Chin up, Ms. Clifford. He can't deny the picture and Cosby is convicted. 

The FBI might want to check USA passports for the man who threatened her. There is a good sketch. If there is nothing in passports, then he is still within the USA.

I thank Mr. Avenatti for his representation of Ms. Clifford. She is a woman and one with a family and deserves respect for her work.

Women find their way in the USA in a variety of professions and no one woman has a right to pass judgment on another when it comes to her paycheck.

Putin >>>  Flynn >>>  Manafort >>> Trump

Mueller Has List of Questions for Trump

The New York Times received information from within the Mueller investigation (supposedly) because Trump won't be interviewed. The Fox News curvy couch put an end to that.

Donald Trump should provide an interview answering exactly those questions. They are good questions.

60 Minutes, maybe or FOX News curvy couch should be a comfortable environment for the President.

Maybe release the answers to Sarah to pass onto the press. There can't possibly be difficulty in answering them. President Trump must be familiar with the topics.

What I found interesting about this picture is that it also reflects the methodology of the Russian media hackers that toyed with USA social media.

Putin dearly didn't want Hillary in the office of the President. He would have taken Jill Stein over Hillary.

According to some observers, the hackers and Russian agents on social media were pursuing both sides of the election and continue to do so today. They wanted the position within influential spheres of voters. Putin didn't care how he got it. Putin could not predict the 2016 election, but, he wanted a piece of the influential sphere leading up to the vote and afterward no matter who won the election.

...According to The Intercept, (click here) Congress requested the “campaign’s policy discussions regarding Russia” around the time of the election. Stein has refused to comply, raising serious questions about what she may be trying to hide....

Putin was playing both sides of the street and still is. 

Trusting Paul Manafort was very poor decision making by Trump. USA Presidential candidates usually shy away from any hint of scandal or wrongdoing. The relationship Trump has with Russia is grossly inappropriate. Putin was very worried about his reelection with the sanctions in position. The ballot box stuffing in Russia proves all the paranoia of Putin.

I think Trump has an agenda in his flamboyant behavior. The firing of a Catholic Priest in the US Congress was nearly missed by the media. No one was paying attention to it. I don't think the American people know the extent of the damage this administration has caused and is causing. 

Trump is a lot to worry about. Russia needs to leave Ukraine.

April 30, 2018

A U.S. soldier from Dragon Troop of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment fires a Javelin missile system during their first training exercise of the new year near operating base Gamberi in the Laghman province of Afghanistan January 1, 2015.

Kiev (Reuters) - Ukraine (click here) has received the first U.S. Javelin missiles and launch units, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Monday....

Ukraine took no time to reinstate it's national military. I think it was last year when their missile capacity returned. No one wanted this for Ukraine. Putin's USSR politics is what engaged this return to tensions. 

April 29, 2018

By Christopher F. Foss

Ukraine’s UkrInnMash Corporation (click here) is now offering the Kevlar-E infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) based on the Russian 122 mm 2S1 self-propelled howitzer (SPH) platform.

The original turret 2S1 SPH has been removed and the area to the immediate rear of the diesel power pack and driver’s position at the front of the vehicle raised to provide greater internal volume for its new mission....

Oh, well.

The US House found there was no collusion knowing this was a platform change? Liars,

...The Trump campaign’s position (click here) in the platform fight was seen at the time as making the official GOP stance friendlier toward Russia because the proposed language they defeated would have endorsed sending weapons to aid the Ukrainian government’s fight against pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country. Many leading Republicans backed the idea, so the platform fight came as a surprise....

There were sanctions. The sanctions were invoked by international partners because Russia completely violated a long standing treaty that denuclearized Ukraine. The people of Ukraine were assured to have peace within their borders and Russia took that from them. Russia had acted to annex Crimea and killed Ukrainians at its border with Ukraine. This is outrageous.

September 22, 2017
By Natasha Bertrand

Paul Manafort, campaign chairman for Donald Trump, speaks on the phone while touring the floor of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena as final preparations continue July 17, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Trump campaign's national-security policy representative (click here) for the Republican National Convention said Friday that he gave campaign colleagues the chance to "intervene" when an amendment to the GOP's draft policy on Ukraine was introduced in Cleveland last July.

