[Biofuel] Biofuel way forward for PNG | Papua New Guinea Today
http://news.pngfacts.com/2015/02/biofuel-way-forward-for-png.html Published On:February 26, 2015 Biofuel way forward for PNG Not everything we throw away is useless, what can be used again that is environmentally friendly should be utilised. It was this idea that drove a Pacific Adventists University (PAU) project to turn used cooking oil into reliable bio-fuel to use on generators and vehicles as a substitute fuel. Speaking during a tour of the processing facility today, Higher Education Minister, Malakai Tabar said such a project will still get the government support as it creates environmentally products that is cheap to produce and reliable for customer usage. “I see this as a major area of research and I am happy to have a strong team lead by a professor,” Tabar said Tabar also stressed more in doing research to get vital information to enable PNG excel in the future and this project is testimony of good research assisted by the government to come up with innovative ways to produce substitute fuels. Meantime, the project has five main objectives to achieve, first is to promote and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, produce quality bio-diesel from used cooking oil, to promote an alternative bio- diesel fuel used by diesel vehicle, register approved bio- diesel standard with NISIT and contribute to the development of bio- diesel policies. The project takes used cooking oil from hotels in the city and processed at the campus. Currently, they’re only using it on vehicles on campus as an experiment; future expansion of the project will depend on the fuel passing international standards first. ___ Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel
[Biofuel] Biodiesel Magazine -EU biofuels policy winner is petroleum
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/319850/eu-biofuels-policy-winner-is-petroleum EU biofuels policy winner is petroleum The European Parliament's Environment Committee passed a draft law Feb. 24 capping first-generation biofuels at 6 percent of transportation energy consumption by 2020 By Ron Kotrba | February 25, 2015 A contentious draft law to cap the consumption of traditional biofuels such as biodiesel from rapeseed and ethanol from grain was approved Feb. 24 by the EU Parliament’s Environment Committee. Current legislation requires EU member states to ensure that renewable energy accounts for at least 10 percent of energy consumption in transportation by 2020, but the newly approved draft law by lead member of the EU Parliament Nils Torvalds caps first-generation biofuels at 6 percent. The draft law also dictates that advanced biofuels, sourced from “seaweed or certain types of waste,” should account for at least 1.25 percent of energy consumption in transport by 2020. “This has been an enormously challenging file,” said Torvalds, “and at the same time a very interesting one. And it’s complicated technically and technologically. I love this kind of political challenge and hope we will take it to a good result in the trilogues,” he said after the committee’s amendments to the draft law were approved by a vote of 39 to 26, with four abstentions. “The result of this vote shows that the European Parliament is backing an extremely negative position on biofuels, making fossil diesel and gasoline the real winner,” the European Biodiesel Board said in an emotionally charged statement. EBB Secretary General Raffaello Garofalo said, “Today’s approval of radical Torvalds’ position against any biofuels compromise is a bad news for Europe. It brings the unreasonable [indirect land use change (ILUC)] fight one step forward in an escalation where the losers are European citizens and the winner is fossil petrol.” In its response to the vote, the EBB also stated that “all the direct advantages linked to European-made biofuels risk to be lost and a whole EU economic sector risks to disappear if antibiofuel radical crusaders will force their extreme arguments amid a more and more confused fight.” “In its symbolic fight, the parliament voluntarily ignored recent international ISO evidence that ILUC figures are completely unreliable,” Garofalo said. “We trust member states to reestablish as a priority the interest of EU citizens to benefit of all the advantages coming from EU-made biodiesel.” The board noted that a future with ILUC factors and without biodiesel will drive to huge losses in terms of EU jobs and economic activity, GHG emission abatement, security of energy supply and reduced vegetable proteins deficit. “Since today’s radical vote made any compromise less and less reachable, it is probably time to decide what will be more beneficial for EU citizens: a confused and disruptive ILUC legislation, or long-term, positive support to sustainable EU biodiesel as an alternative to fossil fuels GHGs and massive diesel imports from Russia.” Torvalds received a mandate to start negotiations for a second reading agreement, which may take place this spring. ___ Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel
[Biofuel] Biodiesel Magazine - The Latest News and Data About Biodiesel Production
