Monthly Archives: September 2022

9/2 Flashback: On abortion | Fred Clark – Patheos

Posted: September 3, 2022 at 4:40 pm

From September 2, 2020, I am a Christian. Here is what I believe about abortion.

Subsidiarity, mofos.

I want to talk about abortion with my fellow white evangelical Christians.

More specifically, I am addressing those evangelicals who have not sworn their full allegiance to Donald Trump. We might refer to this group as the 19 percent meaning the minority of white evangelicals who did not vote to elect Trump in 2016, but I am hopeful that the share of those willing to read or to listen here will be somewhat larger than that.

We might describe my intended audience here as a spectrum ranging from Michael Wear to Russell Moore, which is to say those of my fellow American evangelical Christians who are Trump-resistant or at least somewhat Trump-reluctant. Some of you are emphatically opposed to Trump while others may be ruefully supportive of him due primarily to his support for judges and policies more likely to end legal abortion.

Wherever you fall on that spectrum, you and Idisagree on the meaning and the morality of abortion.This post is not an exercise in persuasion or in condemnation. Nor does it involve the suggestion of any sort of compromise or middle ground or third way. All I want to do here is to explain, as simply and clearly as I can, what it is that I believe about abortion and what the political implications of that are for me.

The difference between what I believe and what you believe is, in some ways, a lot smaller than you might imagine. The implications of that difference expand outward, producing very different responsibilities and obligations for the law, for citizens, and for all of civil society including the church.

Here is that difference: You believe that full human personhood begins at the moment of conception, which is to say that a fetus, an embryo, a blastocyst, a zygote possesses an equal moral standing to that of any child or adult. To end a pregnancy, therefore, is to take a human life an act indistinct from taking the life of any other child or adult.

I do not believe that. I make a distinction between the potential human personhood of a fetus/embryo/blastocyst/zygote and the actual human personhood of actual infants, children, and adults. I believe that potential human personhood has great value and great moral significance, but not as great as that of any and every actual human person. Abortion is a serious and significant matter, but it is not at all like murder.

The prolific evangelical apologetics writer Norman Geisler put it this way:

The one clear thing which the Scriptures indicate about abortion is that it is not the same as murder. Murder is a man-initiated activity of taking anactualhuman life. Artificial abortion is a humanly initiated process which results in the taking of apotentialhuman life. Such abortion is not murder, because the embryo is not fully human it is an undeveloped person.

That distinction, which Geisler argued was derived from biblical teaching and biblical prooftexts, led him to conclude that abortion was justified and even obligated in some cases:

When it is a clear-cut case of either taking the life of the unborn baby or letting the mother die, then abortion is called for. Anactuallife (the mother) is of more intrinsic value than apotentiallife (the unborn). The mother is a fully developed human; the baby is an undeveloped human. And an actually developed human is better than one which has the potential for full humanity but has not yet developed.Beingfully human is a higher value than the mere possibility ofbecomingfully human. For whatishas more value than whatmaybe.

Birth is not morally necessitated without consent. No woman should be forced to carry a child if she did not consent to intercourse. A violent intrusion into a womans womb does not bring with it a moral birthright for the embryo. The mother has a right to refuse that her body be used as an object of sexual intrusion. The violation of her honor and personhood was enough evil without compounding her plight by forcing an unwanted child on her besides. the right of the potential life (the embryo) is overshadowed by the right of the actual life of the mother. The rights to life, health, and self-determination i.e.,the rights to personhood of the fully human mother take precedence over that of the potentially human embryo.

The crucial point here is that final sentence, so let me repeat it: The rights to life, health, and self-determination i.e.,the rights to personhood of the fully human mother take precedence over that of the potentially human embryo.

Please note what this does not say or mean or imply or entail: It does not mean that the potentially human embryo has no rights, or no value, or no meaning, or no significance, or no dignity. To regard the potentially human embryo as meaningless or worthless would be wrong wrong both in the sense of immoral and in the sense of inaccurate.

How, then, ought we to account for and to honor the moral claims and moral value of the potential personhood of the unborn? How do we, as you all often say, protectthe unborn?

The problem with that question is the word we. Who is we?

That is always an essential question in Christian ethical teaching and Christian political thought: Who is we? And the way that Christians, for centuries, have tried to answer that question to clarify and differentiate all of the potential meanings of we fall under the heading of subsidiarity.

Subsidiarity is both a prudential principle and an ethical one. To violate or to reject subsidiarity, then, is both immoral and ineffective. Subsidiarity clarifies the varied and various roles that different people, different actors, different institutions and agencies have the varied and various responsibilities and obligations we all share in different and differing capacities. It describes what the epistle calls the inescapable network of mutuality that binds us all together directly and indirectly. Our various places and roles in that network shape our various responsibilities and duties to one another. To abdicate the responsibilities that are rightly ours, or to usurp the responsibilities that are not rightly ours, is both imprudent and immoral.

Subsidiarity teaches that those closest to a given situation have the greatest responsibility for that situation. Every other actor and agency in the network of mutuality also bears responsibility, but their indirect responsibility takes the shape of supporting those closest, who hold the primary and most direct responsibility.

