#Forest Products Association of Canada

[intlforestday]

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME - Celebration of the International Day of Forests 2024.

On March 21st, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, at the United Nations Trusteeship Council chamber, New York;

- OPENING SESSION - Opening remarks: Ms. Juliette Biao, Director, UN Forum on Forests Secretariat  H.E. Ambassador Paula Narváez, President of the UN Economic and Social Council  H.E. Ambassador Zéphyrin Maniratanga, Chair of the UNFF19 Bureau  Mr. Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General, DESA - PANEL SESSION - Chair: Ms. Leticia Zamora Zumbado, Vice-Chair of the UNFF19 Bureau  Mr. QU Guangzhou, Director, FAO Liaison Office, New York  Speaker tba, USDA Forest Service  Ms. Anna Rathmann, Executive Director, Jane Goodall Institute  Speaker tba, International Forestry Students’ Association  Mr. Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada  Mr. José Carlos da Fonseca, Executive Director, The Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá)  Mr. Kai Lintunen, Head of International Communication, Finnish Forest Association - GENERAL DISCUSSION- Chair: Mr. Javad Momeni, Vice-Chair of the UNFF19 Bureau Statements by Member States, UN entities and other accredited IGOs and Major Groups FOREST VIDEO SHOWCASE Short films from FAO and the 2024 World Wildlife Day Film Showcase (CITES and Jackson Wild)  Forests and innovation – new solutions for a better world  How Old Cell Phones Are Protecting the Rainforest  This New AI Forensic Tool is Fighting Illegal Logging  NASA Joins Jane Goodall to Conserve Chimp Habitats

United Nations Forum on Forests, UNDESA on the International Day of Forests 2024.

[fatehbaz]

Indigenous knowledge and food sovereignty on the prairies. Native plants and history of farming in the the northern Great Plains. Maskēko-sākahikanihk (Muskeg Lake Cree Nation), Wipazoka Wakpa Oyate (Sioux Valley Dakota Nation), and Piikani First Nation recent approaches to sustainable food production. Bison grazing and grassland health on Piikani land.

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Indigenous peoples had lived and farmed the area centuries before European contact. [...]

Melissa Arcand is a soil scientist and associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan, and she grew up on a modern grain farm at Maskēko-sākahikanihk, or Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, north of Saskatoon. [...] Saskatchewan has more farmland than any other Canadian province. [...]

The yard is full of trees, including poplars, spruce and Manitoba maples — the fast-growing hardy species that form a protective wind-break around farm yards across the Prairies. Patricia shows me her vast garden on the south side of the yard. She has corn, squash, sunflowers, carrots, peas, flowers and shrubs of haskap and saskatoon berries. [...]

First Nation grain farmers are rare everywhere. In most cases, farmable land on the dozens of First Nation reserves across the plains of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta is rented out to non-Indigenous farmers who live nearby. That came up as a concern during a forum Arcand organized on Indigenous farming in Saskatchewan in 2018. In forum discussions, attendees resolved to take greater control over farming activities on their lands. [...]

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Eugene Ross has a slow, soothing voice. [...] Ross is an Elder at Wipazoka Wakpa Oyate, literally “Saskatoon river people”, the Dakota name for Sioux Valley Dakota Nation. It lies at the forks of the Assiniboine and Oak Rivers, 50 kilometres west of Brandon, Manitoba [...].

Entering the plains from the rugged forest landscape of the Canadian Shield feels like dropping through a hatch in the back of a wardrobe. They are completely different worlds. West of the uber-flat Red River Valley, just beyond the town of Austin, the landscape begins to undulate, like a sloppily made bed. From there, the Prairies fold and flatten, roll and settle, in all directions, seemingly forever. Canada has 154 million acres of farmland, according to Statistics Canada’s 2021 census, and 126 million of those are in the Prairie provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba. [...]

“Our Tylenol back in the day,” he says, pointing to Seneca root. From a ceiling hook, Ross takes down a string of white tubers, each about the size of a big toe: wild turnips. [...]

Production of another oilseed relative, Brassica napus, now the most common species on the Prairies, began in the 1940s. [...] In 1978, this improved crop got a new name: canola. Western Canadian farmers now grow canola on more than 20 million acres [...].  Canola is a cool-season crop that thrives in Western Canadian growing conditions. Ross knows a long list of native plants traditionally used for food and medicine that also thrive in the region. While highly unlikely that any will become the next canola, they could underpin a more diverse farming future. [...]

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You can see Piikani First Nation from the cliff’s edge at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump in southern Alberta. [...] Today that great green sea, whipped by winds from a cascade of buffalo ghosts and bisected by the Old Man River, is Piikani territory. Noreen Plain Eagle is the land manager for Piikani First Nation and its 106,000 acres. [...]

Food sovereignty is a priority. Piikani’s reliance on outside food became acutely clear in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic when food companies, overwhelmed by supply chain issues, could not deliver their usual supply. Piikani nearly ran out of fresh food. It was a call to action for Plain Eagle. “We don’t want to be at the mercy of someone else to provide food to our community,” she says. “We want food sovereignty.” [...]

The next phase is to build a greenhouse at the school to produce a wider variety of vegetables. “We will use it as a hands-on teaching tool for students,” Plain Eagle says. “Terminology will be in the Blackfoot language.” [...] Plain Eagle also has plans to grow corn and potatoes for the community, and to think more strategically about the nation’s small bison herd. “Bison have always been part of our history,” she says, “and we’re learning how they can contribute to our grassland health.” Grasslands need a keystone grazer, like bison or cattle, to keep the grass in check and maintain grassland biodiversity. [...]

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Text by: Jay Whetter. “The true history of farming on the Prairies.” The Narwhal. 8 October 2022. [Bolded emphasis and italicized first paragraph added by me.]

[knottahooker]

Don’t panic about the toilet paper because of the dock strikes, it’s mostly domestic!

"“Shelves at Costco & Target running low or out of paper towels in Monmouth County NJ,” posted another X user. “Seeing people buying TP & water too in reax to port strike. Costco employee told me they were sold out of TP/paper towels this am.”

But the strike at ports from Maine to Texas will have absolutely zero impact on the supply of these products.

The overwhelming majority — more than 90% by some estimates — of US toilet paper consumption comes from domestic factories. Most of the rest comes from Canada and Mexico, which means it most likely arrives by rail or truck, not ship.

The American Forest and Paper Association, the trade group representing paper manufacturers, expressed concerns about the impact that the port strike could have on its members. But it cited the risk to its exports to foreign markets being cut off by the strike. Not imports.

If anything, the strike could result in a glut of toilet paper. Not a shortage.

But that didn’t stop the mob psychology of people rushing to stock up out of fear of a shortage, fed by bad memories of shortages and limitations on purchases that occurred in 2020 during the pandemic.

There will likely be some shortages caused by the port strike, but mostly for perishable goods for which the US market depends on imports."

[wizard-irl]

Buying Crystals - Ethics

Part 1 of 7 for a guide on buying crystals. Read the rest here!