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/319087/plant-built-by-pacific-biodiesel-up-for-online-auction-feb-24-26 Plant built by Pacific Biodiesel up for online auction Feb. 24-26 By Ron Kotrba | February 24, 2015 A 2.5 MMgy multifeedstock biodiesel plant built by Pacific Biodiesel is being sold in an online auction by West Auctions, with bids being accepted 10 a.m. Pacific Time on Feb. 24 through 10 a.m. PT Feb. 26. The plant was built in 2006-’07 by Pacific Biodiesel for Energy Alternative Solutions Inc. and has been ordered by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to be sold. According to West Auctions, the plant is complete and ready for production, with an aggregate tank capacity of 112,000 gallons. The entire 10,000-square-foot plant is to be sold as one complete unit; it will not be piecemealed out. The plant includes a Shockwave Power Reactor by Hydro Dynamics Inc., various mixer, reactor and wash tanks, a Laars hydronic boiler/heating unit, and much more. For a complete list of equipment, and bidding information, click here. The plant is located in Gonzales, California. ___ Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel
[Biofuel] DOE announces up to $10 million in funding for seven biofuel projects : Biofuels Digest
http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2015/02/24/doe-announces-up-to-10-million-in-funding-for-seven-biofuel-projects/ [links in on-line article] DOE announces up to $10 million in funding for seven biofuel projects February 24, 2015 | Meghan Sapp In Washington, the Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office announced the selection of seven projects across the country to receive up to $10 million to support innovative technologies and solutions to help advance bioenergy development. These projects will support BETO’s work to develop renewable and cost-competitive biofuels from nonfood biomass feedstocks by reducing the risk associated with potentially breakthrough approaches and technologies. Metabolix, Inc. of Cambridge, Massachusetts, in collaboration with North Carolina State University, will receive up to $2 million to develop a nongenetically modified, nonfood feedstock, Camelina sativa, with significantly increased seed yield and oil content to maximize oil yields per acre, thereby enabling the widespread use of a currently underutilized nonfood feedstock. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory of Richland, Washington, in collaboration with MicroBio Engineering Inc., will receive up to $900,000 to develop a process to produce microalgae directly from CO2 in air at high productivities, thereby decoupling algal growth from CO2 sources. The Ohio State University of Columbus, Ohio, in collaboration with the University of Alabama and Green Biologics Inc., will receive up to $1.2 million to develop a cellulosic butanol production process with high productivities, yields, and carbon conversion through novel metabolic engineering of two different pathways. The University of California, Riverside of Riverside, California, in collaboration with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and CogniTek, will receive up to $1 million to further develop a cosolvent pretreatment for high yields of clean fuel precursor fractions that can significantly improve downstream chemical catalytic upgrading to final biofuel additives. OPX Biotechnologies of Boulder, Colorado, will receive up to $2 million to develop the production of cost-competitive C8 fatty acid derivatives (that can readily be converted to high-performance lubricants and synthetic oils) from cellulosic sugars via novel metabolic engineering pathways. Kiverdi Inc. of Berkeley, California, in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will receive up to $2 million to further develop processes and genetic tools to produce hydrocarbons in previously unengineered bacteria that directly utilize biomass-derived syngas for growth. The Gas Technology Institute of Des Plaines, Illinois, in collaboration with W.R. Grace and Co. and Michigan Technological University, will receive up to $1.4 million to develop a process to catalytically convert biomass and methane into hydrocarbon liquid fuels and chemicals at high yields, while simultaneously decreasing hydrogen consumption. ___ Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel
[Biofuel] Biodiesel Magazine - The Latest News and Data About Biodiesel Production
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/319210/iowa-road-funding-bill-passes-with-reduced-tax-rate-for-b11 Iowa road funding bill passes with reduced tax rate for B11 By The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association | February 24, 2015 The Iowa Legislature created a 3-cent per gallon differential tax rate for B11 and higher biodiesel blends in the road funding legislation passed Feb. 24. This provision is expected to boost the availability and sales of cleaner-burning, locally produced biodiesel. The bill was passed today by a vote of 28 to 21 in the Iowa Senate, and a vote of 53 to 46 in the Iowa House. It now heads to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. Under the legislation, diesel fuel will be taxed at a rate of 32.5 cents per gallon. However, if diesel fuel is blended with 11 percent or more of biodiesel, the state excise tax is reduced to only 29.5 cents per gallon. The 3-cent per gallon differential for B11 and higher blends will go into effect on July 1, 2015. “The biodiesel community thanks the Iowa Legislature for its commitment to increasing the use and availability of higher biodiesel blends,” stated Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Policy Director Grant Menke. “The 3-cent differential for blends containing at least 11 percent biodiesel will be a useful tool to build upon the progress we’ve made in cleaning up our air and supporting