I believe in subsidiarity. It seems clear to me that the primary responsibility for protecting the unborn is given to those whose bodies are literally transforming for that very purpose, which is to say with the actual human persons, the women* whose bodies are carrying and have carried every potential human person who has ever later been born. They are the most direct actors here, exponentially closer and more responsible than anyone else, and the responsibility and obligation of everyone else is to ensure they have all the moral and material support they require to fulfill that role.

I trust those women. I trust them more than any indirectly responsible actor who would trample on their subsidiary obligations by trying to usurp the responsibilities entrusted to those women by nature and natures God.

Will 100% of those women make 100% of the best choices 100% of the time? Of course not. They are, like all of us, human, and no human or group of humans is ever always capable of always making only the very best choices. But their humanity is all the more reason to affirm their agency and dignity to choose, not a license to strip them of that humanity by stripping them of their responsibility, dignity, agency, and freedom.

It is not my job not my ethical duty nor my capacity to usurp their primacy here. Not as their neighbor, not as their relative, not as their congressional representative or as their pastor or as their president or as their appellate-court judge. Every other actor, agency, institution, civil society organization, magistrate, and pastordoeshave anindirectrole to play the role of supporting these women to make the best choices and to have the best choices available to them.

What does that mean in practical terms? It means, for most of us, working to create a context for their choices in which they are never constrained by desperation or duress, by the market-worshipping coercion of penury, by fear or want or threat. It means working to establish a context in which financial support, vocational opportunity, human potential, human thriving and human dignity are not contingent or conditional or inconstant. It means creating a context which is hospitable to welcoming new life, and therefore a context in which the choice of hospitality is possible and promising. (If I were to choose a text for a sermon on the politics of abortion, it would be the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath.)

Sometimes, when I describe this role and this obligation, those who wish only to deny subsidiarity by a top-down decree criminalizing all abortion will accuse me of just trying to change the subject. But thisisthe subject. Subsidiarity teaches me that what is best for the unborn will be what is best for their mothers. The only way to protect the unborn is by protecting those carrying them protecting their health, dignity, wellbeing, financial security, agency, and freedom.

My uncle was an obstetrician in the 1960s. He was hired to reform a regional hospital in central Pennsylvania that was struggling with one of the worst infant mortality rates in the state. He took the job only on the condition that he could, instead, address the crisis that hospital hadnt recognized that it also had one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the nation. Some thought that he, too, was trying to change the subject, but he insisted that if they took better care of those mothers, the infant mortality problem would also be resolved. And it was.

If we want to protect the unborn then we must trust those entrusted with that duty. Erasing or outlawing their central role, their humanity, and their agency is both imprudent and immoral. We for any given value of we need to center them, support them, and provide for them a larger context in which they are best able and equipped to do what is best for themselves and for those potential and actual human persons in their care.

This is what I believe. This is my abortion politics. The sectarian nuance and the detailed working out of this may vary somewhat, but this is, in broad terms, what tens of millions of other American Christians who are also Democratic voters also believe.

Again, I am not telling you this in an effort to persuade or to convince. I have done that elsewhere and will do it again, but thats not what this post is about. I am not here attempting to create any compromise or debate and would not welcome either one. (Although Im sure the DEBATEME!-boi reply guys will still show up in comments, because fish gotta swim.)

I am telling you this only because I think it is something you should know. What you decide to do with that knowledge, what you feel youreallowedto do with that knowledge, I leave up to you.

* Mostly women, but not only women. That needs to be said here, for accuracys sake and not for the sake of what many of my fellow evangelicals might dismiss as political correctness.

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The Kingdom Exodus Review: Lars von Trier Goes Full Meta With the Return of His Creepy Hospital Drama – Yahoo Entertainment

Posted: at 4:40 pm

Lars von Triers The Kingdom Exodus warrants comparison with David Lynchs Twin Peaks: The Return for multiple parallels between the two: Both are peak prestige TV with indelible auteurist hallmarks, returning for their third seasons after a quarter-century hiatus. Both invoke the supernatural, concoct elaborate lore and boast captivated cult-like followings.

Though the Danish Kingdom is of course much lesser known, its first two seasons did make enough of a cultural impact through international theatrical runs to spawn a Stephen Kingcreated American remake, Kingdom Hospital.

Kingdom Exodus, making its world premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, gets much more meta. In the cold open, Karen (Bodil Jrgensen) watches von Triers signoff from the previous seasons finale on TV. Frustrated by the series loose ends, she heads to bed and affixes restraints to herself to prevent sleepwalking. She experiences a nightmare, rises, unties herself, hops into a cab inexplicably waiting outside her house, and heads to Copenhagens infamous Rigshospitalet, the Kingdom Hospital.

Also Read:Lars von Trier Is Making a Third and Final Season of 90s Series The Kingdom (Video)

The imagery is pristine and dreamlike to this point, something straight out of Melancholia. As soon as Karen steps inside the hospital, though, the visuals immediately deteriorate to the washed-out aesthetics of the previous seasons. She inquires about Mrs. Drusse (Kirsten Rolffes) and Little Brother (Udo Kier) with a security guard, who rants that the bloody TV show by blundering fool Trier has damaged the hospital irreparably. Later Karen encounters hospital orderly Bulder (Nicolas Bro), who pulls some strings in getting her admitted so she can continue to investigate.