The original amendment, which proposed that the GOP commit to sending "lethal weapons" to the Ukrainian army to fend off Russian aggression, was ultimately altered to say "provide appropriate assistance" before it was included in the party's official platform....

Lethal weapons were the appropriate assistance. What was Ukraine suppose to do, use spitballs? And Manafort was on the floor of the RNC Convention.

Manafort did not leave the influential sphere of the Trump transition team.

After the election: Conflicting reports (click here)

Manafort retained the apartment he has long had in Trump Tower after his former boss was elected, records show, and he was spotted there by the press during the transition. Although the Daily Beast reported in late November that Manafort was advising Trump on Cabinet picks, his name was never included on the official roster of transition team members....

No wonder Flynn was chosen. How well did Manafort know Flynn before he recommended him? He never did meet Flynn because Flynn was recommended by Russia.

The Trump campaign provided no reason for Manafort’s resignation. But in the days immediately leading up to the announcement, the New York Times reported investigators were looking into $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments to Manafort from former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, and the Associated Press reported he helped a pro-Russian party in Ukraine funnel money to lobbying firms in Washington, D.C.

Manafort and Flynn never crossed paths before Russia recommended him for NSA. (click here) Manafort was a high roller and ran a very different company than Flynn. Trump is implicated because at the time Manafort would recommend Flynn, Trump already knew about Manafort's involvement with Russia and Yanukovych. Trump accepting Flynn put Russia's priority before that of the USA.

More extremism from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Is there anyone who did not think Iran was chasing nuclear weapons? This is proof and makes a liar out of the Supreme Leader. Or does it? Does the Supreme Leader know about these files and ambitions? Prime Minister Netanyahu in his own words stated few people knew of this treasure trove of information.

The issue at hand is that now everyone knows Iran was actively seeking nuclear weapon capacity. I would think that is more reassurance to the global community that the Iran Agreement in regard to it's nuclear capacity is in place. But, I don't believe anyone involved with the Iran Nuclear Agreement is so naive they did not believe Iran was capable.

Obtaining those records is a major accomplishment for Israel. Israel has proven it has an incredible capacity to know and understand danger for the nation and it's people. No one ever would underestimate Israel's capacity for national defense against those that would like to hurt the Jewish people. Most global leaders would never doubt Israel.

Proof before an international audience of leaders is extremely important. Iran has allies that would seek to protect it's interests. So, the proof the Prime Minister has is very important and it is very important he demonstrates the depth of the knowledge about Iran that Israel possesses.

The question is, does this new proof carry concern that the Iran Agreement needs to be reviewed? Is there so much deception by Iran, in light of these records, the agreement be left intact but improved upon for greater assurances not previously known?

I doubt the agreement should be ended, so much as reviewed for accuracy and improved upon to secure the region even more than the mechanisms now in place. I think Israel has every right to seek reassurances from the international community now that greater truths are known.

April 30, 2018

Good evening. 

Tonight, (click here) we’re going to show you something that the world has never seen before. Tonight, we are going to reveal new and conclusive proof of the secret nuclear weapons program that Iran has been hiding for years from the international community in its secret atomic archive....

Of particular interest is a new provision by the Knesset regarding the use of war powers:

The Knesset voted late Monday (click here) in favor of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to grant him the authority to declare war with only the defense minister's approval in extreme situations.

Netanyahu made the request in the morning during a debate on a bill aimed at transferring responsibility for declaring war from the full cabinet to the smaller security cabinet. The joint committee of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee rejected his request but it was later voted for by the Knesset plenum....

What I want to know is if General Kelly would testify to invoke the 25th amendment?

I am quite confident General Kelly is leaned on to carry out policy for Trump.

April 30, 2018
By Carol E. Lee, Courtney Kube, Kristen Welker and Stephanie Ruhle

Washington — White House chief of staff John Kelly (click here) has eroded morale in the West Wing in recent months with comments to aides that include insulting the president's intelligence and casting himself as the savior of the country, according to eight current and former White House officials.

