Category Archives: Resource Based Economy

As the UN climate talks draw near, Canada has enormous work left to do to reach its goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Collectively, Canadians have to cut overall greenhouse-gas emissions by 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions across the economy by 2050.

And whereas countries like the U.K. have dramatically slashed their emissions levels, Canada's one of the few nations where emissions keep skyrocketing, and where fossil fuel extraction keeps increasing every year despite our climate targets.

Our award-winning journalists bring you the news that impacts you, Canada, and the world. Don't miss out.

Given its track record, how will Canada achieve its goal of getting to net-zero by 2050?

In the upcoming online Conversations event on Thursday, 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET, host and Canada's National Observer deputy managing editor David McKie will discuss how renewable energy can put the country on track to hitting its targets with Clean Energy Canada executive director Merran Smith, Canadian Institute for Climate Choices senior economist Dale Beugin, and WaterPower Canada CEO Anne-Raphalle Audouin.

If we wanted to be powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity, Canada is one of the countries where this is actually possible, said Audouin.

She says for that to happen, it would take a slate of clean energy providers working together to fill the gaps, rather than competing for market dominance.

You couldn't power Canada just with wind and solar, even with batteries. That being said, renewables happen to work very well together she said. Hydropower already makes up more than 90 per cent of Canadas renewable generation and 60 per cent of the countrys total electricity needs are currently met thanks to this flexible, dispatchable, abundant source of baseload renewable electricity. It isnt a stretch of the imagination to envision hydropower and wind and solar working increasingly together to clean up our grid. In fact, hydropower already backs up and allows intermittent renewable energies like wind and solar onto the grid.

She noted that while hydropower alone won't be the solution, its long history and indisputable suite of attributes hydroelectricity has been in Canada since the 1890s will make it a key part of the clean energy transition required to replace coal, natural gas and oil, which still make up around 20 per cent of Canada's power sources.

Canada's vast access to water, wind, biomass, solar, geothermal, and ocean energy, and a federal government that has committed to climate goals, makes us well-positioned to lead the way to a net-zero future and eventually the electrification of our economy. So, what's holding the country back?

According to Clean Energy Canada, it's possible to grow the clean energy sector, but only if businesses invest massively in renewables and governments give guidance and oversight.

A recent modelling study from Clean Energy Canada and Navius Research exploring the energy picture here in Canada over the next decade shows our clean energy sector is expected to grow by about 50 per cent by 2030 to around 640,000 people. Already, the clean energy industry provides 430,500 jobs more than the entire real estate sector and that growth is expected to accelerate as our dependence on oil and gas decreases. In fact, clean energy jobs in Alberta are predicted to jump 164 per cent over the next decade.

Currently, provinces with the most hydropower generation are also the ones with the lowest electricity rates. Wind and solar are now on par, or even more competitive, than natural gas, and that could have big implications for other major sectors of the economy. Grocery giant Loblaws (which owns brands including President's Choice, Joe Fresh, and Asian grocery chain T&T) deployed its fleet of fully electric delivery trucks in recent years, and Hydro-Qubec just signed a $20-billion agreement to help power and decarbonize the state of New York over the next 25 years.

In The New Reality, Smith writes that many carbon-intensive industries, such as the mining sector, could also potentially benefit from the increased demand for certain natural resources like lithium and nickel as the world switches to electric vehicles and clean power.

Oil and gas may have dominated Canadas energy past, but its Canadas clean energy sector that will define its new reality, Smith emphasized.

Despite its vast potential to be one of the world's clean energy leaders, Canada has a long way to getting on the path to net zero. Even though the country is home to some of the world's leading cleantech companies, such as B.C.-based hydrogen fuel cell providers Ballard Power and Loop Energy and Nova Scotia-based carbon utilization company CarbonCure, the country continues to expand fossil fuel extraction to the point that emissions are projected to jump to around 1,500 MtCO2 worth by 2030.

We still are a resource-based economy, and one of the largest emitting countries of greenhouse gases per capita in the world, Audouin said. Climate targets are one thing. But we now have the right environment, we have the right policies... Everybody's getting on board the climate bus. What we need now is strong action to propel renewables centre stage.

Join Canadas National Observer on Oct. 21 to discuss how Canada will get to net-zero emissions by 2050. Register here.

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Canada's race to net-zero and the role of renewable energy - National Observer

Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. [Image: Parliament of Fiji]

Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the increase in Government guarantee for the Fiji Development Bank will enable the FDB to continue to effectively deliver a variety of Governments socio-economic and lending policies that continues to directly benefit and impact many Fijians, businesses and the economy.

Parliament has approved the increased government guarantee from $170 million to $250 million for the 12 month period from 1st March 2021 to 28th February 2022 for the Fiji Development Bank borrowings through the issuance of short and long-term bonds, promissory notes, term deposits, other short term borrowings and any Reserve Bank of Fiji financing facility; and that a guarantee fee of 0.075 percent be applied on the cumulative utilised guarantee credit.

Sayed-Khaiyum says under the COVID-19 recovery credit guarantee scheme, the FDB has so far approved a total of 3,263 loans to customers with a value of $50.09 million as of 14th September, 2021. These include 1,946 loans in the micro category, 906 loans in the small category, 291 loans in the medium and 120 loans in the large category.

He says three main sectors that make up the 78 percent of the approved loans are the wholesale, retail, transport, and professional business services and the remaining 22 percent are loans to the agricultural, building and construction and manufacturing sectors.

Sayed-Khaiyum says in addition to these approvals, 8,114 applications with a total vale of $139.1 million have been received by the bank and are being processed.

