Economic Sanctions of Pericles 2,500 Years Ago Backfired, Prolonging War – Greek Reporter

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Pericles Funeral Oration by Phillipp Foltz (1852). Public Domain

Sanctions date back to antiquity, with the Megarian Decree issued by Athenian statesman Pericles in 432 BC being the first economic sanction recorded.

The Megarian Decree was an act of revenge by the Athenians for the treacherous behavior of the Megarians some years earlier.

According to Aristophanes, the economic sanctions imposed by Pericles were enacted to avenge the abduction of the female attendants of Aspasia, who was Pericles partner.

However, according to some historians, the Megarian Decree ultimately helped to prolong and intensify of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC).

Using the excuse of sacrilege against the land that was sacred to Demeter, known as the Hiera Orgas, Pericles wanted to punish Megara.

The supposed killing of the Athenian herald who was sent to Megara to reproach them, and their giving shelter to slaves who had fled from Athens, brought about the economic sanctions against the city.

The decree dictated that Megarian merchants would be excluded from the market of Athens and the ports in its empire, called the Delian League. The decree was something like a modern trade embargo.

If farmers had trespassed on sacred land, it was strange that the Megarian Decree aimed at punishing the merchants of the city. That implied a political aim.

Even though such sanctions were known and applied in the Near East, they had been unheard of in the Delian League.

Pericles was the first westerner to apply them, and for some historians that was the first time that economic sanctions had been used as foreign policy.

Roman copy of Pericles marble bust circa 430 BC. Public Domain

In the late 430s, Athens and Corinth were on very bad terms. The Athenians had allied with Corcyra, a colony of Corinth, and in 433, the Corcyrans defeated a Corinthian navy, which included ships from Megara.

The Corinthians were members of the alliance of Sparta, the Peloponnesian League, and urged other members to fight Athens claiming that it was turning to a dangerous tyrannical superpower.

Athens could not attack Corinth, because that would immediately bring the Spartan army to the battlefield. Pericles chose to use diplomacy: The economic sanctions would be justifiable and not provoking.

Other than a blow to Megara itself, the Megarian Decree was also a warning to other city-states that those who supported Corinth would suffer as well. The economic sanctions were far from actual war, but would damage the potential enemy.

Pericles, who was friends with Spartan king Archidamus II, believed that the two powerful states would not go to war for the sake of a Corinthian-Athenian conflict.

The Athenian ruler was wrong, though. Not all Spartans were against war. On the contrary, most were in favor of it.

The historian Diodorus of Sicily,who uses Ephorus of Cyme as his source, wrote: When the Athenians voted to exclude the Megarians from both their market and harbors, the Megarians turned to the Spartans for aid.

The Spartans sent ambassadors demanding that Athens should rescind the action against the Megarians and threatened, if they did not accede, to wage war upon them together with their allies.

Pericles, with his great skill of oratory, persuaded the Athenians not to rescind the action, saying that for them to accede to the demands of the Spartans would be the first step toward slavery.

Thucydides confirms that theSpartan ultimatum was that there would be no war if the Athenians withdrew the Megarian Decree. This was a betrayal of Corinthian interests.

Diodorus wrote that the Athenians unwillingness to revoke the Megarian Decree was the direct cause of the war. It was as if the Spartans were ordering the Athenians to change their own foreign policy.

The Athenians found the Spartan ultimatum unacceptable. And that was a cause of war. On the other side, it was also a cause of war: Spartans would not let down their allies.

For many historians, if indeed the sanctions dictated in the Megarian Decree had been used as a diplomatic move, then they turned out to be a failure.

Pericles believed that by sanctioning Megara, he could isolate Corinth. On the contrary, though, his move strengthened those members of the Spartan alliance that wanted war.

On his part, Archidamus made an error as well: He believed that he could ask for the revocation of the Megarian Decree after he had sacrificed Corinth.

Instread, he gave Pericles an opportunity to present the Spartan demands as unjustified, thus making most Athenians want to go to war.

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Economic Sanctions of Pericles 2,500 Years Ago Backfired, Prolonging War - Greek Reporter

Godless grifters: How the New Atheists merged with the far right – Salon

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It was inspiring really inspiring. I remember watching clip after clip of Sam Harris, Richard Dawkinsand Christopher Hitchens debating Christians, Muslimsand "purveyors of woo," exposing the fatuity of their faith-based beliefs in superstitious nonsense unsupported by empirical evidence, often delivered to self-proclaimed prophets by supernatural beings via the epistemically suspicious channel of private revelation. Not that Harris, Dawkinsand Hitchens were saying anything particularly novel the inconsistencies and contradictions of religious dogma are apparent even to small children. Why did God have to sacrifice his son for our sins? Does Satan have free will? And how can the Father, Sonand Holy Spirit be completely separate entities but also one and the same?

The "New Atheist" movement, which emerged from the bestselling books of the aforementioned authors, was the intellectual community that many of us 15 or so years ago were desperately looking for especially after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which seemed to confirm Samuel P. Huntington's infamous "clash of civilizations" thesis. As Harris once put it, with many of us naively agreeing, "We are at war with Islam." (Note: This was a dangerous and xenophobic lie that helped get Donald Trump elected. As Harris said in 2006, anticipating how his brand of Islamophobia would enable Trump's rise, "the people who speak most sensibly about the threat that Islam poses to Europe are actually fascists.")

New Atheism appeared to offer moral clarity, it emphasized intellectual honestyand it embraced scientific truths about the nature and workings of reality. It gave me immense hope to know that in a world overflowing with irrationality, there were clear-thinking individuals with sizable public platforms willing to stand up for what's right and true to stand up for sanity in the face of stupidity.

Fast-forward to the present: What a grift that was! Many of the most prominent New Atheists turned out to be nothing more than self-aggrandizing, dogmatic, irascible, censorious, morally compromised people who, at every opportunity, have propped up the powerful over the powerless, the privileged over the marginalized. This may sound hyperbolic, but it's not when, well, you look at the evidence. So I thought it might be illuminating to take a look at where some of the heavy hitters in the atheist and "skeptic"communitiesare today. What do their legacies look like? In what direction have they taken their cultural quest to secularize the world?

Let's see if you can spot a pattern:

Sam Harris: Arguably the progenitor of New Atheism, Harris was for me one of the more entertaining atheists. More recently, though, he has expended a prodigious amount of time and energy vigorously defending the scientific racism of Charles Murray. He believes that IQ is a good measure of intelligence. He argued to Josh Zepps during a podcast interview not only that black people are less intelligent than white people, but that this is because of genetic evolution. He has consistently given white nationalists a pass while arguing that Black Lives Matter is overly contentious, and has stubbornly advocatedprofiling "Muslims, or anyone who looks like he or she could conceivably be Muslim," at airports. (When Harris believes he's right about something, it becomes virtually impossible to talk him out of it, no matter how many good arguments, expert opinionsor hard data are presented to him. Like Donald Trump, he's pretty much unteachable.) Harris has also partly blamed the election loss of Hilary Clinton on "safe spaces, trigger warnings, [and] new gender pronouns," released a private email exchange with Ezra Klein without Klein's permission, and once suggested that New Atheism is male-dominated because it lacks an "extraestrogen vibe."

His primary focus these days is boosting the moral panic over "social justice warriors" (SJWs), "political correctness" and "wokeism," which he apparently believes pose a dire threat to "Western civilization" (a word that has a lot of meaning for white nationalists). Consequently, Harris has become popular among right-wingers, and the sentiment of solidarity appears to be mutual. For example, he's described Ben Shapiro as being "committed to the rules of intellectual honesty and to the same principles of charity with regard to other people's positions," which is odd given that Shapiro is a pathological liar who routinely misconstrues his opponents in service of a racist, misogynistic, climate-denying agenda.

Michael Shermer: The founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, which once published a favorable review of Milo Yiannopoulos' book "Dangerous" and a defense of child-rapist Jerry Sandusky, Shermer made a name for himself as a "skeptic." However, his legacy has been overshadowed by, among other things, a protracted history of sexual harassment and assault allegations, with James Randi once calling him "a bad boy" whom numerous people at atheism conferences had complained about. In 2014, he was accused of rape, which he later flippantly joked about on Twitter. Since then, he has dedicated an impressive amount of time belittling "SJWs" and "the woke," often hurling ad hominem attacks and middle-school insults towards those with whom he disagrees. For example, Shermer has referred to "SJWs" as "mealy-mouthed, whiney, sniveling, and obsequious," and "a bunch of weak-kneed namby-pamby bedwetters." He once tweeted, in Trumpian fashion: "Know this Regressive Lefters/SJWs you will lose. Those of us who believe in truth & justice will prevail. Yours is a failed ideology. Losers." After I wrote a critique of Steven Pinker's recent book "Enlightenment Now!", which contains many serious errors, Shermertook to Twitter to call me a "cockroach." None of this should be that surprising, since he describes himself as an anti-woke, anti-reparations libertarian who thinks Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" is "a remarkable book."

But be careful: Shermer has also acknowledged, in writing, that he's fantasized about murdering people. "Or, if not actually killing the particular bastard," he reports, "at the very least I imagine dislocating his jaw with a crushing roundhouse knuckle sandwich that sent him reeling to the pavement." This comes from his book"The Moral Arc," which received an extended, glowing blurb from Steven Pinker.

Lawrence Krauss: A world-renowned cosmologist who authored "A Universe From Nothing" and ran the Origins Project formerly at Arizona State University, Krauss was among the most academically accomplished of the New Atheists. In 2018, though, he was dismissed from his job as director of the Origins Project after an investigation found that he had violated the sexual harassment policy of the university "by groping a woman's breast while on an ASU-funded trip in late 2016." He has also repeatedly and vigorously defended his onetime friend Jeffrey Epstein, the child sex trafficker, who "donated $250,000 to the Origins Project over a seven-year span." According to a 2011 Daily Beast article, Krauss claimed, "I don't feel tarnished in any way by my relationship with Jeffrey; I feel raised by it," adding that he didn't believe the "beautiful women and young women" surrounding Epstein were underage. (Plenty of other peoplehave saidit was impossible not to realize that, and Krauss himself has acknowledgedthat Epstein favored "women ages 19 to 23," which surely should have been a red flag.) After a 2018 BuzzFeed article detailing some of the sexual harassment allegations against Krauss was published, a flood of further accusations emerged online, some of which I catalogued here.