Obligatory “there is no ethical consumption under capitalism,” but there are ethical ways to get crystals. It isn’t easy because hiding where and how your crystals are mined is profitable.

Content warning for discussions of violence, sexual abuse, child abuse, worker exploitation, and environmental exploitation. I promise the following parts won’t be so heavy, but this needs to be said before I discuss anything else. I’m unsure these tags are adequate, so tell me if I should be tagging differently.

Many mines, especially in developing countries, have terrible conditions. People work without proper ventilation, proper safety equipment, proper pay, and proper compensation to their families if they die from their work. Miners who refuse to work in dangerous conditions are often fired. Women are paid much less and are subject to sexual harassment.¹ Children too often work in the mines. Furthermore, mining operations contribute to the finances of militant groups, which can further press and abuse people into working for them, furthering the violence they perpetuate.² There have also been links between mining conflict minerals and rates of sexual violence and torture in a region. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo alone from 2012 to 2014, up to 90% of money from mining conflict minerals went into armed groups, and one-third of the 2 million miners were children.³

Big corporations are not the only ones who buy conflict minerals, or minerals mined in these tumultuous regions that go to fund further human suffering. Of twenty Etsy shops interviewed that had sold between 4,000 and 50,000 products since opening, only four listed what country their crystals are from, and none gave specific mines. When pressed, fourteen said their crystals were ethical, but most didn’t share details about specific mines. Even with the shop owners knowing the mines, they rely on the word of their suppliers, who in turn rely on the word of the mine owners. The mine owner could (and can) lie to the supplier, who repeats that information to the seller, who then believes they are selling ethical products.⁴ Further, there is a financial incentive for keeping quiet: if you tell everyone where you source your products, other sellers will also go to them, losing you profits.⁴⁻⁵ Finally, there are no international requirements to track crystals, so sellers/suppliers may not even have documentation on where a crystal came from.⁶

Beyond the human exploitation, there is also an environmental impact. Water is easily contaminated with byproducts from the mining itself and chemicals like battery acid, diesel, and trash associated with mining. Rivers may be diverted which can cause flooding, and pumped groundwater depletes the groundwater supply that communities may rely on as their source of fresh water. Soil may be eroded, lost, or contaminated, causing agricultural issues. Mining operations may cause the destruction of forests and savannahs, as well as poaching.⁷

If you want a 100% ethical crystal, you need to mine it or find it yourself. Since most of us can’t do that, what can we do to ensure we buy ethical crystals? Look for:⁸⁻⁹

What mine a crystal was mined in. If a supplier/seller doesn’t list this, ask. If they refuse to say, don’t buy.

Countries with strict regulations on mining. This may vary by crystal, but the US, Canada, EU, and Australia have regulations ensuring workers are safe and paid.

Supply chain transparency from the supplier/seller.

Open discussion of a mine’s working conditions, wages, and environmental impact.

Lab-grown crystals. I will discuss these further in a later post.

Certifications and complying with standards, such as the Kimberly Process for diamonds, Responsible Minerals Assurance Process, Regional Certification Mechanism, Standard for Responsible Mining, Responsible Mining Index, Fair Stone standard, Certified Trading Chains Programme, XertifiX, and the Responsible Jewellery Council, among others.

In the next part, thankfully a much lighter topic, I will discuss how crystals may be modified without changing their structure or composition.

Sources

“Technology and conflict minerals,” Ethical Consumer.

“Sexual violence and conflict minerals: international demand fuels cycle,“ - The Guardian

“Conflict minerals,“ Shop Ethical.

“Buying Ethical Crystals Shouldn’t Be This Hard,“ Cosmopolitan.

“Are crystals the new blood diamonds?“, The Guardian.

“Do You Know Where Your Healing Crystals Come From?“, The New Republic.

“Environmental Stewardship in Gemstone Mining: Quo Vadis?“,  University of Basel.

“10 Most Ethical Gemstones: Is Mining Ethically Possible?“, Our Endangered World.

“Approaches to responsible sourcing in mineral supply chains“, Resources, Conservation, and Recycling.

[bigfootbeat]

Bigfoot and Yowie: Differences and Similarities

There are two popular mythical creatures from folklore that many believe are real: the Yowie and Bigfoot. Artists depict both of these creatures as large, ape-like entities, yet they originate from distinct cultural backgrounds and geographical locations. Despite their shared similarities, they differ significantly in their origins, physical descriptions, and cultural values. The Yowie is a creature whose origins can be traced back to Australian folklore. Indigenous Australian tribes have passed down myths about the Yowie for a very long time. These myths describe the Yowie as a mysterious, hairy hominid that roams the outback. Several depictions portray it as tall, possessing characteristics akin to those of an ape or a primitive human. People often find the Yowie in secluded and wooded regions of Australia, particularly in the eastern states. Indigenous narratives often depict the Yowie as a spiritual or supernatural figure, blending elements of myth and reality.

Conversely, North American folklore primarily associates Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, with the United States of America and Canada. The Pacific Northwest is home to a large number of people who believe in the existence of Bigfoot. This region is known for its broad wilderness and dense forests, which give the ideal setting for stories about this elusive creature. People frequently portray Bigfoot as a large, ape-like figure, walking on two legs, covered in dark hair, and standing anywhere from six to nine feet tall. Bigfoot is typically considered to be a biological creature rather than a spiritual one, in contrast to Yowie. Many people interested in Bigfoot are attempting to demonstrate its existence by using tangible evidence such as footprints and photographic sightings. There is also a difference in cultural value between different types of animals. Throughout the years, the Yowie has been an integral element of Australian culture and is firmly rooted in the Aboriginal people's mythology. Often imbued with morality or caution, these tales serve as either teachings or explanations for the inexplicable aspects of nature. The other side of the coin is that Bigfoot has emerged as a significant figure in popular culture, serving as the inspiration for a huge number of television episodes, documentaries, and even commercial products. The fact that the search for Bigfoot frequently involves organized trips and scientific research reflects a more modern preoccupation with cryptozoology.

Each creature exhibits a variety of variations in the physical traits assigned to it. Stories of encounters sometimes describe the Yowie as more aggressive or terrifying. These descriptions frequently highlight the Yowie's intimidating presence. Conversely, most stories depict Bigfoot as evasive and reserved, emphasizing its ability to evade human detection. There is a possibility that these variations in disposition are a reflection of the different habitats and cultural narratives from which these species originate. Furthermore, despite the fact that Yowie and Bigfoot are both mythical ape-like animals, they are distinct from one another in terms of their origins, cultural settings, and traits. Unlike Bigfoot, a prominent figure in modern North American legend and a subject of scientific inquiry, Yowie plays a crucial role in the folklore of the Australian Aboriginal people, incorporating both spiritual and mythical elements. These disparities bring into focus the rich tapestry of human storytelling and the diverse ways in which different cultures perceive unknown aspects of the natural world.

