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18 March 2023

Friday, March 17th, 2023

REGISTER YOUR COMMITMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN EARTH HOUR 2023

Greenrock has officially registered Bermuda’s commitment to supporting Earth Hour 2023 with WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), and as a result, the registered charity has been working hard to step up its efforts locally.  This year WWF has been breathing new life into Earth Hour with a revised brand, an updated message, and a new mission to create the Biggest Hour for Earth.  

To achieve that they have been calling on supporters across the globe to:

1. Switch off their lights from 8:30 - 9:30 pm on Saturday, March 25th.
2. Give an hour for Earth by spending 60 minutes doing something positive for our planet.

Likewise, Greenrock is calling on everyone in Bermuda to:

1. Register their individual and business commitment to participating in “Lights Out” during Earth Hour.
2. Give at least 60 minutes of their time to participate in some form of nature-positive activity.  

The latter can also be achieved by registering for any of the educational activities and environmental actions Greenrock has organized to extend our local efforts for nature beyond the hour.  

Taking into consideration how busy we can get in the modern world, Greenrock has created a comprehensive guide, packed with links to valuable information and creative assets designed to make getting involved easy for individuals, the private sector, schools and community organizations.  For access to the Earth Hour Guide for Getting Involved, please visit www.greenrock.org and there is a picture of the cover on the homepage.

Since 2007, Earth Hour has been known for the “lights off” moment, with individuals from around the globe switching off their lights to show symbolic support for the planet, raise awareness about environmental challenges and inspire environmental action all throughout the year.  At its heart, Earth Hour generates a global sense of community and solidarity.  Showing that people care about the environment and our future, while also demonstrating the power we possess as a people to make a difference and bring about monumental change.

Greenrock first introduced Earth Hour to Bermuda by hosting a public event at Newstead in 2008. Since then, Earth Hour has grown considerably on the island and evolved into an annual initiative that brings into sharp focus the need for the preservation of nature, environmental action, and the understanding and awareness required to live and use our resources more sustainably.

The theme for Greenrock’s Earth Hour Campaign this year is Accelerating the Deployment of Renewable Energy and the goal of the organization is to raise funds from business and private contributions to complete the ongoing Offshore Wind Feasibility Study Series launched last year.

On Saturday, March 25th, from 6:30 pm to “Lights Out” at 8:30 pm, Greenrock, for the third consecutive year, will air the Earth Hour LIVE broadcast, featuring conversations about some of the goals the organization has for Bermuda, efforts being made in the community to live and operate more sustainably, and practical steps everyone in Bermuda can take to play their part in creating a sustainable future for generations to come. 

During the live broadcast, Greenrock intends to raise funds through pledges and donations, while encouraging the viewing audience to sign up as individual members and corporate supporters as well. 

Topics for Earth Hour LIVE 2023 are as follows:

What are planetary boundaries and how can humanity continue to develop and thrive within them for generations to come?

What is the Offshore Wind Feasibility Study Series and why is it important to the acceleration of renewable energy deployment in Bermuda?

Why is the RA requesting an update to the recent Energy IRP (Integrated Resource Plan)?

How is Fossil Fuel Energy Generation continuing to impact residents in proximity to the North Power Station and what are the neighbouring communities doing in an effort to see the current nuisances resolved?

What are the pros and cons of Offshore Wind Farms and how have countries that have implemented the technology fared in recent years?

How has the renewable energy market grown in Bermuda over the past few years and who has been benefitting from its expansion?

How to find the live broadcast:

Earth Hour LIVE will be broadcast on Channel 82, CITV, Bernews, RG Online, Greenrock’s website, its YouTube Channel, and its Facebook Page.

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11 February 2023

Since our beginnings in 2007, Earth Hour has been known for the “lights off” moment – a symbolic event to show our collective support for the planet. But this year, we're stepping things up, breathing new life into our movement and mission.

