Md. offshore wind projects may hurt, instead of help, environment – Baltimore Sun

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Starting in 2020 Marylands electricity consumers will be paying higher electric bills in order to subsidize two wind projects to be developed off the Ocean City waterfront. Over the lives of these projects the subsidies will total more than $2 billion. Despite this exorbitant cost the projects will deliver no environmental benefits and, most likely, will contribute to global warming. How did this lose-lose situation come about?

Offshore wind development was a pet project of former Governor OMalley. After several tries he finally got the legislators to pass the Maryland Offshore Wind Act of 2013. The act authorizes the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) to raise electric rates to support offshore wind projects but exempts large industrial and agricultural customers from these rate increases, forcing Marylands residential and smaller business customers to carry the full burden.

Kim Hairston, Baltimore Sun

Left to right, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown sits with Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., Senate President, Gov. Martin O'Malley and Michael E. Busch, House Speaker, as they sign HB 226 Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013 into law in the Governor's reception room.

Left to right, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown sits with Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., Senate President, Gov. Martin O'Malley and Michael E. Busch, House Speaker, as they sign HB 226 Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013 into law in the Governor's reception room. (Kim Hairston, Baltimore Sun)

However, the act includes two important consumer protections. One prohibits the PSC from approving any project that does not demonstrate positive net economic, environmental and health benefits to the State based on a cost-benefit analysis that includes: any impact on residential, commercial, and industrial ratepayers over the life of the offshore wind project. The other caps the combined costs imposed by all approved projects at a maximum of $1.50 per month for residential customers and at a maximum of a 1.5 percent increase for business customers bills.

Last year two out-of-state wind developers submitted proposals to the PSC. To evaluate the proposals, commissioners hired an outside consultant who concluded that, starting in 2020, the two projects combined would raise residential customers bills, on average, by about $1.40 per month and raise business customers bills, on average, by about 1.4 percent. Although these increases appear modest, over the 20-year lives of the projects they will total to more than $2 billion (in todays dollars of purchasing power).

The PSC and the Maryland Energy Administration defend the projects, claiming they will create jobs and spur economic growth. Indeed, the PSCs consultant estimated that they would create 9,700 direct and indirect jobs. Dividing $2 billion by 9,700 reveals that the state is spending more than $200,000 per year for each job created.

Many of these jobs will be for skilled construction workers, likely earning around $100,000 per year. Furthermore, many of these workers will likely live out of state and commute to the job sites. Surely the state can find cheaper, more efficient ways to create jobs. For example, wouldnt this money be better spent creating job opportunities for Baltimores inner-city poor?

Despite the acts requiring each project to pass a cost-benefit test, the PSC appears to have never compared the ratepayers costs to support these projects with the monetary value of the benefits the projects are expected to deliver. Because these offshore wind projects will likely produce energy costing three to four times more than renewable energy produced by onshore wind or large-scale solar it is unlikely that either project can pass a bona fide cost-benefit test.

The PSC appears to have revealed its true agenda in stating, the State has already made the policy decision to authorize [offshore wind] development and the ratepayer impacts that may result from it. Really? Then why did the legislators include a cost-benefit analysis requirement in the act?

The PSC and the Maryland Energy Administration also claim the projects will reduce carbon emissions. However, the PSCs own consultant concluded that while carbon emissions in Maryland would decrease carbon emissions will increase in the central and western areas serviced by PJM, the operator of the Mid-Atlantic's high-voltage regional electric system. So, the consultants concluded, overall emissions in PJM would increase.

Carbon emissions have no adverse local effects, therefore reducing them in Maryland will not benefit the state. But increasing regional emissions will contribute to global warming, which will harm the state. Because of its extensive shore line Maryland is particularly susceptible to rising sea levels.

Neither of these offshore wind projects should have been approved. The PSCs decision is appalling. We Marylanders deserve better.

Robert Borlick (rborlick@borlick.com) is an energy economist with more than 40 years of consulting experience. He lives in Montgomery County Maryland.

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Md. offshore wind projects may hurt, instead of help, environment - Baltimore Sun

Ensco leads way as offshore drilling bottoms out – Chron.com

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Jordan Blum, Houston Chronicle

The Ensco 8501 semi-submersible rig is seen in the Gulf of Mexico, 70 miles southeast of Louisiana, where it is about to begin drilling a bypass well for Noble Energy. Obama administration officials toured the 2.5-year-old rig on Wednesday. Jennifer A. Dlouhy / Houston Chronicle

The Ensco 8501 semi-submersible rig is seen in the Gulf of Mexico, 70 miles southeast of Louisiana, where it is about to begin drilling a bypass well for Noble Energy. Obama administration officials toured the

Ensco, which has many shallow-water jack-up rigs, says it doesn't have much overlap with Atwood Oceanics.

Ensco, which has many shallow-water jack-up rigs, says it doesn't have much overlap with Atwood Oceanics.

The main deck of the ENSCO 8505 is 97 feet high; the derrick is another 201 feet. The main deck tower Is more than six stories above the dock level. April 11, 2012

The main deck of the ENSCO 8505 is 97 feet high; the derrick is another 201 feet. The main deck tower Is more than six stories above the dock level. April 11, 2012

ENSCO DS6 Drillship taking on fuel bunkers in Walvis Bay, Namibia during the transit to Angola and start of contract with BP.

ENSCO DS6 Drillship taking on fuel bunkers in Walvis Bay, Namibia during the transit to Angola and start of contract with BP.

Ensco leads way as offshore drilling bottoms out

The struggling offshore energy sector may have finally bottomed out, analysts said, with Ensco leading the rebound by winning several new West African drilling contracts.

Lond0n-based Ensco, which has its operational headquarters in Houston, said it won deepwater drilling contracts with "Big Oil" giants like Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell and Paris-based Total offshore of Nigeria and the Ivory Coast.

"We believe that this new work positions us well for follow-on opportunities, benefiting future utilization for our rig fleet," said Ensco CEO Carl Trowell.

Ensco also is leading in industry consolidation with its pending acquisition of Houston's Atwood Oceanics, another deepwater drilling player.

Ian Macpherson, an analyst at the investment bank Piper Jaffray & Co., said the news supports a "bottoming thesis" for what's proving to be a more "resilient-than-expected" offshore sector that will still continue to struggle for the foreseeable future.

Houston energy investment banking firm Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. called it the first encouraging sign for ultra-deepwater rig demand "in a long while." It's an encouraging sign that major players like Chevron and Shell have figured out ways to reduce costs enough to start moving forward with some deepwater projects, especially in historically expensive offshore Nigeria.

On the flip side, these projects are still few and far between and the rig contractors likely are giving deep discounts to win work, the firm added.

In terms of details, Ensco said it's reactivating a drillship in August to work offshore of Nigeria for Chevron on a two-year contract. Likewise, another rig idled since last year will drill for Total offshore of the Ivory Coast starting in November.

Lastly, Ensco is moving up the construction timeline for a brand-new floating rig so it can go to work for Shell early next year offshore of Nigeria.

