Until recently, Huaxi was a poor farming community, typical of eastern China. Now,
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Carbon plan to be shelved over funding shortage as fears grow for Tories’ green agenda after chancellor’s ‘austerity’ remark Scottish Power is understood to have pulled the plug on a major green energy scheme at Longannet power station, Fife, close to the Firth of Forth. The threatened scrapping comes amid growing concern that David Cameron and George Osborne want to scale back the green agenda on the grounds that low carbon technology, such as carbon capture storage (CCS) and offshore wind power, cost too much in a time of austerity. The chancellor told the Conservative conference this week that if he had his way the UK would cut “carbon emissions no slower but also no faster than our fellow countries in Europe”. Scottish Power and its partners Shell and the National Grid have just completed a detailed study of the Longannet scheme. They are concerned about its commercial viability without more public backing.The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) had promised £1bn but the developers are understood to be saying they cannot proceed unless more money is provided to enable them to trial a scheme which involves burying carbon emissions in the North Sea. Both sides insist “talks are ongoing” but well-placed industry and political sources say the process is “pretty much over” and a statement is expected shortly. Jeff Chapman, chief executive of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, said the collapse of Longannet would be a “severe disappointment” for the wider hopes of the sector. A senior Conservative backbencher with knowledge of the energy sector told the Guardian he expected the CCS deal to collapse within weeks. He said blame lay with the Labour government, which had dithered in awarding the CCS demonstration contract until only one bidder was left, leaving the government in an impossible negotiating position. A DECC spokesman said Longannet was only one CCS project and the government still planned to choose another three that could be eligible for cash from an EU fund by the end of the year. In May DECC submitted seven UK-based CCS projects for European funding, including Longannet, but the Fife scheme was by far the most advanced and is spearheading the drive to develop the new technology in Britain. Ministers have repeatedly stressed the importance of CCS as a way to keep coal and possibly other fossil-fuel burning power stations in operation without undermining moves to cut carbon emissions and counter global warming.But they have already seen E.ON back out of plans to construct a new coal-fired power station with prototype CCS technology at Kingsnorth in Kent. At 2,400MW, Longannet is the third largest coal-fired power station in Europe and was once highlighted as Scotland’s biggest single polluter. In 2009 at the launch of a small-scale pilot study Ignacio Galán, the chairman of Scottish Power and its Spanish parent group Iberdrola, highlighted the importance of the scheme. “We believe that the UK can lead the world with CCS technology, creating new skills, jobs and opportunities for growth,” he said. “There is the potential to create an industry on the same scale as North Sea oil, and we will invest in Scotland and the UK to help realise this potential.” Charles Hendry, the energy minister, said in May that Longannet and other CCS schemes in the UK showed it was “at the cutting edge of the low carbon agenda.” But an industrialist in the department told the Guardian ministers were now privately questioning renewable power and other schemes that involved substantial public subsidies. Ministers have come under sustained lobbying from traditional power companies and energy intensive manufacturers to concentrate on lower priced, higher carbon fuels such as gas. WWF Scotland’s Director, Dr Richard Dixon, said: “This news is deeply worrying. If the UK truly wants to lead the development of this technology, as many politicians have said, then we hope that all those involved can find a way to make this project happen. It would be a major blow to international efforts to develop carbon capture and storage if this scheme were not to happen at Longannet. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) Energy Fossil fuels Carbon emissions Climate change Coal Renewable energy Scotland Green politics George Osborne Conservatives Terry Macalister Damian Carrington guardian.co.uk
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Click here to view this media From Media Matters — CNN’s Alison Kosik Ridicules Occupy Wall Street Protesters, Later Reports Traders “Hit Hard In This Economy” : CNN financial correspondent Alison Kosik described the “purpose” of Occupy Wall Street protestors “in 140 or less” as “bang on the bongos, smoke weed!” in Twitter comments captured by NYU journalism professor Jay Rosen: enlarge Kosik deleted that comment from her Twitter feed. She later responded to a question about the list of demands from protesters by noting “the list of whines is too long already.” Wonkette wasn’t too kind to Kosik in their post on the same topic which you wan read here — Dim CNN Reporter’s News Analysis of Protesters: They Just ‘Smoke Weed’ . And here’s more from Media Matters: When Kosik reported on the protests on-air, she wasn’t nearly as dismissive of concerns from Wall Street traders, explaining that “the traders that I talked to, they want protesters to understand they’re getting hit hard in this economy as well.” And if you really want to be disgusted there’s this bit in the video posted above which Media Matters had linked as well with traders at the NYSE wishing Erin Burnett good luck on her new show this week: CNN’s Alison Kosik finds traders at the NYSE have hardly forgotten Erin Burnett, who launches OutFront tonight at 7 pm ET. They’re wearing pictures of Burnett taped to the inside of their jackets and backs while they talk about how much they love her. Looks like we’re going to have lots of “fair and balanced” reporting on Wall Street now that we’ve got two of their favorite “reporters”… and I use that word lightly, Kosik and Burnett, carrying water for them over at CNN.