[businessindustry]

Renewable Solvent Market Survey Insights, Outlook and Forecast 2024-2032

The Reports and Insights, a leading market research company, has recently releases report titled “Renewable Solvent Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2024-2032.” The study provides a detailed analysis of the industry, including the global Renewable Solvent Market share, size, trends, and growth forecasts. The report also includes competitor and regional analysis and highlights the latest advancements in the market.

Report Highlights:

How big is the Renewable Solvent Market?

The renewable solvent market size reached US$ 3.4 Billion in 2023. Looking forward, Reports and Insights expects the market to reach US$ 6.5 Billion by 2032, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4% during 2024-2032.

What are Renewable Solvent?                                                                                                                                                                            

Renewable solvents are eco-friendly alternatives derived from renewable sources like plants, biomass, or agricultural byproducts, aiming to replace conventional, potentially harmful petroleum-based solvents. They boast lower toxicity, biodegradability, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, making them a sustainable choice for industries such as cleaning products, coatings, and pharmaceuticals.

Request for a sample copy with detail analysis: https://www.reportsandinsights.com/sample-request/1727

What are the growth prospects and trends in the Renewable Solvent industry?

The renewable solvent market growth is driven by various factors and trends. The renewable solvent market is expanding due to growing environmental consciousness and the increasing adoption of sustainable practices. Demand is rising for renewable solvents sourced from bio-based materials like plants, biomass, and agricultural byproducts. These solvents offer advantages such as lower toxicity, biodegradability, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional petroleum-based solvents, making them appealing to industries such as cleaning products, coatings, and pharmaceuticals. As regulations become more stringent and consumer awareness increases, the global renewable solvent market is expected to keep growing. Hence, all these factors contribute to renewable solvent market growth.

What is included in market segmentation?

The report has segmented the market into the following categories:

By Type:

Bio-Alcohols

Bio-Diols

Methyl Soyate

Ethyl Lactate

Others

By Source:

Agricultural Waste

Forest Residues

Industrial Waste

Algae

Others

By Application:

Paints & Coatings

Cleaning & Degreasing

Adhesives & Sealants

Printing Inks

Pharmaceuticals

Others

By End-Use Industry:

Paints & Coatings

Pharmaceuticals

Personal Care & Cosmetics

Agriculture

Cleaning & Domestic

Others

Segmentation By Region:

North America:

United States

Canada

Asia Pacific:

China

India

Japan

South Korea

Australia & New Zealand

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Rest of Asia Pacific

Europe:

Germany

The U.K.

France

Spain

Italy

Russia

Poland

BENELUX (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg)

NORDIC (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark)

Rest of Europe

Latin America:

Brazil

Mexico

Argentina

Rest of Latin America

The Middle East & Africa:

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

South Africa

Egypt

Israel

Rest of MEA (Middle East & Africa)

Who are the key players operating in the industry?

The report covers the major market players including:

Archer Daniels Midland Company

BASF SE

BioAmber Inc.

Cargill, Incorporated

DuPont de Nemours, Inc.

Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc.

Genomatica, Inc.

Green Biologics Ltd.

Huntsman Corporation

LyondellBasell Industries N.V.

Pinova Holdings, Inc.

Solvay S.A.

The Dow Chemical Company

Vertec Biosolvents Inc.

View Full Report: https://www.reportsandinsights.com/report/Renewable Solvent-market

If you require any specific information that is not covered currently within the scope of the report, we will provide the same as a part of the customization.

About Us:

Reports and Insights consistently mееt international benchmarks in the market research industry and maintain a kееn focus on providing only the highest quality of reports and analysis outlooks across markets, industries, domains, sectors, and verticals. We have bееn catering to varying market nееds and do not compromise on quality and research efforts in our objective to deliver only the very best to our clients globally.

Our offerings include comprehensive market intelligence in the form of research reports, production cost reports, feasibility studies, and consulting services. Our team, which includes experienced researchers and analysts from various industries, is dedicated to providing high-quality data and insights to our clientele, ranging from small and medium businesses to Fortune 1000 corporations.

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[heavenforblog1111]

Drake is one of the most successful artists in the music business. He's been at the top of the game since ages. He is very active in several spheres of the entertainment industry, be it music production, NBA, fashion and so on. 'Started from the bottom' is among Drake's most popular songs and it was released on 1st February 2013 as part of his 3rd studio album 'Nothing Was the Same'. Song Meaning, Story and Review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RubBzkZzpUA Drake gained a lot of traction from this song. Back in 2013, he was a star but not at the level that he is today. A lot of people associated him with this song when it was released. It talks about humble beginnings and tough times which later transformed into heights of success in not just the music game but also business in general. Several fans questioned if his times were actually all that tough as he was talking about in the video. His parents had separated and he was living with his mother in Toronto, Canada. He spent most of his childhood in Weston Road and he described his family financial conditions as 'very poor, like broke'. Later on, he and his mother moved to Forest Hill when he was in 6th grade which was an affluent neighbourhood. He was into several disciplines at the time. He was an actor in 'Degrassi' at age 14 while also heavily into music. He released his debut mixtape 'Room for improvement' in 2006 and second mixtape 'Comeback Season' in 2007. He mentions in his lyrics about having quarrels with his mother and uncle. It could be hinting at the fact that they didn't approve of his endeavors. Drake knew the importance of connections and teamwork as he emphasizes his team in the lyrics. At the same time, he mentions how crucial it is to have true friends and know who has good intentions for you. The music video is all about him having a good time in the most luxurious amenities one can possibly have. The song can come across as rant to those who didn't believe in him and at the same time a motivational one for people to follow their dreams. That was my opinion on the song. Let me know what you all think of it in the comments below.

[rupalic]

Soil Amendments Market: Key Factors behind Market’s Rapid Growth

The soil amendments market refers to the industry involved in the production, distribution, and sale of products that are used to improve soil quality and fertility. Soil amendments are substances added to soil to enhance its physical, chemical, and biological properties, thereby creating a more favorable environment for plant growth.

The soil amendments market is poised for tremendous growth, with a predicted value of USD 6.0 billion by 2027 and a CAGR of 11.0%. The global market was assessed at USD 3.6 billion in 2022, indicating a growing need for sustainable agricultural solutions and providing multiple chances for enterprises and stakeholders to innovate and have a positive effect.

The selection of soil amendments is determined by the soil's individual needs, such as pH, nitrogen levels, and physical structure. The growing demand for soil amendments reflects growing knowledge of the benefits of organic farming practises and sustainable agriculture, as well as a desire to lessen the environmental effect of traditional farming methods.Farmers may contribute to improve soil health, minimise the use of synthetic and conventional fertilisers, and encourage more sustainable and environmentally responsible agriculture by employing soil amendments. The expansion of the market for soil amendments also represents an opportunity for firms and innovators to create new goods and technology that may assist satisfy the growing need for sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practises.

