Black Immigrant Daily News

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held an event in Vienna today to mark the imminent return to Earth of seeds that were sent into space four months ago.

The ground-breaking experiment aims to develop new crops that can adapt to climate change and help boost global food security. With the world’s population estimated to reach almost 10 billion by 2050, there’s a clear need for innovative solutions through science and technology aimed at producing more food, as well as crops that are more resilient and farming methods that are more sustainable.

Seeds from the IAEA and FAO laboratories belonging to the Arabidopsis and Sorghum varieties travelled in an uncrewed cargo shuttle from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility to space on November 7, 2022. While in space, they were exposed to the prevailing conditions — a complex mixture of cosmic radiation, microgravity and extreme temperatures — inside and outside the International Space Station (ISS).

Upon their return, which is expected to happen in early April, scientists at the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture plan to grow the seeds and screen them for useful traits to better understand space-induced mutations and identify new varieties.

The meeting in Vienna, which was designed to inform students, partners and the public about space science and nuclear techniques in plant breeding, saw opening statements from FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi, as well as interventions from NASA Astronaut Kayla Barron, who discussed her experience working and carrying out experiments at the ISS.

“I am very proud of our partnership with IAEA, bearing fruits both on Earth for years, and now with seeds that travelled through space,” the FAO Director-General told the gathering in Vienna. “I am in awe of the resilience of nature, and excited by the endless benefits that space exploration can bring to transform our agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable across the globe,” said Qu, who is a trained plant breeder.

“This is science that could have a real impact on people’s lives in the not-too-distant future, by helping us grow stronger crops and feed more people,” the IAEA Director General said. “IAEA and FAO scientists may have already been mutating seeds for 60 years and creating thousands of stronger crops for the world to use, but this is the first time we have experimented with such an exciting field as astrobiology,” said Grossi.

Cosmic Experiment

While similar experiments have been carried out since 1946, this is the first time that the IAEA and FAO are conducting genomic and biological analyses on seeds sent to space in around 60 years of experience in inducing plant mutations.

The seeds that traveled to space belong to two plant species: Arabidopsis, a type of cress that has been studied extensively by plant botanists and geneticists; and Sorghum, which belongs to the family of millets and is a drought- and heat-tolerant grain grown in many developing countries for food.

Once grown, a series of analyses will help understand whether cosmic radiation and harsh space conditions can lead to crops becoming more resilient in the face of increasingly difficult growing conditions on Earth.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

A Jamaica-born convicted child molester has been found guilty of committing naturalisation fraud in the United States.

Gregory Maxwell Palmer, 48, who is serving a state prison sentence for his previous crime, was convicted by a federal jury in Charlotte, North Carolina after a two-day trial over which US District Judge Frank D. Whitney presided.

A sentencing date has not been set.

The maximum penalty for unlawful procurement of citizenship is 10 years in prison and a US$250,000 fine.

“Palmer used lies and deceit to cheat his way into an American citizenship,” said US Attorney Dena J. King.

“Today’s guilty verdict holds Palmer accountable for his actions and sends a warning message to those who attempt to compromise the integrity of our naturalisation process and violate our country’s immigration laws: You will not go unpunished.”

According to filed documents, evidence presented at trial and witness testimony, while Palmer was residing in Gastonia, North Carolina in 2008, he sexually abused a minor.

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency said Palmer later obtained his US citizenship fraudulently by providing materially false information on his citizenship application.

“Trial evidence established that during the naturalisation process, Palmer lied about his criminal history and failed to admit that prior to applying for citizenship, he had knowingly committed sexual acts with a child,” ICE said.

According to evidence, on May 5, 2011, Palmer applied for naturalisation to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

He lied on the application form by responding “no” to the question “Have you ever committed a crime or offence for which you were not arrested?”

Palmer signed the form under penalty of perjury and certified that his answers were true and correct.

On October 5, 2011, ICE Palmer appeared at the USCIS office in Charlotte for a naturalisation interview and swore under oath that his responses on the naturalisation application were true and that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested, ICE said.

Fifteen days later, Palmer participated in a naturalisation ceremony at the USCIS office in Charlotte and was granted US citizenship.

According to court records, on June 6, 2013, in the Gaston County Superior Court, Palmer pleaded guilty to attempted statutory rape and was ordered to serve between 157 and 198 months in prison.

“Palmer admitted to having committed the crime on June 17, 2008, by taking advantage of a position of trust with a minor victim,” ICE said, pointing out that Palmer was not arrested for the crime until after he became a naturalised citizen.

Court documents show that while Palmer was going through the naturalisation process, immigration officials were not aware of his criminal actions.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

By Cristina Caus

We live in vulnerable energy times. The energy crisis, climate change and energy transition are all shaking and shaping the global future.