our economy through the use of homegrown Iowa biodiesel. The B11 differential further demonstrates Iowa’s policy leadership in expanding market access and consumer choice for renewable fuels.” “With no end in sight on the federal policy uncertainty for biodiesel, I am grateful the Iowa Legislature took this opportunity to drive sales of higher biodiesel blends,” stated IRFA Vice President and Western Dubuque Biodiesel General Manager Tom Brooks. “This 3-cent differential for B11 and higher blends represents another step forward for the economic, environmental and energy security benefits that come along with a strong Iowa biodiesel community.” Biodiesel is made from a wide range of feedstocks, including soybean oil, animal fats, distillers corn oil, and used cooking oil. Iowa produced 227 million gallons of biodiesel in 2014, roughly 16 percent of U.S. biodiesel production for the year. According to the EPA, biodiesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 57 percent to 86 percent compared with petroleum diesel. Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable fuels production. Iowa has 12 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce nearly 315 million gallons annually. In addition, Iowa has 43 ethanol refineries capable of producing more than 3.8 billion gallons annually, including 22 million gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production capacity and one cellulosic ethanol facility currently under construction. ___ Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel
[Biofuel] U.S. Crude Oil Inventories 8.427M vs. 3.983M forecast By Investing.com
http://www.investing.com/news/economic-indicators/u.s.-crude-oil-inventories-8.427m-vs.-3.983m-forecast-329599 U.S. Crude Oil Inventories 8.427M vs. 3.983M forecast Feb 25, 2015 03:30PM GMT Investing.com - U.S. crude oil inventories rose more-than-expected last month, official data showed on Wednesday. In a report, Energy Information Administration said that U.S. Crude Oil Inventories rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 8.427M, from 7.716M in the preceding month. Analysts had expected U.S. Crude Oil Inventories to rise 3.983M last month. http://www.investing.com/news/economic-indicators/u.s.-natural-gas-storage--219b-vs.--241b-forecast-329847 U.S. Natural Gas Storage -219B vs. -241B forecast Feb 26, 2015 03:30PM GMT Investing.com - U.S. natural gas storage fell less-than-expected last month, official data showed on Thursday. In a report, Energy Information Administration said that U.S. Natural Gas Storage fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of -219B, from -111B in the preceding month. Analysts had expected U.S. Natural Gas Storage to fall -241B last month. ___ Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel
[Biofuel] Political activist Ken Stone takes CSIS to task for alleged harassment | rabble.ca
http://rabble.ca/news/2015/02/political-activist-ken-stone-takes-csis-to-task-alleged-harassment Political activist Ken Stone takes CSIS to task for alleged harassment By Paul Weinberg | February 25, 2015 What is it like to be targeted by Canada's spy agency? Veteran anti-war and environmental activist Ken Stone knows firsthand and is willing to talk about it. The retired school teacher is presently taking the legal route: making a formal complaint against the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). This action follows the sudden appearance of two agents at his Hamilton home two years ago. The visit was not warranted under the mandate of CSIS. It caused anxiety for me and my family. It was an attempt to intimidate me, and my family members in lawfully exercising our charter rights, of freedom of speech and association, and my right to criticize the government of Canada, and its policies, said Stone. The Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC) will be holding an in-camera hearing on March 26 and 27, where Lawyer Bijon Roy will present Stone's complaint against CSIS and CSIS will offer its rebuttal. Roy says Stone's unusual experience might be a sign of what's to come after the Conservatives push through Bill C-51's controversial measures, which will expand the scope of surveillance, targeting and disruption of dissenting groups in Canada. Roy has encountered other politically active people who have had similar CSIS visits, both at home and at work. However, hardly anyone chooses to challenge these unannounced CSIS visits, as has Ken Stone. I have heard from a number of people who have had these visits. They have expressed to me their main concern is -- neither they nor their families, acquaintances or community members become aware of that or are affected by that. They are certainly afraid of personal consequences, said Roy. A visit from CSIS reinforces the sense that a designated person is on the radar of Canada's security agency. Roy said, from personal experience, that it can even intimidate the most politically committed person and force them to scale back their activity. He cited the example of CSIS visits to pipeline protestors. People say 'you know what? I am not going to write a letter to the editor, I am not going to go to that protest, I am not going to sign that petition, because I didn't really think doing that was going to put me on a list or attract scrutiny from an agency like CSIS,' said Roy. Stone, however, appears impervious to these fears, perhaps because he is retired. He says he doesn't have to worry about a school board, a principal or a parent making fuss about