The officials said Kelly portrays himself to Trump administration aides as the lone bulwark against catastrophe, curbing the erratic urges of a president who has a questionable grasp on policy issues and the functions of government. He has referred to Trump as "an idiot" multiple times to underscore his point, according to four officials who say they've witnessed the comments.

Kelly called the allegations "total BS."...                       

Pope Francis is an amazing pope. Nothing is out of his spectrum and influence with everything being possible.

April 28, 2018
By Zelda Caldwell

The singer Katy Perry (click here) and her boyfriend, actor Orlando Bloom were among the key figures in the entertainment world attending the Vatican’s “United to Cure” conference, held by the Pontifical Council for Culture.

At the three-day conference, held April 26-28, experts from various fields, including health care, media, entertainment and technology, met to discuss ways in which technology can be used to improve health care and increase access to the underserved.

During the conference, Perry, who was dressed in all black with a pillbox hat and veil, and Bloom, dressed in a dark suit, warmly greeted Pope Francis....

The 3-E printer looks for god. The "Shroud of Turin" comes alive.

March 28, 2018
By Lucandrea Massaro

This statue (click here) is the three-dimensional representation in actual size of the Man of the Shroud, created following the precise measurements taken from the cloth in which the body of Christ was wrapped after the crucifixion,” explains Giulio Fanti, teacher of mechanical and thermal measurements at the University of Padua, who studies the Shroud. Based on his measurements, the professor has created a “carbon copy” in 3D which, he claims, allows him to affirm that these are the true features of the crucified Christ....

Cautious change is very good change in a dangerous world.

"Reporters without Borders" may want to consider building a diplomatic corp if they don't have one already.

Countries, such as China and Myanmar are trying to build a better quality of life for their people. Sometimes the old way of doing things get caught up in the movement toward more freedoms. No one will convince me China is not attempting to move it's government to a strong market-based economy with a very viable middle class. In that lies the ability to do so in the face of old fears that place a limit on such goals.

Journalism actually provides a place for citizens of any country to find an interest in their governing practices. Local journalists can provide empowerment to the people that can then have their grievances addressed. The governance of such grievances creates an election. The one person that appears to be able to satisfy the desire for the best outcomes of the people will be elected and through that freedom of choice comes a far calmer and engaged population. It is not theory, it is fact.

If countries such as China and North Korea and Myanmar want to have a population of engaged consumers and relatively happy people, they have to develop a free press. That is not happening. Governments feeling the greatest challenge to their authority are actually caught up in a negative feedback loop that requires more jailings and resources needed in their courts. Such restrictions on self-expression by the people puts a huge drag on their national economies.

"Reporters without Borders" should have research at the ready with these facts when journalists are jailed rather than celebrated.

I stated DEVELOP, not turn loose, a community of engaged journalists with a free press. Drastic changes can be dangerous, but, jailing journalists is truly not in the best interest of the country. The governments developing a free press should actively seek the best path forward to encourage stability in a time when terrorists seek access to the power of a country.

Case in point:

An apology is all that was necessary to stem any disapproval of a live broadcast gone awry. No one organizing this WWE match wanted to offend wives.

29 April 2018

Saudi Arabian officials (click here) have apologized after images of scantily clad women appeared on big screens during a world wrestling event that allowed women and children for the first time.

The Saudi General Sports Authority released a statement on Saturday, a day after a promotional ad featuring female wrestlers aired at the World Wrestling Entertainment Co.'s Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah.

They apologized on a Twitter post for 'the scenes of indecent women that featured in an ad before one of the matches.'...

Heroes treated as criminals.

I don't know if the Burmese government didn't want to expose the massacre for political or real world reasons. It is difficult to conceal a massacre and the Burmese government should realize atrocities become a source of instability in a country. The journalists and their investigators brought FACTS to light before the government was actually considered responsible for the massacre as a policy issue.