Richard Dawkins: Once a heavyweight within the world of evolutionary biology, Dawkins energized atheists the world over with his book "The God Delusion." Over time, though, it became increasingly clear that he's neither an adult-in-the-room nor a particularly nice guy. For some bizarre reason, he obsessively targeted a Muslim teenager in Texas, who was arrested after a homemade clock he brought to school was wrongly thought to be a bomb. He also flipped out over what came to be called "Elevatorgate," which began with Rebecca Watson calmly asking men to be thoughtful and considerate about how they make women feel at conferences for example, in the enclosed space of an elevator. This resulted in a flood of rape and death threats directed toward Watson, while Dawkins mocked the situation by writing a shocking letter addressed "Dear Muslima," in which the first line was "Stop whining, will you." More recently, he's made it clear that he isn't bothered by the allegations against Krauss, and posted seemingly anti-trans comments on Twitter. When asked why Twitter has caused him so much trouble, he claimed: "I love truth too much." (For Dawkins' troubling views on aborting fetuses with Down Syndrome, see this.)

James Lindsay: Once a promising young atheist, Lindsay published "Everybody Is Wrong About God"in 2015 and, three years later, "How to Have Impossible Conversations," co-authored with Peter Boghossian (below). Referring to himself as "apolitical" but boastinga profile page on the right-wing, anti-free-speech organization Turning Point USA, he is now one of the most unhinged crusaders against "critical race theory" (CRT), an idea about which he seems to have very little actual knowledge. (This is unsurprising, given that Lindsayhas literally argued that he doesn't need to understand "gender studies" to call for the entire field to be canceled. See #10 here.) Over the past few years, he has teamed up withChristian nationalist and COVID conspiracist Michael O'Fallon, and now rakes in plenty of cash via Patreon proof that grifting about "free speech" and "CRT" pays. Known for his social media presence, Lindsay has called women he disagrees with "bitches," while seriously hurling "your mom" insults at intellectual opponents who point out his mendacities. He recently argued that antisemitism is caused by woke Jews (i.e., they're doing it to themselves), spread COVID conspiracy theories, and claimed in 2020 that people should vote for Donald Trump (as he did) because Joe Biden is a neo-Marxist, or will succumb to the influence of scary neo-Marxists like Black Lives Matter.

Last year, Lindsay co-authored the commercially successful book "Cynical Theories,"which received a glowing endorsement from Steven Pinker but repeatedly misrepresents the ideas of those it hysterically, and incorrectly, claims are tearing down "Western civilization." And let's not get into his wildly delusional conspiracy theories about the "Great Reset," which apparently, as someone Lindsay retweeted put it, "aims to introduce a new global planetary diet"! If you want to understand Lindsay's worldview, I suggest reading Jason Stanley's excellent book "How Fascism Works," whichcaptures the anti-intellectual, anti-academic, anti-social justice spirit of Lindsay's activism perfectly.

Peter Boghossian: A "philosopher" at Portland State University and "longtime collaborator of Stefan Molyneux" (a white supremacist demagogue who once declared, "I don't view humanity as a single species "), Boghossian wrote "A Manual for Creating Atheists"in 2013. A year later, he tweeted: "I've never understood how someone could be proud of being gay. How can one be proud of something one didn't work for?" This was followed by a defense of Nazis (no one outsideHitler's Germany should ever be called a "Nazi"), and a stern rejection of the historically accurate claim that "slavery was not merely an unfortunate thing that happened to black people. It was an American institution, created by and for the benefit of the elites."

In 2017, Boghossian and Lindsay attempted to "hoax" gender studies by publishing a fake article in a peer-reviewed gender studies journal (note: the journal had nothing to do with gender studies). Butit turnedoutthis was based on a demonstrable lie, which they of coursenever admitted. Theirpaper ultimately ended up in a pay-to-publish journal. That wasfollowed by an even more elaborateand even more bad-faith"hoax," which resulted in a response from Portland State University professors alleging that "basic spite and a perverse interest in public humiliation seem to have overridden any actual scholarly goals." Indeed, Boghossian and his crew failed to get institutional review boardapproval for this experiment, resulting in serious accusations of unethical actions. "I believe the results of this office's view of your research behavior," wrote the vice presidentfor "research and graduate studies" at Boghossian's university, "raises concerns regarding a lack of academic integrity, questionable ethical behavior, and employee breach of rules." On May 6 of this year, Boghossian a vocal critic of "cancel culture" called for "the defunding of Portland State University," which he incorrectlydescribed as promoting "illiberal ideologies." (See here for more.)

David Silverman: Silverman made a name for himself as a "firebrand" atheist, even appearing on Bill O'Reilly's Fox News show several times to take on "Papa Bear" himself. But "explosive allegations of sexual assault and undisclosed conflicts of interest" got Silverman fired from American Atheists, where he was president. In the years since, he has given voice to a stream of grievances about feminism, social justiceand the like, referring to social justice as "a cancerous social movement" that "has to be undone," adding: "I have a lot of regrets for being in your whiney culty immitation [sic] of feminism." The same day, he spoke with Sargon of Akkad (aka Carl Benjamin, a member of Britain's far-right party UKIP) about "Feminist Tyranny." (More here, hereand here.)

Steven Pinker: To many of us early on, Pinker seemed to genuinely care about maintaining his intellectual integrity. But, once again, high expectations only meant a harder crash. Consider that Pinker has claimed that rape is often "over-reported." To support this, he cites right-wingers like Christina Hoff Sommers and Heather MacDonald as primary sources. Over the past few years, he has become unhealthily fixated on "political correctness," social justiceand "wokeness," and participated in the 2017 "Unsafe Space Tour" of college campuses, organized by the right-libertarian magazine Spiked. It also came out, much to Pinker's chagrin, that he'd assisted the legal defense of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, even appearing in photographs with Epstein taken after the latter was convicted of sex crimes in 2008. Here's a picture of Pinker with Dawkins (and fellow New Atheist Daniel Dennett) flying to a TED Conference with Epstein. Pinker's response? It's hard to make this up: despite being a vociferous "opponent" of censorship bad ideas must be exposed to the light! Free speech must never be hindered! Pinker blocked half of Twitter to stop people from mentioning his past links to this rapist and pedophile. Of course this backfired, drawing even more attention to the issue, a phenomenon that I call the "Pinker-Epstein Effect" (which is nearly identical to the Streisand Effect but specific to, well, Pinker and Epstein). Although Pinker was never as prominently connected to "New Atheism" as the others, his influence within the movement, partly because of his advocacy for secularism, is undeniable. (See here for more.)

This is hardly an exhaustive list. But it's enough to make clearthe epistemic and moral turpitude of this crowd. There is nothing ad hominem in saying this, by the way: The point is simply that the company one keeps matters. What's sad is that the New Atheist movement could have made a difference a positive difference in the world. Instead, it gradually merged with factions of the alt-right to become what former New York Times contributing editor Bari Weiss calls the "Intellectual Dark Web" (IDW), a motley crew of pseudo-intellectuals whose luminaries include Jordan Peterson, Eric and Bret Weinstein, Douglas Murray, Dave Rubinand Ben Shapiro, in addition to those mentioned above.

At the heart of this merger was the creation of a new religious movement of sorts centered around the felt loss of power among white men due to the empowerment of other people. When it was once acceptable,according to cultural norms, for men to sexually harass women with impunity, or make harmful racist and sexist comments without worrying about losing a speaking opportunity, being held accountable can feel like an injustice, even though the exact opposite is the case. Pinker, Shermerand some of the others like to preach about "moral progress," but in fighting social justice under the misleading banner of "free speech," they not only embolden fascists but impede further moral progress for the marginalized.

Another way to understand the situation goes like this: Some of these people acted badly in the past. Others don't want to worry about accusations of acting badly in the future. Still others are able to behave themselves but worry that their friends could get in trouble for past or future bad behavior. Consequently, the most immediate, pressing threat to their "well-being" has shifted from scary Muslim immigrants, evangelical Christiansand violent terrorists to 19-year-old kids on college campuses and BLM activists motivated by "wokeness." This is why Lindsay has teamed up with a Christian nationalist and why Boghossian talks about the "Great Realignment"in which anti-woke alarmists, like him, end up joining hands with "conservative Christians" in "Culture War 2.0."

What ties these people together is an aggrieved sense of perpetual victimhood. Christians, of course, believe that they are relentlessly persecuted (note: they aren't). The IDWs similarly believe that they are the poor helpless victims of "CRT," "standpoint theory" and other bogeymen of woke academia. But really, if "Grievance Studies" studies anything, it should be how this group of extremely privileged white men came to believe that they are the real casualties of systemic oppression.

An excellent example of this delusion comes from an inadvertently hilarious interview with Boghossian for the Epoch Times, a media company associated with the Falun Gong movement that is "fueling the far-right in Europe" and has spread COVID conspiracy theories. In it, Boghossian warns that "woke ideology" has produced "a recipe for cultural suicide." This has led him the co-author of "Howto Have Impossible Conversations" to spoutextremist rhetoric like this:

I'm done playing. I am waging full-scale ideological warfare against the enemies of Western Civilization. We must broker absolutely zero tolerance with this ideology, and the only way forward at this point is full-scale ideological war, and I will take no prisoners, . I seek the complete eradication and extirpation of the ideology from every facet of life.

That's scary,intolerant and evenfascistic. And it's exactly where the New Atheism movement has ended up, to the exasperation of those who still care about secularism.

To conclude, let me bring things full circle: At least some studies have shown that, to quote Phil Zuckerman, secular people are "markedly less nationalistic, less prejudiced, less anti-Semitic, less racist, less dogmatic, less ethnocentric, less close-minded, and less authoritarian" than religious people. It's a real shame that New Atheism, now swallowed up by the IDW and the far right, turned out to be just as prejudiced, racist, dogmatic, ethnocentric, closed-mindedand authoritarian as many of the religious groups they initially deplored.

