The Victorian Government is supporting and empowering young African Victorians so they can achieve their potential at school and beyond. Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ros Spence today announced $3 million to support better educational outcomes for African Victorian school students across the state as part of the Government’s Victorian African Communities Action Plan. It also includes $240,000 to advance the next generation of African Victorian leaders, by improving their board and governance skills through Australian Institute of Company Director courses.
The education program includes funding for 12 community organisations to work in partnership with schools to deliver homework clubs, after school and parent engagement activities to help students make the most out of their schooling years. School Community Liaison Officers will act as conduits to support positive learning outcomes in eight host schools and up to 23 surrounding schools across Melbourne that have a high proportion of students with African heritage. The officers will respond and build awareness of African Victorian student needs, ensure parents are included in school processes and improve student engagement and wellbeing. The new initiatives were designed and delivered in partnership with the Victorian African Communities Action Plan Implementation Committee, which comprises a diverse group of African Victorian community leaders.
To learn more about the initiatives at: vic.gov.au/empowering-african-communities-victoria. Quotes attributable to Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ros Spence “We want every Victorian to reach for and achieve their full potential – we’ll be a stronger Victoria because of it.” “I am so proud of our partnership with African communities under the Victorian African Communities Action Plan and our work so far – this is making a real difference in the lives of so many young people.” Quote attributable to Minister for Education James Merlino “We’re working closely with Victoria’s African communities to make sure they have what they need so their children can thrive.” Quote attributable to Implementation Committee Deputy Chair Elleni Bereded-Samuel “A huge amount of cooperation, thought and effort has gone into this plan and it just demonstrates how committed the community is to deliver better outcomes for the next generation.” Quote attributable to Implementation Committee Deputy Chair Ahmed Hassan “Full credit to everyone in the community who has worked on this – hand in hand with government – to create meaningful and impactful change.
Source: Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ros Spence
The U.S. Department of State announced rewards up to $10 million each for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Seuxis Hernandez-Solarte, aka “Jesus Santrich,” and Luciano Marin Arango, aka “Ivan Marquez.” Both are former senior leaders of the FARC who dropped out of the peace process and have a long history of involvement in drug trafficking activities, which resulted in their criminal indictments.
The United States values its partnership with Colombia. We will continue the strong U.S.-Colombian law enforcement information sharing and capacity building efforts which are essential to disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations operating in the region. We also share Colombia’s concern that the Maduro regime is providing support to illegal armed groups from Colombia.
These rewards are offered under the Department of State’s Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP). More than 75 major narcotics traffickers have been brought to justice under the NRP since it began in 1986. The Department has paid more than $130 million in rewards for information leading to those apprehensions.
The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs manages the NRP in close coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations (ICE/HSI), and other U.S. government agencies. These actions demonstrate the Department’s commitment to supporting law enforcement efforts and a whole of government approach to combatting drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.
Seuxis Pausias Hernández Solarte, aka Jesús Santrich (born 31 July 1967) is a former guerrilla leader of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–People’s Army (FARC–EP). He is a member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia since June 2019 and was the FARC’s delegate in the Colombian peace process in Havana. He was a member of a Communist youth organisation as a teenager and studied Social Sciences at the University of Atlántico. He is wanted by US Government on allegations of drug trafficking, carried out six months after the peace process.
Luciano Marín Arango, aka “Iván Márquez”(born 1955 in Florencia, Caquetá) is a Colombian guerrilla leader, member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), part of its secretariat higher command and advisor to the Northwestern and Caribbean blocs. He was part of the FARC negotiators that concluded a peace agreement with the Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos. On 29 August 2019, Márquez abandoned the peace process and announced a renewed armed conflict with the Colombian government.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, General, and hello cadets. On behalf of our entire nation, let me say congratulations to the incredible West Point Class of 2020. Congratulations. Everyone have a good time, enjoy yourselves, because we are here to celebrate your achievements, and great achievements they are. Let us also recognize your remarkable Superintendent, General Darryl Williams, for his outstanding stewardship. General, thank you very much. Great job. Thank you.
Few words in the English language and few places in history have commanded as much awe and admiration as West Point. This premier military academy produces only the best of the best, the strongest of the strong, and the bravest of the brave. West Point is a universal symbol of American gallantry, loyalty, devotion, discipline, and great skill. There is no place on Earth I would rather be than right here with all of you. It’s a great honor.