These new Ensco contracts are positive news and show the deepwater drilling market may have stopped sinking, if not showing small signs of recovering, said James West, an analyst at investment bank Evercore ISI in New York. Apart from low oil prices, geopolitical disputes also have stalled energy production in Nigeria and these deals indicate Africa's largest nation is moving forward, West added.

It's also a particularly good week for Ensco because Houston's Talos Energy announced a "historic oil discovery" offshore of Mexico using an Ensco floating drilling rig. Talos' Zama-1 well is the first offshore exploration well drilled by a private company in Mexico's history.

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Ensco leads way as offshore drilling bottoms out - Chron.com

Exxon adds 2.8 million acres offshore – Houston Chronicle – Chron.com

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Exxon adds 2.8 million acres offshore

Exxon Mobil has added 2.8 million acres to its portfolio in the South American Guyana-Suriname Basin, off the coast of Surinames capital, Paramaribo.

The company announced on Thursday it signed a production-sharing contract with the national oil company of Suriname to develop block 59, in water as deep as 12,000 feet.

RELATED: WoodMac chief says not to count out deep-water drilling

It is Exxons first foray into Suriname waters. The Irving-based oil giant, however, operates three neighboring blocks off the coast of Guyana, including the huge Liza field Exxon discovered in 2015.

Steve Greenlee, president of ExxonMobil Exploration Company, praised the deal and said the company looks forward to evaluating its potential.

Exxon is partnering with New York exploration and production company Hess Corp. and the Norwegian oil major Statoil in the deal. Each hold a third of the interest in the block, but Exxon is operating the endeavor.

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Exxon adds 2.8 million acres offshore - Houston Chronicle - Chron.com

Ban offshore drilling and seismic testing off NJ coast – Shore News Today

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Summer is in full swing at the Jersey shore. Over the next couple of months and into the fall, millions of visitors will head down the shore for the beaches, fishing, boating and ecotourism activities like whale and dolphin watching.

Its hard to imagine New Jersey without its thriving shore tourism economy an economy dependent on a healthy ocean and a clean coastline stretching from Sandy Hook to Cape May. The same goes for its commercial fishing industry, which supplies fresh seafood to countless restaurants and markets.

OCEAN CITY Cape May County has collected a variety of best beach awards over the years, an

But tourism and commercial fishing in New Jersey are once again being threatened by a bad idea that comes back again and again: ocean drilling for oil and gas along the coast of this state were in.

In April, President Trump signed an executive order reopening the possibility of drilling in the waters off the East Coast, including New Jersey. Then, on June 5, the Trump administration proposed to issue five permits for offshore seismic testing a first step to oil exploration.

Trumps executive order would undo an executive order signed by President Barack Obama last December that reinstated a moratorium on offshore drilling from Massachusetts to Virginia.

New Jerseys congressional delegation has objected strenuously to both the offshore drilling and seismic testing proposals.

With just under a month until Memorial Day weekend, New Jersey's beaches still sit largely empty.

In a letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Congressman Frank Pallone, Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, and seven other congressional representatives said drilling off the Atlantic Coast would have severe economic and environmental impacts on New Jersey.

Tourism along the Jersey shore generates almost $40 billion each year and supports half a million jobs including the fishing, boating and recreational industries, according to the letter. Allowing offshore drilling would unnecessarily threaten the economies of the communities that rely on a thriving coastline. Fragile marine ecosystems and species would also be placed in danger of a potential future environmental disaster resulting from a blowout or other failure offshore.

In a separate letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service, New Jerseys entire congressional delegation Democrats and Republicans alike expressed concern about the proposal to issue permits for seismic testing.

Seismic testing is not benign. Large air guns are towed behind ships, repeatedly firing loud blasts at the ocean floor. The sound waves produced by these blasts bounce back to the surface and help measure the presence of oil or gas.

These blasts are harmful.

Seismic testing can disrupt migratory patterns, cause marine wildlife to abandon important habitats and disrupt mating and feeding, the legislators said. The sound wave tests can also destroy fish eggs and larvae. These tests can also cause deafness in whales and dolphins, both of which rely on hearing to reproduce, locate food and communicate.

Two pieces of legislation have been introduced to stop offshore drilling. One would prevent the Trump administration from renewing the five-year oil and gas leasing process, while the other,known as the Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism, or COAST, Anti-Drilling Act, would permanently ban offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean.

These bills must become law. The severe harm that would occur from drilling and testing on marine fisheries and whale and dolphin populations is unacceptable. And a catastrophic oil spill would cause long-term degradation of New Jerseys beaches.

Organizations like Clean Ocean Action and the American Littoral Society have worked hard to protect our oceans for decades.

Citizens of New Jersey spent a lot of years cleaning up the ocean;we didnt do that to turn over our waters to big oil, said Tim Dillingham, executive director of the American Littoral Society. We know where we drill we spill, and thats unacceptable to the shore economies that depend on a clean ocean.

The economies of New Jersey and other coastal states depend heavily on tourism, which would fail without a healthy marine environment. In New Jersey alone, tourism and fishing industries bring in $50 billion a year and employ more than 500,000 people. Offshore drilling and seismic blasts must be permanently prohibited.

You can help. Contact your congressional representatives and let them know you fully support their efforts to permanently stop offshore drilling and seismic testing along the Atlantic Coast.

For more information about protecting the coasts see littoralsociety.org and cleanoceanaction.org.

For more information about preserving New Jerseys land and natural resources see njconservation.org or email Michele Byers at info@njconservation.org.

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Ban offshore drilling and seismic testing off NJ coast - Shore News Today

National Grid sees subsidy-free offshore wind by 2040 | Windpower … – Windpower Monthly (subscription)

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Offshore wind could be subsidy-free in the UK before 2040, according to the most ambitious scenario The report sets out four pathway scenarios of varying ambition for the UK's energy future to 2050. In its most ambitious pathway, named two degrees, National Grid suggests offshore wind may reach a subsidy-free level.

"The majority of growth is seen in offshore wind, which, as a less mature technology, has greater potential for further cost reductions.

"Offshore wind currently receives support through the contracts for difference mechanism, however two degrees assumes considerable offshore build without subsidy, reflecting falling costs," the report stated.

The two degrees scenario shows the cost optimal pathway to meet the UK's 2050 carbon emissions reduction target.

"All scenarios anticipate a growth in wind capacity, from approximately 15GW in 2016 to 26GW in 'steady state' [least ambitious pathway] and just less than 50GW in 'two degrees' by 2040," the report adds.

"Both onshore and offshore wind experience continued technological improvements, associated cost reductions, and new opportunities to co-locate assets with storage, all of which leads to growth," according to National Grid.

With the addition of wind on the system, National Grid recognised the growing importance of storage and balancing systems.

"As traditional sources of energy supply are replaced by new ones, and demand becomes more dynamic, the energy system will be more complex to manage. Responsive balancing products and services will be needed to deliver flexibility across both the electricity and gas systems," the report states.

The report also finds the UK's energy demand is set to increase beyond 2030, as the growth of electric vehicles increases.

Trade body RenewableUK said that growth in demand should and could be met by renewables.