While the series central battle between good and evil rages on, so does its age-old rivalry between the Danes and the Swedes, with the arrival of Swedish neurosurgeon Halfmer (Mikael Persbrandt), son of Helmer (Ernst-Hugo Jregrd) from previous seasons. Upon landing on the rooftop helicopter pad, Halfmer orders the ground crew to take me to your leader like some alien. He learns the hard way about the staffs many bizarre and degrading rituals and discovers a support group for Swedish expats working there.

Story continues

Director of photography Manuel Alberto Claro (a von Trier regular) and editors Jacob Schulsinger (Force Majeure), My Thordal (A Taste of Hunger) and Olivier Bugge Coutt (The Worst Person in the World) have faithfully maintained the series look and feel despite not having worked on previous seasons. Kingdom Exodus more overtly evokes mockumentary because of its self-reference. While previous seasons also employed handheld camera, swipe pans, rapid zooms and abrupt cuts, the mustard-hued cinematography made everything look so highly stylized that it might have muddled the series mockumentary aspirations.

Also Read:Lars von Trier Diagnosed With Parkinsons Disease

The meta-ness seems characteristic of the narcissism that has taken over von Triers oeuvre since the last season. Camilla (Solbjrg Hjfeldt), a returning character, tells Karen, the director forced us to say all his stupid lines.A guided tour of the hospital makes a show of von Triers private room. The filmmaker also appears as none other than the devil himself. He doesnt sign off during the credits as with the previous seasons, though, presumably because of his recently disclosed Parkinsons diagnosis.

While often self-deprecating to the point of good-humored self-flagellation, von Trier at times also appears unrepentantly defensive. Much like his previous feature, The House That Jack Built, parts of Kingdom Exodus seem to indirectly address the criticisms and allegations lodged against him over the years the cinematic equivalent of subtweeting, if you will. Halfmer emails colleague Anna (Tuva Novotny) a consent form for permission to pat her backside, which prompts her to contact the resident Swedish lawyer (Alexander Skarsgrd, whose father, Stellan, appeared last season as Helmers attorney), who has set up shop in a restroom. Halfmers ambiguous relationship with Anna comes off like some sort of thinly-veiled response to Bjrks accusing von Trier of sexual harassment on the set of Dancer in the Dark.

The director also exhibits disdain for political correctness in what he sees as its hypocrisy and lack of practicality. Halfmer outs himself as a bigot upon his arrival at Rigshospitalet, freely dropping offensive epithets, though he is quick to criticize the lack of diversity among the staff and adamantly insists on wide implementation of gender-neutral pronouns. The latter leads to brain surgery being performed on the wrong patient in a scene that recalls Ridley Scotts Hannibal, only less explicit.

Also Read:The House That Jack Built Theatrical Cut Film Review: Lars von Triers Serial Killer Sagas a Pointless Bore

Theres nothing this season nearly as disturbing or memorable as the live birth of Little Brother. The most unhinged scenes involve hothead Naver (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) twice dislodging his own eyeball from its socket. Special effects are serviceable, but not enough to make up for some of the plot holes and logical flaws. Although the season promises answers, it predictably opens another can of worms.

Much like Twin Peaks: The Return, Kingdom Exodus expands on its lore, universe, and dimensions even further. Fear of the unknown is always dependable in this genre, and Rigshospitalet remains fertile ground ripe for exploration, even if promotional materials indicate this is the final season. Perhaps as an intentional nod at Twin Peaks, Kingdom Exodus also utilizes the doppelgnger trope. Just like those from the Black Lodge, doppelgngers in Rigshospitalet are evil and murderous.

The Kingdom Exodus is definitely a worthy entry in an iconic series, and fans of the show and of von Trier will most certainly find it entertaining and well worth the quarter-century wait. It never resonates with poignancy like Twin Peaks: The Return in its contemplation of the passage of time, though. Its at a slight disadvantage in that regard because it doesnt have one lone Agent Cooper to serve as its heart and soul. Now that von Trier himself is facing illness and mortality, perhaps it will prompt the auteur to dig even deeper to deliver his best work yet.

The Kingdom Exodus will stream on Mubi this fall.

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The Kingdom Exodus Review: Lars von Trier Goes Full Meta With the Return of His Creepy Hospital Drama - Yahoo Entertainment

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Film Review: ‘Explorer’: The Amazing Life Story of Author and Renowned Overachiever Ranulph Fiennes – The Epoch Times

Posted: at 4:40 pm

NR|1h 53min|Documentary, Biography |30 August 2022 (USA)

The third cousin (once removed) of the Fiennes acting family (Ralph, Joseph, and three others), Sir Ranulph Fiennes (full name: Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes) has lived a life that would make most overachievers blush and cause others to reconsider their own bucket lists.

To wit:

He was the first person to circumnavigate the globe, not (the relatively easier) east to west, but north to south, while crossing both polar ice caps in the process.

He, with Mike Stroud, a physician who accompanied him in a vehicle for safety and possible medical reasons, were the first to cross the entire continent of Antarctica and did so over the course of a mere 92 days.

At the age of 65, he climbed Mount Everest, becoming the oldest British person to ever do so.

At the age of 59, he ran seven marathonsin seven consecutive dayson seven continents.

He served eight years in the SAS (Special Air Service), a covert branch of the British Army, as a demolitions expert, and in 1968 helped defeat a Yemeni communist insurgence in Oman.

