement icebreakers.

Public Services and Procurement Canadahas awarded a $12.8 million contract to Chantier Davieshipyard in Quebec to carry out the vessel life extension. The project is a part of Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy, which involves (among many other projects) the construction oftwo polar icebreakers. The timetable calls for deliveringat least one polar icebreakerby 2030, whenLouis S. St-Laurentis expected to retire from service.

Members of CCG have the critical responsibility of ensuring mariners safety and that of the marine environment. TheLouis S. St-Laurenthas helped keep Canadian waters safe for navigation for more than 50 years, and this work will ensure the CCG can continue this important work, season after season, in dangerous and icy conditions, said Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and CCG.

Chantier Davie is the only facility in Eastern Canada with a dry dock large enough to perform thework.Repairs and upgrades on the icebreaker willbegin in the spring and are expected to be completed within three months. More drydockingsare planned over the next few years to keep the vessel running throughout the next decade.

Louis S. St-Laurentwas launched in 1966, making her among the oldest working government vessels in North America - even older than the U.S. Coast Guard's heavy icebreakerPolar Star. This is far from her first life extension: she was lengthened, re-engined and heavily modified in a refit in the late 1980s. Today she provides icebreaking and emergency response services in Eastern Canada, and her home port is in St. Johns.

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Canada's 56-Year-Old Heavy Icebreaker Goes for Another Life Extension - The Maritime Executive

Expired

Rent or buy on most major platforms.

The Australian director Ivan Sen has been on the radar of genre aficionados since Mystery Road (2013) and Goldstone (2016), two successful hybrids of procedural and western revolving around the charismatic figure of a taciturn Indigenous detective. For his latest, Sen mixed science fiction and noir, with a dollop of romance thrown in.

A disheveled Ryan Kwanten (who has matured in interesting ways as an actor since True Blood) stars as Jack, a hit man plying his trade in a futuristic metropolis. Just as he falls for April (Jillian Nguyen), whom he saw singing in a peepshow-like club, Jack starts getting weaker, afflicted by a mysterious disease. Hugo Weaving, abundantly bearded, turns up as a mysterious life-extension specialist who may or may not be able to help, at least with the health part.

Dont pay too close attention to the story, though, because Expired (titled Loveland in Australia) is more reverie than tightly plotted actioner. In turn maddening and hypnotic, serene and irritating, the movie is an art-house fugue disguised as a genre flick. Yes, it does get a little portentous at times, but you have to admire Sens stubborn avoidance of the default irony and cynicism of so much action fare, and his quest for a serious mood.

The tag line on the poster of the 1975 movie A Boy and His Dog was: A future youll probably live to see. It adequately describes this efficient thriller, which is plausibly, and scarily, set in 2023.

From the start we care for Sarah (Michelle Girolami), a New York ragamuffin who is so adrift, so desperate that she accepts to have an experimental chip implanted in her back. (Girolamis close-cropped hair, hoodie and nervous energy make the character feel like an American relative of the Millennium books Lisbeth Salander.)

Sarahs life turns into a nightmare when the so-called L.E.X.X. (voiced by L.E.X.X., according to the end credits) develops a will of its own and forces its host to do its bidding. Unfortunately for you, you are under my control, L.E.X.X. tells Sarah as it turns out, a synthetic entity can drip with sarcasm. The young woman becomes immersed in a nightmare in which she is the prisoner of a voice in her head (the movie could have further explored the intriguing possibility that this is not sci-fi at all but a tale of mental illness).

While its script is not all that innovative and some of the effects are distractingly simplistic (ixnay on the glowing eyes, please), Implanted benefits from above-average filmmaking: The director Fabien Dufils has a sure grasp of the fundamentals of his craft, and that alone puts him and his movie ahead of the bulk of the streaming underworld.

In retrospect, it was an auspicious sign that Chlo Grace Moretzs breakthrough roles were in the cartoonishly violent Kick-Ass and the atmospheric vampire tale Let Me In, both from 2010. While this versatile actress is at ease in any style, she brings a unique presence decisive with flashes of vulnerability to action films. Here she elevates Mattson Tomlins post-apocalyptic tale as Georgia, a young woman who finds out shes pregnant just as our android helpers revolt and Earth goes to hell in a handbasket. (The uprising happens fast and is not really explained, which did not bother me but may frustrate some viewers.)