"The surge in electricity demand envisaged by National Grid to power electric vehicles will need to be met by a wide range of clean sources, including onshore and offshore wind, wave and tidal energy, if we're to meet our carbon reduction commitments and deliver the modern energy system that consumers need," said RenewableUK executive director Emma Pinchbeck.

"It's worth noting that National Grid's new two degrees scenario is the only one in which the UK's vital carbon reduction goals are met. This could be more ambitious, as the Paris Agreement aims to limit the global temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees," Pinchbeck added.

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National Grid sees subsidy-free offshore wind by 2040 | Windpower ... - Windpower Monthly (subscription)

Opposition to Offshore Drilling Comes in Bipartisan Wave | NRDC – Natural Resources Defense Council

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The Federal Government just spent three years painstakingly assessing the nations offshore drilling policies, following the dictates of the law governing management of our public coastal waters. The previous administration conducted a thorough analysis of the benefits and risks, while receiving extensive input from industry, potentially impacted communities and businesses, and the public at large. That process revealed a massive groundswell of public opposition to expanded drilling off our coasts, as well as significant scientific and economic data showing that opening drilling into frontier areas is not in the public interest.

And yet, just a few months later, President Trumps Interior Department (DOI) is looking to scrap that plan and start again. On July 3rd, the Department of the Interior at the behest of oil and gas companiesissued a Request for Information on offshore oil and gas leasing, initiating a redundant, multi-year process to expand drilling off our coasts.

The Department of the Interior evaluated drilling in the Arctics Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, as well the Atlantic Ocean when it began the process several years ago, and ultimately determined it was a bad call. The Arctic is pristinetheres never been oil production in its federal offshore waters despite an expensive and catastrophic attempt at exploration by the oil major Shell in 2012. It supports iconic wildlife, including polar bears, whales, and all sorts of seal species, which, in turn, support the subsistence lifestyle of the northernmost Alaskan Native tribes. Similarly, the Atlantic Ocean has been off the table for drilling for more than 30 years, supports incredibly rich marine ecosystems, and is a primary economic driver for hundreds of communities up and down the coast. All of this would be at risk of devastation if those oceans were drilled and oil were to spill. As leaders of the bipartisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling wrote last week in the New York Times, drilling in the outer continental shelf remains risky business.

DOI ultimately removed Arctic and Atlantic lease sales from consideration in part thanks to overwhelming public opposition and instead President Obama opted to permanently protect the vast majority of the Arctic and 31 Atlantic deep sea canyons from all future drilling. Removing these areas reflected the publics preference for preservation over exploitation with Americans submitting more than 1.4 million comments opposing drilling; their elected representatives repeatedly calling on President Obama to protect their coasts; businesses and municipalities declaring their opposition to drilling and seismic testing; and a host of environmental, Latino, conservation,faith-based leaders, and veterans organizations urging the President to steer our offshore energy policy forward.

This recent history is repeating itself, and then some.

Communities immediately rallied upon the release of Trumps executive order to expand offshore oil and gas production; they came together again around the annual Hands Across the Sand event; and Members of Congress and Senators have introduced a number of bills to prevent drilling off their coasts. Bipartisan opposition is growing, and Governors are weighing in strongly as well. These coastal leaders are taking a stand and protecting their communities economies and way of life:

Similarly, editorial boards up and down the Atlantic coast have taken firm stances against expanded drilling. These are just a few examples:

The engagement of leaders across the political spectrum, and the editorial boards that reflect their communities voices, is strong evidence that attempts to open our coasts will be met with a fight. The communities, people and businesses that rely on healthy coasts will defend their way of life against the federal governments shameful readiness to put oil industry profits over people yet again.

Senior Advocate, Oceans Program

Director, Beyond Oil Initiative

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Opposition to Offshore Drilling Comes in Bipartisan Wave | NRDC - Natural Resources Defense Council

Gangways ordered for offshore gas and windfarm support vessels – OSJ Magazine

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Ampelmanns A-Type gangway links offshore service vessels to production platforms

Ampelmann and Uptime International have won contracts for their gangway walk-to-work solutions in offshore gas and renewables markets. Ampelmann secured a contract in Venezuela that will spread the use of its gangway technology into the Caribbean.

The Cardon IV group ordered an A-type system for its operations on the Perla fieldoff Venezuela. The walk-to-work system was deployed on Bumi Armadas 2010-built offshore support vessel Armada Tuah 85 to provide access for the workforce to the Perla platform.

The A-type system is a full active motion compensated access gangway, designed to transfer personnel safely and efficiently to offshore structures. Cardon IV has chosen Ampelmann as its partner in this long-term project for the next two years, said Ampelmann business development manager for Latin America Andres Garcia.

Uptime International has won a contract from Cemre Marin to deliver one of its walk-to-work systems to a service operation vessel that is being built at the Cemre Shipyard in Turkey. The vessel is being built for French vessel owner Louis Dreyfus Armateurs for delivery in 2018.

The vessel will provide service support for four offshore windfarms off the German coast. These are the Borkum Riffgrund 1 and 2 and Gode Wind 1 and 2 windfarms operated by Dong Energy.

The Uptime system will be an active motion compensated gangway and an adjustable pedestal integrated with an elevator tower. The vessel was designed by Salt Ship Design for personnel and cargo transfer to these offshore windfarms.

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Gangways ordered for offshore gas and windfarm support vessels - OSJ Magazine

How America Can Fight Back Against Hybrid War on the High Seas – The National Interest Online (blog)

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Through the lens of the submarines periscope, the tramp steamer looks like a bathtub toy as it bobs on the waves.

But to the German U-boat captain observing his prey from six feet below the surface of the North Atlantic, its the perfect victim. A lone merchant ship sailing between New York and Liverpool in the summer of 1916, with no destroyers to escort it.

The U-boat skipper briefly considers firing a torpedo at the ship. But why waste a precious tin fish on a helpless rustbucket when his submarine only carries six torpedoes? And so the U-boat rears out of the ocean like a prehistoric sea monster, its crew emerging to man the deck guns. Soon the merchant ship shudders under the impact of a cannon shell. The ship comes to a stop as its crew scrambles to the lifeboats.

Suddenly, panels and hatches on the steamer slide open. Flame and smoke erupt as it fires a broadside of high explosives into the stunned submarine. Its gunners swept off the deck and its hull punctured, the submarine sinks beneath the waves. The unlucky U-boat was the victim of a Q-ship, an armed merchant vessel (or a warship disguised as a merchant ship) that cruises the sea lanes in search of unwary submarines.

Q-ships are gone, and so are U-boats. Any modern submarine skipper who surfaces his boat to sink a target, rather than blasting it with a missile or torpedo from miles away, deserves to be shot out of his own torpedo tube.

And yet, for the newest scourge of the high seas, Q-ships may be the answer.

Hybrid warfarethat witches brew of regular and irregular warfare, covert special forces (like Russias little green men in Crimea), and state-sponsored insurgents and criminal gangsis already a fact of life on land in conflicts such as Ukraine. Now its coming to the water.

Old-fashioned criminal piracy already flourishes off the coast of Africa and in Southeast Asian waters. China has used merchant ships and fishing boats to harass U.S. Navy warships in the South China Sea.