Not quite as impressive: He was on the short list to replace Sean Connery as James Bond and has written 24 fiction and nonfiction books.

Every one of these accomplishments is worthy of its own stand-alone feature, and it is to the credit of director Matthew Dyas that the 113-minute-long documentary Explorer goes by in a flash. Theres not an ounce of fat in the entire film. Dyas, along with editors Ben Stark and Charlie Hawryliw, doesnt include a single unneeded frame.

Having previously collaborated with Fiennes on the overlooked 2019 docuseries Fiennes: Return to the Nile, Dyas has what appears to be unlimited access to his subject. Although the bulk (about 70 percent) of the film is culled from the usual archival footage, stills, newsreels, and the like, the remainder is recently shot and most of it is just Fiennes discussing, while regularly downplaying, his many astonishing accomplishments.

Born in 1944 four months after his namesake father was killed in World War II, Fiennes, his three older sisters, and their mother relocated to South Africa to live with his grandmother, described here as difficult. He admits, with a certain wistful air, that he was spoiled by the females in his early life, something that could turn many men into sissies, but it had the exact opposite effect on him.

A decade later, when he returned to England at the age of 12, Fiennes met Virginia Ginny Pepper, whom he would eventually marry in 1970. Theirs was a unique relationship. It was a rarity, even back then, for childhood sweethearts to wed. And not only did they remain together until her death from cancer in 2004, but she was his professional partner as well.

It was she who managed the logistics of the three year-long global treks, and Fiennes lavishes relentless praise upon her, stating that the mission could not have succeeded without Ginny at the helm while operating out of their home base. Fiennes makes it clear: Ginny wasnt a woman behind the man, but rather side-by-side the man as a team. Watching them go from preteens to senior citizens is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

A further example of the impeccable character and modest grace of Fiennes takes place with the discussion of his baronetcy. Largely a ceremonial and useless title bestowed by the Crown, it is hereditary, and upon his birth, Fiennes became the 3rd Baronet of Banbury, thus making him a knight.

Fiennes bristles at being referred to as sir, claiming that being rewarded for inheriting a title or award for simply being born is meaningless, and that the only people who should receive such honors should do so by earning it with merit.

Fiennes was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1993 for human endeavor and for charitable services. His various expeditions also raised 14 million pounds ($16,440,000) for various charities up to that point and, since then, another 5 million pounds ($5,870,000).

What is most surprising about Fiennes was in hearing his reasons for becoming an explorer in the first place. Far too frequently, when questioned why they climb mountains or engage in equally dangerous activities, most adventurers and thrill-seekers respond with the tired and clichd because its there.

Although born a royal, Fiennes didnt enter the world wealthy. He didnt participate in these many events out of curiosity or some sort of inner drive, but simply for revenue. It was his chosen profession. He wasnt an eccentric millionaire wanting to prove this, that, or the other. He did it to make ends meet.

For instance, during the four-year buildup to the around the world expedition, Fiennes and Ginny amassed $27 million from close to 650 sponsors, mostly companies that manufacture goods and equipment he would use during his trip. Its not all that different from the practice of businesses that pay race car drivers to wear logo patches on their hats and jumpsuits and slap decals on their vehicles.

Late in the film, Fiennes presents questions that many of us ask ourselves daily (if not more frequently) regarding the mounting political correctness verbiage that has infested our vernacular. He queries his detractors who accuse him of white privilege, and the exact meaning and intent of being woke.

The only privilege Fiennes had was being born with great intellect, superior athletic skills, and an uncanny ability to conquer the elements. He is also thoroughly lacking vanity or hubris.

You know that guy: the salt-and-pepper-haired dude hawking Dos Equis beer on TV, online, and in thousands of subsequent memes? The one who is touted as being The Most Interesting Man in the World? He cant hold a candle to Ranulph Fiennes.

ExplorerDocumentaryDirector: Matthew DyasRunning Time: 1 hour, 53 minutesNot RatedRelease Date: Aug. 30, 2022Rating: 5 out of 5

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Film Review: 'Explorer': The Amazing Life Story of Author and Renowned Overachiever Ranulph Fiennes - The Epoch Times

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Offshore wind could blow us out of the water, say Cornish fishers – The Guardian

Posted: at 4:39 pm

As the fishing boat motors gently out of Newlyns harbour, the sky is clear and the sea is millpond-flat. Below the surface, the clear waters are teeming with life; Newlyn, in south-west Cornwall, is home to one of Britains largest trawler fleets, with more than 100 boats regularly landing catches. However, miles out to sea, a storm is brewing.

The boats fishing ground could end up being squeezed by floating windfarms planned for the Celtic Sea, an area of the Atlantic bordered by Cornwall, south-west Wales, southern Ireland and the north-western edge of France. In July, the crown estate the Queens property manager and owner of the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland announced that five sites in the Celtic Sea could host offshore installations that could deliver four gigawatts of wind energy by 2035. Up to 300 turbines would power nearly 4m homes, and generate income for the crown and the Treasury.

An auction last year of other plots off England and Wales saw unprecedented interest from energy companies, driving bids to record levels, with the crown estate set to receive up to 9bn over the next decade. Those zones are expected to house six new windfarms, generating enough electricity for 7m homes, and could be an essential step in the drive to decarbonise the UKs power system.