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A report by Oxfam found that more than 22,000 people have been evicted from their homes and land to make way for a UK-based forestry firm Simon Rawles
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Dominic Mohan defends showbiz journalism at Leveson inquiry, while Daily Telegraph editor explains pressures facing papers The Sun editor, Dominic Mohan, has defended celebrity journalism, likening the relationship between showbiz reporters and the stars they write about to that between their lobby colleagues and politicians. Mohan told a Leveson inquiry seminar on Thursday that there is a public appetite for celebrity journalism, citing the Sun’s coverage of Michael Jackson’s death as an example of the story that gave the paper a huge circulation boost. Asked if the skills needed by celebrity journalists are very different from those required by political reporters, the former editor of the Sun’s Bizarre showbiz column replied: “No, the way showbiz journalists operate is like a political journalist in the lobby. “You do have regular discussions with showbiz agents and if you have a column to fill on a daily basis, the information they give you is of interest to your readers.” Mohan was then asked whether there were trade-offs – deals such as those where a journalist may agree not to run certain stories in return for other exclusives. “Probably no more than in the lobby system, when a spin doctor gives some information to a lobby journalist,” he responded. “The pressures I feel under are my own professional pride in producing a fun, informative newspaper on a daily basis,” Mohan added. During the same Leveson session Tony Gallagher, editor of the Daily Telegraph, was asked if there was any difference in the way he motivated his journalists compared with at his previous paper, the Daily Mail. “There’s not a huge difference,” Gallagher replied. “There’s a desire to be quick, accurate, to ensure you have the best version of the story. It’s as simple as that.” He also said that internet search engines such as Google posed a “very substantial threat to the health and future success of newspapers”. “Newspapers are under huge and growing pressures from the 24/7 news environment. The commercial pressure that exists because of those search engines and the collapse in advertising because of that, is immense,” Gallagher added. He was also asked whether having newsroom integration between print and web operations put extra pressure on journalists. “Journalists are working harder, longer days and doing more,” Gallagher admitted, describing the result as “capsule journalism” and “bite-size journalism”. “The pressure is much greater, the demands more intense … Whether it has an impact on standards is a question for each organisation,” he said. “The brand is very badly damaged if there’s a wide diversion between what [readers] find online and in the printed product, so we try very hard to make sure that’s not the case. “The Telegraph in a bygone era was much mocked for its interest in Liz Hurley, so that’s not a new thing. We cover celebrity on an instinctive understanding of who our readers are interested in. More Downton Abbey and less Katie Price.” •
Continue reading …Dominic Mohan defends showbiz journalism at Leveson inquiry, while Daily Telegraph editor explains pressures facing papers The Sun editor, Dominic Mohan, has defended celebrity journalism, likening the relationship between showbiz reporters and the stars they write about to that between their lobby colleagues and politicians. Mohan told a Leveson inquiry seminar on Thursday that there is a public appetite for celebrity journalism, citing the Sun’s coverage of Michael Jackson’s death as an example of the story that gave the paper a huge circulation boost. Asked if the skills needed by celebrity journalists are very different from those required by political reporters, the former editor of the Sun’s Bizarre showbiz column replied: “No, the way showbiz journalists operate is like a political journalist in the lobby. “You do have regular discussions with showbiz agents and if you have a column to fill on a daily basis, the information they give you is of interest to your readers.” Mohan was then asked whether there were trade-offs – deals such as those where a journalist may agree not to run certain stories in return for other exclusives. “Probably no more than in the lobby system, when a spin doctor gives some information to a lobby journalist,” he responded. “The pressures I feel under are my own professional pride in producing a fun, informative newspaper on a daily basis,” Mohan added. During the same Leveson session Tony Gallagher, editor of the Daily Telegraph, was asked if there was any difference in the way he motivated his journalists compared with at his previous paper, the Daily Mail. “There’s not a huge difference,” Gallagher replied. “There’s a desire to be quick, accurate, to ensure you have the best version of the story. It’s as simple as that.” He also said that internet search engines such as Google posed a “very substantial threat