Former U.S. Navy admiral James Stavridis has warned that worse is coming. Nations will employ little blue sailors to conduct hybrid maritime warfare in coastal waters.

Instead of using force directly from identifiable gray hull navy platforms, hybrid warfare will feature the use of both civilian vessels (tramp steamers, large fishing vessels, light coastal tankers, small fast craft, and even low slow skiffs with outboard engines), Stavridis wrote.

Their targets wont be just merchant ships; they will hit oil platforms and mining rigs. They will operate under plausible deniability: go ahead and prove that Russia or China was behind that innocent-looking trawler that blew up a container ship.

And thats where todays Q-ships would come in. Like decoy cops trolling for muggers, these vessels could be disguised as cargo ships or yachts. The concept isnt new. Back in 1675, Englands HMS Kingfisher, camouflaged to resemble a merchantman, was used to trap Algerian pirates in 1681.

The heyday of the Q-ship was World War I, when the British deployed hundreds of ships. Most were merchant vessels with hidden armament, but a few were special-built warships. They werent particularly effective, sinking perhaps ten U-boats at a cost of sixty-one Q-ships.

Yet despite the unfavorable math, the covert sub killers actually helped achieve a decisive result. Strange as it may sound in twenty-first-century naval warfare, Imperial Germany had initially waged its submarine campaign in accordance with maritime law, which held that merchant ships could only be sunk if submarines surfaced to give the crew and passengers adequate warning to abandon ship before sinking them. But the threat of Q-ships induced Germany to switch to unrestricted submarine warfare, where subs remain submerged and torpedo their targets without warning. This meant sinking American ships, which gave President Woodrow Wilson an excuse to enter the war against Germany.

Modern Q-ships probably wont drive off the little blue men. But it might make them a lot more cautious. Imagine their surprise when they discover that beneath the rust are well-trained sailors and commandos with machine guns, rocket launchers and a detachment of commandos. At the very least, theyll be armed with something more than Britney Spears songs.

Of course, this isnt a risk-free option. Q-ships could be sunk by little blue men. And there is always the chance that a nervous Q-ship might accidentally sink an innocent vessel by mistake, generating an embarrassing outcry.

It could also ratchet up the level of violence on the sea as everyone gets a bit more trigger-happy. But thats the point of a Q-shipnot to make life easy for pirates.

Michael Peck is a contributing writer for the National Interest. He can be found on Twitter and Facebook.

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How America Can Fight Back Against Hybrid War on the High Seas - The National Interest Online (blog)

An app to track missing people on high seas – Times of India

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HYDERABAD: A mobile app, SARAT (Search And Rescue Aid Tool), that can help save lives and find lost objects at sea was released on Monday. The versatile tool has been developed by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (Incois), Hyderabad, which is an autonomous agency under the ministry of earth sciences. The SARAT app can assist in the search for over 64 types of missing 'objects', including boats, ships and people. While the web version was released last year, the mobile app will be available for download from the Google Play Store. "Conducting search and rescue operations at sea is extremely challenging and can be compared to the proverbial search for a needle in a haystack. Typically, search and rescue operations are most frequent during bad weather over the high seas, when fisherfolk inadvertently venture out and their vessels capsize," Incois said. The system mainly enables the Indian Coast Guard, Navy and Coastal Security Police to minimise search time during various operations to reduce loss of life, injury and property damage. In such exigencies, quick action is vital and hence this mobile app has been developed to make this system conveniently available to all, Incois said. The accuracy of SARAT is validated using a network of drifting buoys and other instruments. The system proved its mettle earlier by successfully assisting in the recovery of the Indian Coast Guard's missing Dornier aircraft off Chennai coast in 2015.

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An app to track missing people on high seas - Times of India

High Seas Governance Must Take Account of Existing IMO Framework – Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

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At the United Nations in New York, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is representing shipowners at a UN Preparatory Committee which is developing a new legal instrument, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which will apply to high seas areas beyond national jurisdiction.

The principal aim of this UN work is to address the vacuum that exists with respect to issues such as preserving global fish stocks from unregulated fishing, and damage to marine ecosystems from ocean acidification and plastics caused by land based agriculture and industry.

ICS says that developing new measures applicable to the high seas is undoubtedly a very important and legitimate exercise, but that it wishes to ensure that the interests of shipping will not be unwittingly damaged.

The new UN instrument is likely to permit area-based management tools such as Marine Protected Areas being developed for the high seas, as well as potentially addressing complex issues, such as liability for environmental damage, for which shipping already has very detailed global regulations in place.

ICS therefore fully supports the statement made to the UN meeting by the shipping industrys global regulator, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), setting out the extent to which shipping already enjoys a long-established and very comprehensive framework of IMO Conventions and rules which are implemented and enforced on a worldwide basis.

Kiran Khosla

From New York, ICS Director Legal Affairs, Kiran Khosla, commented: Whatever might be decided in the future, great care should be taken by governments with regard to the maintenance of freedom of the high seas, rights of navigation currently enshrined within UNCLOS, and the current balance that exists between the rights and obligations of flag states, coastal states and port states.

She added In the context of regulating international shipping, the current balance has worked very well, as shown by the dramatic reduction in the number of pollution incidents from ships. It will therefore be important for the UN Committee to take account of any potential overlap or duplication with existing IMO Conventions, as well as the mechanisms that already exist for compensating oil pollution damage from ships, with up to one billion US dollars already being available to compensate those affected by a single spill regardless of fault.

The work of the UN Preparatory Committee should eventually lead to a high level Diplomatic Conference, possibly within the next two years, which is expected to adopt a new UNCLOS agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. Source: ICS

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High Seas Governance Must Take Account of Existing IMO Framework - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Bamboo Private Islands

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Total Privacy . True Food . Aesthetic Harmony

Mindful small-space living mixed with the priceless luxury of your own private island all around it, complete with personal chef and friendly -yet discrete- staff. Our uniquely-designed bamboo huts have all the island life luxuries anyone would be entitled to demand: a million-dollar view, comfy seats, outside terrace, warm-white lights, a queen-size bed, super soft bed sheets, great pillows, a quiet fan, a mosquito net, great-tasting 3-stage-filtered+UV-treated drinking water, spotless bathrooms, fluffy towels, all-natural bath products, and a flashlight!

Life on the island revolves around the spacious, open-air main pavilion, situated right on the beach and featuring a sunset lounge, a reggae bar, award-winning kitchen and dining areas, all with commanding views of the surrounding waters, islands and mountainscapes

We take our food very seriously on the island and try to give you what others cant: a real, flavorful home cooking feeling using the best and safest local and imported ingredients we know. We grow our own vegetables, citrus, herbs and poultry, have access to the freshest non-farmed seafood and cook only with natural and fresh ingredients.

All our meals feature fresh salads and greens, grilled steamed seafood or meat, rice, potatoes or pastas, fresh fruits and home-made bread. We only use canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil, no MSG, no Magic Sarap, no palm oil. Our organic farm provides Thai basil, sweet basil, cilantro, parsley, chives, mint and vegetables as well as calamansi (native lime), dayap (green lime, exact same breed as brazils famous limon gallego) and big native lemons and we use them all quite profusely in what we cook!