He further told parliament that the FDB has forecast a total of $100 million outlays under the COVID-19 credit guarantee scheme as at 20th February, 2022 and the banks total outlay forecast as at 20th February, 2020 amounts to $397.7 million. He says the banks total inflow forecast for 2021 amounts to $147.7 million which indicates that an additional $80 million is required to finance the total outlay of $397.7 million.

Sayed-Khaiyum says this will cater for the scheme as the existing Government guarantee around $170 million is not sufficient to cover for the new borrowings under the scheme.

He says the additional $80 million Government guarantee request from the bank aims to continue the facilitation of the scheme by lending to essential sectors of the economy particularly resource based sectors including agriculture, mining and quarrying, manufacturing, transport, building and construction, micro, small and medium enterprises, wholesale, retail, hotels and private individuals affected by the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Economy also revealed that Westpac, ANZ, and Bank of Baroda have not taken up this facility which has been made available through the Reserve Bank of Fiji where they lend to banks at 0.25 percent.

Sayed-Khaiyum says ANZ and Westpac have the largest share of the market yet they have not participated in it.

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Increased guarantee to FDB will directly benefit many Fijians, businesses and the economy - AG - Fijivillage

(Black Press file photo)

Let us protest logging and save the world. I have no doubt that most of those who are out there protesting, passionately feel that they are out there to save the planet.

But because we live in a resource-based economy and our governments are extremely in debt, I must ask: if we shut down the industry, how do you propose we pay for our education, our hospitals, nurses, doctors, our roads and the renewable infrastructure we so desperately need? Do you propose we market our beautiful land to tourists? Are the jobs as high-paying as logging? How do tourists get here? Do they fly in solar-powered airplanes or fuel-guzzling jets? Does the housing shortage cause the cost of buying and renting homes to increase? Are we going to import lumber from countries with less stringent environmental codes with the added cost of shipping?

Is shipping lumber longer distances environmentally friendly? How much has the RCMP presence in the woods cost the taxpayers?

If you agree with my message please speak up. Those of you who support sustainable industry need to say so by writing to your elected officials. Our elected officials names, addresses, both street and email are found easily on the internet or the library. I also strongly urge those of you who feel you are saving the world by protesting in the woods to educate yourselves by reading and thinking about the questions I have asked.

M. Gravelle

Duncan

ALSO READ: Appeal court judge grants temporary injunction for logging company at Fairy Creek

Read more here:

LETTER: Be careful what you wish for when it comes to logging - Ladysmith Chronicle

Rebecca L. Watts| Guest columnist

Rebecca L. Watts serves as a regional vice president for Western Governors University, a nonprofit, accredited university focused on competency-based learning that currently serves 250 students and has more than 400 alumni in Rhode Island.

If Rhode Islands workforce is to respond to the ever-changing needs of business and industry, and if employers are to provide thriving-wage jobs that allow individuals to advance in chosen career paths, there is work to do.

Rhode Island has been regaining jobs lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August (5.8%) was astoundingly better than in August 2020 (12.6%), it is still slightly higher than the national average (5.2%).

Local industries, ranging from health care and business, to schools and information technology, all require a qualified and skilled workforce to maintain and continuously modernize their service and product offerings. Without a top-notch talent pool prepared with relevant 21st-century skills, employers face the possibility of failing to remain competitive.

Reversing that trend will require expansive, collaborative efforts. An empowered workforce strengthens the state economy and is made up of individuals who have the relevant, modern tools to reach their full potential, developed through education to leverage talents into opportunity.

But the affordability gap in accessing education could grow wider as public and private universities in Rhode Island consider annual tuition increases. Last year, student submittals of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) dropped nationally by 8%.

In March, the U.S. Department of Education reported that in Rhode Island, FAFSA applications declined by a troubling 10.8% compared with 2020. Those who are not submitting applications are part of a critical segment of the states population individuals who have not pursued higher education, and the jobs that could result, largely because they didnt apply for financial aid.

PrepareRI assists prospective learners in completing the FAFSA application, and the Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner has set a statewide goal of 70% completion among the states high school seniors. Yet this target reflects only a portion of the talent pool in the state. For adult learners needing to upskill to remain relevant in the workforce, completing the FAFSA is an important step to begin the process.

For learners of all ages seeking education pathways that lead to long-term career success, it is important to call out the career-relevant, high-quality, low-cost option of online, competency-based education,which measures demonstration of skills and subject knowledge rather than time spent in a classroom. For example, in each of Western Governors Universitys four colleges business, health professions, information technology, and teaching competency-based degree programs align with workforce imperatives and are continuously refined with the input of industry partners to ensure that they provide current, relevant high-quality learning pathways.

This innovative learning model is complementary to the many excellent traditional higher education options in Rhode Island, expanding opportunity to fill existing gaps. For many WGUstudents and alumni based in the Ocean State, this model is the only way they can achieve a college degree and continue to advance in their careers without interruption.

Collaborative approaches to post-secondary education also provide a key long-term strategy for workforce investment and economic recovery. WGU partners with community colleges on credit transfers for their graduates, and with local businesses to support human resource objectives and expand access to higher education for their employees. These initiatives support efforts to retain businesses and employees in Rhode Island, so both can thrive.

As Rhode Islands economy moves forward, dramatically changed by COVID-19, the academic needs of Rhode Islanders continue to evolve as well. Higher education has a duty to help connect talent with professional opportunityby offering a variety of ways to trainthe state's workforce with the credentials employers trust.

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Opinion/Watts: Online access to higher education can boost RIs economic recovery - The Providence Journal

In an unprecedented move, NAACP partners with venture backed technology company Hello Alice to support the NAACP's proactive mission of improving the lives of African Americans andtheir communities through increasing economic opportunities and building generational wealth.

Today, NAACP announced their newly acquired ownership stake in Hello Alice, the largest online platform helping small businesses launch, attract, and retain more diverse customer sets. The announcement is a first for the NAACP and will provide substantial resources towards advancing the organization's goals for economic equality for Black communities.

