Category Archives: Progress

Nov 19th 2021

by Ted Nordhaus

TWELVE YEARS ago, the UNs climate summit in Copenhagen, COP15, was dubbed Hopenhagen. The 11-day event opened with a short film depicting a fictional Scandinavian girl having a nightmare: an Earth wracked by climate change opens up to swallow her and violent waters threaten to drown her. She wakes up screaming, watches world leaders giving speeches about climate change on the COP15 website, and then videos herself begging the politicians to please help the world!

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But the proceedings ended in failure. Environmental groups and European officials blamed America. Small island nations blamed China. China and India blamed rich countries.

Today, a real Scandinavian girl insists the nightmare has come trueand blames world leaders for failing to act. You have stolen my dreams and my childhood, Greta Thunberg thundered, to cheers from the global climate commentariat at the UN General Assembly in 2019. There is no Planet B, she sneered, blah blah blah, mocking the French president, Emmanuel Macron, for adopting the long-time slogan of environmental activists, at a youth climate summit in September.

At the UN climate conference in Glasgow, COP26, the phony optimism of Hopenhagen and the adolescent cynicism of Greta were present in roughly equal measure, two sides of the same apocalyptic coin. Activists, scientists and commentators conjured up catastrophic futures and bemoaned the lack of progress, while inveighing against doomism and demanding an immediate, dramatic social and political transformation.

Taken at face value, doom would not be an irrational reaction to the claims of the climate movement. If planetary catastrophe, societal collapse and perhaps even human extinction are likely (absent a complete transformation of human civilisation), then fatalism is a reasonable response. But the realities of climate change are less terrifying and the global response more promising than the reductive claims of environmental activists might lead people to believe.

Deaths around the world from climate-related disasters are at an all-time low. Peoples vulnerability to extreme weather has fallen rapidly in recent decades. Recent research in Global Environmental Change shows that climate vulnerability has declined the most in recent decades among the poor globally, owing to the resilience that comes with economic growth and development.

At the same time, long-running efforts to slow the growth of emissions appear to be working. Global emissions appear close to a peak and the International Energy Agency projects that the world is on track for less than 3C of warming above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century, a far cry from forecasts of 5C or more that many thought likely a decade ago. Admittedly, a warming of 3C is not a walk in the park. But given continuing economic growth and development, it is likely to be a future in which human societies will fare reasonably well. The good news is that if countries uphold their commitments from the past several years to sharply cut emissions, the world will be in position to limit warming closer to 2C, the long-standing international target for climate stabilisation.

Unfazed by these less-than-dystopian assessments, the global climate-industrial complexa nexus of campaigners, green charities and sustainable-business practitioners who are aided, abetted and amplified by their ideologically (and socially) aligned handmaidens in academia and stenographers in mediahas simply moved the goalposts for climate stabilisation, from 2C to 1.5C warming above pre-industrial levels, precisely when major emitting countries had found a workable framework to limit warming to 2C, or at least be within shouting distance of it.

The 1.5C target, by contrast, is implausible (and, like all temperature targets, largely arbitrary). Achieving it would require rebuilding the entire global energy economy within a decade or so. That means inventing technologies to make steel, cement and fertiliser, and to power ships, aircraft and much else on a similar timeframe, as well as removing vast quantities of carbon from the atmosphere over the latter half of the century. The activist community further insists upon re-engineering the global economy without many of the technologies that most technical analyses conclude would be necessary, including nuclear energy, carbon capture and carbon removal.

The exaggerations and impractical demands of the global climate movement are frequently excused as useful idiocies, a prod to national leaders to take more ambitious action. But there are other consequences that are far less salutary. To appease influential domestic environmental constituencies, Western political leaders have made far-reaching but non-binding commitments to cut emissions that they almost certainly cannot keep. To justify those commitments politically, even as theatre, those same leaders need to demonstrate that they are demanding similar commitments from emerging economies, notably China and India.

And so, even as China has promised to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 and India by 2070, many national leaders and environmentalists demand ever more, such as a phase out of all new coal generation by the end of the decade, despite the fact that most wealthy nations continue to depend heavily on coal, oil and natural gas themselves.

China and India are large and powerful enough not to be bullied. But other poor countries are not. Finance for even natural gas, the least emitting of all fossil fuels, has dried up across Africa and much of the developing world, under pressure from Western countries and Western-led development institutions.