Switch off and give an hour for Earth

On 25th March at 8:30 pm, spend 60 minutes doing something positive for our planet. It's that simple.

Whether it's by picking up trash at a park, cooking dinner with sustainable ingredients, planting a tree, or getting your friends together for an Earth Hour event, anyone, anywhere can join the #BiggestHourForEarth.

Uniting for our one home

We are the first generation to have the solutions we need to reverse nature loss and limit climate change and the last one who can act before it's too late.

Reversing nature loss and limiting climate change by 2030

The science is clear. Our planet has already been warmed by 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels and we are on course to hit a possible 1.5°C increase by 2030. The next 7 years are therefore crucial to all our futures - we must stay under the 1.5°C climate threshold to avoid irreversible damage to our planet, affecting all our societies and economies.

An essential ally against the climate crisis is nature. Yet, we are losing nature at an alarming and unprecedented rate, putting species at risk of extinction and placing us in grave danger as we risk losing our homes and basic necessities like food, clean water and a livable environment. We have to prioritize nature’s recovery alongside that of our climate’s, so that by 2030, we end the decade with more nature than we started, not less.

So where does Earth Hour fit in? Now more than ever, we need the world to come together to take action for our one home. Amidst the hustle and bustle of our daily lives - where it can be easy to overlook the environmental crises we are facing - Earth Hour aims to be an unmissable reminder of the importance of our planet and the need to protect it, inspiring millions to act and providing a beacon of hope for a brighter future.

Together, we can create a rare moment of unity that brings the world together, shines a spotlight on nature loss and the climate crisis on a global scale, and inspires others to act and advocate for urgent change.

So whether you’re an individual, a business, a community leader, town, or city, we invite you to be part of the biggest hour for Earth.

https://www.earthhour.org/

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11 February 2023

Company's US patents are now being challenged. Report: Claire Robinson

The European Patent Office (EPO) has revoked an EU patent held by Impossible Foods, maker of the Impossible Burger. In the US, Impossible's fake meat products are manufactured with GMO yeast-derived soy leghemoglobin, a controversial ingredient that makes the fake meat look as if it's bleeding, like undercooked real meat, and that we have argued may not be safe to eat.

Following the EPO's decision, another fake meat company, Motif FoodWorks, has filed a suite of new petitions with the US Patent and Trademark Office challenging US patents held by Impossible Foods over the use of heme proteins (such as that present in soy leghemoglobin) in meat alternatives, as it defends itself against Impossible's accusations of patent infringement, according to Food Navigator USA.

Fake meat industry "a flop"

The news about Impossible's patent fights comes in the wake of an article by Bloomberg describing the rapid decline in the fake meat industry, which it branded "a flop". The article is titled, "Fake meat was supposed to save the world. It became just another fad".

Impossible shares, the article said, are currently trading at around $12 – about half the price during its last fundraising round. And more recently Bloomberg has reported that Impossible is preparing to lay off about 20% of its staff, following another round of cuts in October when about 6% of its staff got laid off.

The latest patent wars will only add to the industry's woes.

Impossible patents

Motif FoodWorks said that many of the claimed inventions in Impossible's patents are obvious and already disclosed in prior art, which means they cannot be patented. Motif added that the EPO's decision to revoke Impossible's patent "affirms our belief that Impossible's patents are invalid and never should have been issued in the first place".

Impossible Foods told Food Navigator USA that its plans to launch its full range of products in the EU have not changed. Its soy leghemoglobin "fake blood" product is currently being evaluated for EU use by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

The EPO-revoked patent is not on soy leghemoglobin itself. It is a broad patent on food products containing iron complexes such as heme-containing proteins, combined with flavour precursor molecules.

Twisted logic

The EPO's reasoning has not yet been published online, but GMWatch has long argued that GMO developers cannot tell patent offices that their product is novel, non-obvious, and has an inventive step – all requirements for a patented invention – yet tell regulators and the public that the same product is natural, nature-mimicking, or able to arise in nature or from natural breeding. The GMO developers can't have it both ways; if one of these statements is true, the other must be false. If it's patented, it can't be natural, and if it's natural, it can't be patented.

