Latest news with #NorthPacific
CBC
a day ago
- Politics
- CBC
Coastal First Nations in B.C. issue open letter to Carney opposing suggested northern pipeline
Coastal First Nations in British Columbia have issued an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, asking him to reject any new proposal for a crude oil pipeline to the northwest coast. The move comes as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith pushes for a new private-sector pipeline that would send crude oil to the northern B.C. coast for export to Asia. Marilyn Slett, president of the Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative, says in a statement that there is no pipeline or oil tanker project that would be acceptable to their group, and any proposal to send crude oil through their coastal waters is a "non-starter." The group is asking Carney to uphold the 2019 Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, which prohibits oil tankers carrying more than 12,500 metric tons of crude from stopping, loading or unloading at ports or marine installations along the North Coast. It says the act is Canada's recognition of more than 50 years of effort to protect the North Pacific coast, which includes the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii, from the risks of an oil spill. The nations say they have not changed their stance since oil tankers were banned from their territorial waters in 2010 based on ancestral laws, rights and responsibilities. The group says the North Pacific coast has one of the richest and most productive cold-water marine ecosystems on Earth, and it remains a source of sustenance, culture, and livelihood for coastal communities and all B.C. residents. The group has instead suggested the prime minister meet with them to "better understand the credible ecological treasure that is the North Pacific coast." The letter comes less than a week after Carney met hundreds of First Nations chiefs, where he faced resistance to the Building Canada Act, which allows the government to fast-track major projects that it deems to be in the national interest, including by sidestepping existing laws. A news release from the Prime Minister's Office after he met with premiers in Ontario, says Carney will "continue meeting with key stakeholders over the coming weeks to ensure big projects are built in full partnership with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, and to build one Canadian economy." B.C. Premier David Eby told media after the meeting that "for the pipeline project that Premier Smith is a great enthusiast of, a heavy oil pipeline project, there is no project, there is no proponent, there is no private sector money involved at all that I'm aware of." Eby says that his government is focused on projects with proponents who are ready to go and have passed an environmental assessment. "When Premier Smith crosses those obvious hurdles to get a project done, then let's have those conversations. But to be blunt, we have major projects that are moving ahead, and that's where our focus is."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
B.C. Coastal First Nations issue open letter to Carney opposing suggested pipeline
VANCOUVER — Coastal First Nations in British Columbia have issued an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, asking him to reject any new proposal for a crude oil pipeline to the northwest coast. The move comes as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith pushes for a new private-sector pipeline that would send crude oil to the northern B.C. coast for export to Asia. Marilyn Slett, president of the Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative, says in a news release that there is no pipeline or oil tanker project that would be acceptable to their group, and any proposal to send crude oil through their coastal waters is a "non-starter." The group is asking Carney to uphold the 2019 Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, which prohibits oil tankers carrying more than 12,500 metric tons of crude from stopping, loading or unloading at ports or marine installations along the north coast. It says the act is Canada's recognition of more than 50 years of effort to protect the north Pacific coast, which includes the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii, from the risks of an oil spill. The nations say they have not changed their stance since oil tankers were banned from their territorial waters in 2010 based on ancestral laws, rights and responsibilities. The group says the north Pacific coast has one of the richest and most productive cold-water marine ecosystems on Earth, and it remains a source of sustenance, culture, and livelihood for coastal communities and all B.C. residents. The group has instead suggested the prime minister meet with them to "better understand the credible ecological treasure that is the north Pacific coast." The letter comes less than a week after Carney met hundreds of First Nations chiefs, where he faced resistance to the Building Canada Act, which allows the government to fast track major projects that it deems to be in the national interest, including by sidestepping existing laws. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025. Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
The Independent
14-07-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Why cleaner air is actually accelerating global warming
Global warming has picked up pace since around 2010, leading to the recent string of record warm years. Why this is happening is still unclear, and among the biggest questions in climate science today. Our new study reveals that reductions in air pollution – particularly in China and east Asia – are a key reason for this faster warming. Cleanup of sulphur emissions from global shipping has been implicated in past research. But that cleanup only began in 2020, so it's considered too weak to explain the full extent of this acceleration. Nasa researchers have suggested that changes in clouds could play a role, either through reductions in cloud cover in the tropics or over the North Pacific. One factor that has not been well quantified, however, is the effect of monumental efforts by countries in east Asia, notably China, to combat air pollution and improve public health through strict air quality policies. There has already been a 75% reduction in east Asian sulphur dioxide emissions since around 2013, and that cleanup effort picked up pace just as global warming began accelerating. Our study addresses the link between east Asian air quality improvements and global