Across this hallowed plain have passed many of the greatest and most fearsome soldiers that ever lived. They were heroes who drove thundering columns of Sherman tanks into the heart of a wicked empire. They were legends who unleashed the fury of American artillery upon our enemies on remote islands and distant shores. They were titans who strode through cannon blast and cavalry charge, and stared down our foes through gray clouds of smoke and shrapnel. They were the Army Rangers who led the way up jagged cliffs, the Airborne soldiers who rained down justice in the dark of night, the infantry whose very sight meant liberation was near, and the mighty forces who sent tyrants, terrorists, and sadistic monsters running scared through the gates of hell. No evil force on Earth can match the noble power and righteous glory of the American warrior.
I have no doubt that the young men and women before me today will add your names to this eternal chronicle of American heroes. You will go forth from this place adored by your countrymen, dreaded by your enemies, and respected by all throughout the world. Someday, generations of future West Point cadets will study your legacy. They will know your deeds, they will celebrate your triumphs, and they will proudly follow your example.
To the 1,107 who today become the newest officers in the most exceptional Army ever to take the field of battle, I am here to offer America’s salute. Thank you for answering your nation’s call.
On this special occasion, we are delighted to be joined by Congressman Steve Womack, Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, Assistant Secretary Casey Wardynski, and Army Chief of Staff General James McConville, an old grad from the class of 1981.
Let’s also express our appreciation to General Curtis Buzzard, General Cindy Jebb, and all of the wonderful instructors, coaches, and faculty members who are continuing West Point’s two-century tradition of unrivaled excellence.
To all of the parents, grandparents, and family members watching this ceremony from your beautiful home: Even though you could not be here today, we know this day could never have happened without you. Your love and sacrifice have given America these phenomenal men and women. Cadets, please join me in sending your parents and families the heartfelt thanks that they so richly deserved. They’re all watching right now. Please. (Applause.) Thank you very much.
The depth and breadth of the U.S. Military’s contributions to our society are an everlasting inspiration to us all. I want to take this opportunity to thank all members of America’s Armed Forces in every branch — active duty, National Guard, and reserve — who stepped forward to help battle the invisible enemy — the new virus that came to our shores from a distant land called China. We will vanquish the virus. We will extinguish this plague.
I also want to thank the men and women of our National Guard who respond with precision to so many recent challenges, from hurricanes and natural disasters, to ensuring peace, safety, and the constitutional rule of law on our streets. We thank every citizen who wears a uniform in selfless service to our nation.
The members of this class have come from every state in our union. You have come from the farms and the cities, from states big and small, and from every race, religion, color, and creed. But when you entered these grounds, you became part of one team, one family, proudly serving one great American nation. You became brothers and sisters pledging allegiance to the same timeless principles, joined together in a common mission to protect our country, to defend our people, and to carry on the traditions of freedom, equality, and liberty that so many gave their lives to secure. You exemplify the power of shared national purpose to transcend all differences and achieve true unity. Today, you graduate as one class, and you embody one noble creed: Duty, Honor, Country.
Every graduate on this field could have gone to virtually any top-ranked university that you wanted. You chose to devote your life to the defense of America. You came to West Point because you know the truth: America is the greatest country in human history, and the United States Military is the greatest force for peace and justice the world has ever known.
The survival of America and the endurance of civilization itself depends on the men and women just like each of you. It depends on people who love their country with all their heart and energy and soul. It depends on citizens who build, sustain, nurture, and defend institutions like this one; that is how societies are made and how progress is advanced. What has historically made America unique is the durability of its institutions against the passions and prejudices of the moment. When times are turbulent, when the road is rough, what matters most is that which is permanent, timeless, enduring, and eternal.
It was on this soil that American patriots held the most vital fortress in our war for independence. It was this school that gave us the men who fought and won a bloody war to extinguish the evil of slavery within one lifetime of our founding. It was the graduates of West Point — towering figures like McArthur, Patton, Eisenhower, and Bradley — who led America to victory over the sinister Nazis and imperial fascists 75 years ago. It was under the leadership of West Point graduates like the legendary General Matthew Ridgway that the Army was at the forefront of ending the terrible injustice of segregation. It was Army strength that held the line against the brutal opposition and oppression from Communism. And it has been thanks to patriots like you that America has climbed to new heights of human achievement and national endeavor.
This is your history. This is the legacy that each of you inherits. It is the legacy purchased with American blood at the crest of Little Round Top, on the crimson beaches of Normandy, in the freezing mud of Bastogne, and the dense jungles of Vietnam. It is the legacy of courageous, selfless, faithful patriots who fought for every inch of dirt with every ounce of strength and every last scrap of heart and drive and grit they had.