"To champion true racial equity, we need to address the long-standing economic inequality that has left Black communities underfunded and undervalued for centuries," said NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson. "That's why we've taken the unprecedented step to join as a part-owner of Hello Alice. Our Black-owned businesses, who already faced long-ingrained institutional barriers to success, continue to recover from the devastation thrust upon them by the pandemic. Between February and April of 2020, Black business ownership declined more than 40%, which is more than any other ethnic group. This first-of-its kind partnership is a pivotal step towards putting Black business at the forefront of our economy and as a result, building generational wealth and economic power for Black communities."

In an effort to support Black-owned businesses on a long-term basis, the NAACP first began partnering with Hello Alice to create the Black-owned Business Resource Center that includes capital and networking opportunities for Black small business owners throughout the country. Forty-four percent of the platform identifies as Black business owners, with nearly 75,000 participating in the Black Owned Business Center. As part-owner, NAACP now hosts voting rights and fully vested equity in Hello Alice. As Hello Alice grows its valuation and revenue, NAACP will receive the same financial earnings as other investors on the cap table, to benefit both the organization and the communities it serves.

"It's time for the word equity to hold its full meaning in business," said Elizabeth Gore, Co-founder and President of Hello Alice. "Black business owners are the most entrepreneurial of any ethnicity in our country, and a critical customer set of our business. The NAACP shares our values to ensure all small business owners have access to the capital they need to scale. This is the best economic bet we can make."

The coronavirus pandemic exacerbated inequalities that Black-owned businesses were already facing. In response, the NAACP launched several initiatives to help these businesses stay afloat and support their communities. The association committed a combined $1 million in collaboration with the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation to launch the Power Forward Small Business Grant which will continue to support Black-owned businesses throughout New England. Additionally, the NAACP has created the Backing the B.A.R initiative in collaboration with Bacardi to provide over $350,000 in grants, education and entrepreneurship solutions for Black-owned bars, restaurants, and small businesses in the process of applying for a liquor license and collaborated with Beyonce's BeyGOOD Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund.

The NAACP has long believed that economic equity is crucial to racial equity, and an inclusive economy means everyone can contribute and earn with fair access to resources and opportunity. White families typically make 10 times that of Black families. In its current state, the United States economy is riddled with long-standing inequities that not only prevent growth within Black and brown communities but the economy as a whole. Closing the revenue gap between Black and white businesses would generate an additional $290 billion for the U.S. economy.

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Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund also referred to as the NAACP-LDF was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but separated in 1957 to become a completely separate entity. It is recognized as the nation's first civil and human rights law organization and shares our commitment to equal rights.

Original post:

NAACP Becomes Part-owner in Hello Alice to Build Black Generational Wealth - NAACP

Published on October 23rd, 2021 at 09:00am EDT

Even without a job offer, you may be eligible for two immigration pathways if you wish to live and work in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) is among a number of Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) that offer immigration options for international applicants without a job offer.

While the most popular immigration route in Canada is known as the Express Entry system, there is an equally promising route called the PNP.

Express Entry is based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) in which points are accumulated based on human capital factors. While in most cases Express Entry candidates do not require a job offer, having one will result in a much higher number of points, and therefore a better chance of being invited to apply for permanent residence in Canada.

Canadas PNP, on the other hand, was introduced to ensure a more balanced distribution of the benefits of immigration throughout the country. The program gives participating provinces and territories the opportunity to nominate a set number of economic immigrants for permanent residence each year. PNPs are quite different from one province to another, with each province determining its own set of nomination requirements.

In order to immigrate to Canada through a PNP, you must first be nominated by the province or territory.

Discover if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration

Nine Canadian provinces and two territories participate in the PNP, Saskatchewan is one of them.

Saskatchewan is a prairie province located in Western Canada. The provinces economy is based primarily on agriculture and natural resource industries such as forestry and fishing. It also plays a major role in the production and supply of agricultural products needed by the fastest-growing economies in the world.

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) provides pathways for immigration to Canada. Through the SINP, Saskatchewan nominates non-Canadians who wish to settle in the province and gives successful candidates the opportunity to become permanent residents of Canada.

Among the various streams that are operated under the SINP, there are two very active provincial nomination streams that do not require job offers. The first is the Saskatchewan Express Entry-linked stream, which does, however, require one to have an active profile in the federal Express Entry system in order to apply.

The Express Entry sub-category is an enhanced PNP, which means it is linked to the federal Express Entry system. Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination from the province of Saskatchewan are awarded an additional 600 points toward their CRSscore. This award effectively guarantees them a chance to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

In order to be considered for an invitation to apply for a provincial nomination under this stream, candidates must create an Express Entry profile and express their interest in settling in Saskatchewan.

The second is the Saskatchewan Occupation In-Demand stream, which does not require one to have an Express Entry profile. The stream is designed to bring skilled workers to fill labour market needs. To be eligible, an applicant must have at least one year of work experience in one of the positions included on Saskatchewans Occupations In-Demand list.

Saskatchewan regularly issues invitations through these two streams. So far this year, 2,733 Saskatchewan Express Entry and 3,433 Occupations In-Demand candidates have been invited. In all, 6,166 invitations have so far been issued through these two streams in 2021. This is close to the number of invitations issued by Ontario through its Human Capital Priorities Stream, another PNP stream that does not require a job offer and is considered as one of the most active in the country.

This sub-category is for candidates who do not have a job offer in Saskatchewan but have experience in an in-demand occupation. More specifically candidates must meet these requirements:

This sub-category is for applicants who do not have a job offer in Saskatchewan but are highly qualified in an occupation in demand. More specifically candidates must meet these requirements:

Discover if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration

CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.