“The energy realities of the world remind us that oil and gas will be here for decades to pivot a just, affordable and secure energy transition,” as John Hess, CEO of Hess Corporation, mentioned during the International Energy Conference and Expo in Guyana in February 2023.

As someone said, vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation and technology is the driving force behind progressive changes. Nevertheless, how can Guyana play a vital role in reordering energy security?

“By embedding innovation earlier in the process, Guyana can skip several steps and avoid what most economies went through” this idea was emphasized several times during the same conference. “If we integrate innovation into Guyana’s process today, there might be some accelerated success.”

Guyana can play an essential role in balancing the global energy supply and demand markets and address the energy crisis by becoming a top crude oil producer globally. This can be achieved by attracting oil and gas operators, service companies and solution providers that bring innovative technologies with them to market. The local leadership should be educated on the latest technology trends and how their application can increase safety, improve production, optimize the equipment, reduce the risks and human-induced errors.

Technologies like IoT platforms for remote monitoring; AI-enabled platforms for an intelligent decision-making process to increase the ROI; robotics & automation used in inspection, surveying and maintenance to 3D modeling, cloud computing and a digital twin can accelerate this success. The goal is to become competitive in the global oil and gas market and this can be achieved by attracting and establishing partnerships with companies that can bring increased efficiency and productivity to the local oil and gas operations, from exploration and production to storage and transportation.

For example. Saudi Aramco is one of the most innovative oil and gas companies. Back in 2013, Saudi Aramco announced that it will be spending tens of billions of dollars on technology and research to make the oil last longer and develop other energy resources that future Saudi generations can someday export. Ten years later, these investments are paying off. Not only is Saudi Aramco now the largest oil producer in the world, but it hit a record $161 billion profit for 2022, the largest annual profit ever recorded by an oil and gas company.

For Guyana, this means that improvements in regulations, a transparent, secure and competitive environment for foreign investment, and incentives from the government can serve as catalysts for technology and innovation. Collaborating with universities and creating a business innovation hub mentality for young entrepreneurs with government support, like loan guarantees, grants, and tax credits, will also spur the industry.

Innovative technology will play a critical role in climate change. The oil and gas sector must reduce its emissions by at least 3.4 gigatons of CO2 equivalent a year by 2050 –a 90 % reduction in current emissions. The current technologies can address most of the oil and gas emissions. At the extraction & drilling phases, solutions like energy efficiency, electrification and carbon capture and storage can make a significant difference.

Many companies have adopted techniques that can substantially decarbonize operations–for example, improved maintenance routines to reduce intermittent flaring and vapor-recovery units to reduce methane leaks. In 2015 the World Bank launched the “Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 Initiative,” targeting rapid and significant reductions in routine flaring and ensure that developing countries are working to end poverty and build shared prosperity in a sustainable manner. It is worth mentioning that new Guyana’s FPSOs, starting with Exxon’s Liza Destiny are designed to avoid routine flaring.

Guyana today can become a world leader in setting a benchmark around flaring and is possible for the country to achieve zero-flare objective, because “from day one the right solutions and the right technologies were properly planned and properly positioned in order to enable the extraction and the production with almost zero carbon footprint”, as the Emissions Director at Schlumberger vocalized about a year ago.

Companies are proactively looking for ways to reduce the emissions around their operations. For instance, ExxonMobil’s plans include spending more than $15 billion through 2027 to reduce emissions from company operations and investing in lower-emission business opportunities to help others reduce their emissions. Some of that money will be spent in Guyana, whereby 2027, their operations are expected to have about 30% lower greenhouse gas intensity than the average of their upstream portfolio.

The most carbon intense producing areas are power production, heavy-duty transportation, distribution, and transmission; therefore, technology for these areas is crucial. Service companies like Baker Hughes and Halliburton approach the Guyanese oil market with carbon reduction technology in mind. Halliburton, for example, is deploying dual-fuel technology in the pumping systems to reduce its emissions profile.

In the energy transition journey, one option is to implement initiatives that offset emissions by tapping into natural carbon sinks, including oceans, plants, forests, and soil; these remove emissions from the atmosphere and reduce their concentration in the air. Carbon credits are a market mechanism that can help oil companies, countries and the world meet their lower emission goals.

Before purchasing carbon credits, companies have to invest in the technological innovations, improved management practices, and asset turnover needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their business operations. Once companies have reduced their greenhouse gases as much as feasible, they can use carbon credits to offset their remaining emissions and thus make more rapid climate progress. Guyana received its first carbon credits payment of US$75 million in January 2023, under an agreement with Hess Corporation worth a minimum of US$750 million carbon credits purchased by 2030. The payment is a result of the government’s continued recognition of the important role that Guyana’s forests play in not only the development of the country but in combatting climate change globally, guided by the ground-breaking Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.