And they did it because they believed in the undying principles of our founding. They did it because they cherished their homes, their faith, their family, and their flag. And they did it because when they came to this school, they were taught to hold fast to their love of our country; to cherish our heritage, learn from it, and build upon it. That is what young Americans are taught here at West Point. That is the legacy that you carry forward as second lieutenants in the United States Army, and you must never forget it.
Through four long years, you have honed your skills, trained your mind and body, overcome every obstacle, and earned your place of pride in the Long Gray Line. You made it through the rigors of R-Day and Beast, the intensity of CLDT, and weeks of training in the blistering heat. You have pushed yourselves far beyond every limit imaginable.
Some of you have even pushed the limits a bit too much. So for any cadets who have not finished walking off their hours, as Commander-in-Chief, I hereby absolve all cadets on restriction for minor conduct offenses, and that is effective immediately. Congratulations. (Applause.) That’s a nice one, isn’t it? Don’t you feel better now? (Laughter.)
Surviving the 47-month experience is never easy, but only the class of 2020 can say it survived 48 months. And when it comes to bragging rights, no one can boast louder than the class that brought Navy’s 14-year football winning streak to a screeching halt. You did that. I happened to be there. (Applause.) I happened to be there. That’s right. That was a big day. I was there. You beat Navy and brought the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy back to West Point for two straight years. So we say, “Go, Army, go.”
This graduating class secured more than 1,000 victories for the Black Knights, including three bowl victories, 13 NCAA team appearances, and a Women’s Rugby Championship with the help of somebody that I just met: 2019 MVP, Sam Sullivan. Fantastic job. Thank you. A fantastic job. (Applause.) Five cadets won national boxing championships, and Adaya Queen brought home two. Brendan Brown earned the title of Powerlifting National Champion.
In academics, 38 cadets have earned fellowships to continue their studies, including First Captain Dane Van de Wall, who received one of the most prestigious awards in academia: the Rhodes Scholarship. Congratulations, Dane. It’s a great achievement. Thank you. Congratulations. (Applause.) Great achievement.
But no one modeled the values of the soldier-scholar quite like Lindy Mooradian. Lindy earned both the highest overall class standing and the highest physical program score. She has published scientific research in a prominent journal and set five new records on the athletic track. Lindy, incredible job. Where is Lindy? Where is Lindy? (Applause.) For somebody that did so well, they didn’t give you a very good seat, Lindy. (Laughter.) We have to talk about that. Congratulations.
Right now, America needs a class of cadets that lives by your motto: “With Vision, We Lead.” We need you to carry on the spirit of the great General Ulysses S. Grant. Soon after assuming overall command, following three years of Union setbacks, General Grant encountered someone heading north to Washington during the Battle of the Wilderness: “If you see the President,” Grant said, “tell him from me that whatever happens, there will [never] be no turning back.”
We need you to be as visionary as Patton, who as a young man in 1917, became the first soldier assigned to the Army Tank Corps. One month into the job, he saw the future, writing, “If resistance is broken, and the line pierced, the tank must and will assume the role of pursuit cavalry and ride the enemy to death.” Under Patton’s leadership, that’s exactly what they did.
We need you to be as bold and determined as the immortal General Douglas MacArthur, who knew that the American soldier never, ever quits. After leaving the Philippines for Australia at a low point of the Pacific War in 1942, MacArthur famously vowed, “I shall return.” For two years, he then took great strategic risks and placed himself often in personal danger. On October 20th, 1944, McArthur stepped off a landing boat, strode through knee-high water, and proclaimed, “People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil.” He then called upon the islands’ brave people to rise up and join the fight. America’s momentum was unstoppable.
These great leaders were not afraid of what others might say about them. They didn’t care. They knew their duty was to protect their country. They knew the Army exists to preserve the republic and the strong foundations upon which it stands: family, God, country, liberty, and justice. They were true, tough American patriots. That is what our country needs, especially in these times, and that is what you are.
Each of you begins your career in the Army at a crucial moment in American history. We are restoring the fundamental principles that the job of the American soldier is not to rebuild foreign nations, but defend — and defend strongly –our nation from foreign enemies. We are ending the era of endless wars. In its place is a renewed, clear-eyed focus on defending America’s vital interests. It is not the duty of U.S. troops to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never even heard of. We are not the policemen of the world.
But let our enemies be on notice: If our people are threatened, we will never, ever hesitate to act. And when we fight, from now on, we will fight only to win. As MacArthur said: “In war, there is no substitute for victory.”