The island is as zero-carbon as it gets! Operations are 100% solar-powered by a 600-Amp system and battery bank. For water, huge rainwater collectors feed our 100 cubic meter tank and we use two solar-powered desalinators, eco-smart faucets and showers, plus all toilets are flushed with salt water!

As to materials used, we recognize the functional and esthetic superiority of wood, coco lumber, bamboo, rattan and other locally-relevant materials and they are all we use for buildings and furniture.

From absolute 'farniente' to reading, writing, thinking, loving and more!

Go for the classic island dream and chill or party like Richard Branson on Necker and Mick Jagger on Moustique! We offer all-inclusive tours and parties, customized for families or groups of friends or co-workers, as well as unique wedding/honeymoon escapes, traditional yoga/wellness retreats, culinary workshops in the best kitchen in Palawan, memorable corporate seminars, outings and photo shoots.

Located just 28km (15 N miles) South of Coron, Small Bamboo is nestled right the middle of the magnificent South-East Culion Bay, and a stone-throw away from such gems as Ditaytayan Is., Malcapuya Is., Calumbuyan Is. and the world-class Two-Seasons resort. It is easily accessed by banca or speedboat and the trip only takes about 1 hour!

11 45 54 N

120 5 4 E

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Bamboo Private Islands

Now you can buy your very own private ISLAND in the middle of the Pacific but it’ll set you back a cool 5000000 – The Sun

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Awaiting a very wealthy castaway is a Polynesian-style main luxury home which includes a dock, boat house and enough beds for 15 guests

IF owning a private island and living like Robinson-Crusoe is something you dream of then only 5,000,000 stands in your way.

Surrounded by blue lagoons and year-round warm breezes, Motu Tiano in French Polynesia is a twenty-acre private island to be sold at auction next month.

Concierge Auctions

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Caters News Agency

The tropical island is protected by Raiatea, the second largest of the Society Islands and widely recognised as the birthplace of Polynesia.

Property vendor Jim Simpson said: My wife and I have travelled widely but nowhere else in the world offers the natural beauty and tranquillity of Motu Tiano.

The local people are so welcoming and helpful, and the French Polynesian culture still includes a number of ancient traditions, which have been passed down from generation to generation.

Life on Motu Tiano is peaceful and relaxing, and we will very much miss our home here, but as we approach retirement, we have decided it is time to pass on this beautiful home to another owner.

The new owners of Motu Tiano will enjoy calm waters with deep sea and lagoon access perfect for sport fishing, surfing, and scuba diving.

On the island itself is a Polynesian-style main home which includes a dock, boat house, modern amenities and enough beds for 15 guests.

In the main home there is three double bedrooms and separate staff quarters.

A personal wharf is available to tie up ones yacht.

Also on the island lives a Man Friday who helps look after the island and keeps out unwanted visitors.

Caters News Agency

Caters News Agency

Caters News Agency

Caters News Agency

Caters News Agency

The island paradise is set to go under the hammer at Concierge Auctions, which is favoured by celebrities and discreet buyers from all over the world who are looking for their own private empire.

Concierge Auctions spokeswoman Cindy Jones said: This is an exciting sale which offers buyers the rare opportunity to buy an island home offering complete privacy and security.

The lifestyle which comes with a home on Motu Tiano would suit a buyer or family keen to make the most of watersports on the lagoon and sailing routes to surrounding islands.

The unique nature of the property makes it a lucrative vacation rental prospect, offering buyers an additional income stream.

Caters News Agency

SWNS:South West News Service

The island home will be sold at or above $6 million (5m) at auction on August 23 in cooperation with Maima Sylvain of Agence Jeanine Sylvain.

Constructed by the previous owners, the property was designed by a French architect to the The propertys lush tropical gardens include palm trees and allow for views across the lagoon to the mountains beyond.

The Society Islands are thought to have been named by Captain Cook during his voyage of 1769, before becoming a French protectorate in 1843.

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Now you can buy your very own private ISLAND in the middle of the Pacific but it'll set you back a cool 5000000 - The Sun

10 Private Islands Starting at $5 Million You Could Call Home Today – TheStreet.com

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Climate change and rising seas may kill the dream of buying a private island someday, but today isn't that day.

Whether you're a Baby Boomer who grew up watching Gilligan's Island and thinking "I could go for shipwrecking the Minnow right about now" or a Millennial who sees DJ Khaled's video for "I'm The One" and thinks a private island may be the best way to get Quavo (or a lesser member of Migos) to your house, a private island is still an option for homebuyers.

Granted, the "private island" that comes to mind when you think of that phrase may be somewhat less attainable. If you want to live on a Great Lake, on an island in an intercoastal, somewhere in the Prince Edward Islands or just between Connecticut and Long Island on the Long Island Sound, that might be an attainable dream. If you'd rather have an archipelago all to yourself in the Caribbean or South Pacific, you'd best get cracking on the latest technological advance, or pop hit.

It takes a lot of cash just to have an island wired and plumbed enough for you to live there. It takes extraordinary amounts of money to get all of that infrastructure -- not to mention actual structures and the equipment needed to build them -- out to that island. If you want to hire enough labor to finish that project in enough time for you to enjoy the place, that's going to get costly as well.

The folks at luxury marketplace James Edition know this and keep private islands in a portfolio of some of the priciest real estate on the planet. The buy-in price of their private islands starts north of $1 million -- and that's if you like skating home from the mainland in Sweden. If you want an island that's somewhere warm, private and already teeming with amenities, get ready to spend seven figures.

With James Edition's help, we found 10 private islands just waiting for someone with the right temperament and net worth to call them home.

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10 Private Islands Starting at $5 Million You Could Call Home Today - TheStreet.com

Four resorts for a private island vacation – The Seattle Times

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When youre more interested in being a luxury-pig hermit than a penny-pinching socialite, these might be the spots for you.

Shared lodging and communal spaces may be trending, but for those seeking more privacy than a Do Not Disturb sign offers, a spate of new private island resorts play to castaway-in-comfort fantasies:

In the South Pacific, Kokomo Island Fiji opened this spring with 21 beachfront villas and five three-bedroom to six-bedroom residences on a 140-acre island. It is near the Great Astrolabe Reef, among the worlds largest, where travelers can scuba dive, snorkel, sail and fish. On land, the resort features trails, an infinity pool and a childrens club. Villas start at $1,995 a night, which includes meals and many activities; kokomoislandfiji.com.

Guests at the new Six Senses Zil Pasyon in the Seychelles have exclusive access to three white-sand beaches on Flicit Island. In addition to diving and snorkeling, the resort offers surfing, migratory bird-watching and island-hopping trips by boat. Its 30 villas, each with its own pool, start at $1,339 a night, which includes breakfast; sixsenses.com/resorts/zilpasyon/destination.