Also, Burma is Myanmar. The health of the journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo is deteriorating. (click here)


April 11, 2018
By Nicola Smith

Detained Reuters journalist Wa Lone is by police after a court hearing in Yangon

Seven Burmese soldiers (click here) have been sentenced to ten years of hard labour for their role in the massacre of ten Rohingya Muslim men in the village of Inn Din in Burma’s northwestern Rakhine state last September.

The sentence for “contributing and participating in murder”, which will be carried out at a “remote location”, was announced in a statement published on the Facebook page of Commander-in-Chief, Min Aung Hlaing, on Tuesday.

However, two Burmese journalists who helped bring the massacre to light through their investigations remain behind bars. Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw So Oo, 28, were arrested in December and face charges of violating the country’s Official Secrets Act.

The White House has some homework to do to build a better relationship with professional journalists.

It is amazing that journalists can tell the truth and it is considered inflammatory.

“Sarah Huckabee (click here) Sanders claims that press freedom in the United States is in good standing and that her presence at the briefing proves it," RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said. “Spokespersons exist in all regimes, regardless of the level of freedom. President Trump’s spokesperson is in denial when she describes the United States’ ranking in the Index as ridiculous and rejects his own responsibility. In addition to Trump’s incessant harassment of reporters and media in his first year in office, there was also a well-documented increase in arrests, violent attacks, and online harassment of journalists at the local level. It's hard to believe how anyone could look at this data and find a decline in press freedom in this country ridiculous.”

To be frankly honest, professionals of most practices are under attack by this White House.

Despite having strong constitutional protections (click here) to the contrary, the latest World Press Freedom Index findings on the US and Canada reveal two countries whose journalists and media workers face constant challenges to the very freedom to exercise their profession.

The United States’ ranking fell from 43 to 45 out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) 2018 World Press Freedom Index, continuing its downward trend in the first year of Donald J. Trump’s presidency. In contrast, its northern neighbor Canada gained 4 places due to steps taken to safeguard the confidentiality of journalists’ sources....

...The violent anti-press rhetoric from the White House has been coupled with an increase in the number of press freedom violations at the local level as journalists run the risk of arrest for covering protestsor simply attempting to ask public officials questions. Reporters have even been subject to physical assault while on the job....

A free press is under attack in the USA. The press, in the USA, are always provided standing when the First Amendment is at work and people are protesting unfair treatment. The Dakota Access pipeline was being built on ancient burial grounds and no one was stopping it in respect for the sacred definition of the land. Ms. Monet was doing her job and doing it well. The idea there are criminal charges against her is outrageous.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) (click here) calls for all criminal charges to be dropped against Jenni Monet, a journalist who was arrested February 1 while covering protests against the Dakota Access pipeline.

Monet was released on bond late on February 2. She has been charged with trespassing and "engaging in a riot" by Morton County, North Dakota prosecutors.

Monet maintains that she was simply doing her job as a journalist to cover a protest camp near the Standing Rock reservation as police attempted to disband it. At the time of her arrest she was on assignment for Indian Country Daily and the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Monet said she was standing at a distance from the protesters and identified herself as a journalist. She told the Los Angeles Times yesterday that after police told her to leave she complied: "I was walking away, I was halfway down the hill, and they still arrested me." She also says officers never read her her Miranda rights and she was detained for 7 hours with other women "stripped down to our long johns” in metal cages in a parking garage near the Morton County jail, before being transferred to an indoor cell.

Monet, 40, also contributes frequently to PBS "News Hour."

Three coordinated bombings occurred in Kabul and Kandahar saw deadly explosions.

April 30, 2018
By Euan McKirdy and Ehsan Popalzai

Eight journalists were among 29 people killed in a suicide attack in Kabul Monday, including a famed photographer who had written of the dangers of reporting in the Afghan capital.

The journalists died when a bomber disguised as a TV cameraman detonated a second bomb at the site of an earlier explosion.

The first blast happened at around at 8 a.m. local time in the Shashdarak area of the city, where the US embassy and Afghan government buildings are located, prompting journalists to rush to the scene.

The second explosion came as the attacker, posing as a cameraman, detonated explosives as journalists huddled around the scene, Kabul City Police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai told CNN.