From the perspective of fairness, economic development and (not incidentally) climate resilience, fossil-fuel infrastructure arguably has the highest value in poor countries. Historically, international-development finance has underwritten those investments. But in the hothouse that is international climate politics, those are the investments that the climate movement and Western political leaders insist must be abandoned, ironically in the name of climate justice, even as rich countries pursue projects like the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the Cumbria coal mine in the name of energy security.

The resulting contradictions are head-spinning. Tough talk by Western leaders to appease the climate movement is followed by commitments that are modest, symbolic and unenforceable. Grand agreements to end deforestation and phase out fossil-fuel infrastructure within a decade, turn out, upon closer examination, to be vague and subject to wildly different interpretations.

The costs, predictably, fall on the global poor. Stoked by an apocalyptic panic among the chattering classes in the richest countries in the world, unable to give up fossil fuels domestically or force their emerging economic competitors to do so, Western leaders punch down on the poorest nations in the world.

Therein lies the fundamental tension within the climate movement. To acknowledge progress or recognise that climate-mitigation objectives need to be balanced with other societal prioritiesnot least the adaptive capacity that is enabled by the continuing use of fossil fuelswould require abandoning pseudo-scientific claims that hard biophysical boundaries loom, and jettisoning utopian fantasies of global government and a world powered entirely by renewable energy. Moreover, it would mean giving up self-flattering notions that the future of humanity hangs on the outcome of an epic struggle between corporations and environmentalists.

A climate movement less in thrall to fever dreams of apocalypse would focus more on balancing long-term emissions reductions with growth, development and adaptation in the here and now, recognising that the former will take decades to achieve while the latter confer not only much greater climate resilience today, but a range of further benefits for people far into the future.

Unfortunately, doing this serves none of the discursive needs of the climate-industrial complex, which seems to grow both larger and wealthier with every failure. The real outcome of the COP26 meeting is to further entrench the sad reality that the global poor are on their own. Practical action to cut emissions and improve resilience will remain primarily a national, not global, enterprise.

More than a decade after COP15, poor nations are still waiting for the modest pledges of technology transfer and climate-adaptation aid made at Copenhagen. Meanwhile, Western nations and development institutions, egged on by the climate movement, will proceed with efforts to choke off virtually all finance for fossil-fuel-based infrastructure in poor countries. Its easy pickings for Western environmentalists, UN functionaries and political leaders alike, and there is no one capable of stopping them.

What would a constructive way forward look like? An activist movement that took its concerns about climate justice seriously would acknowledge that the environmental impacts happen at the intersection of a warming climate and povertyand it would support, rather than oppose, continuing access to fossil fuels for the poorest people in the world, since theyre too expensive to replace for the moment and they make poor countries more resilient to the impact of climate change. Moreover, the movement would understand that because energy economies are path-dependent and emergent, they wont yield quickly to calls for sweeping and immediate transformation and that, as such, there are limits to what both politics and protest can accomplish.

Most importantly, a wiser green-activist movement would recognise that when it places Western leaders between impossible demands and the realities of their domestic political economies, it is the poor, not the activist class, that end up paying for it.

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Ted Nordhaus is the founder and executive director of the Breakthrough Institute, a research centre focused on technological solutions to environmental challenges. He is a coauthor of Break Through: Why We Cant Leave Saving the Planet to Environmentalists (Mariner, 2009) and the essays The Death of Environmentalism and An Ecomodernist Manifesto.

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Ted Nordhaus on how green activists mislead and hold back progress - The Economist

Nov 14, 2021; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers celebrate the goal by New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) against the New Jersey Devils during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

The Rangers had their winning streak snapped against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night, but theyve made some clear improvements to their lineup and game this season. While a few issues from last season have continued to plague the team, they have adjusted to fix others.

Faceoffs continue to be a concern for the Rangers. Ryan Strome described it as getting in their heads. The problem has been an ongoing sore spot and has not yet been remedied. Theyve attempted to address the issue but are still having difficulty. This offseason they even brought in a former linesman to help with draws, and they may need to call him back.

The Rangers were 19.6% on faceoffs against Toronto.. They rank 31st in the league at 45.6%. Losing faceoffs is bad for puck possession, and theyre not going to win as many games as they should if they continue to struggle in the dots.

With offseason changes made to the lineup, physicality has improved and the Rangers are more likely to stand up for each other in situations.

Unfortunately, Sammy Blais, who brings size and physical play, is out for the season after suffering an ACL tear on a trip from P.K. Subban. Some were questioning why Ryan Reaves didnt go after Subban, but it was to smart move considering that it was a close game.