Make an Inquiry: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=129654227

The US witnesses the presence of many mines, which are associated with hard rock mining, coal mining, smelting & refining sites, and construction & refining sites. Mines not only contribute to air pollution but also to land degradation and leave the soil less fertile and vulnerable to erosion. The abandoned mines are generally present in the forest areas, reducing the overall forest productivity and timber harvest potential. Some of these are also present in rural areas with rugged terrains and limited access.

Market Drivers: Easier availability of humic substances as raw materials

Humic substances are widely distributed organic carbon-containing materials in terrestrial and aquatic environments. The availability of humic substances boosts the growth of the market. In terms of consumption of humic substances, Europe leads the market, followed by the Asia Pacific due to its easy and cheap availability in countries such as China and India. Asian countries account for a large agricultural area due to the greater availability of humic substances in this region.

The key players in this market include BASF SE (Germany), UPL Limited (India), FMC Corporation (US), Adama (Israel), Bayer (Germany), Novozymes (Denmark), Lallemand Inc (Canada), and T Stanes & Company, Evonik Industries (Germany), and Nufarm (Australia).

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=129654227

Target Audience:

Fertilizer manufacturers, formulators, and blenders

Agrochemical traders, suppliers, distributors, importers, and exporters

Raw material suppliers and technology providers to soil amendment/soil conditioner manufacturers

Agricultural co-operative societies

Fertilizer associations and industry bodies:

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFIA)

International Fertilizer Association (IFA)

European Consortium of the Organic-Based Fertilizer Industry (ECOFI)

Government agricultural departments and regulatory bodies:

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

[healthcareruhi]

Luxury Gin Market Size, Share & Trends, Analysis, Top Players, Technology and Cost Structures 2030

Market Overview

According to Analytical Market Research, the global Luxury Gin market estimated at USD 4100 million in 2022 and will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.9% from 2023 to 2030. Key players in the Luxury Gin market employ various strategies to maintain and enhance their market presence. These strategies help key players capture a significant market share and remain competitive in the dynamic Luxury Gin market. In addition to the market insights such as market value, growth rate, market segments, geographical coverage, market players, and market scenario, the market report curated includes proficient analysis, predictive analysis, prescriptive analysis, cumulative analysis, and value chain analysis. Luxury Gin MARKET DYNAMICS: KEY DRIVERS & RESTRAINTS The premiumization development in the spirits sector drives the Market Discerning consumers today seek unique and premium experiences, particularly in their choice of beverages such as luxury gins. As people become more knowledgeable about spirits, they are increasingly willing to invest in high-quality, exclusive products. Premium and luxury gins, known for superior quality, craftsmanship, and rarity, are seen as status symbols reflecting consumers' refined tastes and lifestyle choices. This trend is a significant driver of growth in the industry. High costs will restraint the market growth Luxury gins are crafted with precision, using distinctive botanicals, artisanal distillation, and premium ingredients. Their higher prices signify superior quality, creating a prestigious brand image associated with sophistication and exclusivity. Luxury gin brands aim to appeal to consumers seeking status and a distinctive drinking experience.

Read More@ https://analyticalmr.com/reports-details/Luxury-Gin-Market

How are Segments Performing in the Global Luxury Gin Market? Luxury Gin Type Segment Breakdown According to Analytical Market Research, the Luxury Gin market by type is segmented into London Dry Gin, Old Tom Gin, Plymouth Gin, Others. Luxury Gin Price Point Segment Breakdown According to Analytical Market Research, based on price point, the market is bifurcated into Standard, Premium, Luxury. Luxury Gin Distribution Channel Segment Breakdown According to Analytical Market Research, based on Distribution Channel the market is segmented into On-trade, Off-trade. Luxury Gin Geographic Exploration According to Analytical Market Research, Due to the rising consumer preference for unique, small-batch products with distinct flavors, North America is anticipated to lead the market. Craft gin producers, emphasizing quality botanicals and innovative distillation methods, have gained traction among discerning consumers. Noticeable Players Functioning in The Global Luxury Gin Market Include: • Diageo plc • Remy Cointreau • Pernod Ricard S.A. • Southwestern Distillery • William Grant & Sons Limited • Bacardi Limited • Forest Spirits’Gin • San Miguel Corporation • Davide Campari-Milano N.V.

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KEY BREAKDOWN: Luxury Gin Market By Type: • London Dry Gin • Old Tom Gin • Plymouth Gin • Others By Price Point: • Standard • Premium • Luxury By Distribution Channel: • On-trade • Off-trade Geographical Exploration: • North America o The USA o Canada o Mexico • Europe o Germany o France o UK o Italy o Spain o Rest of Europe • Asia Pacific o China o Japan o India o South Korea o South East Asia o Rest of Asia Pacific • Latin America o Brazil o Argentina o Rest of Latin America • Middle East and Africa o GCC Countries o South Africa o Rest of MEA

About Us

Welcome to Analytical Market Research, where we specialize in delivering comprehensive market research solutions to meet your business needs. Our mission is to empower businesses with actionable insights, guiding strategic decisions for sustained growth and success, we are driven by integrity, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of excellence in delivering accurate and timely market intelligence.

With a team of seasoned analysts and industry experts, we bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to every project our research methodology combines cutting-edge analytics with a deep understanding of industry dynamics, ensuring clients receive insights that drive informed decision-making.

At Analytical Market Research, client satisfaction is at the forefront, and we are committed to providing insights that address unique challenges and opportunities. We foster a culture of collaboration, creativity, and continuous learning.

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[fnbresearch]

Decorative Laminates Market Growth Brief Analysis and Forecast Research Report 2030

Insight Partners provides investors with a comprehensive study of the Decorative Laminates industry from the perspective of entrepreneurs in their most recent research report, "Decorative Laminates Market Statistics and Industry Analysis| 2030" Examining current market conditions yields insightful information for businesses.

It would be a company recipe for success to choose a Decorative Laminates market research since consumer-centric firms often provide higher returns on investment. Making a small batch of items won't be enough, given the intense competition in the Decorative Laminates industry. Businesses may estimate a product's potential and success with the use of market research.

Market Dynamics- Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, Threats

This chapter examines many factors, including opportunities, risks, constraints, and drivers, that define the Decorative Laminates market. Innovations are encouraged by true market determinants. This section focuses on the distribution of business activity and the variables that affect growth. A vast array of Decorative Laminates market-specific data is provided, enabling a preliminary assessment of market potential.

1) Competitive Comparison Matrix – Key market players and strategies

Key companies in the Decorative Laminates market are- Abet Laminati S.p.A., Archidply Industries, FunderMax GmbH, Greenlam Industries Limited, Merino Laminates (Merino Group), OMNOVA Solutions Inc., Panolam Industries International, Inc., Roseburg Forest Products Co., Stylam Industries Ltd., Wilsonart LLC. The goal of this market research chapter in Decorative Laminates is to provide businesses with a competitive comparison matrix. This section provides a comprehensive overview of rivals' business strategies and scale-ups. Businesses can use in-depth market research and target market insights to identify rivals' alternatives. Through studying rivals' offers, businesses might find new market segments and sales channels.