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Godless grifters: How the New Atheists merged with the far right - Salon

Congress Is Trying to Give Jeff Bezos’s Space Firm $10 Billion of Your Tax Dollars | Hannah Cox – Foundation for Economic Education

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Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are two of the richest men in the world, and while both are clearly brilliant titans of industry, neither of them achieved that status without multiple handouts from the government. Musks Tesla and SpaceX have received nearly $5 billion in government aid over the years in various formsgrants, environmental credits, tax breaks, discounted loans, and morewhile Amazon received more than $3.7 billion in taxpayer subsidies at the federal level alone.

Recently, the two men have been competing for another taxpayer-funded contracta NASA grant to put astronauts on the moon.

Last month, it was announced that Musks company, SpaceX would be awarded the contract after their bid came in at almost half the cost of Bezoss Blue Origins offer.

After the loss, Blue Origin and a third company in the running filed protests with the Government Accountability Office, but it seems that the review process may be bypassed thanks to the actions of federal lawmakers who are now angling to help Bezos receive a $10 billion contract anyway.

Thats right. Since Bezos lost the bid, lawmakers are scrambling to make a second grant, in addition to the contract awarded to SpaceX. To make that happen theyre working to pass an amendment to the Endless Frontier Actlegislation meant to increase scientific research and technology funding.

The amendment was added to the bill by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), who happens to represent the state where Blue Origins is headquartered.

While the third company, Dynetics, would technically also be in the running for the new pot of cash, most seem to believe Bezos would be a shoo-in for it.

Despite its massive price tag, the legislation is being moved rapidly through Congress and appears to have broad bipartisan support.

A [Senate] procedural vote last week passed by a 71-27 margin, The Intercept reports, "and Senate Democratic leaders are eyeing a Thursday vote for final passage, after which it would need to move through the House of Representatives.

Disclosures show Blue Origin spent $625,000 lobbying the Senate between January and March of 2021. Reports show that $50,000 of that went to a team of lobbyists that focused on the moon landing program. All in all, thats a heck of a bargain in exchange for a $10 billion government contract.

Though the notoriety of Bezos and Musk is drawing attention to this particular handout, this is really just rank and file behavior for Congress, which spends much of its time doling out tax dollars to billionaires and corporations.

The federal government alone spends roughly $75 billion a year on subsidies to private businesses, and thats only scratching the surface. Boeing gets billions of dollars from states and Congress. Under the initial stimulus package of 2020 The Cheesecake Factory got $50 million. Nike has received more than $2 billion. On and on it goes.

Theres no easy way to fully measure the dollar amount of corporate handouts across federal, state, and city budgetsmuch less the amount of corporate welfare given via other means like selective tax breaks or regulatory favoritism.

As Charles Koch once said, Subsidies and mandates are just two of the privileges that government can bestow on politically connected friends. Others include grants, loans, tax credits, favorable regulations, bailouts, loan guarantees, targeted tax breaks and no-bid contracts.

Corporate welfare is a form of cronyism, and it is a direct attack on free market capitalism. It allows the government to pick winners and losers and it is flatly wrongethically and economically.

In her seminal novel Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand wrote, When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothingWhen you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favorsWhen you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws dont protect you against them, but protect them against youWhen you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrificeYou may know that your society is doomed.

When the government interferes in the market it limits competition, often rewards people for bad business practices, reduces consumer choice, stifles innovation, and forces taxpayers to fund products and programs against their will. It is a complete perversion of a free market system, and the fact is neither Bezos or Musk should receive public dollars for their space exploration desires.

Its time we stop bailing out billionaires.

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Congress Is Trying to Give Jeff Bezos's Space Firm $10 Billion of Your Tax Dollars | Hannah Cox - Foundation for Economic Education

Global Teflon O-Rings Market 2020 Comprehensive Research and Competitive Landscape by 2025 | Sterling Seal and Supply, Rocket Seals, Eastern Seals,…

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Global Teflon O-Rings Market 2020 Comprehensive Research and Competitive Landscape by 2025 | Sterling Seal and Supply, Rocket Seals, Eastern Seals,...

EDL Packaging Customizes Its Twin Stream Bundler To Streamline Shelving of Personal Care Products – Packaging Strategies

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EDL Packaging Customizes Its Twin Stream Bundler To Streamline Shelving of Personal Care Products | 2021-06-08 | Packaging Strategies This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more. This Website Uses CookiesBy closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn MoreThis website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.

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EDL Packaging Customizes Its Twin Stream Bundler To Streamline Shelving of Personal Care Products - Packaging Strategies

Marinade | News, Sports, Jobs – The Express – Lock Haven Express

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As summer, and barbecue season, heat up, its time to dig out those tried and true, old or new recipes that make any cookout special. I have more than a few favorites to ensure that whichever meat, poultry, fish or seafood I have a hankering for is tender and flavorful. I just treat it to a soak in a luxurious marinade.

Basically, a marinade is made up of an acid, like vinegar, wine or citrus juice; an oil or liquid; and herbs and spices. The acid works to soften the meat while the oil adds moisture. Herbs and spices add the signature flavor.

Though a variety of good bottled marinades are available at the grocery store I like to start from scratch. That way I can customize the ingredients to suit the flavor Im looking for.

When preparing a marinade always use a non-reactive container like glass, ceramic, stainless steel or plastic for mixing or cooking. Never use aluminum. When the marinade is ready to do its job, place the meat in a zipper plastic bag and pour the marinade over. Seal and place in the refrigerator, remembering to turn often to ensure that the meat marinates evenly.

As for a timetable, marinate beef 5 to 8 hours, pork about 3 to 5 hours, poultry about 4 hours and delicate fish and shellfish no longer than an hour. Following food safety rules, never reuse the marinade. If basting during grilling is desired, simply reserve some of the marinade mixture before using.

Ginger Garlic Marinade

(Use to marinate, and to baste, chicken or pork.)

1 cup lemon juice

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup honey

1 cup soy sauce

2 slices fresh gingerroot, smashed

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. marjoram

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a large jar with a screw-on lid. Cover and shake to blend well. Refrigerate 2 hours to blend flavors. Makes 3 cups.

Fajita Marinade

(Perfectly seasoned for grilled beef, pork, chicken or shrimp fajitas.)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions: In small bowl whisk together all ingredients. Place desired meat or seafood in a zip-top plastic storage bag and pour marinade over. Seal bag and refrigerate, turning occasionally during the time specified above. Makes 1/2 cup.

Pork Marinade

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup minced onion

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. dried marjoram

Directions: Melt butter in a non-reactive saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and saute till soft. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature before using. Use to marinate pork shoulders, country ribs or chops Makes 11/2 cups.

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Five more linked to burgeoning Boston police pay fraud scandal, including former union president – The Boston Globe

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They include Thomas Nee, the former president of the Boston Police Patrolmens Association, the citys largest police union, who collected more than $3,590 in fraudulent overtime pay over a two-year period, according to an affidavit. Nee, who retired from the department last month, did not respond to requests for comment.

Also implicated is Sybil Mason, the ex-wife of fired commissioner Dennis White. Federal investigators seized Masons cellphone records as part of their ongoing probe and alleged in an affidavit that she collected $7,208 in overtime pay that she didnt earn. Mason, who did not respond to several messages, remains with the department.

Federal investigators also identified three others who allegedly received pay they did not earn: Andre Williams, accused of collecting $11,181 in fraudulent overtime pay; Darius Agnew, who allegedly collected $9,702; and Kennedy Semedo, accused of pocketing $4,594.

Agnew and Williams both retired from the department in 2019, according to city records. Semedo is on active duty. Each either declined to comment or didnt respond to messages.

The documents suggest that investigators have unearthed evidence of abuses that extend well beyond those officers who have been charged to date.

The five names appear in affidavits filed last year in the US District Court of Massachusetts by Department of Justice special agent Shena Latta that were submitted as part of search warrant applications for cellphone location records for 15 officers within the BPDs evidence unit.

The documents were filed under seal and made public in October. However, they are not linked directly in the federal court records system to any of the pending cases. A Globe reporter only recently discovered the affidavits.

Sergeant Detective John Boyle, a Boston police spokesman, has repeatedly declined to discuss the overtime scandal, citing the ongoing investigation. A spokeswoman for the US attorneys office for the District of Massachusetts also declined to respond to questions due to the continuing investigation, as did a spokeswoman for the FBI.

Two former federal prosecutors told the Globe this week that there are several reasons why some officers may be implicated but still avoid charges.

Sometimes the evidence [federal authorities] obtain doesnt corroborate their original theory, or the amounts involved are too minimal to get their attention, said Brian T. Kelly, the former chief of the public corruption unit of the US attorneys office in Massachusetts and a partner at Nixon Peabody.

Tony Fuller, a partner at Hogan Lovells who coprosecuted former House speaker Sal DiMasi on corruption charges, said some people could be negotiating pleas or cooperating with authorities. Or there might be mitigating facts and circumstances that make federal prosecution of the offenses inappropriate for certain individuals, Fuller added.

At least two unnamed officers from the evidence unit, court records show, are cooperating with the government in exchange for avoiding prosecution in the case.

Nine of the officers named in Lattas affidavits were arrested last September and charged with embezzlement and conspiracy to commit theft of federal program funds. In the months since, four additional officers including a retired captain who oversaw the departments evidence warehouse have also been charged.

Nees connection to the overtime scheme represents the latest blow to the departments politically powerful patrolmens union. Last August, Patrick M. Rose, who replaced Nee as union president in 2014, was arrested and charged with multiple counts of indecent assault on a child under 14.

Nee, who also served as president of the National Association of Police Organizations, rose to prominence here in the early 2000s, amid the unions fierce contract battles with then-mayor Thomas M. Menino.

As union president, Nee helped organize a variety of protests, in one case attempting to bar Menino in 2003 from the citys annual Labor Day breakfast. In 2000, he pushed hard against then-commissioner Paul Evanss calls for police reforms aimed at holding problem officers more accountable.

Nee, who argued that the departments internal discipline process was unfair to rank-and-file officers, said in an interview at the time that if a cop took the tack of Paul Evans, he would find his ass in federal prison.

Larry Calderone, the unions current president, did not respond to a request for comment.

The widening overtime scandal comes as the department has continually vowed to curb such abuses.

Despite a number of embarrassing episodes, including a 2015 department audit that showed officers were routinely paid for time they didnt work, it remains unclear what steps the department has taken to curb such abuses.