Its a close game and Subbans not going to fight me, Reaves explained. Whats gonna happen? Im going to crosscheck him and take a penalty and put them on the power play. I think Id rather try and catch him with his head down with a hit or something like that.

Lack of effort was also a concern at times last season. While it cannot be said for certain, that may have been due to the eventual disconnect between the players and David Quinn.

The Rangers had too many slow starts and too many games where they just looked uninterested. This season, however, this has not been the case.

While they have given up some early goals, there is more of a sense of urgency to their game. Even losing to Toronto on Thursday, they put on heavy pressure in the third period. There are times where the Rangers show some real pace. If they can go into every game with speed and a sense of urgency, they will be better able to take control and come away with wins.

Alexis Lafrenire and Kaapo Kakko and starting to heat up. Mainly Kakko, who is riding a three game point streak heading into Sundays game against the Buffalo Sabres. As high draft picks, there are high expectations for these two. This is Kakkos third NHL season, and clearly it has taken some time for him to adjust. However, after returning from injury this season, he began to pick up his game. His first goal evidently helped his confidence. He has been more noticeable since; skating well and going to the net.

Now that Kakko is stepping up his game, hopefully Lafrenire will as well. Lafrenire has five points on the season so far, which is more than Kakkos three. But Kakko has been more noticeable on the ice of late.

Lafrenire likely still needs more time to adjust to the NHL. As young players, they both have to figure out the league, but now it appears that they are making measurable progress.

Kakko and Lafrenires continued improvement will be valuable for the Rangers. It will give them a more complete lineup. They wont have to rely almost entirely on Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, and Chris Kreider for scoring from forwards.

The Rangers are off to a solid start this season avoiding most issues from last season and seeing the growth of young players. After four seasons of rebuild and missing the playoffs, the Rangers are demonstrating progress. They are working towards being a playoff contender.

Note: All stats come from nhl.com and hockeyreference.com

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After years of rebuilding, the Rangers are finally showing progress - Forever Blueshirts

Today, just more than one year after the Civil Rights Team was established, were releasing Metas Progress on Civil Rights Audit Commitments. This report marks the beginning of the Civil Rights Teams path to enhance protections for marginalized communities and demonstrates our commitment to move toward increased equity, safety and dignity on our platforms. Meta is committed to that evolution and its long-term progress.

I joined Meta, formerly known as Facebook, in January 2021 as the head of the Civil Rights Team, and as of just a few weeks ago, my team has grown to nine full-time employees. This team was created as a result of the audit that the company voluntarily undertook. The Auditors conducted their review over the course of two years and published a final report in July 2020.

The audit covered seven substantive issue areas under the leadership of Laura Murphy, a veteran civil rights and civil liberties leader, and was supported by Megan Cacace, a civil rights attorney and partner at Relman Colfax PLLC at the time of the audit.

The auditors described 117 actions and recommendations. 65 have been implemented, and 42 are either in progress or are ongoing, given the nature of the recommendation. We will continue to evaluate the feasibility of eight, and there are two recommendations that will not be implemented.

Some key highlights from the report include:

To become a better company, we have to meaningfully engage in how we can strengthen and advance civil rights at every level, and we remain committed to doing this industry-leading work.

Read the full report for more information.

Continued here:

Following Through on Metas Civil Rights Audit Progress - Investor Relations

Pep Guardiola believes Citys academy graduates can play a part this season after Cole Palmer and James McAtee both featured in our 3-0 win over Everton.

Palmer made his first Premier League start in our 3-0 win against the Toffees with Bernardo Silva latching onto his deflected strike to complete the scoring with five to play.

But there was still enough time for fellow youngster McAtee to be handed his top flight debut late on, testing Jordan Pickford with a vicious near-post drive as stoppage time approached.

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Asked to assess both City youngsters performances, Guardiola insisted their senior opportunities are fully deserved.

He reflected: I said many times, all of us we believe, not just me, Txiki (Begiristain) as well, we believe we have a good generation in the academy, with four or five players with quite good potential to help us.

These guys have a good quality. Cole (Palmer), James (McAtee), Romeo (Lavia), Sam Edozie - he is injured - Luke Mbete, Liam Delap is injured and a top striker. We have good players in the academy.

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When we can use them, I am delighted. We don't give them opportunities just because they are in the academy, we believe in them and then its on them to show it.

For our fans, I know how they like to see Phil and Cole and the next one to come. The rest is about being patient. Work hard and when they have opportunities, they have to play good.

Check out the video above to hear Pep Guardiolas post-match thoughts in full.