The plans are the talk of the port in Newlyn, and are being met with trepidation in Britains shrinking domestic fishing industry.

In the chilly halls of the towns seafood market, fishers such as Chris Nowell, bearing a box of line-caught sea bass and pollock, arrive throughout the day with their silvery catch, which is assessed, weighed and packed in ice. More than 50 species pass through the market, from megrim (also known as Cornish sole) and red gurnard to mackerel and ray. Worth about 20m a year, they are destined for local dining tables and restaurants in the UK and abroad.

The man responsible for running the market is Paul Trebilcock, managing director of W Stevenson & Sons, whose fleet has fished out of Newlyn for over 100 years. His main feeling about the windfarm proposals is apprehension, he says from his market office.

In recent decades, fishers have seen no-go zones proliferate, including marine protected areas, power cabling sites, and oil and gas installations. At a time when many remain bitter about the absence of the Brexit benefits they were promised, fishers say they are facing a spatial squeeze, with more boats competing to fish in ever-smaller areas.

When you layer these things on top of each other, it gets quite scary, Trebilcock says. If youre trying to harvest fish in the sea and the areas you go to are taken away one by one, it feels like death by a thousand cuts.

Although Trebilcock and other Newlyn fishers are at pains to point out that they are not opposed to offshore wind, they feel bottom of the list in decisions over the use of Britains waters.

Stevenson employs about 40 people on shore at Newlyn, and a further 50 at sea, but warnings about the impact of offshore wind are stark.

Some of the search areas being looked at are enough for us to consider the viability of some boats, Trebilcock says. The north coast of Cornwall is a valuable Dover sole fishery and some areas being looked at would effectively take that out of the equation. The consequence could be catastrophic for our fleet.

Trebilcocks fears are shared by James Chown, skipper and owner of the 18.5-metre Ajax. He is checking his nets and filling up with fuel and ice before heading back out to sea.

Ajax is one of Newlyns bigger boats, and Chown Chunky as the 50-year-old is known and his five-strong crew usually spend every other week at sea, hunting hake and pollock. As some trips take him more than 50 miles from shore, he is likely to be among those hit hardest by the proposed windfarm sites.

Because they will be in deep water, the Celtic Sea turbines will sit on floating concrete and steel platforms anchored by cables to the seabed.

The fishing industry normally adapts to whatever it has to, Chown says tattoos depicting a sailing ship, the coat of arms of Padstow, his home town, and Cornish and English flags visible below his T-shirt sleeves. But my concern is that you can only adapt if youve got room to adapt.

A further squeeze on fishing grounds will result in more displacement, crews say, with boats forced into areas regularly fished by others, be they British crews or boats from France, Belgium and Spain.

We are certainly not anti-renewables, says Chris Ranford, chief executive of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation, which represents boat owners. They simply want recognition for their centuries-old role in feeding the UK, plus a say in where offshore wind is located.

We understand the priority, Ranford added. What we are asking for is simply a coexistence strategy, where you recognise food security as much as energy security.

Cornwalls fishing crews are disgruntled at what they see as a lack of early involvement in the crown estates process of identifying areas where floating wind could be located.

We only found out about this in mid-July along with the rest of the public, Ranford says. We knew it was going to happen, but we didnt have any idea where the sites were going to be.

Development may not stop there: the crown estate says its research shows the Celtic Sea has potential for up to 20GW of additional offshore wind capacity by 2045.

Fishing organisations complain that fishing is not regarded as a hard constraint when working out where to locate windfarms. The crown estate disputes this, saying it is committed to working with stakeholders, including the fishing industry, in developing its proposals. It said it had given fisheries data the highest possible weighting when identifying areas of search in the Celtic Sea, to avoid heavily fished grounds.

Huub den Rooijen, managing director for marine at the crown estate, says: We fully recognise the importance and value of the fishing sector in the Celtic Sea, and have engaged throughout with key bodies such as the National Federation of Fishermens Organisations and the Welsh Fishermens Association. But the estate has to balance competing needs for seabed space, he says, adding: We will continue to engage with the fishing sector to gain a further understanding of their activity.

Domestic fishing represents less than 1% of the UKs national economic output, but it is part of the lifeblood of small coastal communities from Cornwall to northern Scotland. About 24,000 people work in fishing and processing, contributing 1.4bn a year to the economy, according to the National Federation of Fishermens Organisations.

At the harbour, Will Treneer is unloading a catch of deep blue lobsters, their claws bound by rubber bands. Born and bred in Newlyn, the 33-year-old followed his father and uncle into fishing in his teens. His own five-year-old son asks each morning how the catch went overnight.

Offshore wind is coming, whether we like it or not, and we should probably embrace it, Treneer says. But the fishing industry is going to look a lot different.

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Offshore wind could blow us out of the water, say Cornish fishers - The Guardian

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P1 Offshore St. Pete Grand Prix powerboat races to kick off this weekend – WFLA

Posted: at 4:39 pm

ST. PETE, Fla (WFLA) If you want to be out near the water this Labor Day weekend, make sure to check out the P1 Offshore Grand Prix in St. Pete.

More than 60 teams traveled from all around the world to compete in the powerboat races that have been known to attract large crowds.