Last year, the department touted the 2019 promotion of Marcus Eddings to superintendent, tasked with overseeing overtime and paid detail earnings as a significant step in shoring up abuses. But in his first 14 months on the job, Eddings failed to open a single investigation into overtime irregularities, a spokesman for the agency confirmed last year. The department has repeatedly declined to discuss Eddingss more recent work.

For now, it remains unclear how long or deeply federal investigators intend to dig, though recent signs point to a widening scope; according to court filings, authorities have begun to examine overtime records going further back in time.

Acting Mayor Kim Janey, who in recent weeks has been engulfed in a messy legal battle with White, has so far been silent on the growing overtime scandal. On Tuesday, her administration declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Dugan Arnett can be reached at dugan.arnett@globe.com.

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Five more linked to burgeoning Boston police pay fraud scandal, including former union president - The Boston Globe

Nominate IICRC Constituents for the 2021 Hall of Fame – CMM

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Despite the best efforts of K-12 school custodial and maintenance crews, the deteriorating condition of many schools across the country makes them unsafe for students and staff. NBC News reports that public school buildings conditions have worsened throughout the years and schools across the country are calling for more federal help to restore old and damaged buildings.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report last June on the condition of K-12 school facilities and found that public schools across the country need heat and air conditioning repairs. Many contain lead in old paint on the walls and in the drinking water due to outdated pipes. Some suffer from leaks and low drainage during heavy rainstorms, and others still use 1930s-era boilers, among other issues. The report was the first comprehensive picture of the dilapidated state of school facilities since Congress tried to call attention to the problem nearly 25 years ago, according to NBC News.

The conditions have worsened throughout the years at many schools, and environmental engineering experts and local officials worry that not even financial assistance from the federal government can fix the issue.

It really is a national tragedy when you start looking at these schools and understand what kids are subjected to, Jerry Roseman, an environmental engineer for the Philadelphia teachers union, told NBC News.

The American Rescue Plan would put US$193 billion into schools. According to the U. S. Education Department, this money can be used on school facility repairs and improvements to reduce the risk of virus transmission and exposure to environmental health hazards, as well as inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, replacement, and upgrade projects to improve the indoor air quality in school facilities.

However, the backlog of school maintenance and repair projects nationwide is estimated at $500 billion, according to the 21st Century School Fund. Additionally, schools are cautioned against new construction projects because federal financial funding is set aside to remedy learning loss and to hire teachers and support staff members.

School districts also have the financial pressure of adding new security features in response to the numerous school shootings.

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, told NBC News, When I became superintendent [in 2017], the most glaring example of disparity was the infrastructure like decaying ceiling tiles, lack of heat in the winter and stifling conditions during the warmer months. Thats a Third World country infrastructure issue, not something that we should be thinking about in America, he said.

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Nominate IICRC Constituents for the 2021 Hall of Fame - CMM

Sennheisers GSP 300 gaming headset works with all consoles at Amazon low of $62 – 9to5Toys

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Amazon is offering theEPOS Sennheiser GSP 300 Gaming Headset for$62 shipped. For comparison, it has a list price of $100, goes for around $70 or so lately at Amazon with todays deal marking a new all-time low that weve tracked and beating our last mention by $3. While many gaming headsets only function over USB, this model utilizes a 3.5mm headphone jack to work universally with a multitude of devices. This includes PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and more. Plus, the intuitive volume control allows you to change the audio levels on the right earcup. The microphone features a lift-to-mute boom arm that shuts it off whenever you raise it, making it super simple for you to enable or disable your audio when gaming. Rated4.2/5 starsand you can learn more inour hands-on review.

On a tighter budget? Well, theTurtle Beach Recon 70is a great option, especially since its just$40. It also works with all consoles, just like todays lead deal. However, youll lose out on the lift-to-mute microphone and volume wheel on the ear cup, among other features that EPOS is known for.

Dont forget about the Razer Gamer Days sale thats going on right now. Pricing starts as low as $40, and there are plenty of ways to save right now. Not only that, but Gigabytes 1440p 165Hz display is down to $300, and Elgatos Cam Link 4K is $99 to upgrade your streaming setup. Be sure to check out our guide for other great ways to save on PC gaming gear, as well.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

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Sennheisers GSP 300 gaming headset works with all consoles at Amazon low of $62 - 9to5Toys

China and the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean – The Diplomat

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On May 9, the Chinese government finally approved the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean (CAOFA) and will subsequently deposit the instrument of approval with the government of Canada. The CAOFA was signed on October 3, 2018 by the five Arctic Ocean coastal states Canada, Denmark (acting on behalf of Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Norway, Russia, and the United States together with China, the European Union (EU), Iceland, Japan, and South Korea (the so-called Arctic 5+5).

According to Article 11 (1) of the CAOFA, the agreement will enter into force 30 days after all signatory parties have deposited their instruments of ratification with Ottawa. China is the last country among the Arctic 5+5 to approve the CAOFA; the agreement is thus expected to enter in force this month.

The CAOFA will fill in a gap of Arctic fisheries management, marking a milestone for the protection of Arctic environment under international law. This piece aims to review Chinas engagement with the CAOFA negotiations, discuss potential reasons behind the slow approval process of the agreement, and share some initial thoughts on the future of Arctic fisheries governance given Chinas rise.

The Negotiations

The Arctic Five has long self-claimed a stewardship role in the Arctic. Nevertheless, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides states the freedom to fish in the high seas. The central Arctic Ocean (CAO) around the North Pole is the high sea portion of the Arctic, where non-Arctic states enjoy certain fishing rights. The CAO used to be ice-covered, without commercial fishing activities, and therefore was out of sight of any regulatory effort. Due to climate change, however, a warming Arctic is witnessing fish moving northward. Consequently, commercial fisheries in the CAO may occur in the foreseeable future.

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The initiative to adopt the CAOFA, led by the United States, dates to 2007. However, the Arctic states realized that cooperation with key high-sea fishing states was necessary to achieve effective fisheries management in the CAO. On July 16, 2015, the Arctic Five adopted the Declaration Concerning the Prevention of Unregulated High Sea Fishing in the Central Arctic Ocean, known as the Oslo Declaration. China, the European Union, Iceland, Japan, and South Korea were invited to participate in negotiations for the regulation of potential fisheries in the central Arctic Ocean.

China now boasts the worlds largest distant water fishing (DWF) fleet, with 2,654 fishing vessels operated by 169 DWF companies on the high seas of the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, and Southern oceans, as well as in the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of 42 countries. It is clearly stated in Chinas 13th Five-Year (2016-2020) Plan for the Development of the National Distant Water Fishing Industry that China will pay more attention to and join other parties in issues related to Arctic fisheries and participate in Arctic fisheries surveys and management.

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Largely because no commercial fisheries have yet opened in the CAO, the Chinese delegation quietly attended all the CAOFA negations and science meetings: in Washington, D.C. (December 2015 and April 2016), Nunavut (July 2016), Troms (September 2016), Trshavn (November/December 2016), Reykjavik (March 2017), Ottawa (October 2017) and finally Washington, D.C. (November 2017). Despite its under-the-radar presence, the talks marked the first time that China, as a non-Arctic state, was sitting equally with Arctic states to negotiate a treaty for the region.

China paid particular attention to issues such as the Program of Scientific Research and Monitoring (Article 4.2), the step-wise approach toward the establishment of a regional fisheries management organization for the CAO, as well as the duration of the agreement to ban commercial fisheries, which as a political compromise was set for 16 years (Article 13).

The Slow Approval Process

Although China was supportive of the adoption of the CAOFA and signed it alongside the other nine parties, it took nearly three years for the Chinese government to approve the agreement.

According to Article 7 of the Law of the Peoples Republic of China on the Procedure of the Conclusion of Treaties (PRC Treaty Law):

the ratification of treaties and important agreements shall be decided upon by the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress After the signing of a treaty or an important agreement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the department concerned under the State Council in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall submit it to the State Council for examination and verification; the State Council shall then refer it to the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress for decision on ratification; the President of the Peoples Republic of China shall ratify it in accordance with the decision of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress.

It is provided by Article 8 of the PRC Treaty Law that:

After the signing of the agreements and other instruments of the nature of a treaty which do not fall under paragraph 2, Article 7 of this Law and which are subject to approval as prescribed by the State Council or as agreed by the contracting parties, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the departments concerned under the State Council in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall submit them to the State Council for approval.

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Given the CAOFA was only approved by the State Council, this means the CAOFA is not categorized as an important agreement by the Chinese government. It is therefore unusual for China to approve an international agreement, which was already agreed through serious negotiations, through such a lengthy process.

In the authors opinion, rising geopolitical tension between the United States and China during the Trump era has played a significant part in Chinas slow approval of the CAOFA. China was clearly defined as a threat to the rules-based order in the Arctic by the U.S. Department of Defenses Arctic Strategy in 2019. When the Trump administration approved a plan in 2020 to build more polar icebreakers, it was obvious that security concerns outweighed environmental considerations, while competition rather than cooperation had become the watchword for the United States Arctic policy.

Since the inauguration of Biden administration in January, bilateral relations between the United States and China have remained tense but there are positive signs for cooperation in areas of shared concern, such as climate change. John Kerrys trip to Shanghai in April 2021 led to the U.S.-China Joint Statement Addressing the Climate Crisis. The approval of the CAOFA is a latest signal from China that it is willing to cooperate with the West on certain issues, the Arctic being one.

Furthermore, we must not ignore the fact that China approved the CAOFA at the beginning of the Russian Chairmanship of the Arctic Council in May 2021. In 2019, China and Russia agreed to upgrade the bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. This partnership specifically includes Arctic cooperation.

The Future

The entry into force of the CAOFA marks a new beginning for fisheries management in the changing Arctic. In recent years, China has been pushing a narrative of balance between the environmental protection and rational use for global ocean governance, including in the polar regions. For example, Chinas 2018 Arctic Policy White Paper states that conservation in a scientific manner and of rational use is Chinas stance regarding the governance of marine living resources in the Arctic high seas. Even though the CAOFA does not mention rational use at all, this term is echoed by the Priorities of the Russian Chairmanship of the Arctic Council 2021-2023.