The rest is here:

Guardiola delighted by progress of City youngsters after Everton win - Manchester City FC

Where Denver's progress stands on lead pipe removalAxios on facebookAxios on twitterAxios on linkedinAxios on email

Denver Water is in the early stages of an ambitious $500 million project to rid the city of its toxic lead lines connecting between 64,000 and 84,000 homes to the water main.

Why it matters: A slew of sources can contribute to higher blood levels in children and adults, including rusted lead pipes pumping water to our sinks and showers.

State of play: Denver Water is replacing lead pipes across the city at a faster rate than expected, Thompson says.

Of note: The agency is working on a "neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis" and prioritizing those who are most vulnerable to lead exposure. Places that serve large numbers of at-risk individuals, such as schools and daycare facilities, are also high on the city's list.

What to watch: The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill signed into law this week will deliver billions to Colorado, including $688 million over five years to eliminate lead service lines and pipes and improve water infrastructure across the state and in Denver, according to the White House.

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Where Denver's progress stands on lead pipe removal - Axios

The Harvest Marketing Insights & Chinas Commodity Appetite webinar brought Mike Naig, Chad Hart, and Wengdong Zhang together this week. The trio discussed the present and future of Iowas harvest, as well as the states trade relations and exports with China.

Takeaway: Naig primarily focused on Iowas year of agriculture; how this past growing season went, how Iowans were growing and adapting to change with technology, and how he predicted 2022 would go for Iowa farmers.

All things considered, given that we had significant levels of drought across the state of Iowa, this year has exceeded all expectations in terms of field and grain quality, says Naig. I think thats a testament to the innovation in agriculture today.

More than 97% of the soybean harvest and 91% of the corn harvest has been completed in Iowa, according to a USDA report released Monday. Despite the drought conditions this season, yield, as well as the overall soil quality and health, have been at record highs, both of which are goals the USDA has been focused on.

Iowa is the second-largest agricultural producing state, leading the competition in corn, eggs, pork, ethanol and biodiesel, trailing behind only California in agricultural production. According to Secretary Naig, China is one of the most important export markets for Iowa, as it imports eggs, pork, beef, soybeans, and many other commodities from the state.

Trade matters to Iowa, says Naig. Were going to continue to work hard to ensure that were positioned for success, even in some challenging times with disruptions.

Takeaway:Hart talked about harvest numbers for 2021, compared those numbers with 2019 and 2020 figures, and discussed projections for 2022. Iowa farmers had a year that exceeded expectations on almost all fronts, according to Hart.

Despite the drought, both corn and soybean yields stayed steady or increased across most of the United States in comparison to past years. Hart does expect that corn acreage in 2022 may see a decrease, as dry conditions this year may limit farmers capacity to plant. However, farmers innovation in creating drought-resistant corn and soybeans may still lead to record yields, Hart says.

The innovation within ag over the past few decades, especially in terms of working toward drought-tolerant crops, has definitely paid dividends this year, says Hart.

In terms of exports to China, soybeans saw their record high in 2020, and 2021 is seeing a reduction in exportation as a result of that record high. Corn also saw a record high in 2020, but the 2021 exports records are following a similar number pattern to 2020. Hart says these patterns are not entirely unexpected, as 2019 and 2020 saw the U.S. renegotiating the USMCA agreement, which explains the pullback in international demand in 2019 and early 2020 and the return of demand in later 2020 and 2021.

While weve had these large corn supplies, weve also had very good demand, says Hart. And especially as we went through this last year to year and a half, it was international trade that was truly the shining star on the usage side.

Hart also predicted that corn and soybean prices would stay around $5 and $12, respectively, into 2022 and only dipping about 50 into 2023. The steadiness, he explained, was due to the worlds interest in biofuels and biodiesel.

Farmers are experiencing not only high prices today, but they also have the ability to protect high prices deep into the future, says Hart.

Takeaway: Zhang spoke about the meeting between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping Monday and what that meant for Iowa agriculture, as well as the current and future relationship between Iowan exports and Chinese imports. He commented that while no real progress was made on any specific issues at the presidential meeting, it was important for them to meet.

The new administration is conducting a review of the China Phase One Agreement, which in part tracks Chinas purchasing of U.S. goods on a year-to-year basis to see if they have reached their goal of buying $200 billion more than their 2017 purchasing baseline.

The phase one deal not only has agricultural targets, but also has manufactured goods targets and energy targets, says Zhang.

Zhang says that as China deals with African swine fever, it is importing more ag products like pork to meet rising protein consumption; 97% of its pork was produced domestically prior to African swine fever.