temperature, building on the efforts of eight teams of climate modellers across the world. We have found that polluted air may have been masking the full effects of global warming. Cleaner air could now be revealing more of the human-induced global warming from greenhouse gases. In addition to causing millions of premature deaths, air pollution shields the Earth from sunlight and therefore cools the surface. There has been so much air pollution that it has held human-induced warming in check by up to 0.5°C over the last century. With the cleanup of air pollution, something that's vital for human health, this artificial sunshade is removed. Since greenhouse gas emissions have kept on increasing, the result is that the Earth's surface is warming faster than ever before. Modelling the cleanup Our team used 160 computer simulations from eight global climate models. This enabled us to better quantify the effects that east Asian air pollution has on global temperature and rainfall patterns. We simulated a cleanup of pollution similar to what has happened in the real world since 2010. We found an extra global warming of around 0.07°C. While this is a small number compared with the full global warming of around 1.3°C since 1850, it is still enough to explain the recent acceleration in global warming when we take away year-to-year swings in temperature from natural cycles such as El Niño, a climate phenomenon in the Pacific that affects weather patterns globally. Based on long-term trends, we would have expected around 0.23°C of warming since 2010. However, we actually measured around 0.33°C. While the additional 0.1°C can largely be explained by the east Asian air pollution cleanup, other factors include the change in shipping emissions and the recent accelerated increase in methane concentrations in the atmosphere. Air pollution causes cooling by reflecting sunlight or by changing the properties of clouds so they reflect more sunlight. The cleanup in east Asian air pollution influences global temperatures because it reduces the shading effect of the pollution over east Asia itself. It also means less pollution is blown across the north Pacific, causing clouds in the east Pacific to reflect less sunlight. The pattern of these changes across the North Pacific simulated in our models matches that seen in satellite observations. Our models and temperature observations also show relatively strong warming over the North Pacific, downwind from east Asia. The main source of global warming is still greenhouse gas emissions, and a cleanup of air pollution was both necessary and overdue. This did not cause the additional warming but rather, removed an artificial cooling that has for a time helped shield us from some of the extreme weather and other well-established consequences of climate change. Global warming will continue for decades. Indeed, our past and future emissions of greenhouse gases will affect the climate for centuries. However, air pollution is quickly removed from the atmosphere, and the recent acceleration in global warming from this particular unmasking may therefore be short-lived. Laura Wilcox is a Professor at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Reading
NHK
10-07-2025
- Business
- NHK
Japan eyes easing rules for Pacific saury fishing boats
Japan's Fisheries Agency is considering raising limits on the size and capacity of Pacific saury fishing boats to enable bigger catches on the high seas. The country sets ceilings for the gross tonnage of fishing boats to prevent overexploitation of resources. Vessels intended to catch Pacific saury must be under 200 tons at present. Japan's catches of Pacific saury have been poor in recent years as rising sea temperatures have caused numbers to decline. That has prompted the major fishing area to shift from waters near Japan to the North Pacific Ocean. However, it is hard to make catching Pacific saury so far from Japan commercially viable using boats of less than 200 tons. There is not enough space for the refrigeration equipment necessary and to store sufficient fuel for the voyage. China and Taiwan have raised their Pacific saury catches on the high seas by operating boats of more than 1,000 tons. Japan hopes that by easing the regulations on fishing boats it can maintain its competitiveness.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Fangtooth Fish, Frilled Sharks, Leafy Seadragons and More Creepy Creatures Lurking in the Deep Sea
The ocean is full of weird and wonderful creatures, and scientists have only scratched the surface of what lurks beneath the waves. But some of the sea life they have discovered are downright monstrous! If Jaws made you think twice about dipping a toe in the water, these bizarre fish might keep you on dry land forever! With bulging eyes, needle-sharp teeth and glow-in-the-dark bodies, these sea dwellers look more like movie monsters than real animals. Most pose no danger to humans, but they'll haunt your dreams! If these oddballs are only the beginning, imagine what's out there, lurking in the darkness. As technology improves, scientists expect to uncover even more spine-tingling surprises. By the look of this fierce creature, you wouldn't want to get too close! But those teeth make it look frightening, it's only about six inches long. These tiny fish enjoy a worldwide distribution in tropical and cold waters alike. There's nothing common about it! Also called the naked sea butterfly, this jelly-like creature lives in the Arctic, North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans. These plump, peaceful creatures, which are also known as sea cows, munch on seaweed and consume plants. They are remarkably friendly toward humans and very curious about us, too! They're an endangered species and are protected by law from harassment. This lovely is the stuff of nightmares! It's a toothy killer that can grow up to six feet long. It's one of the oldest shark species alive and is considered a living fossil as it has many of the physical characteristics of sharks that lived 200 million years ago! That's one ugly underbite! These fish produce light to fool predators and make themselves invisible! That's a fancy name for a jellyfish. You can see it in person in warm waters like the South Pacific. One of the most beautiful tropical creatures in the Caribbean! Inside the shell is a bright-colored animal with tentacles, eyes and a foot that acts as a tongue to help it eat. Lots of people mistake this leafy-looking critter for seaweed, but it's a fish! This little guy shares a family with the seahorse, and you can find it around rocky reefs in Australia.