Innovations and technologies are key to the energy transition, from floating wind farms to solar PV farm developments, waste-to-fuel projects and green hydrogen, shaping Guyana’s energy transition and future. All this requires not only massive financial support but an innovation-oriented and technology-friendly environment, with a strong emphasis on education, training and research.

Nevertheless, the decision in Guyana on what technologies to adopt and how much to innovate will have a big impact on results over the long term and the government should base it on a clear vision and roadmap.

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Cristina Caus is an international oil and gas business developer and consultant and holds a master’s degree in international business from Florida International University.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The Caribbean tourism industry continues to lead the region’s economic recovery but faces formidable challenges, according to the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA).

Releasing the results of its annual tourism industry performance and outlook survey on Wednesday, CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig reported that the pace of the tourism industry recovery may be threatened by rising operating costs, labor shortages, increasing airfares, global competition, economic uncertainty, and pressures from some governments to increase taxes.

“Despite these challenges, the industry remains bullish about the future of tourism in the Caribbean,” she said, while underscoring the importance of public-private sector collaboration to address challenges like stimulating greater intra-regional travel.

“While we’ve turned the pandemic corner, we’re not out of the woods yet. Many businesses are still climbing out of massive debts and facing global competitive pressures on price increases. Now is not the time to increase taxes as we are hearing from several countries,” added the CHTA leader, who stressed that “addressing our looming labor shortages, climate change and strengthening linkages between tourism and other areas of our economies are critically important.”

The February 2023 survey included just under 100 businesses, with 77 percent representing the accommodations sector and the remaining 23 percent from other tourism-related sectors such as attractions, tour operators and restaurants.

The respondents identified the top issues affecting their businesses, including airlift cost and availability, taxes and duties, labor shortages, crime and safety, and poor infrastructure, among others. The industry is also facing challenges from environmental degradation, such as climate change, sargassum, and waste management, which were among the most frequently cited issues.

The survey revealed that companies are forgoing higher profits and plowing returns into covering debt incurred during the pandemic and investing in product improvements as capital expenditures soar. Pressures are growing to limit rate increases as global competition intensifies and labor and operating costs rise.

The non-accommodation tourism sector performance mostly parallels the accommodations sector. However, it expects to hire at a higher rate than the accommodations sector in 2023.

“Another key concern of tourism stakeholders is insufficient destination marketing,” said Madden-Greig, noting that concerns still remain about the lack of a more strategic regional marketing approach, something which she said CHTA would take under advisement with its public sector ally, the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

Overall, the survey highlights the challenges and opportunities facing the Caribbean tourism industry, and CHTA remains committed to supporting its members and working with governments and other stakeholders to address the issues facing the industry.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The government of Trinidad and Tobago has won a multimillion-dollar verdict in a sprawling corruption lawsuit that began nearly 20 years ago and involves former high-ranking officials.

A jury in Miami awarded the government more than $100 million in compensatory damages in a verdict late Wednesday. The civil case began in 2004 when the Trinidadian government sued a former finance minister, various businessmen and several companies in countriesincluding Florida, Panama and Portugal.

“We got everything that we asked for,” Faris Al-Rawi, a former attorney general in Trinidad who represented the government in the case, told The Associated Press.

The lawsuit alleged that the defendants participated in a scheme beginning in August 1996 to illegally obtain consulting and construction contracts at hyper-inflated prices via bribes, bid rigging and money laundering linked to an expansion of the Piarco International Airport in the Trinidadian capital of Port-of-Spain.

The complaint initially targeted 56 defendants, among them 11 individuals and 12 corporate entities, but some secured deals over the years, so only three remained when the trial began earlier this month: former finance minister Brian Kuei Tung and two businessmen.

An attorney for Tung could not immediately be reached for comment.

The verdict came 19 years after the civil case was filed in the Florida 11th Circuit Court and represents a victory for the government’s anti-corruption efforts. It went to trial on March 6.

Related criminal cases in Trinidad, in which top former officials were charged, have stalled or withered as key witnesses died and prosecutors dropped charges.

Nearly two dozen people were originally charged in Trinidad, including a former prime minister, his wife and an ex Cabinet minister accused of receiving kickbacks from a local businessman.

Among those named in the lawsuit that the government won was a former finance minister, Brian Kuei Tung. An attorney for him could not immediately be reached for comment.

In 2005, the U.S. government filed several criminal charges against some of the same defendants, including bank fraud and money laundering. Although some charges were discarded, some defendants were convicted and sentenced to six-year prison terms. Others, including two Trinidadian businessmen, have appealed, and their cases are still pending in the U.S. justice system.

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