This webinar, which is part of the Trade Talk series, is hosted by Iowa Economic Development. The next webinar,Keys to Successful Exporting, will take place on December 15.

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Market predictions, harvest progress, and China-Iowa relations topic of 'Trade Talk' webinar - Successful Farming

Progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the Middle East and North Africa region has been hit hard by the global pandemic, with many of the achievements of the past decade reversed, according to a new report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

FAO says that at least 132 million people have been plunged into chronic hunger since the start of the pandemic, with up to 14 percent of food lost along the supply chain before it reaches consumers, and entire regions facing acute water stress.

It is not a good feeling to see these figures, Ahmad Mukhtar, the FAOs senior economist for the Near East and North Africa, told Arab News, referring to the reports findings.

These are alarming figures for the MENA region because, for some years, the numbers were almost steady and we had seen a decrease in this absolute number. But COVID-19 stopped that and now its on the rise, so these figures are serious.

Areas where progress has stalled, or gone into reverse, include agricultural systems and small-scale food production, which have borne the brunt of the pandemics economic toll, the report says.

It adds that food price volatility has increased due to the pandemic and associated lockdown measures, while progress remains weak in maintaining plant and animal genetic diversity for food and agriculture.

In the Arab region, hunger was already on the rise before COVID-19, primarily because of climate change and conflicts, Mukhtar said.

The pandemic increased the number of undernourished people. However, if we look at the past two decades, our region has almost doubled in the number of undernourished people, reaching 69 million last year, which is a 91 percent increase.

Mukhtar says conflict is the leading obstacle to food security in the MENA region, followed by climate change and calamities such as COVID-19.

Coupled with chronic inequalities and poverty, these threats mean the sustainable development goal of zero hunger by 2030 will be unachievable unless radical steps are taken immediately.

We now have to tackle more than 800 million hungry people in seven years, which looks quite unlikely unless drastic measures are taken around the world, he said.

For the region, there are challenges that predate the pandemic. COVID-19 has added to them.

Hayatullah Ahmadzai, a postdoctoral fellow at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture in Dubai, said that the pandemic has had a devastating impact on human health and the world economy, as shown by several development indicators.

Agriculture and food production are not exempt, Ahmadzai told Arab News. On the production side, the pandemic could lead to a drop in output because of a manpower shortage and a reduction in agricultural holdings.

He said lockdowns, a fall in international trade, disruption to food manufacturing, and an overall economic downturn are likely to have a substantial and lasting impact on food supply chains.

Disruption to food systems has resulted in reduced access to food, widening the gap between food security and zero hunger goals. Globally, the FAO report says, moderate or severe food insecurity has been steadily increasing, from 26.6 percent in 2019 to 30.4 percent in 2020.

Several Middle Eastern countries were vulnerable to food insecurity due to harsh environments and limited natural resources for sustainable crop production even before the pandemic.

Food security has been further compromised by economic shocks and plummeting earnings linked to the pandemic outbreak and the collapse of oil prices in 2020, particularly for the regions poorest, Ahmadzai said.

Adding to the conflict and economic turmoil, those in vulnerable nations have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. However, in some Middle Eastern countries with generally stable food markets, like the UAE, the impact may be less severe, particularly in those that have facilitated food supply on a war footing during the epidemic era, especially in 2020 and 2021.

In general, the region is heavily reliant on cereal imports and is sensitive to global market disruptions. Ahmadzai pointed out that more than three-quarters of demand in most regional countries are met by imports.

The Middle East region is one of the most vulnerable to a food crisis as a result of COVID-19, as well as other reasons, such as increased climate-change effects and economic unrest due to political instability, he said.

The lessons learned during the 2007-08 food crisis, which was marked by uncoordinated policy responses by countries, resulting in trade disruption and food price rises, could aid governments in the region in reversing some of the detrimental effects of the pandemic on agriculture and food security.

Reforming trade and tax policies to encourage trade flows, as well as monitoring food prices, could also help keep food commerce open, while lowering the risk of supply shortages, he said.

Understanding the implications of confinement measures on the agricultural industry and responding to protect the food supply chain requires close coordination and information exchange among countries in the region, Ahmadzai said.

Given that most nations in the region rely heavily on food imports, the COVID-19 situation necessitates closer collaboration between the public and corporate sectors, as well as stronger civil society participation in decision-making.

All countries, including those in the MENA region, should rely more on local food production and less on imports, he added. An inclusive growth model is needed, whereby all actors in the food supply chain play their part and address bottlenecks as quickly as possible.