2) Industry Specific COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The pandemic of covid-19 caused a slowdown in startup ecosystems and businesses throughout the globe were affected. Companies suffered from a lack of capital and funds. Shortage of supplies and dependency on global networks resulted in gaps in production. Many businesses come up with new contingency plans to ensure their survival.

The wide-reaching pandemic has caused considerable disruption to economies and enterprises, as well as several hitherto unheard-of issues. Nevertheless, the full extent of the pandemic's influence is still unknown, and further in-depth longitudinal research is needed to fully explore this matter. Consequently, the purpose of this section is to shed light on the difficulties and possibilities that may arise in the new normal while keeping the pandemic in mind.

3) Segmentation of Decorative Laminates Market

The Insight Partners elaborate details on each segment associated with the Decorative Laminates market. This chapter sheds light on key segments such as product type, end-use, and regions where companies can invest and expect high ROIs in the coming decade.

Decorative Laminates Market Segmentation

Based on Raw Material of Decorative Laminates Market Research report:

General Purpose

Postforming

Special Products

Backer

Based on Type of Decorative Laminates Market Research report:

Cabinets

Furniture

Flooring

Based on Application of Decorative Laminates Market Research report:

Residential

Non-Residential

Transportation

Based on End-Use Sector of Decorative Laminates Market Research report:

Based on Regions:

North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico)

Europe (U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Central & Eastern Europe, CIS)

Asia Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, ASEAN, India, Rest of Asia Pacific)

Latin America (Brazil, Rest of Latin America)

The Middle East and Africa (Turkey, GCC, Rest of the Middle East and Africa)

Rest of the World…

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Insights on resource planning and business value proposition.

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[regard-luxury]

British Columbia Chamber Of Commerce

few individuals reside north of Prince George and Prince Rupert. British Columbia’s reliance on hydroelectricity stems from its steep and rugged landforms and ample precipitation, which together produce monumental seasonal runoffs in quite a few rivers and huge quantities of potential hydroelectric energy. Hydroelectric energy princeton was first produced on the shut of the nineteenth century from small rivers in the southwest for city customers in Victoria and Vancouver. The largest single energy site in the southwest of the province previous to 1940 was developed on Bridge River, just east

The remaining population is dispersed across the southern half of the province, mainly occupying the north-south valleys or resource-based settlements alongside the principle transportation lines. The only main farming populations live in the villager motel Okanagan Valley and dispersed alongside the freeway between Kamloops and Prince George. These linear population clusters are separated from one another by unoccupied mountain ranges. With the exception of an city and agricultural cluster within the Peace River area of the northeast,

campaigns. Through the Forest Reserve Act (1994) the provincial authorities is making an attempt to prevent comparable future confrontations by securing a industrial forest land base. In 2007 the government announced the Coastal Forest Action Plan, geared bronze sculpture canada toward enhancing the sector’s competitiveness and encouraging a shift to harvesting second-growth trees. In the 19th century BC’s pure sources supplied markets elsewhere in Anglo-America or in East Asia, or Europe.

Employees are provided aggressive compensation and benefits; ongoing learning and growth; an environment that helps health and wellness. BCI seeks funding opportunities around the world and throughout a spread of asset courses that convert savings into productive capital. Our funding returns play a big function in helping our institutional shoppers build a financially secure future for their british columbia beneficiaries. The BC Chamber of Commerce is the largest business association in British Columbia, representing 100 chambers of commerce and boards of commerce, and 36,000 companies of each size, and from each sector and region of the province. Funds generated by lottery, casinos, and sports activities betting go back to the Province to help support healthcare, schooling, and neighborhood programs all across B.C.

permanent European settlement came with the development of the fur commerce within the early nineteenth century. A flurry of exercise adopted the discovery of gold on the lower kamloops british columbia and center Fraser River (see Fraser River Gold Rush), leading to an inland system of supply and transportation along the Fraser River to the Cariboo Mountains.

Other steel mines across the Interior Plateau from close to Williams Lake to Babine Lake within the northwest have produced intermittently. Interior logs and completed forest products are all moved by street or rail and therefore all forestry-based settlements are positioned on the primary railways or highways. Unlike eastern mills, the pulp and paper mills of BC grew to become integrated into current sawmill operations and acquired a lot of their wooden fibre raw materials from product residue, such as sawdust and chips from adjoining lumber mills. The slender benches and terraces above Lake Okanagan are one of Canada's three major fruit-growing regions and an essential grape-growing area.

British Columbia’s historic websites include Fort Langley, the first fur-trading publish within the Lower Fraser Valley, Barkerville, and Fort Steele. The provincial authorities also has quite a few historical indicators at scenic pull-off sites along all main kamloops highways. The BC authorities gives monetary assistance to arts and cultural activity through the British Columbia Arts Council, an arms-length group created in 1995. After the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver the provincial government also

century, BC is one of Canada's most affluent and fastest-growing provinces. The earlier a part of the province's historical past was marred byracism, particularly the anti-Asiatic riots of 1907 and theKomagata Maruincident of 1914. Stirred up by politicians of all events, fears have been rampant that British Columbia's future as a "white province" was threatened. Kamloops is a metropolis princeton museum of round 90,000 folks situated within the central Interior, round 350 km northeast of Vancouver. The properties on evacuation order or alert because of the Ross Moore Lake fire are in a rural area south of Kamloops.

of the Coast Mountains. The southwestern energy sources have been sufficient for industrial and residential markets within the Georgia Strait area till the Sixties. The main enlargement of the forest industry came, nevertheless, after the First World War when the Panama Canal opened and gave access to markets around the north Atlantic area wolf sculptures. Since entry to capital and pure sources for export was extra necessary than ownership of farmland, BC attracted a special kind of settler from those that settled on the land on the Prairies and across japanese Canada. Europeans arrived on the northwest coast a lot later than they did other areas of the continent.

[xtruss]

Photographs by Clark Hodgin for The New Yorker

Trying to Breathe in a City of Smoke

As the world warms and Canada burns, what once seemed unprecedented is becoming familiar.

— By Carolyn Kormann | June 7, 2023

When the smoke comes, you notice it in your body before you see it in the air. On Monday evening, I went for a run and then felt queasy and lethargic. Only on Tuesday did I notice the haze in Manhattan. By Tuesday night, the air smelled like barbecue. On the half-mile walk to my yoga studio, I saw a few people in N95 masks, and I wished I had worn mine. I started to get nauseated; my eyes felt itchy. A young man on the street cried out, “Those Canadian wildfires are sick, bro!” Online, someone tweeted about the “Blade Runner-ass weather.” I half expected the neighborly camaraderie that arises during intense storms and lunar eclipses, but mostly people just squinted and carried on. I worried about Frannie, my ninety-six-year-old landlady, who had walked four blocks to a neighborhood restaurant and back. She told me that she didn’t notice the smoke.