About 150 miles northeast of Singapore, Bawah Private Island in Indonesia is scheduled to open in August (rates have yet to be determined). The 35-room resort will span five uninhabited islands in the Anambas archipelago, with access to over 700 acres of forest, three lagoons and 13 beaches. Guests can choose between safari-style tents or overwater bungalows; bawahisland.com.

Off northeastern Madagascar, the 14-villa Miavana just opened on Nosy Ankao. It shares access to a five-island archipelago with local communities and offers blue safaris, which allow visitors to see, swim with or catch indigenous marine life. Villas are $2,500 a person per night, which includes food, drinks and most activities; timeandtideafrica.com/miavana.

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Four resorts for a private island vacation - The Seattle Times

Tournament time – Washington Blade

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Players from many different sports will gather this weekend in Washington for the Stonewall Sports National Tournament. D.C. members, seen here, are active in the LGBT sports world. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The fourth annualStonewall Sports National Tournamentwill be held this weekend at locations throughout D.C. including the National Mall. Along with sports tournaments in kickball, dodgeball and volleyball, afull scheduleis planned with social activities, leadership meetings, Stonewall Yoga, Stonewall Bocce pick-up games and pool parties.

TheStonewall Sportsmodel has spread to 11 cities in the United States and close to 1,000 competitors from those cities will be in attendance for the tournaments. Non-participant passes are also available for those who want to join in on the festivities.

Since its inception in 2010, D.C.based Stonewall Sports has provided sports leagues that are managed as a nonprofit with a philanthropic heart by creating organized communities that have the ability and responsibility to support others in need.

In addition to the sports competitions, the National Tournament brings together our Stonewall community from across the country to address issues in person, says James OLeary, vice president of Stonewall Sports. We will hold our annual meeting with workshops on the technical aspects of community building and programming along with having conversations about safe spaces, diversity, public health and inclusion.

The safe spaces that once existed within the LGBT community have evolved and Stonewall Sports has established a national network that allows for like-minded people to connect.

The National Tournament is a chance for all of the Stonewall cities to get together and talk about our vision and the avenues to reach our community, OLeary says. We have established a network of people that have a similar path.

Stonewall Philadelphiajoined the Stonewall community in 2014 and its members have seen incredible expansion in their sports and numbers. Currently boasting over 1,200 participants, they offer kickball, dodgeball, volleyball, sand volleyball, billiards, yoga and bowling. They have donated about $100,000 to local charities since their inception.

When I first started playing, I immediately began meeting a lot people who I wouldnt have met otherwise, says Stonewall Philadelphia Commissioner Joe Peltzer. Its a great opportunity to have fun, establish connections and raise money for charities. I love watching our players jumping into different friend groups.

Peltzer says that the Philadelphia players are really looking forward to building new connections from other cities and that the teams are melding together to come to the tournament. They will be sending about eight teams to compete in kickball and dodgeball.

The tournament is about competitive play, but we also look forward to the camaraderie and learning about what other cities are doing, Peltzer says. It elevates it above what is going on in your own little bubble.

In the fall of 2015,Stonewall Clevelandlaunched its kickball league, which was immediately followed by the addition of dodgeball. The two leagues have about 465 players andin two weeksthey will be joined by an additional 165 players in their inaugural bocce season.

After launching, we were plugged in instantly to several hundred people of varying age groups, says Taylor Henschel, co-commissioner of Stonewall Cleveland. This is more than an LGBT community. Its place making; creating intentional communities by drawing in your own people along with other people.

Cleveland is a sprawling city and Henschel says it is easy to get stuck in your local sector. The Stonewall model has helped to connect people from the widespread areas. They will be sending five teams to the National Tournament.

The value of this network is something larger than yourself. It gives life purpose, Henschel says. Meeting people from all over the country is a reminder that we are part of this enormous community of queer people. Its pretty profound.

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Tournament time - Washington Blade

Lansing group helps adults with disabilities live on their own, in community with others – Michigan Radio

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The Next Idea

Parents of children on the autism spectrum face significant challenges in getting the right education, support and other life tools for their kids. But the difficulties dont go away when these kids grow up. Can they live alone, support themselves, be a part of society? And what happens when their adult caregivers age out of watching over them?

Mary Douglass is one of many working to combat these challenges. Douglass is the president of Lansing Intentional Communities, or LINCS. The organizations goal is to promote the creation of spaces, called intentional communities, where adults with developmental disabilities live together.

Were putting these individuals in close proximity with each other so we can help them create community together and support them as they create community with their surrounding neighborhood, Douglass said. "Really the individual is making their own self-determined choices about where they live, who they live with, how they get supported, what the neighborhood looks like."

Douglass says there's no one model or format the communities must follow. LINCS recently bought its first house for three people, but several apartments, for example, could work just as well.

"It doesnt matter how we acquire that housing. What really matters is that were being intentional about keeping ourselves close together and creating community with each other.

LINCS then inserts what it calls a community builder, Douglass said, to live within the community. They might plan outings, or just help out when needed.

I like to think of it as an RA, like when you go to college, Douglass said.

The intentional community model is different from a group home. It purposefully has less of a rigid schedule to give as much independent choice as possible to individuals. This is a fluid model that can change and improve with different circumstances, Douglass said, but its a distinct improvement from the past.

Stateside's conversation with Mary Douglass, president of Lansing Intentional Communities (LINCS).

The Next Idea is Michigan Radios project devoted to new innovations and ideas that will change our state.

Join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook, or let us know your Next Idea here.

(Subscribe to The Next Idea podcast on iTunes, or with this RSS link.)

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Lansing group helps adults with disabilities live on their own, in community with others - Michigan Radio

Concerns about development in Ashleyville-Maryville area shared at community meeting – ABC NEWS 4

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Its a small village that sits right off the Ashley River, Ashleyville-Maryville. Its one of the oldest communities in the heart of West Ashley.

Thursday night, the City of Charleston hosted a community development meeting. Theyve partnered with Dover, Kohl & Partners to prepare what they call a master plan for West Ashley's future. Residents spoke at the meeting, calling for the city to make improvements to the infrastructure and transportation.

About 100 people gathered at Emanuel AME on 5th Ave. Among them, Demette Jenkins. She left home almost 25 years ago, she said shes come home to a much different Ashleyville.

Coming back to Charleston, it has grown tremendously and developed tremendously," Jenkins said.

Shes praying the discussion Thursday didnt fall on deaf ears.

I think that they were really intentional about jotting down what they heard, she said.

Some people came to the meeting from adjacent neighborhoods.

Theres something special and unique about this neighborhood," said Francis Beylotte III.

He and son ride their bikes through the neighborhood. He fears development will make that come to an end.

Im concerned that thats going to go away, and when its gone, poof, thats it.

Representatives from the neighborhood association were there to address some of the concerns about property tax increases. It was one of the main concerns.

A meeting will be held August 5, 2017 to discuss a 4 percent tax exemption available to people who are occupying the property they own. A location has not been given for the meeting, but we will update you as soon as that information is released.

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Concerns about development in Ashleyville-Maryville area shared at community meeting - ABC NEWS 4

Women-Church bypasses Paprocki, appeals directly to Springfield Catholics – National Catholic Reporter (blog)

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While many lay organizations are voicing disdain directly to Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, over his recent decree denying church services to Catholics in same-sex marriages, the feminist coalition Women-Church Convergence is reaching out to the people of the diocese.