The UK government is currently deregulating a subclass of GMOs that it claims could have arisen through "traditional processes". Earlier drafts used the wording "natural processes", but government amendments changed "natural" to "traditional". It is possible that the change of wording is intended to avoid GMO developers running into difficulties with patent offices over whether their products are genuine inventions.

The opposition to the EU patent, filed by the law firm Reiser & Partner Patentwälte mbB in Germany, alleges that Impossible's claimed invention is not novel, lacks an inventive step, fails to sufficiently describe the invention, and extends beyond the application as originally filed.

However, a spokesman for Impossible Foods told Food Navigator USA that the EPO's decision was not made on the basis of lack of novelty and that the review compared Impossible's patent against its own prior invention. The spokesman is not quoted as addressing the alleged lack of inventive step.

Impossible is appealing against the EPO's decision.

GMWatch will update readers on the reasoning of the EPO, once it is published, and its potential relevance to GMOs that are claimed to be natural or nature-mimicking.

GMO-using fake meat company Impossible Foods' EU patent revoked (gmwatch.org)

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11 February 2023

 A Global Forum highlighting the UN’s Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF) got underway on Monday, aimed at identifying priority policies to boost support for family farmers and agricultural development worldwide.

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, pointed out in his video address to the Global Forum’s opening that the world is moving backwards in its efforts to eliminate hunger and malnutrition.

Growing hunger

He said the number of people facing hunger increased in 2021, and it risks rising further especially among the most vulnerable, of which almost 80 percent live in rural areas and are small-scale, family farmers.

Family farmers around the world are also subject to the new challenges to food systems everywhere, created by the climate crisis, as well as conflict. The war in Ukraine has added further pressure, to already fragile agrifood systems, UN agencies said.

Mr. QU said the forum provides a way, firstly, to discuss “the unique role of family farmers in transforming our agrifood systems; two, take stock of achievements and challenges in the implementation of the UN Decade; and three, strengthen collaboration to ensure global food security, enhance livelihoods and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”.

80 percent

"Family farmers need to be at the centre of efforts to transform agrifood systems if we are to make real progress towards ending hunger," Mr. Qu said.

He added that “family farming is the main form of agriculture in both developed and developing countries and is responsible for producing 80 percent of the world's food,” in terms of value.

Family struggle

He noted that often, these family farmers struggle to feed their own families.

Since its launch three years ago, the UN Decade of Family Farming has been promoting integrated policies and investments to support family farmers, and FAO has been assisting national implementation of international tools and guidelines to strengthen family farming, Mr. Qu told the virtual forum.

He also noted that FAO hosts the Family Farming Knowledge Platform to facilitate the exchange of experience, innovation and specialised knowledge.

In addition, the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 includes a priority area of work aimed at better supporting small-scale food producers and delivering concrete results.

Push for the future

The main objectives of the Global Forum are to provide a general overview of policy trends and the relevance of family farming to the global push towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals; highlight the main outcomes of the first three years of implementation; and re-orient the UNDFF agenda through the practical lessons learned so far.

Participants include representatives from national governments, governmental agencies, UN agencies, family farmers and their organizations, civil society organizations, as well as NGOs; the private sector, the media and academia.

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10 August 2022

The Regulatory Authority accused Belco yesterday of deliberately misleading the public about emissions from its North Power Station.

The RA, in a public statement, said that senior representatives at Belco had “made concerted efforts to misinform the public” and that a representative had been “selective” about what information was shared.

“The representative openly stated that their plant was supposed to burn natural gas, not what it is burning today,” the RA said. “They further assert that this is the genesis of the problems they are facing with respect to the plant and soot emissions.”

The RA said that in 2017, Belco had said that it had a “dire need” to build the NPS, which would be a dual-fuel plant capable of using oil or liquefied natural gas.