To ensure you have the very best equipment and technology available, my administration has embarked on a colossal rebuilding of the American Armed Forces, a record like no other. After years of devastating budget cuts and a military that was totally depleted from these endless wars, we have invested over 2 trillion — trillion; that’s with a “T” — dollars in the most powerful fighting force, by far, on the planet Earth. We are building new ships, bombers, jet fighters, and helicopters by the hundreds; new tanks, military satellites, rockets, and missiles; even a hypersonic missile that goes 17 times faster than the fastest missile currently available in the world and can hit a target 1,000 miles away within 14 inches from center point.
For the first time in 70 years, we established a new branch of the United States military: the Space Force. It’s a big deal.
In recent years, America’s warriors have made clear to all the high cost of threatening the American people. The savage ISIS caliphate has been 100 percent destroyed under the Trump administration, and its barbaric leader, al-Baghdadi, is gone, killed, over. And the world’s number-one terrorist, Qasem Soleimani, is likewise dead.
As Commander-in-Chief, I never forget for one instant the immense sacrifices we ask of those who wear this nation’s uniform. Already, you have known the crushing pain of losing a brother in arms. Today, we remember an extraordinary cadet who made the supreme sacrifice in an accident last year: C.J. Morgan. We are deeply moved to be joined by his father, Christopher Morgan. And C.J. was something very special. Christopher is a Secret Service Agent. A tough guy. Great guy. Great son, who is looking down right now. Christopher, I want you to know that we will carry C.J.’s blessed memory in our hearts forever. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you.
Tomorrow, America will celebrate a very important anniversary: the 245th birthday of the United States Army. Unrelated, going to be my birthday also. (Laughter.) I don’t know if that happened by accident. Did that happen by accident, please? But it’s a great day because of that Army birthday.
And as you know, the Army’s first Commander-in-Chief, General George Washington, called the fort that stood on this majestic point “the most important post in America.” Its strategic location on the Hudson River was vital to our war for independence. If British ships gained control of this river, they would have divided our young nation in two. So American soldiers stretched a massive metal chain across the waters of the Hudson, from West Point all the way to Constitution Island. I saw a piece of that chain. It’s incredible. No enemy ship even dared try to cross. Every link in that great chain was formed from over 100 pounds of pure American iron, mined from American soil, and made with American pride. Together, those links formed an unbreakable line of defense.
Standing here before you more than two centuries later, it is clearer than ever that General Washington’s words still hold true. West Point is still the indispensable post for America, the vital ground that must not lose. And the survival of our nation still depends on a great chain reaching out from this place — one made not of iron, but of flesh and blood, of memory and spirit, of sheer faith and unyielding courage.
Today, each of you becomes another link in that unbroken chain, forged in the crucible known as the United States Military Academy, the greatest on Earth. It has given you soldiers that you can rely on to your right and to your left. And now we are entrusting you with the most noble task any warrior has ever had the privilege to carry out: the task of preserving American liberty.
As long as you remain loyal, faithful, and true, then our enemies don’t even stand a chance, our rights will never be stolen, our freedoms will never be trampled, our destiny will never be denied, and the United States of America will never be defeated. With the grace of God and the heroes of West Point, America will always prevail. Nothing will stand in your way, nothing will slow you down, and nothing will stop the West Point Class of 2020 from achieving a true and lasting victory.
God bless you. God bless the United States Army. And God bless America. Congratulations. Thank you very much. Thank you.
Source: WhiteHouse.gov under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
In recent weeks we’ve laid out our state’s careful plan for the gradual easing of restrictions. A cautious and considered approach that has relied on data to help guide our decisions.
Today, because of the progress we’ve made – and the evidence base we’ve built – I can confirm those proposed changes will go ahead. It also means we’re able to bring forward a number of other changes too.
From 11:59pm on 21 June, libraries, community centres and halls will be able to open to 50 people. Religious ceremonies can also increase to 50.
From next Monday, pubs and clubs will be able to host up to 50 seated patrons, with no requirement to purchase a meal with your drink, however you’ll need to give your contact details and table service restrictions will still apply. And from 20 July, TABs will band electronic gaming areas at pubs, clubs and the casino will be reopened with strict distancing, cleaning and hygiene requirements.
Recognising the lower rate of transmission amongst younger people, all sports training and competition will resume for those 18 and under. Non-contact sports competition can also begin across every age group.
Indoor sports centres and physical recreation spaces like gyms will be able to open to 20 people per space, with a cap of up to 10 per group for those over the age of 18.