Women-Church Convergence, which "is a coalition of autonomous Catholic-rooted groups working to build just social and ecclesial structures with shared power for everyone, especially women and those whom church and society marginalize," issued the letter July 5 to "friends in faith" in the Diocese of Springfield.

The letter is in response to Paprocki's diocesan decree released June 12 that bars Catholics in same-sex marriages from receiving Communion, receiving funeral rites, and participating in liturgical ministries unless the person shows "signs of repentance."

Related: Lay groups lament Paprocki's decree denying same-sex spouses Eucharist (Jul. 11, 2017)

Women-Church Convergence's "Pastoral Letter to the People of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois" addresses the people of the diocese, saying, "You deserve better because our Catholic faith teaches us to embrace everyone." The letter states that they "politely but firmly reject scandalous teachings of exclusion."

Although response to the decree has been muted from the Catholic clergy, several Catholic lay organizations have been vocal.

Signatories of the Women-Church Convergence letter are: 8th Day Center for Justice Women in Church and Society Committee; A Critical Mass: Women Celebrating Eucharist; Catholics for Choice; Catholics for Choice Canada; Chicago Women-Church; DignityUSA; Greater Cincinnati Women-Church; Loretto Women's Network; Mary's Pence; National Coalition of American Nuns (NCAN); Roman Catholic Womenpriests-USA Action Network; Sisters Against Sexism (SAS); Southeastern PA Women's Ordination Conference (SEPA-WOC); Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual (WATER); Women's Ordination Conference (WOC); Women-Church of the Wabash Valley.

The text of the letter appears below.

Dear Friends in Faith,

Our hearts go out to you who have been subjected to pastorally inadequate and insensitive theology in the recent DECREE "Regarding Same-Sex Marriage' and Related Pastoral Issues" given by your bishop the Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki. You deserve better because our Catholic faith teaches us to embrace everyone.

We who join in sending you this letter rejoice in the many Catholic groups that are living proof of the inclusive, welcoming message of the Gospel.

Please let our words of comfort, solidarity, and encouragement be balm for your souls and strength for your actions at this trying time.

We offer words of comfort to those of you who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, and their allies and family members. It is simply counter to our Catholic faith to single out any group for exclusion. It is especially egregious to use our sacramental system as a basis for rewards and punishments.

The Decree misses the signal importance of public, joyfully celebrated baptisms of babies, young people, and adults as they become part of our community. It ignores the welcome table that is the Eucharist. And, it dishonors the dead who are denied church funerals not because of sin but because of love. Let especially your young people hear us sing atop our voices, "All are welcome."

We offer you our solidarity as you create your own pastoral practices in spite of this negative Decree. Many of us belong to Intentional Eucharistic Communities, women-church groups, Dignity chapters, and the like. We are learning alongside our many religious colleagues what it means to incorporate new understandings of gender and sexuality, new constellations of family, new models of holiness into our midst. For example, we take strength from the "extravagant welcome" of the United Church of Christ and the Welcoming Synagogues Project. We applaud the many religious groups, including Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Pagans that bring the best of their traditions to bear on the reality of same-sex love because it is healthy, good, natural, and holy.

As Catholics, we do the same. We have been blessed for decades by the work of DignityUSA, New Ways Ministry, Fortunate Families, the Conference of Catholic Lesbians, and many supportive social justice groups in networks like Women-Church Convergence and the Catholic Organizations for Renewal. Some religious congregations have provided warmth and welcome to those who are marginalized by the kyriarchal church. Those Catholic groups stand with you in solidarity as you find your way as a Diocese despite this countersign that you have been given in this Decree.

Please accept our encouragement to consult widely with one another, pray and reflect on how, in your well-formed Catholic consciences, same-sex loving people can be incorporated faithfully, respectfully, fully into your communities. Marriage is a sacrament that eventually will be available officially to same-sex loving persons. It is already celebrated by some groups among us so do not lose heart.

We send you strength and courage to do what we have had to do with similarly wanting letters from church officials before this one: we politely but firmly reject scandalous teachings of exclusion. Instead, we urge you to study the biological, psychological, and theological data accepted by courts, governments, and many faithful Catholics. It is clear that same-sex love is simply love. Catholics believe that love is of God. Please accept our commitment to join you in this struggle.

We wish you every blessing as you, the people of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, develop your own important views and practices on loving relationships.

With respect and care.

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Women-Church bypasses Paprocki, appeals directly to Springfield Catholics - National Catholic Reporter (blog)

Dovecote Cafe owner says response to crowdfunding campaign has been ‘overwhelming’ – Baltimore Sun (blog)

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Dovecote Cafes owners want to stay put in their Reservoir Hill digs, so theyre working to raise funds toward a down payment on their building.

The cafe launched an Indiegogo campaign Monday in a push to raise $30,000 for a down payment on their building at 2501 Madison Ave. Dovecote raised more than $10,000 in the first 24 hours of its campaign, and as of Friday, the fundraiser had amassed more than $20,000 from over 230 backers.

Its just been just so refreshing, co-owner Aisha Pew said. You hope that when you jump someone catches you, and its just been almost overwhelming to watch how quickly people showed up for us.

Dovecote Cafe opened in January 2016, offering baked goods, breakfast, sandwiches and coffee in a community-centered atmosphere.

When Dovecote Cafe opened in January 2016, the owners hoped to approach their landlord after a couple of years and express their intention to buy the building, Pew said. But earlier this year, the landlord gave them the chance to buy it.

We just knew that this was a huge opportunity for us, Pew said. We do a lot of work around intentional community building.

Pew and co-owner Cole, who goes by a single name, decided to crowdfund their down payment and use the fundraiser to highlight how ownership provides more security to small businesses that anchor communities. They wanted to demonstrate their vulnerability by getting stakeholders to picture their neighborhood without Dovecote.

We are very much a community anchor and the idea of us not being here I think really strikes a chord with people, Pew said. It was also kind of a way to tell a story.

The owners hope to build out a patio on the side of the cafe to host events, and bring whats happened inside Dovecote out, Pew said.

The building also includes five apartments.

In exchange for donations, Dovecote is offering perks such as mugs engraved with #TheDovecoteWay ($50), star-studded private dinners ($1,000) and parties with a three-course dinner for 50 people ($10,000).

The online campaign is open for a month.

We love our space. We love our community. We need to be here, Pew said.

The cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

smeehan@baltsun.com

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Dovecote Cafe owner says response to crowdfunding campaign has been 'overwhelming' - Baltimore Sun (blog)

‘We’re losing more people to the sweets than to the streets’: Why two black pastors are suing Coca-Cola – Washington Post

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William Lamar, the senior pastor at D.C.s historic Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, is tired of presiding over funerals for parishioners who died of heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

So on Thursday, he and another prominent African American pastor filed suit againstCoca-Cola and the American Beverage Association, claiming soda manufacturers knowingly deceived customers about the health risks of sugar-sweetened beverages at enormous cost to their communities.