him in front of students in the classroom. As to why the visit took place [at Ken Stone's home], the main reasons I can think of would be an effort to intimidate, to gather information, to potentially ascertain whether the person might be capable of being recruited as a source down the road. Clearly, [CSIS] picked the wrong person to contact and it has blown up in their faces, said security and intelligence expert Steve Hewitt. Stone is a high profile activist in Hamilton, marshalling protests against military intervention in Muslim lands, fighting the local transportation of tar sands oil via Enbridge's Line 9 and writing op-ed pieces in the city's daily newspaper, the Spectator. His activism goes back to the 1960s when he was, by chance, placed in a Toronto holding cell with future Toronto mayor John Sewell, for allegedly creating a disturbance during an anti-Vietnam war demo in front of the U.S. consulate. Later, Stone managed to obtain from the Library of Parliament a scrupulously-documented 700-page file that the RCMP kept on him, detailing minutes of political meetings he had attended and the notorious Profunc list of so-called communists targeted for a planned (but never carried out) police roundup and indefinite detention during the Cold War. The trouble with CSIS all started one day in January 2013 when Stone was sitting with his computer on the front porch of his home and there was a knock on the door. At the door, he was confronted by two young women in black suits who shoved a badge into his sight to show they were from CSIS. They asked if he was Ken Stone. [What they wore] was like a uniform except it didn't have insignia. They looked like police officers, he says. When Stone confirmed his identity, the agents inquired about Stone's October 2011 trip to Iran and a subsequent opinion piece in the Spectator. We assume you have positive things to say about Iran and we want to hear your views on Iran, and we want to know your relationship with the government of Iran, said Stone, paraphrasing what the agents told him. Suffice to say, Stone refused to converse with the CSIS agents any further. Instead, he took their business card and said his good byes. They were not very happy; I could see by their faces, he
[Biofuel] Extreme weather alert: Climate change is real | rabble.ca
http://rabble.ca/columnists/2015/02/extreme-weather-alert-climate-change-real Extreme weather alert: Climate change is real By Amy Goodman | February 26, 2015 U.S. President Barack Obama issued the third veto in his more than six years in office, rejecting S.1 (Senate Bill One), the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act. This was the new congressional Republican majority's first bill this year, attempting to force the construction of a pipeline designed to carry Canadian tar sands oil to U.S. ports in Texas for export. A broad international coalition has been fighting the project for years. Climate scientist James Hansen, the former head of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, wrote in The New York Times that if the pipeline gets built, it will be game over for the climate. This vote and veto came as much of the U.S. was gripped by extreme cold weather, with cities like Boston reeling from historically deep snowfall and Southern states like Georgia getting snowed in. Meanwhile, most of California braces for even more drought. The corporate television newscasts spend more and more time covering the increasingly disruptive, costly and at times deadly weather. But they consistently fail to make the link between extreme weather and climate change. Millions of dollars are poured into flashy television Weather Centers. Now these sets, with their polished presenters, are being upgraded to Severe Weather Centers or Extreme Weather Centers. Why not make the link? As they flash the words Severe Weather, why not also flash the words, Climate Change or Global Warming? Why not explain how global warming can actually lead to more snowfall, or to, yes, colder weather? The public depends on broadcasters for most of their news and information, even in this Internet age. How could a drought in California be related to Niagara Falls freezing over thousands of miles away? People aren't stupid. The daily deluge of sensational weather reporting must include explanations of the deeper changes occurring to our entire planet. Check out the advertisements that sandwich the newscasts. Often, you are presented with a highly produced, compelling ad describing how clean and wonderful the fossil-fuel industry is. But is this really the case? Look at what happened this month when more than 100 U.S. cities reported record cold: An explosion at an ExxonMobil refinery south of Los Angeles rocked the surrounding area with the equivalent of a 1.4-magnitude earthquake. In West Virginia, an oil tanker bomb train derailed and exploded, lighting up the night sky with massive fireballs and forcing the evacuation of two towns. Two days earlier, another oil train derailed in Ontario, Canada, and left rail cars burning for days. Beyond these explosions, there are the leaks, the spills, the toxic air pollution that causes epidemic asthma in impacted communities. And all these ill effects of the fossil-fuel industry are small, when compared with the ongoing destruction caused by worsening, and potentially irreversible, climate change. The debate over climate change is over. The UN's Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a report, written by 800 scientists