By Wednesday morning, ash was falling in northern New York. School trips and soccer games were cancelled. A friend texted, “Are you going to go outside and take a few drags off the sky?” I heard of a woman sitting on her front steps, struggling to breathe even with the help of oxygen. Friends of friends were reminded of places like Delhi, where daily exposure to severe air pollution can be deadly. New York City recorded the worst air pollution of any major city in the world, according to the company IQAir, and it was still getting worse. Just after noon, the magnolia and tulip trees outside my window shook violently in the wind. As weather forecasters had promised, a wall of smoke blew into Manhattan. At a Broadway matinée, the actress Jodie Comer said that she couldn’t breathe and left the stage.

The smoke was coming from Canada, where more than four hundred wildfires are currently burning. We do not know what caused many of them—a dropped cigarette, lightning, a downed electrical wire—but they are raging through the boreal forests of British Columbia, Alberta, and now Quebec. Wildfires are nothing new in these woodlands, but these are much earlier and larger than usual. And, like so many recent fires, they are directly linked to weeks of anomalous extreme heat. Climate change has created longer, hotter summers; worsened droughts; and fuelled vast bark-beetle infestations that have killed billions of trees.

We keep experiencing things that are unprecedented, worse than anything anyone can remember, even as we’re told that they will become common. “You’re likely to see events like this more often, where you have prolonged heat that dries out forests and makes these fires more likely,” Marshall Burke, a professor at Stanford University, and a leading expert on wildfire-smoke exposure and impacts, told me. Burke has plotted the levels of fine particles, which scientists call PM2.5 because they are 2.5 microns or smaller, in the past seventeen years of New York City air. The past two days, he said, have been off the charts. But even these levels didn’t reach what West Coast cities, including San Francisco and Seattle, have experienced in the past few years.

“There is no safe exposure to PM2.5,” Burke told me. In the past decade, research has shown that these particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, enter the bloodstream, and even reach the brain. They are associated with heart attacks and dementia. Even among healthy people, Burke and his team have found that, with higher levels of air pollution, cognitive performance decreases, and workers are less productive. There is a very strong relationship between even just short-term smoke exposure and poor pregnancy outcomes—in particular, preterm birth. Research by Burke and his collaborators has concluded that, when there are fifty micrograms per cubic metre of PM2.5 in the air, emergency-department visits for asthma tend to double. Burke checked New York’s numbers at that moment, around 1 p.m., and saw that they had reached about a hundred and fifty micrograms. “That’s just crazy,” Burke told me.

I told Burke that smoke had begun to seep into my office, like a deskside bonfire. “This is a really important point,” Burke said. “I mean, we can stay inside, but being inside is imperfect.” He pulled up a map of indoor air quality, which draws on data from citizen scientists who are publicly sharing measurements from their air monitors. “I’m just looking at Manhattan right now,” he told me. “I can see inside people’s homes, and they’re at sixty, or even above a hundred micrograms inside.” This is far above the threshold, outdoors, that would double emergency-room visits for asthma. In poorer communities, highways, power plants, and leaky buildings often make this problem persistent.

By one-thirty, the world through my window looked sepia. The sky turns orange because only longer wavelengths of light penetrate the smoke. Frannie, my elderly landlady, was now concerned. She has spent her life in New York and has never seen anything like this. She put on a mask inside; so did I. I worried about my sister, a teacher in Yonkers, who has bad asthma and felt light-headed and dizzy. “I’m feeling a little nervous and scared,” she told me in a voice mail. “I have students who are asthmatics, too. It’s really eerie to see how it’s bright yellow outside, and you can see the smoke sitting. Nothing that we’ve ever experienced here. Makes me feel more for those that experience this out West. Also, a good teaching opportunity.” She meant, quite literally, a science lesson about air-quality levels and their resulting health impacts. But what is it supposed to teach us? We know the story of the climate crisis, of how wealthy nations have burned fossil fuels at an astonishing rate, pushing our planet to the brink. Yet we live as though we do not, and we breathe the consequences. ♦

[ohcanadashop]

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[jminter]

Picks of the Week - April 19, 2023

These April showers are getting tedious so let's amuse ourselves some entertaining picks of the week. Tastes: Tonight, Vancouver Foodster and Tasting Plates YVR take patrons on an exploration of flavours around Vancouver on the Asian Eats Tasting Tour. Trailblazer: There's still a few days left to see Gateway Theatre's presentation of the critically-acclaimed musical Hey Viola! starring Krystle Dos Santos as Canadian civil rights icon Viola Desmond before it closes April 22.   Bloom: The Fraser Valley’s annual burst of spring colour returns today, Wednesday, April 19 with the 17th annual edition of the Chilliwack Tulip Festival bursting into bloom for the next few weeks.

17th Annual Chilliwack Tulip Festival opens today Festival: Continuing until May 28th, Urban Ink and The Cultch welcome new works and past favourites to a free, all-digital TRANSFORM Cabaret Festival focuses on empowering Indigenous artists and encouraging collaboration with non-Indigenous artists. Cabaret: At The Arts Club Granville Island Stage, until April 30, Rubaboo is a theatrical indigenous cabaret, guided by powerhouse Métis performer Andrea Menard, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and actor. Featuring the sounds of drums and guitar, this grand musical feast includes songs of reconciliation, unity, love, frustration, and resilience. Improvise: The Improv Centre on Granville Island debuts its spring show, Bring Back The ‘90s!, on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm from April 21 to May 27, with a special opening night on Thursday, April 20 at 7:30pm. Concert: Friday at Christ Church Cathedral, Early Music Vancouver presents La Rêveuse in The Birds Concert, an association of birdsong with the music of the 17th and 18th centuries Dance: The April edition of The Dance Centre’s Discover Dance! series features Lamondance in a double bill of vibrant contemporary works on Thursday April 20th at 12 noon Scotiabank Dance Centre Laughs: Deconstructing a chef’s journey from food to comedy, Canadian Comedian Ali Hassan is bringing his hilarious show titled Does This Taste Funny?  to Anvil Theatre in New Westminster, April 19. 

Exhibition: From this Saturday, April 22 to June 11, Richmond Art Gallery, in partnership with the Richmond Public Library, presents A Small but Comfy House and Maybe a Dog the first major solo exhibition by Amy Ching-Yan Lam, guest curated by Su-Ying Lee, featuring sculptures made in collaboration with HaeAhn Woo Kwon, with objects from the collections of the Gallery and the neighbouring Richmond Public Library. Femme: The Cultch’s sixth annual Femme Festival features seven performances from women in music, theatre, dance, comedy, and circus, on its three stages continuing until May 14, 2023. Gallery: On display until May 14, Polygon Gallery presents As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic Curated by Elliott Ramsey, the exhibition is organized by Aperture and features more than 100 photographs from the Wedge Collection — Canada’s largest privately owned collection committed to championing Black artists. Comedy: Running to May 7, The Firehall Arts Centre and Savage Society present the remount of Taran Kootenhayoo’s White Noise, a comedy about two families who have dinner together for the first time during Truth and Reconciliation week.