The complaint, filed in D.C. Superior Court Thursday on behalf of the pastors and the Praxis Project, a public health group, alleges that Coke and the ABA ran an intentional campaign to confuse consumers about the causes of obesity.

Lamar and Delman Coates, the pastor at Marylands Mount Ennon Baptist Church, claim soda marketing has made it more difficult for them to protect the health of their largely black, D.C.-based parishioners.

Their case is similar to another suit that was filed, and later withdrawn, by the same legal team in California last January.

The lawsuit marks a break with tradition for African American and Latino community groups who have been reliable allies of Big Soda for years in policy fights across the country despite overwhelming evidence that the harms of drinking soda impact their communities disproportionately.

Obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and lower-extremity amputations are all far higher among people of color than among whites. These communities also drink more soda and are exposed to more soda advertising.

Its become really clear to me that were losing more people to the sweets than to the streets, said Coates, who said he has seen members of his congregation give their infants bottles filled with sugary drinks. Theres a great deal of misinformation in our communities, and I think thats largely a function of these deceptive marketing campaigns.

In a statement, Coca-Cola dismissed the pastors' charges and the merits of the earlier lawsuit in California, which lawyers say they withdrew to refile with the new plaintiffs.

"The allegations here are likewise legally and factually meritless, and we will vigorously defend against them," the statement said. "The Coca-Cola Company understands that we have a role to play in helping people reduce their sugar consumption."

This suit, much like the prior one in California, argues that the beverage industry has deceived consumers about the unique link between soda consumption and diseases such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes, using messaging tactics similar to those once deployed by tobacco companies.

According to the complaint, Coca-Cola executives have invested millions of dollars in research, sponsored blog posts and advertising campaigns intended to disprove or confuse the link between soda consumption and disease. The companys ads and its executives, as well as a number of compensated nutrition bloggers, have also advanced the argument that lack of exercise is primarily responsible for the obesity epidemic, and that the calories consumed in soda can be easily offset by increasing physical activity.

In 2013, Coca-Cola developed a 30-second prime-time TV ad, called Be OK, that claimed a brief walk, a single victory dance or a brief laughing spell were sufficient to burn the 140 calories in a Coke can.

Coca-Cola Senior Vice President Katie Bayne also famously told a USA Today reporter in 2012 that there is no scientific evidence that connects sugary beverages to obesity.

The suit argues that science shows otherwise: There is, in fact, a well-established link between soda consumption and obesity, though the exact mechanism of that link is not well understood. A 20-year study of 120,000 adults, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2011, found that people who drank an extra soda per day gained more weight over time than those who did not. Other large-scale studies have found that soda drinkers have a greater chance of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and gout.

Those epidemics are even worse among communities of color, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity impacts nearly half of all African Americans and 42 percent of Latinos, vs. just over one-third of whites. A 2016 study in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities also found that soda consumption was a particularly strong predictor of future weight gain for black children.

Theres a health crisis in the U.S., especially in our communities, and especially among children, said Xavier Morales, the executive director of the Praxis Project. This is not coincidental, he added: They target our communities with their marketing. Were going into those communities trying to save lives, and theyre going out and erasing our message.

The soda industry has argued that, on the contrary, theyve done a lot to support communities of color and the fight against obesity. In recent years, these companies have grown their portfolios of low-calorie and no-calorie beverages.

We support the recommendation of the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), that people should limit their intake of added sugar to no more than 10 percent of their total daily calorie intake. We have begun a journey toward that goal," Coke said in a statement. "So we are taking action to offer people moredrinks in smaller, more convenientsizes,reducing sugar inmanyof our existing beverages, andmakingmore lowand no-sugar beverage choicesavailableandeasier to find at local stores. Well also continue making calorie and nutrition information clear and accessible so people can makemore informedchoices forthemselves and their families without the guesswork.

Soda companies have also, through the American Beverage Association, funded a number of nutrition and healthy cooking programs in low-income neighborhoods in New York, Los Angeles and other cities. ABAs partners on that project include the National Council of La Raza and the National Urban League.

Americas beverage companies know we have an important role to play in addressing our nations health challenges. Thats why were engaging with health groups and community organizations to drive a reduction in the sugar and calories Americans get from beverages," the ABA said in a statement. "Unfounded accusations like these wont do anything to address health concerns, but the actions were taking, particularly in areas where obesity rates are among the highest, can make a difference.

The ABA also disputes the contention that there's a link between obesity and soda.

Beverages are not driving obesity rates," the organization said. "Obesity has been going up steadily for years while soda consumption has been going down steadily. Shouldnt obesity rates have gone down with the reduction in soda consumption if the two are connected?

But companies such as Coca-Cola do still market more to Latino and black communities a function of the fact that they drink sugary beverages at a greater volume than whites.

Multiplestudies by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut have found that soda advertisements appear more frequently during TV shows targeted to black audiences. Black teens see three times as many Coca-Cola ads than white teens do. Billboards and other signs for low-nutrient foodsshow up more in black and Latino neighborhoods.

And yet, minority communities have historically been stalwart allies of large soda-makers, Coca-Cola included. As New York University professor Marion Nestle details in her book Soda Politics, those companies have been major funders of minority advocacy groups, including the NAACP, since the 1950s a strategy initially intended to expose soda to new demographics.

Advocacy groups representing people of color, including local chapters of the NAACP and the Hispanic Federation, have since become instrumental in beating back soda taxes in places such as New York, Richmond, Calif., and Santa Fe, N.M. When the American Beverage Association sued to prevent the implementation of Mayor Michael Bloombergs soda tax in early 2013, both the NAACP and Hispanic Federation filed a brief in support of it.

Lamar said he was grateful that companies such as Coca-Cola had supported these organizations but that their philanthropy did not negate the science or the fact that their marketing is mendacious.

This campaign of deception has also been bestowed on the leadership of our major Latino and black organizations, Coates added. The leaders of many of these organizations, like the average lay person, is just not aware of the science.

That represents a shift that Nestle calls highly significant.

In the past, this community has supported the soda industry in opposing public health measures even though the health impact of sugary drinks is higher in that community, she told The Washington Post. It is highly significant that this community is joining the CSPI lawsuit. It should put the soda industry on notice that it needs to stop targeting African Americans who are at high risk of chronic diseases encouraged by sugary drink consumption.

But it is unclear whether the suit will ultimately have more than a glancing impact on the beverage industry. Coke and the American Beverage Association do not need to respond to the complaint until September. At that point, Maia Kats the litigation director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest and one of the lawyers on the case said she believes they will push for dismissal.

In the meantime, Lamar and Coates say, they will continue visiting hospitals, and overseeing funerals, for members of their churches suffering from obesity-related illnesses.

I am disgusted by the number of hospital visits I make, Lamar said. It just adds to the injustices all around us.

Read more:

Study: Black children are exposed to junk-food ads way more than white kids are

Americans were cutting back on sugary drinks. Now that's stopped.

When soda companies target minorities, is it exploitation?

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'We're losing more people to the sweets than to the streets': Why two black pastors are suing Coca-Cola - Washington Post