Another important strategy to deal with the pandemic threat is to promote healthy and nutritious meals. This is because those who suffer from obesity, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases are in the COVID-19 high-risk group.

Mukhtar recommends the implementation of response and recovery plans that immediately tackle supply issues. We at the FAO are focusing on transforming the agricultural food systems in our region and globally to make them inclusive, sustainable, efficient and resilient, he said.

We have to change our approach instead of focusing on food availability or supply. We can have a transformative regional agricultural food systems agenda where all countries come together and try to see the complementarities between each other.

With 30 percent of regional food coming from Egypt alone, more investment in food security and greater deployment of agri-tech in production and distribution, as well as public-private sector partnerships, could make such a system both resilient and efficient.

There are times when countries have money, but there is no food in the global market, which is a very dangerous proposition, Rakesh Kumar Singh, program lead on crop diversity and genetics at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, told Arab News.

It happened in the past in the 2007-2008 food crisis, when most of the exporting countries put an embargo on exporting food grains. This unpleasant scenario taught a big lesson to many countries, and many of them changed their food policy afterward.

The pandemic left nations in a similar position, but thanks to buffer stocks of food and crops maturing at the time of the pandemic, the worst was avoided.

This pandemic has compromised rural incomes due to a shrinkage in agricultural holdings and productivity, Singh said. As a result, many rural populations have lost employment.

Looking to the future, he said: Scaling up social protection measures is crucial now to ensure the basic needs of vulnerable people are met, including those who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic, and to avoid adding a food security crisis to the health crisis.

This article has been adapted from its original source.

Original post:

The COVID Pandemic Worsens Food Security Progress in MENA - Al-Bawaba

It seems like just yesterday that Fabian Lysell was putting up decent performances in training camp, raising questions as to whether or not he might stick around with some form of the Bruins, whether in Boston or Providence.

Of course, it was always far more likely that hed end up playing in juniors or overseas, and the former ended up being the choice, with Lysell landing with the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League.

The Giants have played 13 games and are in the middle of the WHLs Western Conference, sitting at 15 points with a 7-5-1 record.

Lysell has played in 12 of those games, and has acquitted himself quite well thus far.

In those dozen games, the 18-year-old wing has put up 13 points (3G, 10A).

Its a little to unfair to say that those better than a point-per-game numbers are misleading, because math is math.

However, seven of Lysells 13 points came in just two games: a 1G, 2A performance against Kamloops on Oct. 22 and a 1G, 3A performance against Kelowna on Oct. 29.

Still, hes producing pretty regularly, with four points in his last five games.

One positive, David Pastrnak-esque thing about Lysell so far: hes getting the puck on net.

In 12 games, Lysell has 37 shots on goal. Averaging 3-and-change shots per game is a pretty decent clip.

His speed and skill remain quite evident:

Lysell has spent the majority of his time somewhere in the Giants top six. While most of his time has been spent on the second line, he has played on the top line as well, most recently with Ty Thorpe and Justin Sourdif.

Interestingly, the right-shot Lysell has played on both the left and right wings at different times for Vancouver.

In the Giants last game, a 2-1 loss to Kamloops, Lysell started as 1LW. In the game before that, he started at 2LW, and before THAT he played 1RW with Thorpe and Adam Hall.

Playing both wings is only going to make him a more versatile player, so its good to see the Giants are moving him around.

I wont pretend to be a WHL expert, but it seems like things are going pretty well for Lysell thus far.

Playing in his first North American season, the kid is getting regular top-six minutes and is tied for third in team scoring (hes also second in assists).

Needless to say, itll be exciting to watch Lysells development continue.

If youre a WHL watcher, let us know what youve seen from Lysell in the comments!

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Checking in on Fabian Lysells WHL progress - Stanley Cup of Chowder

Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green have a strong mutual bond before and during the season. They started communicating with each other on Instagram. Green would always notice Porter on his Instagram live story because of simple remarks. KP, you know thats a scary backcourt, Green said. Which Porter responded back with Dont say too much ha-ha. It became noticeable that both players wanted to play with each other. These two had an incredible battle when they went up against each other in the G-League, as Porter had 28 points to Greens 22.

When Green was drafted by the Houston Rockets, Porter immediately called him on facetime cheer in excitement. The excitement in the front office became evident with the expectation that this backcourt will compete for years. They foresaw speed bumps in the young back court before the season started, as Porter is 21 years old, while Green is just 19. This is the first full-time year that Porter played point guard while Green gets adjusted to the physicality of the NBA.