White Noise - Braiden Houle & Anais West photo from 2022 production, credit: Moonrider Productions Photography: Keep your eyes open until April 30 for the the Capture Photography Festival, Western Canada’s largest lens-based art festival, pops up at dozens of galleries and other venues throughout Metro Vancouver, also including an extensive Public Art Program, an Events Program including tours, films, artist talks, and community events as well as an educational partnership with Emily Carr University. Hawaii: You only have until April 23rd to take off to the sun as Hawaii From Above takes flight at Fly Over Canada, bringing its lush forests and flowing waterfalls to sandy beaches and dazzling shorelines to the Canada Place attraction Read the full article

[college-girl199328]

A few lines in business news last week marked the emergence of a new powerhouse in Canada's forestry sector, as a company called Paper Excellence officially gobbled up Montreal-based Resolute Forest Products.

After 15 years of buying up Canadian pulp, paper, and lumber mills, Paper Excellence is now the largest paper mill in the country, with about 20 percent of all mill capacity—50 percent more than its closest rival, Canfor, according to data from pulp-market analysts TTOBMA.

But for such a major player, Paper Excellence is remarkably quiet about the inner workings of its business.

Who exactly runs the company? Who is Jackson Wijaya, the elusive founder and CEO, from whom it borrows billions of dollars to fund its acquisitions, and what does it plan to do with the nearly 22 million hectares of Canadian forest it now manages--an area four times the size of Nova Scotia?

The answers are hugely important for one of Canada's most iconic natural resources, its immense tracts of forest.

"Jackson Wijaya established Paper Excellence… with a dream to build a strong business in the pulp and paper industry in the Americas and Europe," the company said in a statement to CBC and five other media outlets last week, and is to create and develop a healthy and sustainable business."

But a months-long investigation by CBC News, in collaboration with Canadian and international media partners as part of a wider look at the global forestry industry by 40 media outlets under the umbrella of the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, has found that reality and rhetoric often don't align.

The people behind or associated with Paper Excellence appear to have a pattern of using thickets of corporations, including in tax havens, to effectively shield transactions and assets from public and government scrutiny.

The company won't open up about its past financing, some of which was facilitated by the China Development Bank, which is owned by the Chinese government.

CBC's investigation also found leaked records and insider accounts that show that Paper Excellence, at least until a few years ago, appeared to have been closely and secretly coordinating business and strategy decisions with Asia Pulp & Paper, one of the world's biggest pulp and paper players, which has a track record of environmental destruction.

"It's not normal for a company that has such a huge impact on such a vast area of forests, which goes to the heart of Canadian identity in so many ways… "A company with such impact wouldn't have transparency," said Shane Moffatt, head of the nature and food campaign with Greenpeace Canada.

Ask Greenpeace or any of a dozen environmental groups why they're concerned about Paper Excellence, and they link it immediately to a conglomerate called Sinar Mas. Owned and run by a billionaire Indonesian family of Chinese origin, the Wijayas family has interests in palm oil, real estate, financial services, and a controlling stake in Asia Pulp & Paper (APP).

Sinar Mas and its subsidiaries have been the target of environmental advocacy groups for years, with reports of tropical rainforest clearing, peatland destruction, and "extensive ties" to companies linked to fires and deforestation in Indonesia.

In 2007, APP lost its sustainability certification from the Forest Stewardship Council "because of substantial, publicly available information that APP was involved in destructive forestry practices," the FSC said. It has never regained it.

And that's where it gets tricky. Paper Excellence's official founder and CEO, Jackson Wijaya, is the grandson of the tycoon who created Sinar Mas in the 1960s and has held numerous positions with Sinar Mas, including as a director of an APP China holding company and offshore corporations set up in the tax haven of Barbados. 

In return, he's benefited from his family's wealth and financial connections.

The first Canadian mill acquired, in Meadow Lake, Sask., in 2007, operated under the Sinar Mas banner for several years; the mill's website said it had been purchased by an Indonesia-based company in 2008; Paper Excellence was incorporated in the Netherlands next year; it was still a fledgling company, yet it received a $17-million US loan at near-zero interest from family-owned Bank International Ningbo.

Now, 16 years later, Paper Excellence insists there are no ties between the two sides.

"Paper Excellence is owned solely by Jackson Wijaya and is completely independent of Asia Pulp & Paper," it said in a statement to the CBC and its media partners last week, "and has never been or is the ultimate owner or controller of any of the companies in Paper Excellence."

That air of independence is important to its business. Most of Paper Excellence's operations have some kind of FSC certification, which enables a pulp-and-paper company to command higher prices for its output and attract environmentally conscious brands, which are shown to be a branch of the disqualified APP Excellence and could put its certification at risk.

The company's claims of independence are also impossible to verify as a private corporation, and despite saying it's Canadian-based, its ownership chain actually traces through companies set up in the Netherlands, Malaysia, the Malaysian offshore jurisdiction of Labuan, and two shell companies in the British Virgin Islands.

CBC and its media partners, including Glacier Media in B.C., the Halifax Examiner, Radio France, and the French newspaper Le Monde, twice asked Paper Excellence to provide some kind of proof of who really owns its company; it did not.

Behind the scenes, though, there is evidence that Paper Excellence and Asia Pulp & Paper have worked cheek by-jowl on everything from regulatory submissions to supply and pricing, at least until a few years ago.

Emails and internal company documents first obtained by the Halifax Examiner show there was close cooperation between APP staff in China and Paper Excellence personnel over a relatively short period of time in the late 2010s; these are not necessarily indicative of either company's practices today.

In 2017, for instance, Paper Excellence's Vancouver-based sales executive Edwin Widjaja emailed a vice president at APP in China, asking for information on how much he should charge a potential client for a kind of wood pulp known as unbleached kraft, or UKP.

The reply came quickly, in the form of a directive now: "Don't sell any UKP to non-sister mills," the APP executive wrote first, while we decide in a couple of days on what to do for 2018, and please don't commit to any long-term contracts till we get our UKP study done." 

The next year, a sales executive for Paper Excellence's two mills in France had an email exchange with the same APP vice president in China, also about unbleached kraft, and asked for a monthly breakdown of how much one of the French mills was going to produce, so "we can plan ahead of time how to introduce this new pulp to our customers."

The exchanges blur the line between corporate entities that are supposedly independent, which is a red flag, according to Ottawa-based competition expert Keldon Bester.

"That kind of language is red meat for antitrust enforcers," he said to your competitors about quantity and distribution."

The leaked records were provided to the Halifax Examiner and later to CBC by a source who said that Paper Excellence's real nerve centre wasn't in Richmond, B.C., but in Shanghai, in the same offices as APP; in fact, at the time, Paper Excellence's entire back office, including the teams handling legal, accounting, finance, and market analysis, was run by APP, and there were no boundaries between staff working for one or the other company.

The source said, for example, that the sales manager for Paper Excellence's subsidiary in France attended strategy meetings at APP's Shanghai offices with other APP teams from Asia and Europe.

