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Russia central bank holds off rate hike after criticismI am writing to express my support for an independent public inquiry of Victoria Gold’s Eagle Mine disaster as a next step, following YG’s prudent decision to put the mine into receivership and oversee remediation efforts. I would like to share my recent experience that influences this preference in hopes that it is helpful. I draw some parallels from my time in leadership at Raven Recycling to the decisions before you. I led a very public-facing organization through a pandemic and a government-led regulatory process that would change the recycling landscape entirely, with insufficient human and financial resources and a backdrop of polarized public opinion about Raven’s operations. There was, and is an overwhelming lack of understanding of the recycling system both from the public and within the public service, making it near impossible to communicate the changes we were making and the reasons for them. The pandemic gutted our human resources, leaving us all wearing too many hats. We were working with crumbling and woefully insufficient infrastructure. Government was writing a regulation to please two entirely different perspectives and Raven was the only voice at the table speaking for the environment. I was new to the issue and not considered an authority. It was a job that required an intense focus on detail, which stripped away my ability to see beyond what was directly in front of me, and around my own biases at times. I think many of these dynamics are at play for YG in the case of the Eagle Gold Mine. During my time at Raven, we commissioned four independent reviews: an examination of Raven’s operating environment and of our social and environmental impacts, an analysis of a new business venture which Raven had made a major investment in, and an audit of our financial records, which was actually a demand made by government as a condition of considering our request for an increase in funding when the markets crashed and Raven no longer had the revenue from the sale of cardboard to keep the program going. We supplied raw data, access to our records and tours of our facility. We answered questions with fact-based information. It was not a comfortable process at times, but it was fair and unbiased. All four reviews alleviated pressure on me and my co-workers, helped us shape good policy and saved the organization money in the long run. We learned much and, while we didn’t love all of the conclusions that were drawn, or when past mistakes became transparent, the reviews helped us communicate more clearly with the public and other stakeholders. I believe they helped our stakeholders retain some trust in the organization and they helped me gain some credibility as a leader. We could not have gleaned such an unbiased perspective of our strengths and weaknesses without those independent reviews, and we could not have advocated for a more effective recycling system. I am concerned about the future of mining in the territory because mining affects so many people and systems, especially when it is unchecked and when it goes wrong. We are at a fragile point in governance and in the protection of what remains of biodiversity, food security and decent standards of living. Mining legislation, if done right, can alleviate so many economic and environmental pressures. I believe you have a much more critical issue in your hands than recycling and there is no time to waste. An independent public inquiry could help you. I wish for YG to use an independent public inquiry as the backbone for better legislation and policy. I feel it is time to take this step. With much respect for the difficult positions you have stepped up and into, and with hope for the integrity of the decisions you make in the near future, Heather Ashthorn Whitehorse
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — What began as a childhood hobby more than six decades ago has led to what might be Africa's largest butterfly collection in a suburb of Kenya's capital. Steve Collins, 74, was born and raised in western Kenya. By the age of 5, he was fascinated by butterflies and started building a collection that has grown to more than 4.2 million, representing hundreds of species. “My parents encouraged us to look for butterflies after visiting the Congo and were gifted a trapping net by some friends," Collins said. “By the time I was 15 years old, I was already visiting other countries like Nigeria to study more about butterflies.” During his 20-year career as an agronomist, Collins dedicated his free time to research. He established the African Butterfly Research Institute in 1997. Now, running out of space and time, he hopes to hand it over to the next generation. On his 1.5 acres (0.6 hectare) of land, hundreds of indigenous trees and flowering bushes form a well-knit forest. Hundreds of butterflies dance from one flower to another, at times landing on Collins' hand. His collection is private, although it was initially open to the public when he ran it as an education center between 1998 and 2003. Collins has 1.2 million butterflies from across Africa delicately pinned in frames and stored in rows of shelves, with another 3 million in envelopes. “They need to be kept in dark spaces," he said. “The form of storage also ensures the dried butterflies are not eaten by other insects, parasites and predators. We also ensure we apply insecticides once a year to keep them safe.” Julian Bayliss, an ecologist specializing in Africa and a visiting professor at Oxford Brookes University, said he has collected butterflies for Collins over two decades. “There is a large part of that collection that is completely irreplaceable because a large part of Africa’s habitat is being destroyed,” Bayliss said. Africa is vulnerable to climate change, with periods of prolonged drought and serious flooding destroying forests and other butterfly habitats. Bayliss suggested digitizing the collection to make it accessible worldwide. Whoever takes it over "needs to be an institution that is well-founded, well-funded and secure,” he said. Scott Miller, an entomologist at the Smithsonian Institution, met Collins almost 30 years ago. He said such collections provide critical information that could show environmental changes over 60 years. “These physical specimens, you can actually keep going back to them to get new layers of information as you learn more or you get a different technology or you get different questions," he said. Collins is concerned that soon he will no longer be able to sustain his research. He said his most prized butterfly costs $8,000 — which he keeps from sight, concerned about possible theft — and hopes to sell the collection to an individual or research institution. The costs of running his institute are high. An annual budget posted in 2009 on the Lepidopterists' Society of Africa website was $200,000. Collins estimates that the specimens and other assets are worth $8 million. “This has been my hobby for decades, and I can’t put a price on what I have done so far. I’m currently seeking to ensure the species are in safe hands when I’m out of this world,” he said. Associated Press journalist Khaled Kazziha in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report.