Most of the film is dedicated to Georgia and her boyfriend, Sam (Algee Smith), trying to reach Boston, where they plan to board a boat to Asia, where it is reputedly safer. It is largely a standard pregnant in the apocalypse survival story but as usual, Moretz gives the film a compelling emotional anchor and Georgia must do a lot of heavy lifting since Sam is a not very exciting fellow, illustrating the depressing but realistic scenario that a woman might have to settle while also trying to escape murderous cyborgs.

Rent or buy on most major platforms.

This Canadian drama may take place in 2043, years after a devastating civil war, but it clearly draws from an ignominious episode in the countrys history, when thousands of First Nations children were packed off to residential schools so they could be stripped of their identity and assimilated into so-called normal society as if this werent bad enough, many were abused and killed. (There were similar institutions in the United States.)

In Danis Goulets film, kids are rounded up and kept in a federal academy where they can be brainwashed and trained to fight. After hiding her young daughter, Waseese (Brooklyn Letexier-Hart), for years, Niska (Elle-Maija Tailfeathers) must reluctantly let her be whisked away. Once Niska realizes what actually happens at the academy, she sets out to retrieve her daughter, with the help of the title band of resisters.

Night Raiders does have some action elements, but Goulet is much better at establishing a matter-of-fact tone that underlines the quotidian hardships of surviving in an environment hellbent on destroying ones very identity.

Stream it on Netflix.

Well, this has been a grim column, so lets end it with some levity about technology going bad, very bad. The perils of our increasing reliance on A.I.-driven assistance are clearly on many peoples minds: Two animated movies similarly hyperactive and sharing conflicted perspectives they cant quite resolve on the subject came out within a few months of each other last year.

The better one is The Mitchells vs. the Machines, which is nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature. The premise is simple: Just as the Mitchell family embarks on its last road trip before the daughter, Katie (Abbi Jacobson), starts college, a vengeful A.I. (Olivia Colman) sets up robots to rise against mankind. Oops.

The nonstop action is enlivened by a terrific voice cast, amusing Easter eggs, an inventive grab-bag aesthetic and an appealing lead in the nerdy, film-obsessed Katie. Naturally, the human face of pernicious tech convinced of its coolness is a seemingly chill dude in a hoodie, Mark (Eric Andr).

That exact same archetype (now called Marc) turns up in Rons Gone Wrong (streaming on Disney+ and HBO Max), which also features Colman and rogue A.I. The story deals with kids using bots as friends, but the sentimental treatment lets everybody off the hook.

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Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now - The New York Times

Healthcare Mar 15, 2022 10:01 AM (GMT+8) EqualOcean

Recently, Beijing Yiyao Technology Co., Ltd. announced that it had completed ten million yuan Angel + round financing from Xiantong capital. It is reported that this round of funds will be used for the development of desktop version of lingsu drug development system, accelerate the rapid promotion of the company's research pipeline in the direction of prolonging life and metabolic diseases, improve the construction of cloud computing platform, innovative R & D laboratory, recruitment team, patent layout, etc.Yiyao technology was founded in 2018. Previously, it developed the world's leading efficacy prediction system based on deep learning and gene fingerprinting (dleps, dexamethasone system). The pheromone system can accurately predict the changes of gene expression profile after small molecule treatment of cells or animals, and expand the applicable molecular space to more than "100 million". The psionic system is especially suitable for areas where traditional methods are not good at, and has been verified in many important disease directions. At present, Yiyao technology has publicly released the progress made in weight loss, uric acid reduction, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other diseases.

This text is a result of machine translation.

Excerpt from:

Yiyao technology won ten million yuan of angel + round financing to promote the research pipeline in the field of life extension and metabolic...