"It's extremely nebulous; you never know who's working for who," another former executive at that French subsidiary told CBC's reporting partner Le Monde, on condition of confidentiality because he still works in the industry.

But an employee who worked for APP for nearly a decade said that didn't reflect his experience, which was that APP and Paper Excellence were "pretty well siloed."

However, records show APP employees seem to have handled important Paper Excellence business outright with outside lawyers, and the in-house legal department stickhandled submissions to Chinese antitrust authorities when Paper Excellence wanted to buy the Eldorado pulp mill in south-central Brazil; ironically, the drafts even went so far as to list APP as a competitor of Paper Excellence.

Paper Excellence did not respond to our inquiries about the above allegations.

APP said any suggestion that its staff have worked on behalf of or alongside Paper Excellence is wrong and has not shared confidential information with Paper Excellence nor have its employees engaged in any work with Paper Excellence," the company said in response to questions from CBC and its media partners.

Bester said the Competition Bureau's process doesn't provide much opportunity for the public to know what a company did or didn't disclose.

"If the bureau has been misled or things have been omitted that are relevant to the competition analysis, the bureau would be extremely interested in knowing that for sure because we don't know what they were and were not provided with."

It takes billions of dollars to build a new, world-class pulp mill. Paper Excellence's expansion in Canada deliberately took a different tack. Its early acquisitions initially under the Sinar Mas banner, and later in its name were older, often shuttered or insolvent mills in B.C. and Saskatchewan.

But then there were costs for upgrades and repairs, and the company's ambitions grew.

By 2012, Paper Excellence sought big financing which came in the form of a credit of $1.25 billion US obtained from a Chinese government-owned bank.

CBC's investigation has revealed that the China Development Bank had mortgages with a debenture for that amount on three Canadian pulp mills owned by Paper Excellence starting in August 2012 as part of the security for financing that was repayable on demand.

Paper Excellence would not answer questions about how much of that credit it drew on, nor why it sought financing through a Chinese government-owned bank.

The loan was typical of many of the bank's investments at the time, said Rebecca Ray, a senior academic researcher at Boston University's Global Development Policy Center and China Development Bank.

"The kind of very large-scale financing that you were talking about in 2012 for raw commodity production, that comes as no surprise to me in that's the same kind of financing in those years that we see to major commodity producers around the world … as China is establishing the supply chains that it needs to support its new cities."

The discharge of the loan also corresponds to a time frame when the China Development Bank was pulling back from large loans to natural resource companies. This was in favour of the government's revised policy of smaller, more strategic lending, she said.

Throughout 2020, the mortgages on the Meadow Lake, Mackenzie, and Howe Sound mills were discharged and replaced with loans from two Indonesian government-owned banks, Bank Mandiri and Bank Negara Indonesia, which can now be repaid as needed.

The financing to Paper Excellence is the only time the China Development Bank or the Indonesian banks have registered any mortgages in British Columbia, the province's land records show.

The company didn't directly answer why it chose to finance in this way. "Paper Excellence constantly reviews market conditions and market circumstances in determining its financing strategies/options," the company said last week.

"To see that one of the biggest forestry players on Crown land in eastern Canada is an Indonesian giant, formerly financed by China, is not reassuring to us. We do not want to plunder our forests here in Quebec," said Daniel Cloutier, executive director of the Unifor local that represents unionized workers at Resolute and Domtar.

Lumber and forestry have long been of interest to China, and the China Development Bank often plays a key role in advancing the country's goals, says Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a former top official in the federal government's Industry and Natural Resources departments, and an expert on China.

"It's often one of the first organizations in the door when China wants to enter a market and acquire resources in another country," McCuaig-Johnston said.

McCuaig-Johnston said companies owned by foreign interests with Chinese partners could decide to export their production to China and Indonesia.

"The reason Canadians should care is that we have seen in China's behaviour in other resource companies that they will often export all of the product to China for China's use," she said. "Canada needs its products from its natural resources and we need to be assured that we will have access to them."

[sciencespies]

Traffic pollution impairs brain function

https://sciencespies.com/environment/traffic-pollution-impairs-brain-function/

Traffic pollution impairs brain function

A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria has shown that common levels of traffic pollution can impair human brain function in only a matter of hours.

The peer-reviewed findings, published in the journal Environmental Health, show that just two hours of exposure to diesel exhaust causes a decrease in the brain’s functional connectivity — a measure of how The study provides the first evidence in humans, from a controlled experiment, of altered brain network connectivity induced by air pollution.

“For many decades, scientists thought the brain may be protected from the harmful effects of air pollution,” said senior study author Dr. Chris Carlsten, professor and head of respiratory medicine and the Canada Research Chair in occupational and environmental lung disease at UBC. “This study, which is the first of its kind in the world, provides fresh evidence supporting a connection between air pollution and cognition.”

For the study, the researchers briefly exposed 25 healthy adults to diesel exhaust and filtered air at different times in a laboratory setting. Brain activity was measured before and after each exposure using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

The researchers analyzed changes in the brain’s default mode network (DMN), a set of inter-connected brain regions that play an important role in memory and internal thought. The fMRI revealed that participants had decreased functional connectivity in widespread regions of the DMN after exposure to diesel exhaust, compared to filtered air.

“We know that altered functional connectivity in the DMN has been associated with reduced cognitive performance and symptoms of depression, so it’s concerning to see traffic pollution interrupting these same networks,” said Dr. Jodie Gawryluk, a psychology professor at the University of Victoria and the study’s first author. “While more research is needed to fully understand the functional impacts of these changes, it’s possible that they may impair people’s thinking or ability to work.”

Taking steps to protect yourself

Notably, the changes in the brain were temporary and participants’ connectivity returned to normal after the exposure. Dr. Carlsten speculated that the effects could be long lasting where exposure is continuous. He said that people should be mindful of the air they’re breathing and take appropriate steps to minimize their exposure to potentially harmful air pollutants like car exhaust.

“People may want to think twice the next time they’re stuck in traffic with the windows rolled down,” said Dr. Carlsten. “It’s important to ensure that your car’s air filter is in good working order, and if you’re walking or biking down a busy street, consider diverting to a less busy route.”

While the current study only looked at the cognitive impacts of traffic-derived pollution, Dr. Carlsten said that other products of combustion are likely a concern.

“Air pollution is now recognized as the largest environmental threat to human health and we are increasingly seeing the impacts across all major organ systems,” says Dr. Carlsten. “I expect we would see similar impacts on the brain from exposure to other air pollutants, like forest fire smoke. With the increasing incidence of neurocognitive disorders, it’s an important consideration for public health officials and policymakers.”

The study was conducted at UBC’s Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, located at Vancouver General Hospital, which is equipped with a state-of-the-art exposure booth that can mimic what it is like to breathe a variety of air pollutants. In this study, which was carefully designed and approved for safety, the researchers used freshly-generated exhaust that was diluted and aged to reflect real-world conditions.

#Environment