from 80 countries, that summarized the findings of more than 30,000 peer-reviewed scientific papers and concluded: Human influence on the climate system is clear; the more we disrupt our climate, the more we risk severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts; and we have the means to limit climate change and build a more prosperous, sustainable future. Compare that with the handful of scientists who deny the reality of climate change. One champion among them, Wei-Hock Willie Soon of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, received $1.2 million from fossil-fuel interests, including oil baron Charles Koch, according to an investigation conducted by Greenpeace and the Climate Investigations Center. Dr. Soon failed to report these contributions, and is now being investigated by the Smithsonian for possible ethical violations. Among those for whom the science is clear and the debate settled: the Pentagon. Under the Obama administration, as well as under President Bush before him, the Department of Defense has named climate change as a major threat to national security. Likewise, large insurance companies carefully track the number of billion-dollar climate disasters that occur every year, since these catastrophes impact their bottom line. Just when the public needs increased reporting on these issues, some of the largest news organizations are scaling back their climate reporting. Last October, NPR reduced its staff of four covering the environment and climate change to just one person, working part time. The New York Times gutted its nine-person environmental desk in 2013. No one weather event is proof of climate change, but the trends are clear. Meteorologists, especially
[Biofuel] Obama Just Vetoed the GOP's Keystone Bill | Mother Jones
http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2015/02/obama-about-veto-gops-keystone-bill [I'm not a U.S. citizen, but U.S. federal politics baffles me frequently, and at the moment, pretty much completely. The Republican party controls both houses of Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate, but the President is a Democrat. Having put more powers in the White House and implicitly reducing the powers of Congress during the George W. Bush years, it appears to me the Republicans are now proceeding to shoot themselves in the foot, repeatedly. With control of both houses, they cannot agree on a budget bill, which leaves the Department of Homeland Security - presumably a Republican favoured department - in budget limbo. This has led to finger-pointing by the two Republican majority house leaders at each other. Seriously? Aren't these two rich, white guys supposed to be on the same team? The first bill they actually managed to get through both houses (taking almost 2 months because it was apparently a priority for both House leaders) was a non-starter to circumvent existing procedure on approval of an international pipeline, which they knew would be vetoed - not because of the President's supposed antipathy to the project - but because it would usurp the power of the State Department. As I understand it, approval of the trans-border pipeline would be considered a treaty in international law, and the authority to enter into treaties on behalf of the U.S. falls to the President, per the U.S. Constitution. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_Clause) So, what the Republicans wanted to do was effectively amend the U.S. Constitution via the back door in favour of a foreign oil company. Seriously? They see that as a winning strategy with the U.S. electorate? Per reports, in his first six years in the White House, Obama has used the Presidential veto just 3 times - the least of any President in modern times. Today, the FCC apparently ruled in favour of 'net neutrality', a move lauded by citizen's groups, and seen as a blow to several large corporations noted for financing Republicans. The ruling is reported to be along party lines - Democrats for, Republicans opposed. While the U.S. mainstream media has labelled Obama a 'lame duck' President in his final two years because the Republicans - by virtue of having majorities in both Houses - are now 'the government'. Perhaps it is my lack of understanding, but so far, it seems to me it is Congress which is flapping about like a couple of lame ducks, and the White House which seems to have a recognizable strategy and to be playing from a strong hand. Numbers from the U.S. economy look like Obama inherited about the worst situation in U.S. history, other than perhaps FDR, and in 6 years, it appears federal policy - contrary to Republican austerians - is paying off big in job creation and economic growth. (For comparable case studies in the same period on the disasters of the austerians, consider Wisconsin and Canada today. Seems to me, if the Republicans wanted to be taken seriously for the 2016 elections, they would be working to show they can accomplish something positive for voters in the next 18 months, rather than proving they are inept. Oh, and I almost giggled when I read the story that Mitch McConnell was baffled by the idea that Democrats in the Senate would would now start using the same tactics which the Republicans had used until December 2014 when they were in the minority to stall and kill legislation. Wow, he really did not expect that? And he's the Senate majority leader?! It just seems bizarre to me, and given we have a government in Canada now which would be pretty much aligned with the Tea