During introductions, Green and Porter always do a brotherly handshake, as they love eating dinner together, and sometimes Kenyon Martin Jr. joins them. Green said:

Me and J talk more than the common two I would say. I just want the best for him. I see so much in him, so we got the same level of respect of each other. Me being more experienced in my years in this league helps me become a more of a leader because I go to lead him. Hes my little brother and I want to set him up for success. So that bond is never going anywhere off the court and that bond that is off the court, put it on the court.

Despite the great relationship on and off the court, the struggles are there. This season has not been easy for the backcourt tandem, as turnovers are their nightmare. As a duo, Porter and Green average 11.1 turnovers a game on fumbled and forced passes. These two are not letting the plays develop, so it causes them to play way too fast without analyzing the court. Since these two are young, playing fast and making the big play is ideal. Green and Porter are very electrifying in transition, as they throw lobs to each other. Damian Lillard sees the excitement in Porter and Green while they play in the open court.

Honestly, he [Green] is a super athlete. He loves to play in transition. Like a lot of young players, they like to play in transition. - Lillard

Yes, transition is fun, but making the right pass and play is better. The game of basketball becomes easier if they make the correct reads instead of forcing. Porter and Green are extremely fast, but its important to play smart, so turnovers are avoided. Dribbling in traffic is another issue that both players struggle with. Porter and Green dribble into the defenses zone coverage, which block site of their teammates.

I cannot forget about the rush shots too. Seeing Porter and Green force difficult shots can become frustrating, as they both have incredible shot diversity. Although step-backs and contested shots are their favorite, sometimes it becomes wiser to take the easier shot.

First example: Green passed up an easy midrange after creating great separation on a crossover.

Second example: Porter ignores the double action flare that he set up to take place and forces a bad shot while being blocked in the middle of the lane.

Third example: Green dribbles into a swarm off Blazer defenders amongst the baseline and throws it away.

In a combined effort, Porter and Green are shooting 42.8/32.6/71.5 from the field while averaging 42.2 points per contest. Green has gotten great looks off open space and curl actions amongst the perimeter. His shooting diversity on-and-off the ball has looked great. Hopefully, his shot falls from three, as he is shooting 27.4 percent at the three-point line on 6.8 attempts per contest. Green is finding great looks but has struggled making them. Honestly, its a part of the rookie speed bumps when it comes to his shot making. Green will eventually find that stride in his shooting because of his confidence. Lillard mentioned keys for Green to be successful. He said:

Obliviously, I think he [Green] is very super talented. Dont listen to what people tell you. Youre this pick, you go to be the man, and take over. Just show up, work hard. Stay humble. Be coachable. Listen to your teammates. Your talent is going to allow you to be the starter youre supposed to be. Just make sure that foundation is right when...you come into the league.

Porter is struggling at the point guard position. He is a terrific athlete and scorer, but Porters biggest faults are his decision making at the new position. Porter hesitates and over analyzes every situation, which causes most of his turnovers. He doesnt let his reads fully develop in half court sets. Porter is a natural scorer and needs to rely on that accolade first, so the passing comes next. Opposing teams will adjust their defense to his scoring, which allow open teammates in the dunker spot, corners, and inside the paint.

The spacing for the Rockets hasnt been good, but Porter can control that by communicating with his teammates. He oversees the five-out offense, which allows open shooting, driving lanes, isolation, and pick-and-roll. Porter should be putting Green in position to score because he can drive and kick the ball out to a teammate. I would rather see Porter run pick-and-roll with Christian Wood or Alperen Sengun 20-times a game so it could generate the short roll offense, which allows open shooting in the corner or a player to cut along the baseline for dunks or layups when the big man rolls to the basket. If Porter relies on his scoring first, it will allow him run and see the offense better.

Coach Chauncey Billups believes Porter has the talent to play in the NBA, but the point guard position takes time to learn because of the studying and patience, as he was a great point guard with the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets. Billups said:

Like Green, Porter has struggled shooting the ball this season, as he loves taking pull-up and step-back threes. This season, he is shooting the pull-up three at 29.3 percent and step-back three at 25.9 percent, which is atrocious. For a point guard, Porter must be a decent threat from the three-point line. Including being better at scoring the basketball inside-and-outside. He has also struggled from midrange after creating great separation. Porter is shooting 22.2 percent from midrange this season, which is unbelievable for a player of his stature. It is not difficult for Green or Porter to find their shooting spots on the court.