The Preamble of the CAO Agreement states that:

commercial fishing is unlikely to become viable in the high seas portion of the central Arctic Ocean in the near future it is therefore premature under current circumstances to establish any additional regional or subregional fisheries management organizations or arrangements for the high seas portion of the central Arctic Ocean

In the years to come, during the period of 16-year ban on commercial fishing in the CAO, it is expected that China will pay close attention to understand potential fisheries opportunities in the CAO, actively participate in the Joint Program of Scientific Research and Monitoring, and conduct exploratory fishing. However, although all parties agreed upon a step-wise approach to adopt the CAOFA, the next step either to continue the ban or to establish a regional fisheries management organization to sustainably manage fishing may become a major tension point between China and the West in the foreseeable future.

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China and the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean - The Diplomat

Africa must protect the high seas before its too late – Mail and Guardian

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If the past year has taught us anything, it is that we must not underestimate the power of the natural world. The Covid-19 pandemic has been a tragedy of untold proportions, and a clarion call to us that we must work harder to protect nature and live in harmony, not at odds, with it.

For many people, the notion of protecting nature in Africa conjures up visions of sweeping national parks, game reserves teeming with the Big Five and stretches of golden coastlines where turtles nest while brightly coloured fishes punctuate the clear waters. Of course, they are right: the biodiversity we are blessed with in Africa is abundant and there is much good work being done to ensure its safety and longevity.

But there is one last great wilderness that most of us will never see, and most likely have never thought much about. This great wilderness begins 200 nautical miles off our African shores, it covers half of the planet, and it is the last great global commons the high seas.

As we celebrate World Ocean Day, it is vital we recognise the importance of protecting areas beyond our national jurisdiction. Historically, a lack of clarity about who is responsible for the protection of this expanse and limited public awareness of just how vital a healthy ocean system is has, at best, fuelled disinterest and, at worst, let a small minority exploit its resources and decimate its biodiversity. But it is no exaggeration to state that our lives depend on safeguarding the high seas, even in landlocked countries like my own.

It is thought that scientists know more about outer space than they do the high seas, with some estimating that we are still unaware of 91% of the living organisms that exist in this largely unexplored ecosystem. So murky is our knowledge, that even some of the species that we do know of seem almost mythical, such as the giant squid, the largest of which was recorded at more than 13 metres long, or the whitemargin stargazer, which can sting prey with up to 50 volts. And although these alien-like creatures might seem interesting but unimportant to us in Africa, this could not be further from the truth.

To date, about 34000 organisms have been discovered in the high seas that could potentially be used in medical and food developments. So far, discoveries in the high seas have included eight marine-based drugs, five of which are cancer treatments; and the discovery of one form of alga that can be used to fortify canola oil, an increasingly popular staple in Africa.

However, at present there is no legally binding framework in place to stop wealthier nations or private companies controlling these discoveries, patenting them and preventing developing countries from accessing their benefits.

The same is true of fishing in the high seas. It is monopolised by fewer than a dozen countries, with little regulation, and is rarely equitably shared. In fact, it is estimated that the worldwide value of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing catches is between $4.9-billion and $9.5-billion, and up to 30% of such fishing ($1.2-billion) occurs beyond national jurisdiction.

But more than just providing a minority with financial benefit, overfishing in the high seas has a direct effect on stocks within neighbouring countries exclusive economic zones. This has a disproportionate effect on developing countries in which dependency on fisheries for food, livelihoods and revenues is high.

Without a strong, global, legally binding framework not only will developing countries continue to be denied access to natural resources in the high seas, but the high seas ecosystem will continue to be drastically compromised. This will have significant effects on domestic fish stocks, climate change and sea levels; and, by extension, a direct effect on our livelihoods and health even if, like me, you are sitting in a landlocked country.

The current UN High Seas Treaty under negotiation aims, for the first time, to establish guidelines for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This would include a framework to establish a well-connected and representative network of marine protected areas, rigorous and independent environmental impact assessment of ongoing and future activities on the high seas, and clear funding mechanisms that do not marginalise developing countries.

Over the next six months we have a chance to drastically change the way we engage with the high seas and their ecosystem. As Africans, we owe it to ourselves and future generations to engage fully in the ongoing negotiations for a high seas treaty to ensure that this last great wilderness is protected and restored, and that the oceans abundant resources are distributed equally and sustainably.

To put it simply, if we do not protect the high seas collectively and globally, the repercussions will be catastrophic biologically, economically and almost certainly geopolitically.

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Africa must protect the high seas before its too late - Mail and Guardian

Bringing the High Seas Biodiversity Treaty Into Port – Council on Foreign Relations

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As President Joe Bidens administration moves to restore U.S. global leadership on the environment, it cannot afford to ignore the health of oceans. It must spearhead the successful conclusion of negotiations on aU.N. high seas biodiversity convention, which are currently adrift. To bring this treaty into port, the United States will need to forge global agreement on several contentious issues. It will also need to temperits neuralgic opposition to legally binding multilateral commitments, recognizing that the treaty poses no threat to U.S. sovereignty and is deeply in American interests.

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Although not entirely lawless, the high seas are poorly governed bya fragmentary patchwork of regulatory schemescovering everything from migratory birds and regional fisheries to deep-sea mining and pollution from ships. The biggest gap in oceans governance is the absence of a comprehensive agreement to conserve and sustainably manage marine living resources and ecosystems on the high seas, which are experiencing catastrophic declines as technological advances permit their unprecedented exploitation. Already, some 40 percent of the worlds oceans have beenseverely altered by human activity; only 3 percent can beconsidered pristine.

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A proposed high seas pactformally, the Internationally Legally Binding Instrument on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, or so-called BBNJ treatywould plug this gaping hole. It woulddramatically enhance environmental stewardshipover a vast commons thatencompasses 43 percent of Earths surface, contains 90 percent of the oceans biomass, and constitutes the greatest repository of planetary biodiversity. The BBNJ treaty would bean implementing agreementunder theU.N. Convention of the Law of the Sea, the closest approximation to a constitution for the worlds oceans.

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Formalintergovernmental negotiations on the BBNJopened in September 2018. Unfortunately, the treaty is nowstuck in the doldrums. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, parties were slated to hold their fourth (and ostensibly final) negotiating session in March 2020. Bad timing. The postponed talks are scheduled to resume in August, though this date could slip. More worrisome,international divisions persist on core issuesat the heart of the treaty, including the multilateral rules that should govern marine genetic resources, area-based management tools, environmental impact assessments and capacity-building. Underlying many specific disagreements isa broader philosophical divide: Developing nations insist that the high seas and their resources constitute the common heritage of mankind, whereas developed nations, including the U.S., tend to invoke the freedom of the seas and resist being bound by international obligations.

The topic ofmarine genetic resourcesis especially divisive. While there is consensus that all nations should benefit from their exploitation, the actual details of any global regime remain elusivesuch as whether benefit-sharing should be voluntary or mandatory, or whether it should apply only to specimens collected in situ or also todigital sequence information(or genetic sequence data) subsequently derived from those specimens. Generally speaking, poorer nations insist on maximal benefit-sharing, whereas wealthy ones seek toprotect the intellectual property rights of companiesseeking to profit from their investments.

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Countries are similarly divided on the principles and rules that should govern the collective management of fragile, biodiverse zones, including through the designation of marine protected areas and other arrangements. The high seas containmany ecologically sensitive regions, such as theEmperor Seamount Chainstretching from the Aleutian to the Hawaiian Islands. Nations have yet to agree on the authorities and mechanisms whereby the world will identify, establish, regulate and monitor such zones. Reaching agreement on such matters is a precondition forachieving the 30 by 30 goalof protecting 30 percent of Earths marine and terrestrial surface by 2030,a target Biden recently endorsed.

The BBNJ negotiations reveal that there is broad multilateral consensus for states toconduct environmental impact assessmentsbefore undertaking major activities on the high seas. But there is scant agreement on thethreshold that should trigger such assessments, the technical standards that should inform them, and whether they should be mandated and/or reviewed by a treaty body. There is also disagreement on how best to build the capacities of developing countries to participate in the conservation and sustainable use of the high seas, including how to assess their needs and whether technology transfers should be mandatory or voluntary.

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Beyond resolving these core issues, the final negotiations are supposed to determine any enduring institutional arrangements that will implement the treaty, which could include a secretariat and a standing conference of parties, as well mechanisms to resolve disputes among and monitor compliance by its parties. A huge bone of contention is whether such a governance structure should take precedence over existing sectoral bodies, notably the International Seabed Authority, as well as regional fisheries management organizations.

The Biden administration has a historic opportunity to help break these logjams. To credibly lead the world, however, the U.S. will need toabandon its long-standing reluctance to enter into legally binding environmental treaties, which it too often perceives as infringements on its ability to do what it wantsrather than as useful mechanisms to secure valued outcomes.

Such insistence on absolute freedom of action has frequently been shortsighted, but it is increasingly counterproductive today, as other nations and corporations dramatically expand their activities on and exploitation of the high seas, with disastrous consequences for the marine environment. In the absence of a high seas biodiversity treaty, for instance, there is little to stop a nation or private actor operating under a flag of convenience fromundertaking ecologically destructive mining operations on a deep seabed, launching freelance climate remediation efforts at sea, or even creating floating cities mid-ocean, heedless of the impacts on marine life.

It is deeply within the U.S. national interest to voluntarily accept some international constraints on its own behavior, if, by so doing, it can prevent others from degrading the ocean commons. This is particularly true given Americas generally high regulatory standards. Historically, private U.S. corporations seeking to extract resources from the high seas have had to comply with American law, namely the National Environmental Policy Act, to ensure that they do not cause grievous harm to the ocean. While the Trump administration rolled back these procedural requirements, the Biden administration will surely reinstate them, raising an obvious question: If U.S. corporations are already subject to stringent environmental regulations, why should Washington oppose internationalizing them?

As a matter of course, the U.S. already routinely cedes freedom of action on the high seas, like when it enters into regional fisheries management organizations or accepts shipping lanes defined by the International Maritime Organization. Ratifying the BBNJ would entail similar self-limitations, but the payoff would be huge: helping topreserve the future of lifeon nearly half of the planet.

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SEACOR Power survivor begged God to ‘calm the seas’ after being swept overboard – WWLTV.com

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You can yell all you can but while youre yelling you're swallowing water," he said, remembering being unable to hail rescue boats passing by him.

PORT FOURCHON, La. Dwayne Lewis has a noticeable scar on his right pinky, a constant reminder of what happened to him April 13, the day the liftboat he was on, the Seacor Power, capsized in the Gulf of Mexico during severe weather.

I now have a permanent pinky ring where the rope burnt me, said Lewis.

That rope eventually slipped and Lewis, who can't swim, started drifting away from the boat. Thats when he started praying to his deceased mother, telling her he wasnt ready to go see her.

Its something I never want to experience again, said Lewis.

That experience started when Lewis says he was napping in his room on the ship, just after 3 p.m. Severe weather caused the boat to roll over, flipping his room sideways. Lewis says he tried breaking the window in his room with a steel-toed boot, but that didnt work. Luckily, he says a mate, James Gracien from across the hall, found a fire extinguisher, which they used to bust the window. Lewis says he was wearing his personal life jacket, which for some reason didnt have a light or whistle, and gave Gracien one of the life jackets from his room.

Lewis says Gracien told him they needed to get out, but Lewis was afraid to jump from the widow into the water below. Eventually he decided he had no choice.

When I went to get out, a wave came and pushed me halfway back into the room, and then whenever the water was rushing out, it sucked me under; and then I came up and was like, Oh my God, what the hell just happened here.'

As he started to drift away, Lewis says he felt that rope brush against him, and held onto it as tightly as possible. At one point he says he saw a handful of other men who were still on the boat, but couldnt make out what they were yelling.

Youve got waves blowing in your face, water blowing in your eyes. Its kind of hard to make out what they were doing. Who it was, I have no idea, said Lewis.

Lewis says he thought about his water survival training from years ago and tried not to panic, while waves continued to crash on top of him.

At the same time youre trying to divert your thoughts, but youre begging God to calm the seas, said Lewis.

Lewis says even if he knew how to swim, it likely wouldnt have improved his odds of survival with the rough seas and poor visibility.

I dont think the best swimmer could have lasted very long in those seas, said Lewis.

In the distance, he could see Coast Guard boats, but there was no way for him to get their attention.

You can yell all you can but while youre yelling you're swallowing water, he said.

At one point, when two rescue boats stopped near Lewis, he thought he was saved. But those boats never saw him, and he was left stranded again.

It wasnt until another boat, the M/V Mr. Lloyd showed up that he was spotted in the water.

Thats when I knew I was going to be saved, said Lewis. Whenever the life ring was thrown at me, I caught it. The back of that boat went up 12 feet. You could see the propellers. Here I am going, this boat is going to land on me, but I cant let out of this life ring. No matter what happens I cant let go of it.

After being rescued Lewis said he called his wife to let her know he survived.

Others never got that chance.

Lewis is one of only six survivors from that day. Six others were killed and seven are still missing, presumed killed in the shipwreck. Lewis says he knows three of the guys who are still missing.

The other day I played one of the guys' messages he left me on my phone, just to hear his voice, said Lewis.

About two weeks after, Lewis says he spoke with the federal investigators. According to the National Transportation Safety Boards preliminary report, the Seacor Power left Port Fourchon at about 1:30 in the afternoon on April 13. Of the 19 people on board, nine were crew members, two were gallery staff and eight were offshore workers. The liftboat was headed to an oil rig east of the Mississippi Delta.

Lewis says he was there in a supervisory role for work that needed to be done.

At 7:02 a.m., a weather report was emailed to the liftboat forecasting afternoon winds of 10 to 14 miles per hour, with and three-foot seas. At about 3:30 p.m., a storm began to pass over while the liftboat was on open waters.

Other boats in the area reported heavy rain, high seas, and winds up to 92 miles per hour during the storm.

According to the report, because of low visibility and high winds, crew members started to lower the boat's legs to stabilize it. At the same time, a crew member attempted to turn the liftboat to face the wind.

None of those efforts were successful. The report indicates the liftboat officially capsized at about 3:41 p.m.

I went outside at 3:05 and it was two to three foot seas and it was just starting to rain. According to the NTSB, the boat capsized at 3:41. Thats pretty quick, said Lewis.

After nearly 15 years working offshore, Lewis isnt sure if hell be able to return because of the PTSD he is now experiencing.

It was a very traumatic event and with what my wife and children went through, theres no way, said Lewis.

Eyewitness News interviewed Lewis Tuesday at his attorneys office in New Orleans, a week after he filed a federal lawsuit against the Power's owner, Seacor Marine, and the maker of the boat, Semco, LLC.

The lawsuit claims Seacor acted with flagrant, reckless disregard for his life and safety by sending out the liftboat on April 13.

Lewis' lawsuit is the latest of several filed against Seacor over the tragic capsizing of the Seacor Power.

The company maintains that it was Captain David Ledet, a liftboat veteran with decades of experience piloting large watercraft, who had the final say on whether to set out that afternoon. Ledet's widow, who also filed a lawsuit after her husband's body was recovered, says Seacor ordered him out of port.

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SEACOR Power survivor begged God to 'calm the seas' after being swept overboard - WWLTV.com

Why the Ocean Needs the Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act – Earthjustice

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We are in a biodiversity crisis. Species are disappearing across the globe, undermining the biological networks that allow life on earth to survive and thrive. In the ocean, sharks are both pillars of productive ecosystems and victims of this crisis, with some species of shark declining by over 80% in the last half century.

Earthjustice is fighting to protect sharks because these millennia-old scientific wonders are on the path to disappearing before we even understand them, which will leave gaping holes in ocean ecosystems and the human communities they support. Sharks are crucial for a healthy ocean, a stable climate, and the livelihoods and culture of people around the world. We are fighting for sharks because we need them, and the earth needs them.

Overfishing is one of the greatest killers of sharks. We take too many sharks out of the ocean, both purposefully and accidentally as bycatch. One of the biggest drivers of overfishing is illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing. Illegal, unregulated, or unreported fishing is fishing that violates existing laws or happens without any oversight to ensure legal compliance. Far from land and regulation, fishers catch and kill sharks at a devastating rate. Intentional illegal shark fishing often involves the cruel practice of finning sharks alive and throwing them back in the ocean to slowly and painfully drown. Illegal fishing is also often rife with violations of labor and human rights laws.

As the worlds biggest seafood importer, the U.S. has a responsibility to lead on making fishing more sustainable and promoting wise ocean stewardship. A recently introduced bill titled the Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act takes a step in the right direction.

This bill amends and strengthens one of the most important tools the U.S. has to combat illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing: the High Seas Driftnet Fishery Moratorium Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act), which allows the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to identify, certify, and potentially sanction countries when their vessels engage in illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing. The Moratorium Protection Act specifically targets shark fishing by allowing NOAA to identify nations for:

Despite the Moratorium Protection Acts focus on sharks, however, NOAA has never listed a nation for catching sharks as bycatch or for catching sharks on the high seas, and only once has NOAA listed a nation for illegal shark fishing. Clearly, a stronger law is needed to promote better international ocean management.

The Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act takes a comprehensive approach to improving our existing tools for combatting illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing and transforming our nations role from being an unintentional consumer of illegal and unregulated fishing products to being a global leader on prevention. Three elements of the bill are crucial for Earthjustices priorities of sustainable and equitable ocean management and to combat the biodiversity crisis:

The Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act is both commonsense and urgent. Illegal fishing jeopardizes the survival of one of our greatest classes of ocean predators. Sharks are keystone species, and when they disappear, entire ecosystems suffer. More action is needed to protect sharks and preserve ocean ecosystems, and Earthjustice supports this first important step to stemming the tide of illegal seafood into our ports. With bipartisan support for advancing these practical solutions to the growing problem of illegal fishing, Congress must advance the Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act this session.

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Why the Ocean Needs the Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act - Earthjustice

Ambitious treaty offers a once in a lifetime chance to protect the high seas – Euronews

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Water covers around 71 per cent of our planet and the wealth of biodiversity found in our oceans is unparalleled. While many areas are now receiving much-needed attention from policymakers, theres one distinct marine environment that remains virtually unprotected.

The high seas cover two-thirds of the worlds oceans and are beyond the jurisdiction of any country. An astonishing variety of microscopic organisms produce almost half of the worlds oxygen supply.

But only 1 per cent of international waters are currently protected as we approach a dangerous tipping point for all life on Earth.

The high seas provide more than 95 per cent of the space for life on the planet. Most of those are deep ocean and they are critically underexplored, marine biologist Dr Diva Amon tells Euronews Green.

The analogy that I tend to use is that we have a giant supersize TV screen, and the information we have is just a handful of pixels. Basically, even with that, we have more knowledge than we have ever had.

Despite our lack of understanding, humanity is encroaching further and further into these underexplored marine environments. The high seas and deep oceans face threats from overfishing, marine pollution and a growing number of countries seeking resources beyond their own waters.

Without legal protections and investigations into how our actions are affecting them, we could stand to lose biodiversity before we have even discovered it.

However, a diverse group of scientists from around the world believe we still have an opportunity to tip the balance in favour of saving our oceans. Theyve signed a letter calling on world leaders to adopt an ambitious international treaty.

For most of the high seas, there's not a legal mechanism that governments can use to establish marine protected areas, which is really problematic, explains Nichola Clark, one of the letters core authors alongside Dr Amon.

Currently, governance of the high seas is covered by a complex puzzle of organisations and policies. Each takes care of a different aspect of human activity and coordination between groups is less than optimal.

Clark, an Officer on the Protecting Ocean Life on the High Seas team at Pew Charitable Trusts, specialises in the negotiation around a new global agreement currently being drafted by the United Nations. She says that this treaty, called the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), offers a once in a lifetime opportunity.

We are about to finalise this treaty that would finally do what we meant to do, what we set out to do years ago, and fill those governance gaps enabling us to protect high seas biodiversity.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, such an ambitious treaty isnt without challenges when it comes to international cooperation, Clark explains. Further delays to dialogue between countries and differences in opinion about what ocean protection should look like could hamper its progress.

A global pandemic has meant that now there is going to be at least a two year gap between the last time negotiators came together in a room to work on this treaty and the next round of negotiations, she says.

There are still a number of substantive questions that are going to have to be addressed before we can actually get some final treaty texts.

Clark raises the example of marine protected areas. Some countries involved in the negotiation want these ecologically and biologically important regions to be identified before protections are introduced.

There are already processes in place to do this, however, and time is running out for our oceans; we've been talking about conserving biodiversity for two decades.

Despite the obstacles, Clark remains optimistic: I think it's going to be a challenge, but I don't think it's an insurmountable one.

With people more switched on to the importance of the ocean to our health and that of the planet, there has never been a better time. Along with the rest of the letters authors, Clark is calling for negotiations to end as soon as possible, finally putting legal preservation in place for the unprotected half of our planet.

What replaces the current mosaic of policies needs to be different from previous legal mechanisms to protect the high seas, though. The scientists behind the letter say the new UN treaty has to be comprehensive, backed by science - and reflect on the mistakes of the past.

We have an opportunity to create a system that conserves biodiversity, while also creating an equitable environment for all of humankind, says another of its core authors, University of North Carolina biologist, Dr Rebecca Helm.

In the past, weve put in place short-sighted ocean stewardship policies, even with the best intentions in mind, that have harmed these ecosystems. You dont need to look far to find instances where weve proceeded with ignorance.

A great example would actually be the critically endangered European eels, says Helm.

They're now critically endangered for a variety of reasons but one of the mysteries of the eel that persisted for hundreds of years was where do they come from. Now we know that the eels swim out into the middle of the Atlantic, into the Sargasso Sea, this sort of ecosystem at the ocean surface, outside of national jurisdiction.

Their story is a lesson in not treating ecosystems as separate but instead thinking about how the survival of one species could rely on protecting entire oceans. Conserving the European Eel is impossible without thinking about both national and international jurisdiction.

The BBNJ treaty, Helm explains, is a chance to lay the foundations for something better.

As with many issues related to places humans dont often visit, protection of the high seas isnt a subject that makes headlines.

It's hard to ask people to care about the high seas, about the deep ocean, considering that many of them may never have been there, don't know anything about it and may never go there or experience it in their entire lives, says Dr Amon.

But out of sight does not mean out of mind. Conserving biodiversity in these almost alien regions has an impact on the lives of millions. Everything from income for coastal communities, tourism and even the air we breathe.

Ultimately, the high seas is the largest space on the planet, and it is critically connected to the rest of the biosphere.

The voices backing the letter reflect just how important this legal protection is to communities all over the world. So far it has been signed by more than 20 scientists in countries including multiple EU states, Costa Rica, Palau and Kenya. Around 80 per cent of the signatories are female.

I think science is having a bit of a reckoning, she notes, we know that Indigenous people and local communities often are operating with solutions.

There is so much that we can learn from those critically underrepresented and marginalised parts of society so that we can ultimately benefit and allow the benefit to extend across humanity.

Dr Amon believes this wealth and diversity of views has the power to completely transform the way we manage and value our oceans. Women are disproportionately affected by climate change and communities in the Global South face some of the biggest impacts.

Ultimately, everyone needs a seat at the table because this is the common heritage of humankind.

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Ambitious treaty offers a once in a lifetime chance to protect the high seas - Euronews

Two Members of the Jamaica Defence Force Are First-Ever Appointed to United States Coast Guard Academy – US Embassy in Jamaica

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(l-r) Charg dAffaires, John McIntyre, Elaine Chambers (mother of Potential Officer, Nicholas Folkes), Senator the Honorable Matthew Samuda, Minister without Portfolio, Ministry of National Security, Potential Officer, Shawna Marie Sinclair, and Commodore Antonette Wemyss-Gorman Jamaica Defence For

The United States Coast Guard Academy has admitted as cadets two members of the Jamaica Defence Force, Shawna Marie Sinclair and Nicholas Folkes. Soon to be Cadet Sinclair and soon to be Cadet Folkes will be the first Jamaica Defence Force members to be appointed to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and their appointment comes as part of the international cadet program. Worldwide, only six slots were available for international cadets with Jamaica securing two of those coveted six spots.

As international cadets, Folkes and Sinclair are subject to the same rules, regulations, and pay as U.S. cadets. They will earn a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation and will return to Jamaica to serve in the Jamaica Defence Force as commissioned officers.

Speaking at the appointment ceremony held June 1 at the U.S. Embassy, Charg dAffaires John McIntyre said All of Jamaica should be proud that one-third of the international cadets attending the U.S. Coast Guard Academy as part of Class 2025 are Jamaican.

At the ceremony, Charg dAffaires McIntyre presented the official appointment certificates to Sinclair and Folkes mother Elaine Chambers, who accepted the certificate on his behalf as he was unable to attend in person. Other distinguished guests at the ceremony included Senator the Honorable Matthew Samuda, Minister without Portfolio, Ministry of National Security, Commodore Antonette Wemyss-Gorman, Fleet Executive Officer of the Jamaica Defence Force, Brigadier Roderick Williams, Brigade Commander, Maritime, Air and Cyber Command, Brigadier Radgh Mason, President of the Caribbean Military Academy, U.S. Embassy Senior Defense Official Lieutenant Colonel Robert Ramsey, and U.S. Embassy Coast Guard Attach Lieutenant Commander Jason Hathaway.

Speaking on the U.S.-Jamaican bilateral relationship, Lieutenant Commander Hathaway noted, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard have long enjoyed a close partnership, standing side-by-side in the Caribbean to face transnational criminal organizations conducting crimes upon the high seas and coastal zones. Today, we forge the next chapter in that partnership with these two pioneers of Jamaican sea service.

The United States Coast Guard Academy is located in New London, Connecticut and is the smallest U.S. service academy, with only 900 total cadets at any given time. The first international cadet program began as an exchange with the Philippines in 1970. Since then, over 200 cadets from 50 countries have enrolled in the program.

By U.S. Embassy Kingston | 8 June, 2021 | Topics: News, Press Releases

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Two Members of the Jamaica Defence Force Are First-Ever Appointed to United States Coast Guard Academy - US Embassy in Jamaica

Oh. My. Gawd! A Friends-themed cruise is setting sail and heres what you need to know – Woman & Home

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For superfans of the NBC sitcom Friends, your prayers may have been answereda Friends-themed cruise is hitting the high seas in 2022.

If the Friends Reunion special wasn't enough to feed your love, don't panic yet. A Friends-themed cruise is coming and wants all the superfans to get on board. The cruise will take place from May 15 to May 21, 2022, on the ship Equinox Celebrity. It will embark from Fort Lauderdale, stopping at ports in Key West, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, Mexico.

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The experience was created by the travel agency Fana World Travel, which plans on rewarding around 500 Friends fans with this experimental experience. So what can fans expect from it? The Cruise with Friends website teases you to "Get ready to eat like Joey, joke like Chandler, cook like Monica, shop like Rachel, yoga like Phoebe, and dig like Ross." Supposedly, there will be activities including a themed costume contest, a trivia game, and more.

(Image credit: Manfred Segerer/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

Be prepared to splurge though as fares for the cruise range anywhere from $1,648.66 for an inside stateroom to $3,048.66 for a Sky Suite with a balcony. Though that's not all, it also comes with unlimited surf wi-fi, a $150 shore excursion credit, and a premium beverage package.

Unlike the reunion special though, don't expect any surprise visits from the cast or a special rendition of Smelly Cat from Lady Gaga.

The Friends-themed cruise isn't the only experience aimed at superfans, in fact, this cruise joins a growing list of pop culture-themed cruises travel brands are creating.

1. Oprah Cruise

This experience has been Oprah-approved and will feature appearances from the star herself, plus Gayle King, a range of lifestyle experts, and other special guests. Dates have yet to be announced but the cruise is set to leave from Seattle and head towards Alaska.

2. Gwenyth Paltrow Goop Experience

Gwenyth's latest gig is taking her out to sea as she takes her brand to cruise lines. The lifestyle experience is partnered through Celebrity Cruises and will give you an 11-night vacation where you'll have the opportunity to work and learn from lifestyle expertsincluding Gwenyth herself.

3. Golden Girls-themed cruise

The new ship Celebrity Apex will be transporting fans of the hit sitcom Golden Girls into a theme experience reminiscent of the show. From January 3 to January 8, 2022, superfans can enjoy a Take Me Back To St. Olaf dance party, costume nights, game nights, parody shows, and more.

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Oh. My. Gawd! A Friends-themed cruise is setting sail and heres what you need to know - Woman & Home

Why its time we woke up and listened to the ocean – The Citizen

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By Ghaamid Abdulbasat Hatibu

The importance of protecting biodiversity is not lost on Tanzanians. Our country is well known for its incredible beauty and diverse ecosystems: home to an incredible 24 percent of the worlds biodiversity hotspots.

Perhaps most notable is Serengeti National Park, a shining example of the importance and benefits of protected areas; the great migration draws in millions of visitors each year, while also providing the necessary routes for animals to safely find greener pastures in the western corridor of the Serengeti and then back again. And, just 40km off the mainland, youll find another breath-taking example of Tanzanias natural heritage: the Menai Bay conservation area, home to sea turtles, dolphins and dugongs.

Significant role

On land and at sea, Tanzanias youth have played a significant role in working to build and maintain protection of our natural resources, and as it stands over a third of our land is protected. However, while Tanzanias efforts to protect biodiversity so far are admirable, there is one area that we can do more for: the high seas.

The high seas begin 200 nautical miles off our coast and as a result, fall outside of our national jurisdiction. But, importantly, they make up over 64 percent of the earths surface. They remain largely unexplored but are believed to make up 95 percent of the earths occupied habitats, offering a home to thousands of fish species, providing migratory routes for whales and sharks, as well as harbouring remarkable ecosystems such as deep-water corals and other microscopic life.

Yet, only around one percent of this vast global common is protected, and unless our governments come together and carve out a plan to safeguard this last great wilderness, the youth, and generations to come will face devastating consequences.

At present no singular governing body holds responsibility for looking after the high seas, and as such they are susceptible to select nations and corporations accessing their resources without suitable supervision, which means increasingly they are exploited on a first come, first serve basis. This lack of oversight has led to unsustainable fishing practices, monopolisation of genetic resource materials, unequal distribution of discoveries of note, and a lack of efficient ecosystem monitoring.

Equality gap

It is no exaggeration to say that the limited access that developing countries, such as my own, has to the high seas has contributed to the growing equality gap. Both in an immediate sense, with regards to medical and scientific advances, but also longer term, with compromised marine ecosystems contributing to climate change, rising sea levels, and reduced fish stocks in our national waters.