to the health and future success of newspapers”. “Newspapers are under huge and growing pressures from the 24/7 news environment. The commercial pressure that exists because of those search engines and the collapse in advertising because of that, is immense,” Gallagher added. He was also asked whether having newsroom integration between print and web operations put extra pressure on journalists. “Journalists are working harder, longer days and doing more,” Gallagher admitted, describing the result as “capsule journalism” and “bite-size journalism”. “The pressure is much greater, the demands more intense … Whether it has an impact on standards is a question for each organisation,” he said. “The brand is very badly damaged if there’s a wide diversion between what [readers] find online and in the printed product, so we try very hard to make sure that’s not the case. “The Telegraph in a bygone era was much mocked for its interest in Liz Hurley, so that’s not a new thing. We cover celebrity on an instinctive understanding of who our readers are interested in. More Downton Abbey and less Katie Price.” •
Continue reading …Forget secular education: Somali militant’s message before suicide attack
October 6, 2011 No Comment
Man responsible for huge blast in Mogadishu that left 100 dead said young people should focus on jihad The suicide bomber who killed more than 100 people, including students seeking scholarships, in an attack near Somalia’s education ministry was a school dropout who had declared that young people should wage jihad and forget about secular education. Bashar Abdullahi Nur, who was to blame for the huge explosion on Tuesday that covered the capital, Mogadishu, in dust up to half a mile away, gave an interview before the attack. “Now those who live abroad are taken to a college and never think about the hereafter. They never think about the harassed Muslims,” he said in the interview broadcast on Wednesday by a militant-run radio station. “They wake up in the morning, go to college and studies and accept what the infidels tell them, while infidels are massacring Muslims.” The UN said on Thursday that more than 100 people had died in the explosion in Mogadishu, in an attack that killed some of Somalia’s brightest young minds, including students gathered around a noticeboard to find out who had been awarded scholarships from the Turkish government. The blast happened near a building housing several government ministries, but the precise target was not immediately clear. However, it would not be the first time that al-Qaida linked militants have targeted students. In 2009, al-Shabaab attacked a graduation ceremony, killing medical students and doctors. Shamsul Bari, the UN’s independent human rights expert in Somalia, said: “These attacks, which targeted some of the country’s very few university-level students, as well as the dedicated civil servants working to enhance Somali public institutions and social services under extremely difficult circumstances, are a direct blow to the fabric and future of the nation.” Al-Shabaab’s spokesman has vowed to increase attacks “day by day” as part of an effort to defeat the weak UN-backed Somali government and the 9,000 African Union peacekeepers stationed in the country. An ultra-conservative Islamist group, al-Shabaab is known for its harsh punishments, such as chopping off the hands of thieves and stoning adulterers to death. The organisation considers secular education as a form of western invasion into the minds of Muslims. Suicide bombings, unheard of in Somalia before 2007, have become increasingly frequent. Islamists have shown an increasing ability to carry out sophisticated large-scale bombings against high-profile targets, such as Tuesday’s attack, which occurred in a government-controlled area of the city. Somalia has been mired in violence since 1991 when civil war broke out. The country has also been suffering from its worst famine in 60 years: the US says 29,000 children have died since it began, and the UN estimates that a further 750,000 more are at risk of starving to death in the next few months. Al-Shabaab fighters have compounded the suffering by preventing aid agencies from helping famine victims in areas under militant control in southern Somalia. Somalia Global terrorism Africa guardian.co.uk
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Military denies plan to shoehorn one of its own into presidency after unveiling 18-month timetable for transition to civilian rule Egypt’s ruling military generals have unveiled plans that could see them retain power for another 18 months, increasing fears that the country’s democratic transition process is under threat. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) took control of Egypt after the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak in February, and initially promised to return to their barracks within six months. But since then the “roadmap” to an elected, civilian government has been beset by delays and controversies, fuelling speculation that the army could be buying time in an attempt to shoehorn one of their own senior commanders into the presidency. This week Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi denied that any candidates would emerge from the country’s powerful military establishment. “These are only rumours and we shouldn’t waste time talking about rumours,” said Egypt’s current de facto ruler, who provoked a frenzy of media coverage when he made an unprecedented appearance in civilian clothing on a Cairo street recently – a move many analysts described as a carefully orchestrated political stunt. “The armed forces have no interest in staying in power for a long time,” he claimed on Thursday. However, he added, “we will not leave Egypt until we have fulfilled all we promised and do our duty towards the people.” Amid growing unease at SCAF policies, which have included a reintroduction of Mubarak-era emergency laws, the persistent use of military tribunals against civilians, and stringent crackdowns on public protest and freedom of speech, the generals have now finally unveiled an explicit timetable for transition. Elections to the upper and lower houses of Egypt’s parliament are set to begin in November and will be staggered across several months, with the new chambers coming together to form a provisional constitutional assembly in March or April next year. According to the military’s schedule the subsequent writing of a new constitution, followed by a national referendum, means that presidential elections will probably not be held until well in 2013 – with SCAF likely to continue ruling the country until then. The decision has split political parties, many of which had been mulling a boycott of the upcoming parliamentary elections due to disagreements over electoral procedure. Some critics accused SCAF of designing the poll in such a way as to allow remnants of the Mubarak regime to gain a strong showing in the final ballot; the military council has now amended the law to assuage some of the parties’ concerns, but bitter divisions remain over exactly how to proceed. The Muslim Brotherhood and several presidential hopefuls, including the former Arab League chief Amr Moussa and the Islamist intellectual Mohammad Salim al-Awa, have called for a much quicker handover to civilian rule. A number of youth-led coalitions, comprised of revolutionaries who helped lead the anti-Mubarak uprising earlier this year, have also complained of being shut out of the political process and have condemned the traditional parties for striking back-room deals with SCAF. Egypt Middle East Africa Arab and Middle East unrest Hosni Mubarak Jack Shenker guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Bozell: Congress Must Stop Using Taxpayer Money to Fund Left-Wing Propaganda at PBS, NPR
October 6, 2011 No Comment“It’s an outrage that federal money has been an enabler for NPR and PBS since 1967 in their efforts to undermine conservatives and Christians,” NewsBusters publisher Brent Bozell complained in a statement released this morning that accompanies the release of a new Media Research Center (MRC) study detailing a comprehensive compilation of the 20 most memorable leftist excesses of National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System. “In this current era of huge deficits, surely this is the most non-essential spending. The pattern of bias from PBS hosts and contributors is more than severe. Now is the time for Congress to finally put an end to it,” the MRC founder argued. Some of the 20 instances in the MRC’s report on NPR & PBS include: PBS host Tavis Smiley insists America has a terrible Christian terrorist problem. In 2010, he told an author that Christians blow up people “every day” in the United States. NPR reporter Nina Totenberg wishes Jesse Helms death from AIDS. When Helms insisted in 1995 that AIDS drew a disproportionate amount of federal funding, Totenberg was disproportionately mean-spirited. PBS regular Julianne Malveaux hopes Clarence Thomas dies young of heart disease. On the talk show To the Contrary in 1994, panelist Malveaux proclaimed, “I hope his wife feeds him lots of eggs and butter and he dies early like many black men do, of heart disease.” Longtime PBS host Bill Moyers proclaims GOP officials wearing flag pins after 9/11 remind him of communist China. On his weekly show Now in 2003, Moyers ranted, “When I see flags sprouting on official lapels, I think of the time in China when I saw Mao's Little Red Book.” To see the full list from the MRC, visit here for the PDF version or here for the HTML version .
Continue reading …Once again the media is completely ignoring the fact that an initiative it’s covering was funded by left-wing financier George Soros. The Soros-funded Brennan Center for Justice released a report opposed to new laws needed to combat voter fraud. This story was in turn promoted by Soros-funded progressive news sites that brought it to the national stage. The Brennan Center for Justice, part of New York University’s Law School, reported that voting law changes “could make it significantly harder for more than five million eligible voters to
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