There is no specific information to the identity of the foreign convoy.

April 30, 2018

Kandahar: A suicide bomber (click here) targeted a military convoy in Daman district of Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province on Monday killing 11 civilians and injuring over a dozen others, a local official said.

The armed militants conducted a suicide attack against a military convoy, probably foreign military convoy in Abdullah village of Daman district at 10:30 am local time today, killing 11 children and injuring 16 others including nine children and two policemen,” the official with provincial police Public Relation Office told Xinhua....

Turkey does understand what a terrorist does to humanity.

An Islamic State militant (click here) believed to be responsible for killing 700 civilians in Syria was caught in a joint operation carried out by Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency (MİT) and security forces in the western province of İzmir on April 27.

Alongside the militant, identified only as K.E.H., three more IS commanders were apprehended and all four of the detained are of Syrian origin, Doğan News Agency reported.

Upon receiving intelligence on K.E.H. being in İzmir, the province’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered police’s Intelligence and Anti-Terrorism Bureau to carry out an operation in coordination with the MİT.

K.E.H., who is the so-called emir of the jihadist group responsible for IS activities in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor and surrounding areas, is accused of being among the perpetrators of killing 700 civilians in the Shaidat region on Dec. 14, 2017....

Turkey cannot continue to proceed as a paranoid dictatorship.

Erdogan's court treated journalism as premeditated propaganda. The truth is hanging in the balance and the USA State Department is practically a ghost town. Democracy is under attack and this is the result.

Terrorists carry bombs and not tablets. "Reporters Without Borders" (click here) need to ask President Obama to intervene in Turkey. Turkey is on a slippery slope and journalists are only the latest victims of Erdogan paranoia. First child soldiers and now jailed journalists and their words are the latest victims of an attempted coupe that was crushed by the people.

April 30, 2018
By Shayna Green

Cumhuriyet cartoonist Musa Kart, center, and colleagues stand outside an Istanbul courthouse in March 2018. A court in April convicted Kart and several of his colleagues of aiding a terrorist organization.

A Turkish court (click here) in Silivri sentenced 14 journalists from one of the last independent newspapers in Turkey, Cumhuriyet, with jail time on terrorism charges. The staff from this paper, known for being highly critical of President Erdogan’s administration, were found guilty of supporting Turkish exile Fethullah Gulen, who has been accused by Erdogan of leading the attempted coup in 2016. These accusations have been denied by Gulen but the Cumhuriyet journalists may face up to eight years for allegedly supporting him.

In addition to supposedly aiding Gulen, the journalists were convicted of providing coverage of Kurdistan Workers’ party and the ultra-left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front....

"Good Night, Moon"

Full moon

14.8 days old

100 percent lit

The cancellation of the rover was prudent. The moon cannot be mined. Robotic machines are the first step to mining, including underwater drilling, etc.

I don't know if the private sector will pick up with it, but, it is too dangerous to begin to change Earth's VOLUME OF MATTER in it's orbit around Sol. It is one thing to mine Earth and simply move energy sources from one state to another (liquid to gas), but, it is quite something different to add matter to the planet. Earth, the moon and the sun have a very intricate and elegant dance that simply has to be respected. There are more important things than money.

April 28, 2018

..."We now understand RP (click here) was cancelled on 23 April 2018 and the project has been asked to close down by the end of May," said the letter dated April 26 by the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group, addressed to NASA chief Jim Bridenstine and posted on the website NASAWatch.com.

"This action is viewed with both incredulity and dismay by our community," particularly because Trump´s space policy "directs NASA to go to the lunar surface," the letter said.

The robotic rover was being built as the world´s only vehicle aimed at exploring the polar region of the Moon, and was expected to undergo a design review next year ahead of launching in 2022.

It would have been the first US lunar lander since Apollo 17 in 1972, and the first ever US robotic rover on the surface of the Moon....

Greece is another European country with a fairly stable population. The per capita income in Greece is $24,263.88 (click here). That has dropped considerably considering in 2008 the per capita income was $31,881.71. Needless to say when incomes drop that much the economy is going to struggle and modernizing energy infrastructure falls to the bottom of the national budget.