During the three-day event, powerboat racers from New Zealand, Canada, Australia, and even Italy will compete for positions Saturday before a full day of racing on Sunday.

World Champion Powerboat Racer Steve Curtis is scheduled to attend. He said his interest in powerboat racing sparked during his childhood while he watched his father build boats.

Young kids, when they come up and they see these things, they cant believe how big they are, they go wow,' Curtis said. We can show them in the cock pit and show them around. Its great to see their reactions, it would be nice to think that someday those guys may be racing as well.

This year, a fan village is opening up to the public at the St. Pete Pier for free with food trucks, vendors, and music.

Its all about bringing entertainment and fun for everyone, especially for local businesses and communities generating that economic impact, P1 Offshore Director Cole McGowan said.

The second annual P1 Offshore St. Pete Grand Prix runs from Friday through Sunday.

Friday is when the Race Pits are open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

For information regarding the full schedule and VIP tickets, check out the event website.

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The world’s biggest offshore wind farm is now fully operational – CNBC

Posted: at 4:39 pm

One of the turbines at the Hornsea 2 offshore wind farm. According to Danish energy firm Orsted, the facility has a capacity of more than 1.3 gigawatts.

Orsted

A facility described by Danish energy firm Orsted as the "world's biggest offshore wind farm" is now fully operational, with its 165 turbines set to help power in excess of 1.4 million U.K. homes.

Situated roughly 89 kilometers (approximately 55 miles) off the coast of Yorkshire, England, the scale of Hornsea 2 is considerable.

According to Orsted, it has a capacity of more than 1.3 gigawatts and stretches across an area of 462 square kilometers more than half the size of New York City. Hornsea 2, it added, uses Siemens Gamesa turbines with blades measuring 81 meters, or more than 265 feet.

"One revolution of the wind turbine blades can power an average UK home for 24 hours," the company says.

It is the latest step forward for the Hornsea 2 project, which generated its first power in Dec. 2021.

The development comes as European countries attempt to wean themselves off Russian fossil fuels, including gas, following the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine in February.

"Current global events highlight more than ever the importance of landmark renewable energy projects like Hornsea 2, helping the UK increase the security and resilience of its energy supply and drive down costs for consumers by reducing dependence on expensive fossil fuels," said Duncan Clark, head of the U.K. region at Orsted.

The U.K. is home to a mature offshore wind sector that looks set to expand in the coming years, with authorities aiming for up to 50 GW of capacity by 2030.

The European Union, which the U.K. left in January 2020, has previously laid out a 300 GW target for offshore wind by the middle of this century.

Across the Atlantic, the U.S. has a long way to go to catch up with Europe. America's first offshore wind facility, the 30 megawatt Block Island Wind Farm, only started commercial operations in late 2016.

Change is coming, however, and in Nov. 2021 ground was broken on a project dubbed the United States' "first commercial scale offshore wind farm."

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The world's biggest offshore wind farm is now fully operational - CNBC

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From oil and gas to offshore wind and beyond | News and insights | Home – BP

Posted: at 4:39 pm

Introduction

My name is Matthias Bausenwein.

I lead bps offshore wind business.

This is just week three for me in the job.

Im new to bp so, I dont have all the answers.

Thats one dont in this session on dos and donts.

There are, however, a few things I do already know.

I do know how serious weat bpare about our trajectory towards net zero and about offshore wind.

How positive our people are about its role in the energy system and how determined we are to make a success of it.

I do also know the fantastic potential bp sees in the Norwegian North Sea and the ambition of this great nation to maximise this potential.

Thats why I simply had to be here today. Thank you for the invitation.

There is something else I do know.

When you think of offshore wind you probably dont think of bp. Not yet.

With us, you may think of oil and gas. Much like Norway and the North Sea.But were changing, like Norway is, by providing the world with the hydrocarbons it needs with lower emissions and at the same time, helping the world transition.

Our relationship with this great country goes back a century to the 1920s.

But the world is a very different place now, of course.A confluence of events.

Russias act of aggression in Ukraine, first and foremost, the post-pandemic bounce back and extreme weather have all destabilised the energy system.

So, more than ever, the world needs three things.

bp wants to play its part in solving the trilemma so, we are reimagining energy and reinventing our company to play that part.

We are transitioning from an international oil company an IOC, one traditionally focused on the production of resources to an integrated energy company an IEC,that delivers a variety of solutions for customers.

To us, integration means providing a mix of energies.Resilient and focused hydrocarbons, renewables, hydrogen, and so on.

And it means knitting together different forms of energy too.Ill explain more about that in a moment.

Going big on offshore wind is key to our plans as an IEC.

In just 2 years weve gone from a pipeline of zero to more than 10GW, working with our partners.

Thats enough to power a city the size of Stavanger 30 times over.

Its true that we dont have a big history in offshore wind and we dont underestimate the specifics of offshore wind environments.Thats two donts.

We do have something else though.We can of course leverage bags of experience executing large civil engineering projects safely, to time and on budget.

We do know how to work in challenging offshore environments, how to put together complex supply chains, work closely with local partners and governments and operate sustainably within communities.

Not just in a handful of locations but all around the world day in day out,365 days of the year.

But at the same time, we are conscious that we need to go the extra mile to set ourselves up for success in offshore wind.This is why we are building a strong team and are recruiting offshore wind talent to further strengthen the team.