Its been two years since President Cyril Ramaphosa made a promise to make sure no African child is left behind in the transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient and sustainable society. At his 2022 State of the Nation address, the president reaffirmed his promise by saying that No one must be left behind. If this is the case, and he is truly aiming to make sure his promise is kept, why is it that decisions about energy and nuclear safety are made yet those most affected are not being heard and represented?

On 18 January this year, Peter Becker, a well-known anti-nuclear lobbyist, was suspended by Minister Gwede Mantashe only six months after his appointment to the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) board, one intended to provide oversight on nuclear safety.

Becker was elected as a non-executive director to the board in June 2021, after a nine-month period without civil society representation and brought a sense that the NNR board was strengthened by the addition of his science-based, renewable energy skills to the team.

Given that neither Eskom nor the NNR have been transparent about the life extension of the 40-year-old Koeberg plant, it was reassuring to know that Becker could ask the pertinent questions regarding the safety concerns.

Barely six months after being appointed, Becker received the letter from the minister announcing his suspension and, by 25 February, after making representations, Becker received the letter of discharge.

As it happens, the suspension letter from Mantashe was signed on the same day that a long-awaited approval was issued for the Koeberg nuclear plant to replace three of the steam generators. Such approvals by a regulatory body normally require sign-off from the NNR board.

The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) is a public entity established and governed in terms of section 3 of the National Nuclear Regulator Act, (Act No 47 of 1999) to provide for the protection of persons, property and the environment against nuclear damage through the establishment of safety standards and regulatory practices. The NNR Act requires the board to include a person representing civil society.

In a recent interview Mantashe, a vocal supporter of the nuclear industry, said You cant be in a board of something you are working against.

But is the NNR not tasked with protecting the public and the environment from radiation? Also, civil society organisations elected Becker to the board because of his science background, his nuclear experience and his focus on safety.

Additionally, the discharge based on a conflict of interest and removing Becker because of his anti-nuclear views should require the removal of the pro-nuclear department official from the board as well. Why was Becker appointed by the minister in the first place?

Other allegations against Becker include misconduct. These covered complaints of Becker meeting civil society organisations and his requesting more information.

Concerns about the independence of the NNR are echoed in views long held by international stakeholders. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) visited South Africa in 2013 and compiled a report, The Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR). The report highlighted some notable areas of concern about South Africa, the two biggest being Nuclear Safety and the independence of the Regulator itself.

Eskom is wanting to refurbish Koeberg destined for final shutdown in 2024 because it has reached the limit of its design life, but they intend to ask permission from the NNR to extend Koebergs life until 2044. Whether to grant this permission is the single most significant decision the NNR will ever make, and therefore the most important time to have an NNR board that has a member representing civil society.

The IAEA made the following observations about South Africa in the INIR:

Considering that the minister of energy is also in charge of the promotion of nuclear energy and, given the structure, the designation of the board members and the process to approve the NNRs budget, the INIR team is of the view that there is no adequate separation between the regulatory functions and the promotional activities, thus calling into question the effective independence of the NNR.

Civil society organisations and civilians are requesting transparency and participation in the decisions regarding the life extension of Koeberg, at an estimated cost of R20-billion. Youth activists feel its a slap in the face to youth and future generations, a demographic for the most part vocally in opposition to nuclear investment, and clearly in favour of an energy future aligning with the need for green energy transformation.

Should something that is due to shut down in 2024 still have funds pumped into it, or should Koebergs decommissioning begin now? Should we not be investing in renewable energy and alternatives that will have a faster and cheaper turnaround, as well as revitalise our economy and energy systems?

The discharge of Becker by the minister can be viewed as part of an attack on civil society. This cannot go unnoticed and it means that we must rally other civil society organisations to secure a court decision, or other means necessary to prevent Beckers exclusion. It seems the position remains empty for extended periods, allowing for questionable decision-making in the absence of valid civil society representation.

In a recent turnaround of events last week, Eskom delayed the life-extending maintenance, the most complex operation ever undertaken by Eskom at the ageing Koeberg Nuclear Power Station. It is apparent that the interim storage building to house the old reactors, which are highly contaminated, is not ready and will not be ready for some months.

It seems that despite the NNR approval, the French contractors inspected the plant and refused to start the work, because the site was not ready for the steam generator replacement. One cannot help but wonder, if Becker had not been excluded from the Board just before this decision was taken, would this embarrassing mistake have been made by the NNR? This is further reason to question the independence and transparency of the NNR.

Im worried about the absolute inability of the regulator and Eskom to deal with this situation its already running three years late It absolutely amazes me that the national nuclear regulator gave the green light before Eskom was ready, said energy expert, Chris Yelland

We have confidence that Becker presents fact-based concerns of civil society. We call for the decision to discharge him to be reversed and for the transformation and effective independence of the NNR to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

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Nothing new or clear about National Nuclear Regulators decisions - Mail and Guardian

According to a new market research report Canned Soups Market Forecast to 2027 COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type (Condensed and Ready-to-Eat), Category (Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian), Processing (Regular Soup and Organic Soup), and Distribution Channel (Hypermarkets/Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Online, and Others) published by TheInsightPartners, the canned soups market size is projected to grow from US$ 4,889.04 million in 2019 to US$ 6,494.95 million by 2027, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.8% during the forecast period.

A few key players operating in the canned soup market are Campbell soup company, Amys Kitchen Inc, General Mills Inc., The Kraft Heinz Company, Baxters Food Group, Unilever, Struik Foods Europe NV, Vanee Foods Company, BCI Foods Inc., and Hain Celestial Companies. These companies provide a wide range of product portfolio for canned soups market. They also have their presence in the developing regions, which provides lucrative opportunities for the growth of the canned soup market.

Get a Sample Report Canned Soups Market to 2027: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00017848

High demand for ready-to-eat food products, rapid shift in consumer food preferences, and increase in health concerns are driving the growth of the canned soup market. Canned soups is a ready-to-eat convenient food product that is easily available in the market. Processing the canned soups is easy and takes less time for the preparation. Canned soup export business has also augmented in recent times owing to the high acceptance power for these products among consumers and brand awareness among the developing economies. Furthermore, the growing working population and increasing preferences for processed food products due to their health benefits boost demand for canned soup products. In addition, shifting of rural population to urban areas in developing countries in Asia Pacificsuch as China and Indiais also projected to increase the demand for various consumer goods, which is also expected to boost the growth of the canned soups market during the forecast period.

In 2019, North America contributed to the largest share in the global canned soups market. Increasing instance of obesity and rising campaigns regarding health awareness in the North America propelled the demand for packaged soup having natural and fresh ingredients. Therefore, the demand for canned soup has also increased and manufacturers are providing different flavors to the consumers. The increase in the variety of products, surge in the consumption of healthy products, and promotion by the key players in the region have increased the demand for canned soup in North America.

Market Insights

High Shelf Life of Canned Food Products

The shelf life of any canned soup is the amount of time it requires to degrade to the non-palatable state. Shelf life extension ingredients added in the canned soup products slow down the process of food degradation and enable longer storage of the food items. They are both organic and conventional in origin. Shelf life extension ingredients also aid in the keeping food logistics decongested, sustain canned soups in frozen areas, and improve consumer confidence over stability of food items. Consumers have become more aware about their diet. Health benefits such as improved immunity, lower caloric intake, and high protein intake are other factors expected to influence the product demand.

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Type Insights

Based on type, the global canned soups market is bifurcated into condensed and ready-to-eat. In 2091, the condensed segment led the market. Condensed canned soup products are produced by using a wide variety of seasonings and foods that offer high nutritional value. The consumption of condensed soup offers numerous health benefits as well as it is a concentrated source of protein and calcium, which play a vital role for the building of body. Thus, the market for condensed soup segment is expected to growth significantly during the forecast period.

Canned Soups Market, by Type

CondensedReady-to-Eat

Canned Soups Market, by Category

VegetarianNon-Vegetarian

Canned Soups Market, by Processing

Regular SoupOrganic Soup

Canned Soups Market, by Distribution Channel

Hypermarkets/SupermarketsConvenience StoresOnlineOthers

Key points from Table of Content:

1. Introduction

2. Key Takeaways

3. Research Methodology

4. Canned Soups Market Landscape

5. Canned Soups Market Key Market Dynamics

6. Canned Soups Global Market Analysis

7. Canned Soups Market Analysis By Type

8. Canned Soups Market Analysis By Category

9. Canned Soups Market Analysis By Processing

10. Canned Soups Market Analysis By Distribution Channel

11. Canned Soups Market Geographic Analysis

12. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Canned Soups Market

13. Key Company Profiles

14. Appendix

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES

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Excerpt from:

Canned Soups Market to Garner US$ 6494.95 million by 2027 at 3.8% CAGR, Says The Insight Partners - Digital Journal

Korean scientists working at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) have been researching the lengthening of summer under 1.5 C and 2 C conditions using several global models. Under the 2 C model scenario, they reveal that summers will extend by an average of three weeks across Asia, Europe, and the US. However, if warming is limited to 1.5 C, the three-week lengthening is reduced, whereby it still extends, but by 12 or 13 days.

Image Credit:ParabolStudio/Shutterstock.com

The temperature goal set at the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement was to limit global temperature rise to below 2 C, pre-industrial levels, preferably 1.5 C.

At COP26, Glasgow 2021, the follow up to Paris, new data from Climate Action Tracker revealed current global policies are failing to limit warming, which means the world is currently on track to see temperatures rise by at least 1.7 C.

Limiting warming to 1.5 C is less viable unless drastic action is taken.

Many regions are going to experience the effects of longer summers and everything those will bring. For most, the consequences will not be positive.

If data modeling is accurate, and global temperatures are still rising rapidly, it means that even if policies changed today and climate change was halted, the best-case scenario would mean it will still take thousands of years for the climate to stabilize again.

Excess CO2 would remain in the atmosphere and continue to exert a warming effect. The oceans and surface air temperature would also continue to warm due to thermal ocean expansion. Sea levels will continue to rise as glaciers and ice sheets continue to melt.

Image Credit:Achim Baque/Shutterstock.com

Geological processes that bury CO2 in ocean sediments occur over thousands of years, so scientists would need to find a way to replicate this process on a much faster timescale, but only if the political will is there and financed by stakeholders.

Critics of carbon capture and carbon storage, such as Friends of the Earth, have claimed attempts at such schemes have not been successful so far, and distract from serious investment in renewable energy, storage, and energy efficiency.

If climate change is not stopped, the scenario of runaway climate change will occur, and all life on the planet would eventually cease to exist.

Runaway climate change is caused by positive feedbacks, whereby the planet absorbs more solar radiation than it can radiate back to space. The hotter the surface temperature gets, the faster it warms up and passes a tipping point where all human intervention then becomes futile.

Venus is an example of where the planets surface grew so hot, surface water boiled, was unable to condense into rain, and leached out of the atmosphere into space, leaving behind a hot, dry planet. A study reveals that even drought-tolerant microbial life, such as that found on Earth, almost certainly cannot now exist on Venus.

Mass extinction of all known species, including humans, will start to occur due to crop failures, water, and air pollution, drought, floods, famines, forest fires, chronic disease and starvation, severe and erratic weather conditions, industrial collapse, and economic ruin.

Earth will become inhabitable as society breaks down and cooperation for survival fails. Many of these events are already happening, with many citizens, including climate activists and some scientists, believing time to take action may have already passed. Others believe mitigating actions can still avert the worst effects of climate change and prevent a runaway scenario, including most leaders at COP26.

The research conducted at Pohang University has shown global temperatures have already risen by 1.1 C above pre-industrial levels, and that even a rise of just half a degree has significant consequences.

Different types of experiments conducted over ten years all produced very similar results, which included All-Hist (2006-2015), Plus 15 and Plus 20 experiments, and Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project phase 5 coupled GCM simulations.

The experiments showed warming periods at the beginning and end of seasons becoming more frequent. This has a huge impact on agriculture, public health, ecosystems, and energy sectors, which require further assessment and mitigation plans to be put in place, above those already agreed at COP26.

High-risk areas for summer extending are East Asia, the US, and the Mediterranean, or mid-latitude lands, with the highest effects occurring in low latitudes, rather than in high latitudes.

If warming increases by 2 C above pre-industrial levels, the number of people affected by water shortages will rise by 50 percent. The sea level is likely to rise by 10 cm, but if it can be held at 1.5 C as per the Paris Agreement, it means 10 million people would no longer be threatened by the loss of land, homes, and livelihoods from sea level rise.

The research also showed that day-to-day variability in temperatures was important for determining regional differences in hot day temperatures. That is to say, where lower variability occurs, there is a stronger increase in summer-like days overall and vice versa. The frequency of summer-like days decreases if warming models are limited to 1.5 C, indicating the high importance of striving to keep the hope of 1.5 C alive.

Pohang scientists revealed that follow-up analysis of Southern Hemisphere seasonal length is to be published in a separate study, and that summer expansion upon oceans, ecosystems and regional impacts needs to be considered with care, in line with marine heatwave.

The outcome of COP26 was the Glasgow Climate Pact, which included three significant commitments on tackling climate change.

The first is a pledge to end and reverse deforestation by 2030, signed by 100 countries, including Indonesia and Brazil.

Second, is a pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030, signed by 90 countries. The last was a joint declaration by the US and China to collaborate on their efforts to keep temperatures within 1.5 C.

There was also a vast range of other statements and declarations by World Leaders, which are detailed over three pages on the COP26 Outcomes page of UKCOP26. None of them specifically mitigate extended summers, but all of them combined will indirectly have a positive effect if actioned.

If climate pledges are acted upon, limiting climate change to 1.5 C may still be achieved, and summers might extend by just 12 or 13 days. If not, then a three-week extension to summer is highly possible, and with that, untold suffering, species extinction, and ecosystem destruction, including even warmer seas. This would be coupled with displacement and mass migration of millions of people escaping sea level rise, food and water shortages, extreme weather conditions, and loss of homes and livelihoods, which will increase with every minor temperature rise above 1.5 C.

Lengthening of Summer Season over the Northern Hemisphere under 1.5C and 2C Global Warming. (12.23.2021) Park.B, Min,S, Weller.E in Environmental Research online (accessed 02.07.2022)https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac3f64/pdf

2C warmer Earth extends Summer by 3 weeks (01.25.2022) Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) in EurekAlert! Online (accessed 02.07.2022)https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/941149

COP26: success or failure? A correspondents verdict (11.19.2021) Pomeroy.R in World Economic Forum (online) (accessed 02.04.2022)https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/11/cop26-success-or-failure/

Glasgows 2030 credibility gap: net zeros lip service to climate action in ClimateActionTracker.org (online) (accessed 02.04.2022)https://climateactiontracker.org/publications/glasgows-2030-credibility-gap-net-zeros-lip-service-to-climate-action/

If Emissions of Greenhouse Gases were Stopped, would the climate return to conditions of 200 years ago? (2020) in The Royal Society online (accessed 02.04.2022)https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/climate-change-evidence-causes/question-20/

Could the runaway greenhouse effect come to earth? (08.11.2010) Upholt.B in Wren online (accessed 02.04.2022)https://www.wren.co/blog/posts/could-the-runaway-greenhouse-effect-come-to-earth

Carbon Capture and Storage wont work critics say (01.19.2021) Brown.P in Eco-Business. (Accessed 02.07.2022)https://www.eco-business.com/news/carbon-capture-and-storage-wont-work-critics-say/

Life on Venus is impossible because of lack of water, study suggests. (06.30.2021) Pultarova.P, In Scientific American online (accessed 02.08.2022)https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/life-on-venus-is-impossible-because-of-lack-of-water-study-suggests/

What happened at COP26? (11.04.2021) Jackson.S in Ecologi online (accessed 02.08.2022)https://ecologi.com/articles/blog/what-happened-at-cop26

COP26 Outcomes (Nov 2021) in UKCOP26.org online (accessed 02.08.2022)https://ukcop26.org/the-conference/cop26-outcomes/page/3/

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Earths Summers are Extending; But What Does This Mean? - AZoCleantech