Green and Porter are still trying to find that dynamic gel together. Both can have enormous nights but together is the biggest question. The scoring between the two on a given night is not balanced yet. Lillard mentioned that his cohesiveness with CJ McCollum took time in the NBA. Lillard said:

Caring about each other. You got two young players in the league, and you got to coexist with each other and care about each others success. When one guy is having a night, cheer him on. You got to contribute to that. Youre not competing him. Also get know one another. Its easier to become friends with him. Easier to be a supporter to him and care and have their best interest. Me and CJ established really early, and its a huge reason why we have been able to have success with our team and without getting in each others way.

We were at each others house all the time. We became closer like brothers, and that made everything much easier on the court.

Like I said earlier, this dynamic tandem is going through a tough season. The Rockets have lost 12 games straight after blitzing the Oklahoma City Thunder on opening night at Toyota Center. They are on pace to have another nasty season, which allows the Rockets to be in the lottery discussion again. Devin Booker had a good conversation with Josh Christopher, Green, and Porter on rough starts in the NBA. He experienced five bad seasons with the Phoenix Suns and made the NBA Finals last season with former Rocket Chris Paul. The Suns lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, but Booker went on his first trial period inside the playoffs. Booker offered great advice to the Porter and Green. He said:

I mean, I talked to Jalen a little bit and KP and Josh Christopher that I been through it before, and you just want to speed up that process, and its an everyday battle to get better. The talent is there, but its going to take chemistry, and its kind of hard to figure that out when youre a young player trying to figure it out on the court, and it can change at any moment. Just an everyday grind. Its an everyday approach. Its not always in the game, its how you practice it. Its how you get your extra work in. Everything adds up.

Green and Porter will eventually figure out their position in the NBA. Although its an ugly season, they still have respect of their opponents because they compete. They cannot lose confidence on what skillset and accolades got them into the NBA.

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Houstons backcourt tandem is still a work in progress - The Dream Shake

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. Cameron Smith ended the 2020-21 PGA Tour season determined to do something about the errant driving that kept him from having an even better performance a career year: 14th on the FedEx Cup points list, a victory with Australian countryman Marc Leishman in the Zurich Classic for his third Tour title and a combination of five top-10s in majors, World Golf Championships and Olympic golf.

What he found when reviewing videotape and other swing data was pretty simple in explaining why he was 122nd on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy, hitting only .592 of his fairways.

Just something in the set-up, said the Jacksonville resident.

While his driving accuracy in his first two Tour starts this season is about the same as last yeara bit less than 60 percentSmith is seeing progress and Thursdays first round of the RSM Classic at the Sea Island Club Seaside Course was a major step.

Smith missed only two fairways and only a balky putter kept him from posting a bogey-free round. As it is, a 6-under 64 might have been four shots off the lead held by Sebastian Muoz but with windy weather in the forecast for the course hard by the St. Simons Sound, Smith is pretty content.

It was a perfect day and we all knew it was out there, said Smith, who crammed six of his birdies in a 10-hole span from Nos. 6 to 15, all on putts of 13 feet or less.

Smith saved himself continually last season with a hot putter. He was 10th in the Tours strokes-gained putting index, first in average putts per round (1.68), second in three-putt avoidance and seventh in percentage of putts made from 10 feet and less.

Smith has tied for ninth in the CJ Cup and for 15th last week in the Hewlett-Packard Houston Open, so hes certainly hanging around leaderboards like last season, when he had eight top-10s and 14 top-25s.

But he was still miffed at being a bit off with his driver last week and is trying to stay patient with the process. He saw some nice rewards on Thursday.

Last week wasnt that great, to be honest, but I felt like it was getting better, Smith said. I just felt a little bit uncomfortable and today I felt more comfortable. It was a nice day today. It will be interesting to see what happens [on Friday] when the wind gets up.

Australians historically perform well under windy conditions, giving many of the tracks they grow up playing. So Smith said he will be in his element.

I love the wind but I just really want to put my driver to the test and see what happens, he said.

Smith said he hasnt gotten everything completely sorted out with his driver. but he didnt have many days last year where he hit 12 fairways so hes trying not to be picky.

Id like to think by now Id have something figure out, he said. Ive been playing golf pretty much my whole life. I think I know what works and I just have to get back to that. The changes are never that much. Its just getting back to what you know works. It was just a little set-up thing and aiming a touch too far left. Over time, it went too far left.

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Driving home a point: After a set-up correction Cameron Smith is seeing progress off the tee - usatoday.com