Party, we know bizarre.] We knew this was coming: About a month after the Senate narrowly passed a bill to force President Barack Obama to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, the president vetoed the bill Tuesday afternoon, hours after the White House said he would do so without drama or fanfare or delay. From the AP: The contentious legislation arrived at the White House on Tuesday morning from Capitol Hill, where Republicans pushed the bill quickly through both chambers in their first burst of activity since taking full control of Congress The move sends the politically charged issue back to Congress, where Republicans have yet to show they can muster the two-thirds majority in both chambers needed to override Obama's veto. Sen. John Hoeven, the bill's chief GOP sponsor, said Republicans are about four votes short in the Senate and need about 11 more in the House. The veto, which the White House has long promised on this or any other Keystone-approval bill, is the first one in the last five years. It essentially blocks what Republican leaders like Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) have called a top priority of this congressional session. Obama's beef
[Biofuel] “Fair” Elections Act Charter Challenge | The Council of Canadians
http://www.canadians.org/charter-challenge “Fair” Elections Act Charter Challenge BREAKING NEWS: Over 2,000 pages of powerful evidence is being filed with the Ontario Superior Court demonstrating the dangerous effects of the Fair Elections Act on Canadian democracy. This Charter challenge has been brought by the Council of Canadians, the Canadian Federation of Students and two additional voters. The applicants will be seeking a court order quashing provisions of the so-called Fair Elections Act, which will suppress the votes of tens of thousands of qualified electors. The evidence from four experts, including B.C.’s former Chief Electoral Officer Harry Neufeld, shows that tens of thousands of voters will be disenfranchised if the provisions being challenged remain in place during the next election. The Council of Canadians and the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) have joined together to launch a Charter challenge against sections of the Harper government’s so-called “Fair” Elections Act. The Harper government introduced the act – Bill C-23 – in February 2014. It proposed sweeping changes to election rules and was criticized widely by political parties, election law experts and the public. In the face of a massive outcry the Harper government retreated and changed some components of the act before it was passed by the Conservatives in the House of Commons and by the Senate. The Charter challenge will target two central provisions of the act, including the ban on the use of a Voter Information Card to prove residency and the muzzling of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). Both of these changes infringe on people’s constitutional right to vote, which is guaranteed under Section 3 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Not allowing the use of a Voter Information Card to prove residency will disenfranchise post-secondary students by interfering with their right to vote, according to CFS. While Elections Canada will still be allowed to run paid ads, all other forms of communication and engagement with Canadians will be off limits. The Chief Electoral Officer will no longer be able to run public education programs to inform people about the voting process and their rights. Imposing these restrictions on Elections Canada will make it harder to encourage youth, Indigenous people, new immigrants, or anyone else to exercise their democratic rights. These restrictions will also make it harder for the Chief Electoral Officer to communicate with Canadians about election fraud – which, in turn, will make it more difficult for voters who have been the victim of election fraud to defend their right to vote in a fair election. There is nothing in the so-called “Fair” Elections Act to address – or prevent – the widespread election fraud that occurred in the 2011 federal election, which was brought to light by a legal challenge launched by eight Canadians and backed by Council of Canadians supporters. The Council of Canadians and CFS will be asking the court to overturn the sections of the “Fair” Elections Act before the next federal election. Read the media release. http://www.canadians.org/media/fair-elections-act-legal-case-could-call-question-validity-upcoming-election Further reading: Evidence from the case’s key experts: Summary | Detailed summary http://canadians.org/sites/default/files/election-fraud/affidavits/short-summary-affidavits-0115.pdf http://canadians.org/sites/default/files/election-fraud/affidavits/summary-affidavits-0115.pdf Full affidavits http://goo.gl/iEgEUt Full body of evidence http://goo.gl/nfv4CA Amended Notice of Application issued January 21, 2015 http://canadians.org/sites/default/files/election-fraud/applications/amended-notice-applicationJan21-15.pdf [Note: PM Harper has broken his own election dates law before (September 2008 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed_election_dates_in_Canada#Federal), so there is a good chance he could do so again. In particular, he may wish to have the election take place before an embarrassing trial expected to begin in May, and do so with impunity. The scheduled date for the election is October of this year.] ___ Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel