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Immigrate to Canada without a job offer: Saskatchewan PNP - Canada Immigration News

This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Deskcollaboration.

When he was a little boy in the 1980s, Wang Xiaojun was taught to be proud of his home town of Lliang in the north-western Chinese province of Shanxi. Shanxi is Chinas biggest coal-producing region, and Lliang was a significant base for the army during the second world war.

Nestled in the mountains of the dusty Loess Plateau, Lliang, a city of 3.4 million people, has had less to shout about in recent years. A series of corruption scandals in the city brought down several high profile officials shortly after President Xi Jinping came to power in 2013; there are concerns over the high number of babies born with congenital defects, blamed by experts on air pollution; and, last week, a huge flood forced coal mines to close just as China scrambles to tackle its energy crunch.

Coal is the main source of power generation in China, but Xi has vowed to change that. The country has been the worlds biggest producer of greenhouse gas emissionsfor more than a decade now. A year ago, Xi pledged his countrys carbon emissions would peak by 2030, then achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Last month, he announced China would stop building new coal-fired projects overseas in a move that analysts say could be pivotal in tackling global emissions.

Ending a dependency on coal at home has proved trickier. Shortly after he took office, Xi began to plan on low-carbon and sustainable development of resource-based cities. But since September, China has been experiencing its own coal dilemma, with power shortages spread across key regions, causing a ripple effect to the global economy. To tackle the crisis, officials ordered more than 70 mines in Inner Mongolia to increase coal production by almost 100 million tons early this month. And on 29 September Shanxi promised to supply coal to 14 other regions across China to ensure sufficient energy throughout this winter.

Outside China, there is a fear that Beijing may be rethinking its promises on decarbonization. That mood darkened last week, when it emerged that Xi would not be attending Cop26 in person. It is a worry that some veteran China analysts dismiss as over-interpretationXi has not left the country since January 2020 and was always unlikely to make an exception for Cop26, particularly as it is being hosted by a western nation.

They argue that Beijings recent whac-a-mole approach merely reflects the messy reality of the countrys energy transition. To residents in Shanxi, however, Chinas reliance on dirty coal is a vicious circle that the province of 37 million people can not easily pull itself out of, despite the promises from central government. It is not about whether China can be less reliant on coal eventually, it is rather about what will happen to a province like ours afterwards, Wang, who now works as a climate campaigner, toldthe Observer.

As an activist, of course Id like to see my home town move away from coal. After all, I grew up only knowing the sky is grey and coal is the only source of energy. But I also worry what will happen to a province whose economy overwhelmingly depends on coal and heavy industries, and the millions of people whose livelihoods are reliant on them.

In Lliang, villages like Wangs are often built atop barren mountains to avoid constant floods. Until the 1980s, most of the boys would grow up to become farmers. Then coal became a valuable commodity as China began to expand its economy. But a few years ago, as coal depleted underneath some mountains, many villages collapsed and people died. Those who survived moved away. In Wangs old village, only three elderly people are still there, he said. They are reluctant to move. Its where they spent most of their lives.

Growing up with coal miners in the village, Wang saw with his own eyes how dangerous mines could be. Seven years ago, when working in a coal mine, Wangs 38-year-old cousin, Wang Xiaobing, was caught in an accident. A ceiling collapsed and he lost his lower left leg. He was sent home after the incident. But, with a young family to support and lacking the skills to switch career, Xiaobing eventually went back to his former mine as a driver. Shortly after, he developed lung and liver illness and died two years ago.

You see, the addiction to coal is not just on a national level, but also on a personal level. Its not easy to move away from, Wang said. A lot of people here, including another relative of mine, are unhappy with [media] talk of climate change and the [the governments] effort to reduce coal consumption. To us, this is bread and butter. Without it, what would Lliang look like?

They need to start to prepare for a coal-free future right now before its too late.

Stories like this have been commonplace across Chinas coal regions in the past two decades.In the decade between 2000 and 2010, on average 4,870 people died in mine accidents every year. In the US, the figure was only 33. The figure began to decrease dramatically in the last decade as the government imposed strict safety rules for mine owners and nationalized many mines.

Han Jinsong (not his real name), a 50-year-old former coal miner in the city of Fengyang, said that while also working as a miner, his elder brother was hit by a mine car and stayed in hospital for about six months. He became disabled and the coal mine he worked at compensated for once, he said. Thats it.

Han added: Despite all these tragedies, its unrealistic for China to move away from coal. Youve seen the recent power shortages spread across the country. Now the government has to reopen coal mines to meet the accelerating demand. Its always going to be a dilemma.

Its a reality that senior officials have openly admitted. Chinas energy structure is dominated by coal power. This is an objective reality, said Su Wei, deputy secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission in Beijing, in April. We have no other choice. For a period of time, we may need to use coal power as a point of flexible adjustment.

The rise and fall of Lliangas well as other coal-heavy citiesis also the story of Chinas changing economic and social structure, said Judith Audin, a French sociologist who writes about the coal industry in Shanxi province. In 2010, when Shanxi coal bossa term used as a symbol of Dickensian Chinaoften appeared in social media, Lliangs GDP growth was ata staggering 21%. In 2020, it was only 2.7 percent.

Local officials have been talking about transition for a long time. When Lliangs economy was booming a decade ago, billions were poured into road construction and apartment buildings. But by 2015, supply had far exceeded the demand. Coupled with a decrease in coal consumption,the local economy crashed, and the mayor was sacked on corruption charges.

Across Shanxi, there have been other experiments in recent years, too, said Audin. In Datong, Chinas coal capital, the coal mining land is now covered in solar panels and wind turbines.

But even if these efforts were eventually successful, to what extent will these new energy businesses absorb the excess labour left by coal mining? Audin said. And how would the authorities deal with the generations of coal miners and their families whove helped power China but who have no other skills in the new economy?

Read more from the original source:

China, Coal, and COP26: Can the World's Top Emitter Shake Its Dirty Habit? Mother Jones - Mother Jones

Neil Mayfields dog a 2-year-old boxer named Penny has their two-mile walking route near Madeira Canyon Park in Henderson memorized. Its their morning ritual these days, before or after he walks the familys other dog.

The daily fresh air wasnt always a given for her owner. Mayfield, 51, spent two decades working in the food and beverage industry, logging long hours in often windowless environments. His days were robotic: a demanding shift, a drive home, limited time with his wife and children, household chores and a few hours of sleep before doing it all over again.

Then the pandemic hit. The former assistant food and beverage director was one of thousands sidelined by the 78-day shutdown of the Las Vegas Strip. His furlough ended when casinos reopened in June 2020, but employment only lasted a few months. By October, Mayfields gaming company employer, which he did not want to name, consolidated operations and laid him off. He was suddenly back home, shepherding his young sons, now 7 and 11, through distance learning rather than battling with tourists to keep their face masks on, navigating staffing shortages or worrying about catching COVID-19.

When they let me go, I was like, thank goodness, he said. We all had like a foxhole mentality when we went into work.

Mayfield said the unplanned time off work, as unnatural as it felt initially, gave him time to reassess his life priorities. Now, his involuntary departure from the workforce has morphed into a personal decision not to return at least for the time being.

Hes not alone. Despite federal unemployment benefits expiring in early September and higher wages in some industries, workers arent necessarily flocking back to the job market.

Nevadas labor participation rate a metric that refers to people who are working or actively looking for jobs has fallen several percentage points since the beginning of the pandemic. In September, the seasonally adjusted rate stood at 61.6 percent, down from 64.9 percent in February 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The states chief economist, David Schmidt, said the pandemic has created some unusual volatility in month-to-month data, but even if numbers are revised after benchmarking, he expects the broad trend to be lower labor participation.

Nationally, the labor participation rate remained relatively static in September at 61.6 percent, though thats 1.7 percentage points lower than in February 2020.

The labor force participation rate is having an effect on the state unemployment rate, which measures people who are out of a job but actively seeking work. The Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) reported Thursday that Nevadas unemployment rate had dipped slightly, from 7.7 percent in August to 7.5 percent in September, which Schmidt said in a news release was due in part to the people leaving the labor force, an occurrence typically seen when coming out of a recession.

So why are people permanently leaving or postponing their return to the workforce? Economists and others who study labor trends say its likely a mixed bag of reasons, ranging from early retirement or career burnout to child care concerns and lifestyle changes. For others, its an inability to work certain jobs as the pandemic, and related mitigation efforts, continue.

While not entirely surprising, they say, its also a landmark moment in labor.

Itll be a big, you know, asterisk in history books for labor force adjustment, said Brian Bonnenfant, a project manager at UNRs Center for Regional Studies.

In June, Mayfield and his wife, a special education coordinator for the Clark County School District, began broaching the big question: Should he return to work?

It was increasingly clear that their sons would be attending in-person school full time in the fall, rendering his duty as distance learning coach unnecessary. But the preceding eight months had given the family a window into what their life could be: no more frenzied schedules, missed holidays or prolonged exhaustion. Mayfield cooked more meals, walked their two dogs and did the laundry, giving his wife time to decompress after work. They watched their family relationships blossom, not to mention their health.

I got regular sleep again, and I stopped feeling like I had been beaten with a baseball bat every morning, he said.

The couple took a hard look at their finances, talked to their children and discussed lifestyle changes that could trim expenses. Mayfield didnt oppose going back to work. His phone already had been ringing with job prospects in the food and beverage industry. His wife and children, including a college-aged daughter, didnt want him returning, though.

So he hasnt, at least for now.

Would they have made this change had the pandemic not upended his work life? Probably not, Mayfield says.

I think it forced people to reevaluate things, he said. I think people reconnected, not only with family members but with themselves. There really was not a lot to do besides some serious introspection.

Nikki Tarbell and her family came to a similar decision..

For 16 years, Tarbell worked as a master control operator for the City of Las Vegass government-access television channel. The citys four-day work week meant she typically left her Henderson home at 7 a.m., not to return until roughly 6:30 p.m., leaving her husband responsible for feeding their two children and shuffling them to and from day care. That grind came to a halt when COVID-19 emerged and Tarbell was allowed to work from home.

But the city ended its remote-work policy in mid-March. The decision upset Tarbell, who didnt want her unvaccinated children, then in kindergarten and third grade, back in day care and exposed to the virus. At the time, schools were just resuming some in-person learning. She and her husband had determined that they only felt comfortable allowing their son and daughter to attend classes in person, while wearing masks, if they came straight home after school

Like Mayfield and his wife, Tarbell and her husband, a data analyst for Boyd Gaming, sat down to pencil out the finances. They created a budget, examining where they could save money and exist as a one-income household. For instance, Tarbell said they realized they could do without landscapers if she had more time to take care of those tasks, and they would also save $25,000 without child care.

She submitted her resignation letter to the city, noting she had never missed a beat or dropped a ball while working remotely.

Every family is different, she wrote. There is not a one size fits all solution out there for childcare in the middle of a pandemic and where the schools are still not fully opened.

The decision felt jarring at first, Tarbell said, in part because she had always felt the need to be financially independent. She watched her own mother struggle after her parents divorced when she was 12. But a realization was slowly dawning on her: She was no longer stressed, fighting tears on weeknights after long work days, commutes and making sure their children got fed and completed their homework.

She felt more present than ever as a wife and mother.

I am still a feminist. I am still capable. I am still smart. I still have an education, she said. But, also, I need to take this time in my life to reevaluate, like, what is important? I missed so much of my childrens young lives because I was working.

During the pandemic, women have departed the workforce at a greater rate than men, whether voluntarily or because of the caregiver roles they often play for children or other family members. An analysis by the National Womens Law Center found that 309,000 women (aged 20 and older) left the American labor force entirely in September, marking the biggest drop in female participation since September 2020.

Anne Price, president of the Oakland-based Insight Center for Community Economic Development, said the shifting workforce landscape should serve as a wakeup call for the government and private sector.

Were really seeing a birds-eye view of what peoples work lives really look like, she said. I think it should give us reason to pause and say, you know, we need better policies in place. People need sick leave. They need paid leave. They want to work with dignity.

Bonnenfant, from UNRs Center for Regional Studies, said he expects those who have left the workforce to return eventually, perhaps after reimagining their work possibilities.

My hope is a lot of them will turn into entrepreneurs and figure out that they can do stuff without an employer that they can make money doing X, Y, Z, he said. Im hoping a lot of them will realize theres a lot of flexibility in making money out there.

Thats the direction Mayfield is considering. He has long dreamed of opening a cozy lounge, featuring jazz music and sophisticated drinks, ideal for a date night. But he is in no hurry.

The longtime food and beverage worker wants to see how the market shakes out before making any big investments. For now, hes savoring his morning walks with the dogs, relaxing evenings with his family and the ability to play handyman around the house all activities once nearly impossible because of his work schedule.

Tarbell, meanwhile, isnt sure what the future holds. Maybe graduate school. Maybe trade school. But like Mayfield, she, too, is content feeling untethered.

I was working in television for 20 years, where you work in a dark room staring at monitors, she said. I have been outside every day, clipping trees and replanting things and painting things and working with my hands and sweating and it has been awesome. I needed that life change.

Mayfield and Tarbell also say they feel grateful and fortunate. Not everyone can leave the work world behind for a time.

The COVID-19 economic recovery has been K-shaped, Bonnenfant said, meaning some business sectors and populations have recovered more quickly, while others are suffering. For those on the downward slope of the K, it may be impossible to leave a job or stay out of the workforce for a prolonged period.

There's a lot of households and individuals that can't afford to play the labor market game or sit out for a while and take care of their mental health and their families, themselves, he said.

Hunter Birkeland is among those who left the workforce but cant afford to remain jobless for long.

The UNR student moved from Las Vegas to Reno in August to resume in-person classes. She hoped to find part-time employment up north, but Birkeland is legally deaf and needs a job that doesnt involve heavy interaction with customers or other people. The mask mandate has stripped her ability to read lips, making it difficult to communicate.

Prior to moving, she worked at a grocery store and a distribution center in Las Vegas. The former proved to be a daily hassle, even after the store moved her to a back-of-house position cutting fruits and vegetables.

Whenever I did go out to put stuff out, I would have customers get mad at me because I didnt understand what they were saying, she said.

Birkelands attempt to find a new job that accommodates her disability hasnt panned out, leaving her scraping by with $15 to $20 in her bank account. Birkeland said she has applied for more than a dozen jobs and sought help through both a state agency and the on-campus Disability Resource Center. Although she has picked up gig-economy jobs, such as delivering food for DoorDash, she wants a stable paycheck.

The 20-year-old said she checks her bank account at least twice a day, fearful that hidden fees or mistaken subscriptions will drain her last few dollars.

I can't do anything, and I don't have a credit card because of my student loans, she said.

Schimdt, the states chief economist, said one of the challenges moving forward is making sure people like Birkeland who want to re-enter the workforce can find an avenue to do so. It may be a matter of retraining or other solutions, he said, that ensure if someone wants to work, theres an opportunity out there for them.

Birkeland hopes she found that opportunity. She interviewed for a clerical filing position through the universitys veterinarian department on Wednesday.

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An era of reflection: Why some people aren't rushing back to the workforce - The Nevada Independent

NZC-TSX NORZF-OTCQB

(All figures are presented in US Dollars unless otherwise stated)

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 21, 2021 /CNW/ - NorZinc Ltd. (TSX: NZC) (OTCQB: NORZF) (the "Company" or "NorZinc") is pleased to announce the results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for its 100%-owned Prairie Creek Project ("Prairie Creek" or the "Project") in the Northwest Territories, Canada. The PEA incorporates an updated Mineral Resource Estimate providing an economic assessment for a 2,400 tonnes per day ("tpd") mine plan with a life of mine of 20.3 years.

PEA Highlights Include:

After-tax NPV8% of $299 million using base case metal prices of $1.20/lb zinc, $1.05/lb lead and $24/oz silver (pre-tax NPV8% of $505 million)

After-tax IRR of 17.7% (pre-tax IRR of 21.4%) based on initial Capex of $368 million, including $35 million of contingency, with significant opportunity to improve initial costs through cost optimization

At recent zinc spot price of approximately $1.50/lb zinc, after-tax NPV8% increases to US$479 and IRR increases to 22.8%,

LOM C1 by-product costs of $0.19/lb Zn and C3 by-product costs of $0.60/lb Zn (C1 co-product costs of $0.73/lb ZnEqi and C3 co-product costs of $0.92/lb ZnEq), placing Prairie Creek in the lowest third of zinc mines once in operation

Average annual payable ZnEq production of 261 Mlbs, including 2.6 Moz of average annual silver production, over a 20-year life of mine, with a payback of 4.8 years

Total cumulative LOM EBITDA of $2.5 billion; average annual EBITDA of $123 million

Updated Mineral Resource Estimate includes 9.8 M tonnes of total Measured & Indicated ("M&I") Resources at 22.7% ZnEq, a 15% increase in total M&I tonnage from the September 2015 Mineral Resource Estimate and 6.4 M tonnes of total Inferred Resources at 24.1% ZnEq

Updated definitive Feasibility Study to commence immediately and will incorporate the investigation of numerous identified opportunities to add value by optimizing capex and opex input costs

Project represents a majorly de-risked project with world-class potential in one of the most favourable and stable jurisdictions in the world

"The completion of the PEA is yet another significant milestone for NorZinc as it showcases the true potential of the Prairie Creek deposit, demonstrating a robust throughput rate of 2,400 tpd over a long mine life of over 20 years, highlighting the potential value and benefit this project has to deliver to all stakeholders," commented Rohan Hazelton, CEO of NorZinc Ltd. "While the PEA considers historical data with a reinterpreted mineral resource, it outlines a solid base-case for management as we continue on the planned path towards financing and development of the Prairie Creek Project. The modified permits for the expanded throughput rates are well underway with approvals expected in late Q1 2022."

Story continues

"We have identified multiple opportunities for further operational and economic optimization, which we will continue to investigate as we move towards the next step of completing an updated Feasibility Study for the Project, particularly in relation to input costs relating to both the initial and sustaining capital and operating costs as well as the ore sorting strategies aimed at optimizing processing. The fundamentals for zinc, our primary product, are strong and are enhanced by the recent addition of zinc to Canada's Critical Mineral List which highlights the minerals critical to the building of a clean and digitized economy. Silver is also expected to continue to play a significant role in the development and financing of the project as the market demand for silver streams is high."

"Overall, this PEA demonstrates compelling economics which provides management with greater conviction in early-stage financing discussions already taking place. And while metallurgy continues to be a consideration, management is confident in the quality and marketability of our concentrate. We have strong interest and demand for our concentrates as recently reaffirmed with our MOU with Boliden."

Table 1: Highlighted Results from PEA

After-Tax Net Present Value ("NPV") (Discount Rate 8%)

$299M

After-Tax Internal Rate of Return ("IRR")

17.7%

After-Tax Payback Period

4.8 Years

Pre-Production Capex

$368M

Sustaining Capex and Closure Costs

$332M

Average Annual Payable Silver

2,551 koz

Average Annual Payable Zinc

122 Mlbs

Average Annual Payable Lead

101 Mlbs

Life of Mine ("LOM")

20.3 Years

Total Resource Mined

17.2 Mt

Average ZnEq[i] Diluted Grade of Mineral Resources Mined

17.10%

Gross Revenue After Royalty (LOM)

$6,274M

After-Tax Free Cash Flow (LOM)

$1,121M

Average Annual EBITDA

$123M

C1 Costs over LOM (By-Product)

$0.19/lb Zn

C3 Costs over LOM (By-Product)

$0.60/lb Zn

C1 Costs over LOM (Co-Product)

$0.73/lb ZnEq

C3 Costs over LOM (Co-Product)

$0.92/lb ZnEq

Zinc Price - Flat (LOM)

$1.20/lb

Lead Price - Flat (LOM)

$1.05/lb

Silver Price - Flat (LOM)

$24.00/oz

FX Rate (CAD:USD)

1.25

The PEA was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and led by Ausenco, with contributions from Global Mineral Resource Services, Mining Plus and F. Wright Consulting.

The reader is advised that the PEA summarized in this press release is preliminary in nature and is intended to provide an initial, high-level review of the project's economic potential and design options. The PEA replaces and supersedes the Company's previous 2017 Feasibility Study on the project. The PEA mine plan and economic model includes numerous assumptions and the use of Inferred Resources. Inferred Resources are considered to be too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Figure 1: After-tax cash flow by year of production (CNW Group/NorZinc Ltd.)

Table 2: Capital Costs Summary

Capital Cost Summary

Pre-Production (US$M)

Mining

$51

Site Preparation

$1

Process plant1

$41

Paste Tailings Plant

$28

Surface Infrastructure2

$41

All Season Road (ASR)

$89

Total Direct Costs

$251

Site Indirects3 (including EPCM)

$39

Owner's costs - Operational Readiness & Fuel

$25

Owner's costs - Capitalized Pre-production

$18

Total Directs, Indirects and Owner's costs

$333

Contingency

$35

Total Pre-Production (Initial) Capital

$368

Notes to table:

1.

Includes dense media separator, mill building remediation, process plant upgrade

2.

Includes site utilities, process plant mobile equipment, ancillary buildings, water treatment plant, water storage pond, waste rock pile, winter road maintenance and management, underground infrastructure

3.

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NorZinc Announces Positive PEA Including After-Tax NPV8% Of US$299M on Extended 20-Year Mine Life at Higher 2400 tpd Throughput - Yahoo Finance

COVID-19 will be around for years to come, but as more people get vaccinated, it likely will become more like the flu, hospitalizing and killing some of the most vulnerable but not posing a major threat for most people, experts say.

"The pandemic itself will end, although it may take a lot longer than people think," said Dr. David Battinelli, senior vice president at New Hyde Park-based Northwell Health. "In all likelihood, the virus itself will never go away."

Experts say the coronavirus may never be eradicated, but it could one day become like the flu, with some people dying of COVID-19 every year but most people not getting seriously ill.

Vaccinations are critical to getting New York to where there are only a small number of cases, rather than large outbreaks.

School-based mask mandates could be lifted as early as next spring or summer, if cases fall enough and vaccination rates rise high enough.

Vaccination rates and whether a more contagious or vaccine-resistant virus variant emerges largely will determine the trajectory of the pandemic, as well as the future of pandemic-related restrictions such as vaccine mandates and mask-wearing in schools, experts say. Variants could cause some years to be worse than others and may lead to annual vaccinations.

Resistance to vaccination, the highly contagious delta variant, natural immunity from previous infection that is weaker than once thought, and vaccinated people contracting and spreading the virus has made controlling the pandemic more difficult than scientists had believed, said Sean Clouston, an associate professor of public health at Stony Brook University.

The number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths rose sharply in New York through most of the summer, as they did nationwide, but rates remained significantly below those in states with low vaccination rates. In the past few weeks, the numbers have roughly plateaued statewide and on Long Island, with positivity rates remaining between 2% and 3%, statewide hospitalizations hovering just above 2,000 a day and deaths usually between about 20 and 40 a day.

Yet there are big differences among the states regions. Those with higher vaccination rates and more restrictions, such as New York City with its broad vaccine mandates tend to have lower positivity and death rates.

That pattern will continue, within New York and nationwide, Clouston predicted.

Get the latest news on Long Island's reopening from COVID-19 restrictions, updated safety guidelines and vaccination rates.

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There still will be some COVID-19 cases in high-vaccination areas, but larger outbreaks mostly will be in less-vaccinated locales, unless a vaccine-resistant variant develops, he said.

Long Island and the rest of the New York City metropolitan area, with its relatively high vaccination rates, likely will reach a point in which cases remain consistently low, said Stephanie Silvera, an epidemiologist and professor of public health at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

In Nassau County, 72.2% of all residents were fully vaccinated as of Wednesday, and in Suffolk 65.7% were, compared with 57.2% nationally.

"There will be a certain background level of COVID that will be expected, but it will move from pandemic to endemic," Silvera said.

When that will occur is difficult to forecast, because of so many unknowns, including future vaccination rates, she said.

Yet in a highly mobile society, the region will remain vulnerable to visitors bringing in more contagious, and potentially vaccine-resistant, variants from other places throughout the country and world, she said.

Silvera predicted that, as with the flu, there one day could be annual COVID-19 shots, with adjustments to the vaccine to respond to different variants. And, like the flu, COVID-19 might be more severe some years than others, with cases higher during colder weather, when people spend more time indoors, she said.

For people not vaccinated against the coronavirus, COVID-19 is far more deadly than the flu, and it will remain that way, Silvera said.

And just as the flu can be more severe in seniors and people with certain medical conditions, so is COVID-19, even for fully vaccinated people, Battinelli said.

"Your risk will be relatively low" because the COVID-19 vaccine greatly reduces the likelihood of hospitalization or death even for most vulnerable people, he said. "But its not zero."

Battinelli predicted that eventually even higher-risk people will live their lives without constantly thinking about COVID-19.

"Before this, did people say, Gee, Im 85 years old and I could catch the flu and die this year? Its not top of mind," he said.

The flu caused 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations nationwide each influenza season between 2010 and 2020, with annual deaths varying between 12,000 and 52,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last flu season, there were 748 deaths, according to CDC data provided to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Thats largely because of mask-wearing, social distancing and other COVID-19 prevention measures, experts say.

More than 730,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

The best way to move closer to a pre-pandemic norm, and to protect people at higher risk for severe COVID-19, is to get vaccinated and to wear masks in public indoor settings, "to keep community transmission rates as low as possible so people who are older and more vulnerable can continue their lives with some semblance of normalcy," Silvera said.

"Otherwise, people with conditions like multiple myeloma or who have had an organ transplant or have other significant immunocompromised conditions are going to have to really isolate very carefully, because it really is a life or death risk for them," said Silvera, pointing to the death Oct. 18 of Colin Powell, who was at particularly high risk because he was 84 and had multiple myeloma. "For most of us, who are otherwise healthy and maybe on the younger end of the age spectrum, were going to be able to go about living our lives closer to pre-pandemic normal than it was."

Clouston said one COVID-19-related change that he hopes becomes permanent is wearing masks in hospitals, nursing homes and other places with large numbers of people who are medically vulnerable.

"If all we do is continue masking in hospitals and health care settings, well probably save tens of thousands of peoples lives a year," from COVID-19 and other diseases, he said. "Thats a very implementable outcome that is maybe culturally acceptable," even among those who are otherwise anti-mask.

Silvera said mask mandates for school children should remain in place throughout the fall and winter, when COVID-19 cases likely will rise as people spend more time indoors. But they could be relaxed next spring or summer, if child and adult vaccination rates are high enough and transmission of the virus is low enough.

Vaccine mandates should remain in place probably for "a couple of years at least," Battinelli said. Those mandates are the best way to counter the "politicization" of vaccines that has kept many people from getting the shot, he said.

More vaccinations also will help stabilize the U.S. economy, said Herman Berliner, a professor of economics at Hofstra University in Hempstead.

"Public health is inextricably woven with the economy," he said.

The supply chain problem is connected to the pandemic, because with the economy uncertain, suppliers have been unsure how many of their products to manufacture, and COVID-19 outbreaks have caused some countries to partially shut down manufacturing, affecting U.S. inventories, he said.

If U.S. cases surge again, Americans will be less likely to travel, eat in restaurants and go to theaters, further harming the economy, he said.

"You want COVID to be under control," he said. "Unless the vaccination numbers continue to increase, thats not going to happen."

COVID-19 also will continue to exacerbate mental health conditions for many, said Heather Berti, a social worker and clinical supervisor at the nonprofit CN Guidance & Counseling Services in Hicksville.

Many people with anxiety or depression who even before the pandemic often avoided leaving home remain isolated, with the pandemic helping enable that isolation, she said.

"If this is going to be with us for the next, whatever, 20 years, we need to learn how to cope with it and how to protect ourselves and still be able do things that we enjoy," she said.

David Olson covers health care. He has worked at Newsday since 2015 and previously covered immigration, multicultural issues and religion at The Press-Enterprise in Southern California.

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Experts predict COVID-19 will be around for years to come - Newsday