Greece has good years to look forward to and their future will be better. The country will receive relief for domestic energy when the new grid goes into effect. But, Greece must move toward renewable energy, especially when considering the importance of Mediterranean Sea waters.

There are areas in the world today as I write this experiencing a change in pH. These areas are becoming acidic. Greece has a good fishing industry. It needs regulation so tourism fishing doesn't remove all the fish people need daily. But, beyond that, many of these acidic waters are near shore where the CO2 is leaving the land and dissolving in the sea. Controlling land based GHG emissions is vital to healthy waters.

But, all in all, Greece is doing well in managing it's emissions with higher expectations every year. 2050 is the year the world is saying "zero" greenhouse gas emissions. That is a very viable target and the USA MUST sign on to the Paris Accords again.

The global community has to move in unison to bring the USA back into participation AND compliance. This is not an option. The global community is carrying their burden with dignity and determination. It is time for the countries of the Paris Accords to find leverage against the USA. Did I hear the word, sanctions?

We are all facing a brave new world and some of the masters of financial markets are basking in that reality. There is absolutely no reason for any country to find excuses not to reach those lofty goals. The USA is too lazy and the investment in fossil fuels to great; it will take a consensus among nations to leverage their power to bring the USA in line with 2050 goals.

55 Countries, 55 Percent

A total of 196 parties committed to the climate deal in 2015 and had a deadline of April 21, 2017, to officially sign on to the agreement.

At least 55 nations — between them accounting for at least 55 percent of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions — needed to formally approve the pact before it went into effect. That threshold was reached on Oct. 5, 2016, and the accord kicked in 30 days later....            

Greece will receive relief from GHG emissions as the shipping sector will cut emissions by 50 percent by 2050.

April 9, 2018
By Dominik Englert

When the International Maritime Organization (IMO) (click here) meets in London this week, the stakes are high. The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) plans to adopt an initial greenhouse gas strategy, the first of its kind for the shipping sector whose annual CO2 emissions are slightly higher than the annual emissions of Germany. This means that the 72nd session of the MEPC (MEPC72) from April 9-13, 2018, will not only show how international maritime transport is going to deal with its increasing emissions trend but will provide insights into Paris Agreement implementation....

The Paris referred to are the "Paris Climate Accords." (click here)

Europe has the "can-do" attitude. Wow. An energy grid this large can still carve out reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

April 4, 2018
By Nefeli Tzanetakou

EuroAsia Inter-connector (click here) contributes to the energy targets:

- Ends the Energy Isolation of Cyprus as an EU member state. Cyprus is the last member of the European Union which remains fully isolated without any electricity or gas interconnections

- EuroAsia Inter-connector creates an electricity highway from Israel-Cyprus-Crete-Attica, Greece (Europe) through which the European Union can securely be supplied with electricity produced by the gas reserves in Cyprus and Israel, as well as from the available Renewable Energy Sources, contributing at the same time to the completion of the European Internal market.

- The EuroAsia Inter-connector ensures the security of energy supply of the three involved countries and of the EU system altogether, through the integration of the isolated small systems of Cyprus and Crete with the Israeli and European networks and the uninterrupted – multidirectional flow of energy.

- Promotes the substantial development of the Renewable Energy Sources and contributes to the reduction of the CO2 emissions.

- Offers significant economic and geopolitical benefits to the involved countries.

- Contributes to the target of the European Union for 10% of electricity interconnection between Member States.ocio-economic benefits at the range of 10 billion euros.

This was published by New Zealand.

OECD (click here) The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 35 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade.

New Zealand was concerned about being a small emitter, but, growing. (click here)

Until a country such as Greece is compared to all the other greenhouse gas emitters there is no real appreciation for how out of control the USA is in it's indifference. The rest of the world has a conscience and the USA has lost its. When I see a graph like this I wonder if the USA ever had one. This is 2017 data.

If all the other countries on that graph achieved zero emissions there would still be a problem called The United States of America.