The High Seas Treaty, currently under negotiation at the United Nations aims, for the first time, to establish guidelines for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

This would include a framework to establish a well-connected and representative network of marine protected areas, rigorous and independent environmental impact assessment of ongoing and future activities on the high seas, and clear funding mechanisms that do not marginalise developing nations.

A healthy and productive ocean is crucial for our planets survival. To support people, fight climate change and save biodiversity, we need a network of fully and highly protected areas covering at least 30 percent of the ocean by 2030, which can only be accomplished by including the high seas.

Climate change

As young people in todays world, it is easy to feel helpless when trying to combat climate change and biodiversity loss, for years the political will just was not there. But we have changed that - and, slowly but surely, world leaders have opened their eyes to the desperate need for greater action. Now, they must open their ears and listen to the ocean. It needs our help - if not for ourselves, then for future generations. So, on this World Oceans Day today, lets join together and forge ahead with a robust High Seas Treaty.

________________________________________________________________

Ghaamid Abdulbasat Hatibu leads the Global Youth Biodiversity Network Chapter in Tanzania

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Why its time we woke up and listened to the ocean - The Citizen

Taking Lighthouse to the Top – The SandPaper

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As erosion threatened the tower, George R. Putnam, the commissioner in charge of the federal Lighthouse Bureau, favored abandoning it to its fate and replacing the light with a state-of-the-art lightship anchored 7 miles off Barnegat Inlet. Citizens and several newspapers rallied support to save it and enlisted local Congressman Frank Appleby and U.S. Senator Joseph Frelinghuysen to save the structure.

In early July 1921, the two men convinced U.S. Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover to inspect the situation himself; following the visit, Hoover stated he would make a decision in a short time.

On July 15, William Fisher, publisher of the New Jersey Courier, editorialized.

The friends of Barnegat lighthouse are now pinning their last hopes on Herbert Hoover for the saving of Barnegat lighthouse. The Secretary of Commerce has been on the ground, and seen the light as it stands, and its danger. He knows its value to navigation. He has talked with practical men on the beach and has gotten their ideas as to the possibility of saving the tower. He himself is an engineer of wide experience, and if he thinks it possible to save the light with any amount of money available in his emergency lighthouse fund, and if he further thinks the light as a commercial aid is worth the spending of such an amount, we may look for something to happen soon.

Personally, I am resting easy on the judgment of Mr. Hoover. Barring a freak of nature, he is the only hope left for Barnegat light.

Reporting from the Manasquan Coast Star the same day, It had seemingly been the intention of the government lighthouse authorities to permit Barnegat Light to come to an inglorious end, but through the intervention of Senator Frelinghuysen a personal interest is being taken in the matter by Secretary Hoover.

It is expected that a plan will be evolved by the latter for the salvation of the Barnegat Light and that it will be preserved under government direction and made safe against the assaults of the ocean.

The Tuckerton Beacon the day before had explained that some progress was being made.

the Commissioner has now made a favorable report, recommending that the lighthouse be retained in the service as it now stands and that steps be taken for its proper preservation. Congressman Appleby has a bill in Congress to appropriate $30,000 for this purpose, but this bill cannot be put through in time for this summers work. There is an appropriation of four million to the Lighthouse Service, and part of this is an emergency fund. Congressman Appleby and Senator Frelinghuysen are urging Secretary Hoover to allot a part of this fund to save old Barnegat Light. In a recent conference the secretary promised them he would look into the matter carefully and give them an early decision.

On July 22, the Summit Record announced some good news: Hoover Would Save Old and Famous Barnegat Light.

Secretary of Commerce Herbert W. Hoover, in company with Senator Frelinghuysen recently motored to Barnegat Light for a careful inspection of the old and famed Barnegat Light to see and hear at first hand the extent of the ravages made by stormy seas and to determine what best can be done to preserve the historic beacon.

On Aug. 13, Appleby showed he wasnt one to rest. According to the Perth Amboy News, Representative T. Frank Appleby of Asbury Park, with Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover called on President Harding yesterday in regard to preservation of the Barnegat Lighthouse on the Jersey Coast.

President Harding showed much interest in the matter and expressed his belief that the repairs should be made, and the old landmark fully restored. He reserved his decision in the matter, however, saying he would think it over and discuss it further with Budget Director Dawes. Mr. Appleby is hopeful the President will decide favorably nest week.

With that, most friends of the lighthouse relaxed, feeling they had won. But saving the lighthouse would require work, money and actions, not talk. Appleby would appear before Congress in November 1922 to give an update on the situation.

The sea has cut around this tower lighthouse and the Government undertook to save it by dumping some stones there. Those stones were put in a haphazard way but did fairly good work. A little later the municipality had what you might term wooden jetties built in front of it, around the sides and in the bay. The idea was all right, but the construction was faulty, and the result was that during a storm with high seas the woodwork was broken down in places and did not maintain the sand in sufficient manner, whereas if it had been built substantial character, such as we know proposed, it would have made it more permanent, irrespective of all that the lighthouse is still there doing excellent work and the beach is making by the various things that are held there, some of the rock and some of the broken jetties.

In addition, there is this peculiar thing: The foundation wall of a cottage, which was ordered sold and removed, forms a part of the sand-catching process, so that the brick walls are intact but what it needs now is a permanent rock projection of that nature.

The congressman went on to explain.

The lighthouse is in splendid condition, and it should be maintained in that condition. Secretary Hoover, I might say, a year ago last summer visited this lighthouse with Senator Frelinghuysen, and he recommended the appropriation.

When asked if a request had been made to the Lighthouse Bureau, he replied, This has been presented to them, yes sir. I might tell you just what the trouble is so that you may know it all. Mr. Putman, the superintendent of lighthouses, has been in favor building lightships at sea, which will cost several times this amount, and, in my judgment, will not be nearly so satisfactory. They are very expensive to maintain, and if you take away from this point a sea mark which has been there for 50 or 60 years you more or less fool the mariners, and if this is torn down or taken away the fishermen who are in and out in large numbers will have no light to guide them at night at that particular point.

The congressman wanted to make it clear.

The whole trouble is this: As far as Mr. Putman is concerned, he is against this lighthouse being saved. As far as that goes they were so sure it was going to be demolished two or three years ago they bought a new lighthouse of steel construction, not nearly so high, and they were going to place it across on the other shore, which can only be reached by boats going across the Barnegat Inlet. As soon as I heard of it, I talked with Mr. Putnam, and I showed him how impracticable it was to put a lighthouse on the opposite shore. The result has been that the old lighthouse has remained there, despite the fact that that particular department has done little to save it.

In answer to the question if replacement would save money, No, they were going to work both of them. They were going to put up a steel tower for Barnegat Inlet. They will all agree with me that Barnegat must have a light, but they were going to use a steel tower for the inlet and put lightships at sea. I claim the building of the proposed seawall is by far the more economical and satisfactory proposition.

Appleby closed his testimony with a plea.

It is something I am very much interested in, and I believe the people at large would think it would be poor policy on the part of the Government to allow a lighthouse of this kind to be destroyed.

The battle to save Barnegat Lighthouse would continue. One hundred years later one wonders what things on LBI might be like if Putnam had succeeded. There would be no lighthouse, no state park or even a town called Barnegat Light. Some experts say the inlet by now would have moved several miles south of its present location, and saving the lighthouse might have kept the word long in Long Beach Island.

Next Week: A forgotten peace treaty.

tpfcjf@comcast.net

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Taking Lighthouse to the Top - The SandPaper

1823: WHEN A FEW BAD APPLES SPOILED THE WRECKING TRADE – Florida Keys Weekly

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1823 was a big year for the Florida Keys. New waves of wreckers were arriving to try their luck on the Florida Reef. Two of these men were Joshua Appleby and Captain John Fiveash. They sailed into the West Indies in 1822 and established a small community at Key Vaca called Port Monroe.

The two placed a Notice to Mariners in the Pensacola newspaper The Floridian on February 10, 1823. The announcement touted Port Monroe as having the advantages of a large and spacious harbor and the proprietors are furnished with experienced pilots, good vessels, boats, and provisions of all kinds to relieve those who may be so unfortunate as to get on the Florida Reef.

The year 1823 was also when Commodore David Porter, in charge of the West Indies Squadron created to eradicate piracy, combat the slave trade, and protect American citizens established its base of operations on Key West. (The government name for the island was Thompsons Island, to honor Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson.) At 8 oclock on the morning of April 6, 17 guns were fired, and the American flag was pulled up the staff and began flapping in the Key West breezes.

Porters Mosquito Fleet made short work of the pirates of the West Indies. Porter also observed wreckers operating along the Florida Reef. He wrote a letter to Thompson voicing his concerns regarding the limited written statutes governing wrecking laws. He also commented on what, at times, were the astronomical salvage claims being awarded.

On July 2, Monroe County was established as the Florida Territorys sixth county. Monroe County was a much larger slice of real estate in 1823 and stretched from Key West to the southern shore of Lake Okeechobee and west to Charlotte Harbor on the Gulf of Mexico. Two days after Monroe County was created, the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida, George Murray president, passed the Salvage Act.

Among its 14 parts were statutes requiring the salvaged property to be reported to the nearest justice-of-the-peace or notary public. Additionally, it would prove the officers duty to oversee the assembly of a five-member arbitration jury to decide all fees for the salvage operation. Section 14 of the act stated, Be it further enacted, That if any person shall within this territory, make or hold out any false lights, or make any device, or do any other act or thing with intent to mislead, bewilder or decoy the mariners of any vessel on the high seas, whereby such vessel may be cast ashore, or get aground, such person or persons so offending, and every accessory thereto, shall on conviction thereof be deemed guilty of Felony, and shall suffer death.

Tales of skullduggery and false lights, while pervasive in wrecker lore, were rarely documented. The inclusion of Section 14, however, indicates that the legends were rooted in some truths.

Generally speaking, wrecking was life-threatening work performed by honest, hard-working men. The primary job was to salvage as much life and property from a distressed ship as humanly possible. Often thought of as little better than pirates, while wreckers fully expected to be paid for their services, they would not hold a cutlass to your throat for the chance to make a buck.

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1823: WHEN A FEW BAD APPLES SPOILED THE WRECKING TRADE - Florida Keys Weekly