Where needed we work with strong partners, like here in Norway.

After all, it is here where some of the best opportunities for offshore wind can be found.

You have an ambitious government committed to low carbon energy.The country is a great place to do business and is therefore an attractive destination for investment.

And then you have fantastic companies like our partner Aker Offshore Wind.

And its great to have Stephen Bull from the wider Aker family here on the panel.

And Statkraft.

These are two cornerstones of Norwegian energy production over many decades both with a long track record of success.

Thats why were especially excited about the potential for the Srlige Nordsj II project.

To work with Aker Offshore Wind and Statkraft on this.

Srlige Nordsj II offers so much potential.

It has:

Its so perfectly located that it could be the very centre of the North Sea wind build-out.It will supply energy to Norway and, over time, to nearby markets as well.

Thats what bp, and the consortium can help bring to fruition.

But theres something else too.

Offshore wind can catalyse integrated energy systems working in tandem with other energy sources.Therefore, providing more solutions for customers.

All in service of helping to provide the secure, affordable and low carbon energy they need.

This is something that plays into bps strengths.Something bp is already doing.

Our successful bid with EnBW earlier this year is a case in point.Together we are building a huge offshore wind project off the coast of Scotland, but thats just one part of the story.

Connected to this we plan to expand electric vehicle charging in the country and produce green hydrogen too.

Creating many jobs in the process and these are jobs in high demand.

We recently advertised 200 new UK roles in offshore wind but also in hydrogen.More than 10,000 people applied for them.Many of those people were oil and gas workers.

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From oil and gas to offshore wind and beyond | News and insights | Home - BP

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Seven Tips to Successfully Managing Your Offshore Investment Property – CentralAmerica

Posted: at 4:39 pm

If youre buying a property in Central America to grow your nest egg through rental income, youll want some pointers on how to handle this well. Luigi Wewege from Belizes Caye International Bank talks you through some simple pointers on making your offshore investment work better for you.

You may have decided to invest in offshore properties as part of your long-range financial goals. The plan may be to buy a house and rent it out for now, with the aim of making it your new home after retirement. In the meantime, renting the property will help pay the bills and allow you to build equity. Or you could be buying something in a popular tourist spot to turn into a vacation rental asset.

To simplify your propertys management, its a good idea to address several basics. Doing so will mean that offshore property doesnt go neglected even if youre rarely in the country. Here are a few tips that will help.

Since youre not living there, having a professional who can look after your investment makes sense. Look around and find a property manager with boots on the ground, close enough to physically visit the property. The goal is to have someone there to ensure the investment receives the attention needed to keep it in top shape.

Property managers can do quite a bit on your behalf. Along with screening people who want to use the property for short or extended stays, they can be the point person for any repairs or upkeep needed. The manager also serves as a local point of contact for your clients.

At the same time, the property manager ensures you know whats happening with the property. See this as one of the best ways always to have eyes and ears close enough to take action on your behalf.

Speak to local real estate agents to find someone many of them will offer property management services themselves.

The regulations and laws for renting out residential or commercial property may differ from your home country. In fact, some regulations may vary from city to city within that nation. Instead of making assumptions, its in your best interests to become acquainted with those laws and regulations. Specifically, you want to know your obligations as an offshore property owner.

Your goal is to ensure that any actions you take with the offshore property are in full compliance with local laws. From safety measures and landscaping regulations to ensuring utilities remain connected, even when no one is living there, know whats required.

Knowledge will help you avoid fines and other complications. It will also go a long way toward keeping the property in good shape.

Since the plan is to rent the property until you need it, decide what qualifications prospective clients must meet early on. To some extent, local laws and regulations will come into play. There will also be plenty of room for you to add your qualifications.

For example, its possible in many offshore locations to specify that no one may smoke inside the home. There may also be pet guidelines, specifications about who is to maintain the landscape, and more. You may also require anyone renting the property for an extended time to provide a deposit in advance, with the remainder due at the end of the stay.

Talk with the local property manager if youre unsure what to include. A professional who manages similar properties for other clients can provide suggestions for you.

While you could manage the bills associated with the property using bank accounts in your home country, theres a better solution. Open offshore bank accounts in the same country as your property. Youll find this is helpful in more ways than one.

One of those ways has to do with ensuring theres an offshore checking account to receive payments from clients. You can also use that account to make mortgage payments, pay the utilities, and manage tax payments on the property. If you like, have a time deposit or other savings account set up as well.

Establishing these offshore accounts allows you to keep everything to do with the offshore investment property separate from domestic obligations. And in the same way as your domestic accounts, you can see your balances at a glance. Thanks to this, you can stay on top of how well your investment is paying off.

Its tempting to buy property insurance and never look at it again. Thats not what you want to do. Instead, make sure to take a fresh look at the insurance provisions when the time for coverage renewal is near.

Determine if anything has changed since the current term began. Maybe you made improvements to the property, and the market value is up. Does the policy still provide enough coverage? If so, then renew for another term. Should the coverage be inadequate now, theres time to talk with an agent and increase the benefits before the next term commences. Doing so will mean you are always covered if damage should occur.