Greece MUST end it's use of lignite coal. These is antiquated energy sources.

...Changing (click here) to less carbon dioxide intensive fuels reduces the emissions and contributes to climate protection in the short-term. For a long-term climate protection the only alternative are zero-carbon energy resources such as sustainable-used biomass and other renewable types of energy.

This is what happens when countries are dropped into a global economic collapse; their assets disappear and infrastructure stalls and reverses as in the case of Greece.

April 17, 2018

...Today, (click here) the Commission has concluded that the amended final version of the remedies submitted by Greece on 19 January 2018 fully addresses the infringement identified by the Commission in its 2008 Decision, while also taking into account Greece's environmental objectives and current market circumstances.

The remedies aim at removing the privileges created by the special access rights granted to PPC. In particular, they provide that PPC will divest the lignite-fired units of Meliti (including the licensed unit of Meliti 2) and Megalopoli 3 and 4. The divestiture will include also the necessary employees and lignite mines.

The market test carried out by the Commission indicated that the proposed remedies are a satisfactory way of addressing the Commission's concerns. The assets to be divested will allow the purchasers to compete immediately and more effectively in the Greek wholesale electricity market.

In order to increase competition in the Greek market, PPC's competitors need to have access to base-load capacity, which in Greece is still significantly dependent on lignite, in particular during off-peak periods. More access to lignite-fired electricity generation capacity will help to increase the competitive pressure in the Greek wholesale market and to address the enduring distortions in favour of PPC.

At the same time, by divesting existing lignite-generation capacity and avoiding the further opening and exploitation of new lignite mines, the remedies also take into account Greece's environmental policy and the EU's 2020 objectives to reduce CO₂ emissions.

Based on the proposed measures, PPC will launch a tender procedure for the divestment of the above mentioned plants by May 2018.

Tax incentives should bring Portugal's new reduced CO2 car to markets throughout the EU.

April 12, 2018

Electric Tesla Roadster provides taxi cab service in Oslo, Norway

Copenhagen – Emissions of carbon dioxide (click here) from new passenger cars have dropped in European countries where taxes, subsidies and other incentives encourage drivers to buy vehicles that emit the least amount of the greenhouse gas, finds new research from the European Environment Agency.

The number of countries offering incentives for electric vehicles continues to grow, according to EEA data published today. But emissions from heavy-duty trucks and buses are expected to increase further if new measures are not taken.

Almost all European Union countries have adopted incentives of some sort, resulting in a steady fall of average CO2 emissions of new passenger cars, according to the EEA briefing, “Appropriate taxes and incentives do affect purchases of new cars.”...

Portugal has the most progressive CO2 emissions on the continent.

Every year, (click here) hundreds and sometimes thousands of people drive from the UK to Portugal and back again.


April 19, 2018

According to a study (click here) published by the European Environment Agency, new cars in Portugal had the lowest CO2 emissions with 105 grams per kilometre. Portugal is followed the Netherlands, Denmark and Greece, compared to the highest value in Estonia and Lithuania, with the UK also faring poorly, recording emissions almost 15 percent above those in Portugal.

The new study form the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) European Topic Centre on Air pollution and Climate change Mitigation assessed the impact of taxes and incentives on purchases of new cars.

Average CO2 emissions of new passenger cars in the EU has fallen steadily in recent years, from 170 g CO2/km in 2001 to 118 g CO2/km in 2016, with an annual reduction rate of 2 percent. A further 19.5 percent reduction in average CO2 emissions will be required to comply with the 2021 target of 95 g CO2/km (27 percent below the 2015 target).

There is substantial variation between countries, in terms of their average CO2 emissions and the rate of reduction seen over time. Portugal had the lowest average CO2 emissions of the EU-28 countries in 2016 of 105 g/km, followed by the Netherlands, Denmark and Greece, compared to the highest value of 134 g/km in Estonia, followed by Lithuania.

As regards EEA member countries, the average CO2 emissions of new cars was the lowest in Norway (93 g/km) whilst the highest average CO2 emissions were in Switzerland (134.0 g/km).