LaGrange Academy Middle School girls basketball team is off to hot startTrade facilitation specialist Folk Maritime Services has secured a strategic agreement with Shanghai CIMC Yangshan Logistics Equipment to purchase 5,600 advanced, fully recyclable shipping containers, revealed the company’s CEO. The move is part of the Public Investment Fund-owned company’s broader strategy to promote sustainability and drive technological innovation in the Middle East’s maritime industry. Poul Hestbaek emphasized the company’s role as a leader in the regional liner and feeder sector, focusing on sustainability and the implementation of advanced technologies. “These containers have a capacity of 6,700 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and are 100 percent recyclable,” Hestbaek told Arab News in an interview. “We have only chosen materials that, once the containers have gone through their lifecycle, can be fully recycled and put back into the production line. This is a significant sustainability element,” he added. The containers, designed to last 15 to 20 years, are part of Folk Maritime’s broader efforts to reduce its environmental footprint. Hestbaek said, “By designing containers with full recyclability in mind, we’re closing the loop on waste and contributing to a more sustainable shipping industry.” In addition to sustainability, Folk Maritime is investing in cutting-edge tracking technology to enhance customer experience. The company is installing sensors in its containers that will allow customers to monitor their cargo in real-time. “We are installing trackers so that our customers can, at any given time, follow their container’s location and monitor their cargo,” Hestbaek said. These trackers include sensors that provide real-time updates and alerts if the container’s door is opened or closed, ensuring that customers can detect potential compromises to their shipments. “This feature is relatively new technology. While it may be used in some very big global trade, it’s the first of its kind in the Middle East area. We are the first to offer that, and we believe it will be a big help for our customers,” Hestbaek said. Folk Maritime is expanding its services to improve regional trade connectivity and connect key ports, in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. “Our first services connected Jeddah to Egypt and Jordan. We also opened the first weekly direct connection between Jeddah and NEOM, along with a sea connection to Yanbu, which offers safer transportation of heavy containers and reduces road wear and tear,” Hestbaek said. Additionally, Folk Maritime has launched services in Port Sudan, further strengthening trade relations between Saudi Arabia and the African nation, and is facilitating cargo transport from India to Jeddah and surrounding countries. With trade between India and the Middle East expanding rapidly, Folk Maritime is positioning itself to capitalize on this growing corridor. “Our service connects India directly to Dammam, offering faster and more reliable transit times. Unlike competitors, we skip ports like Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi to ensure quicker delivery for Saudi customers,” Hestbaek said. India, increasingly a major supplier of goods to the Middle East, has seen Saudi Arabia account for half of the region’s consumption, further underscoring the strategic importance of this new service. Sustainability remains a cornerstone of Folk Maritime’s strategy. The company operates fuel-efficient vessels and optimizes services to run at lower, more cost-effective speeds, reducing both fuel consumption and carbon emissions. “Our vessels are specifically designed to operate efficiently at lower speeds, which significantly reduces our environmental impact,” Hestbaek said. Looking ahead, Folk Maritime is exploring carbon capture technology to further reduce its environmental footprint. “If we can find a way to capture the carbon footprint of fossil fuel use, it will be a game changer, especially for this part of the world,” Hestbaek emphasized. As part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, Folk Maritime is focused on transforming the Kingdom into a global logistics hub. By connecting key ports and streamlining trade flows, the company aims to facilitate greater regional trade while supporting the country’s broader economic objectives. “Saudi Arabia generates a significant amount of the region’s cargo. Our goal is to serve this growing market and align with Vision 2030’s objectives to create seamless trade networks across the region,” Hestbaek concluded. Folk Maritime’s focus on sustainability, technological innovation, and expanding regional connectivity positions it as a key player in reshaping Middle East, East Africa, and India trade routes, setting a new benchmark for the shipping industry. Source: Arab News
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