In the same way as the laws and regulations related to offshore investors owning property may vary from one jurisdiction to the next, the same is true with taxes. You want to remain aware of what, if any, taxes you owe on the property and how to calculate them. This helps eliminate the accrual of late fees and other penalties that could consume much of the propertys income.

Your property manager can provide some support with understanding how the tax laws apply. You can also use advice from a financial manager with the offshore bank where you established accounts. Between the two, it will be easier to project what taxes you need to pay and when they are due.

Since the plan is to rent out the property until the day you want to live there, there must be a way to find tenants. That may be people who want a place to stay while they vacation for a couple of weeks, or it could be someone who wants a long-term lease. While your property manager can handle the screening and ensure local people know when the property is available, setting up social media accounts will help.

Social media can be particularly effective when you prefer to rent out the property for short stays. Its easy enough to create social media accounts to include property descriptions, images, information about the surrounding area, and contact information for you and the property manager.

Use multiple accounts to increase your reach Facebook and Instagram are the best for creating pages for your property. Set up a Linktree account to bundle all the accounts, sites, and contact details related to your property together.

Belize is a very popular location for investing in offshore property and expat retirement. Whether you want some luxury island property on the waters edge, a rainforest retreat, or a bungalow in a beach community, Belize has plenty to offer.

Caye International Bank on Ambergris Caye, Belize offers many different account types for offshore investors. They will happy to help you understand the investment property mortgage options available in Belize.

If youre buying in Belize, theyre equipped to help you understand how your new offshore investment property can become one of your key international assets.

Luigi Wewege is the President of Caye International Bank, headquartered on the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize. He is also the published author ofThe Digital Banking Revolution,now in its third edition.

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Seven Tips to Successfully Managing Your Offshore Investment Property - CentralAmerica

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More Offshore Wind Power Coming to the Carolinas’ Coast – PBS North Carolina

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Its called the Carolina Long Bay wind energy area.

It covers 110,091 acres of ocean, roughly 15 miles offshore from Brunswick County. The entire area sits roughly straight out from the North Carolina-South Carolina border.

And it appears North Carolinas largest electric utility and a French oil company won the auction on Wednesday, May 11, to lease a pair of sites wind energy production.

The Department of the Interior says TotalEnergies Renewables USA, LLC bid $160 million to win the right to build an offshore wind farm in the westernmost 54,937 acre section of the area. Duke Energy Renewables Wind, LLC won the bid for the easternmost 55,124 acre area, with a $155 million bid.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management says the area together, if developed, could generate 1.3 gigawatts or more of energy, enough to power nearly 500,000 homes.

Investments from the two developers mean increased supply chain investment and recruitment, workforce development and thousands of good-paying jobs and infrastructure development that will support other North Carolina industries," said Katharine Kollins, President of the Southeastern Wind Coalition, in a statement.

Federal officials called the auction a significant step towards the Biden-Harris administrations goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030.

The Biden-Harris administration is moving forward at the pace and scale required to help achieve the Presidents goals to make offshore wind energy a reality for the United States, said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in the announcement of the sale. Todays sale is further proof that there is a strong industry interest and that Americas clean energy transition is here.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has set targets of 2.8 gigawatts of wind energy generated off of the NC coast by 2030 and 8 gigawatts by 2040.

If developed, the newest proposed offshore wind farm would not be visible from shore.

Duke Energy officials estimate it will take about 10 years to develop the site. A site assessment plan, looking at how Duke will evaluate the wind energy potential of the area, will be developed during the next year.

TotalEnergies, the French energy company that won the other lease, reports it is considering developing floating wind energy platforms. The firm is building similar offshore wind farms in France, the United Kingdom, and in South Korea.

TotalEnergies is also building an offshore wind project off of the New York-New Jersey coast.

Back in 2017, the wind energy company Avangrid paid $9 million for a lease off of Kitty Hawk. It is expected to begin operations by the end of the decade.

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Fishing Report: The offshore bite is red hot – New Pelican Newspaper

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By The New Pelican Newspaper | on September 02, 2022

By RJ Boyle | Contributing Columnist

Pictured here is the Riley party from South Carolina, with a spectacular catch aboard the Lisa B from a few days back. Our goal was to land a swordfish. We set up shop about 16 miles offshore at 8:30 in the morning. We fished for an hour before getting our first bite.

We hooked the swordfish on a rigged bonito strip with a glow skirt. We fought the fish for 45 minutes before landing everyones first swordfish. As we put the baits out redeploying on our second drift, we got covered up in mahi mahi. We threw spinning rods tipped with bait and one by one began to fill the box. It sure is nice when a plan comes together. When we got to the dock, we cleaned the fish for well over an hour and a half. Everybody went home with plenty of dinners for the next month.

The near shore fishing was a bit slow this week. A few smaller Wahoo and lots of bonito were landed. If youre going to spend time fishing this weekend, I would suggest running offshore to look for mahi. There is a lot of scattered seaweed right now so dont be afraid to pull up on the patches and throw a few live baits to prospect. You can also troll around them quickly to see if the patch is holding fish.

Get tight!

RJ Boyle is the owner of RJ Boyle Studios in Lighthouse Point and has decades of experience fishing the waters off South Florida and beyond. To contact him at his studio or to inquire about his charter boats, visit rjboylestudio.com or call 954-420-5001.

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Fishing Report: The offshore bite is red hot - New Pelican Newspaper

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