Local footy teams, soccer clubs and other contact sports will be able to resume training for over 18s from 13 July. And from 20 July, full competition can begin too. Supporting this gradual return to sport, clubs and community facilities will also be able to reopen their changerooms.
The same will apply to holiday accommodation and camping sites, with communal spaces like showers and kitchens soon to be available to visitors.
In line with our previously proposed changes, and from 11:59pm on 21 June, restaurants and cafes will also be able to increase the number of patrons to 50. Cinemas, concert venues, theatres and auditoriums can open, also with up to 50 people per space.
The same increased limit will apply to our galleries, museums and amusement parks.
And from 22 June, ski season and ski accommodation will also open.
As always, timing on any future changes remains subject to the advice of our Chief Health Officer.
Because as far as we’ve come – it’s not over yet.
And for every small step we take, our own personal responsibility grows.
It’s why we’re asking Victorians: keep washing your hands. Keep maintaining your distance. Download COVIDSafe.
And if you can keep working from home – you must do that too.
We still want to limit the number of people moving around our state and help protect those who do have to go to the workplace.
We’re also asking Victorians to keep getting tested.
We’ve been able to make these changes because testing gives us the insight and information we need.
In fact, if Victoria was its own nation, our testing rates would be amongst the highest in the world.
But we can’t afford a backwards step. These changes – and any further that follow – must be determined in accordance with the data.
That’s why, in addition to ongoing testing, we’re stepping-up our targeted testing too. Zeroing in on communities with low testing rates or high case numbers.
If you have symptoms, no matter how mild, you must get tested.
Sarah Hanson Young: Some months ago, late in the evening, when we were debating the rescue packages being put forward by the government, I stood in this place and argued that there needed to be an arts-and-entertainment-industry-specific package before more jobs were lost and before more businesses went to the wall. Sadly, that didn’t happen. Some people, of course, have been able to access JobKeeper, but many within the industry have been left out in the cold. But the big question will come in September when JobKeeper ends. The arts and entertainment industry will not be in a position come September to resume and to snap back as the government continues to insist. It just won’t be.
So several months on I’m now pleading with the government again and for all in this place to insist that the Minister for Finance, who has the ability on rules that have already been agreed to by this place and the other, fund a specific package for arts and entertainment. I understand that this is an amendment that is quite separate to the rest of this bill, but it is important, it is urgent and we are facing an arts and entertainment emergency. It’s totally lawful to do it. It’s about whether you want to.
I specifically haven’t put a figure in this amendment, because I want that to be based on the best advice that Treasury, the finance minister and the arts minister have and on what the Prime Minister is willing to cough up. This amendment requires the government to at least spend something on an industry that is going bust day after day. Every day we wait for something to be put on the table is another day another Australian artist, entertainer or creative worker loses their job. Every day we wait for something to be put on the table another business goes to the wall. Many of these businesses are small businesses. They employ a handful of people, but that is their livelihood.
Other industries have been acknowledged as needing specific support. We heard last week the Prime Minister make an announcement about the housing and construction industry. The arts and entertainment industry have lost almost one-third of their workforce. They are in desperate need of assistance and support. We can’t wait until we come back to this place in August to see movement on this. We need to do something about it today.
The Prime Minister is already on the record saying that he understands this is an issue that needs to be dealt with. Here is an opportunity to make sure that something can happen and happen quickly. You can iron out the details. You as the government can decide what figure you want to put on it. This amendment says that the parliament requires it to happen.
I appeal to the Labor Party. They’ve been quite vocal on this issue as well. Let’s make sure something actually happens. Let’s make sure that the government is required to deliver a package—not just have the Prime Minister make promises when he’s getting a few tough questions on his favourite radio show. Let’s make sure that this parliament requires the government to do something for the arts and entertainment sector. Up to this point it has been all hollow promises and nothing has come down the line. It has been over a week and still there is nothing from this government. It has been three months, and the industry has gotten in a worse situation. Hundreds of thousands of Australians are unemployed because this government didn’t act when it should have. Hundreds of thousands of Australians will remain out of work if we don’t get something done today. I appeal to both sides to pass these amendments and to get on with supporting the arts and the entertainment sector across Australia.
Chamber Senate on 12/06/2020 Item BILLS – Treasury Laws Amendment (2019 Measures No. 3) Bill 2019 – In Committee Speaker: Hanson-Young, Sen Sarah
Source and Credits: Parliament of Australia website 2020
Over seven decades ago in 1941, Isaac Asimov wrote a short story, “Reason” (PDF), in which energy captured from the sun was transmitted via microwave beams to nearby planets from a space station. Flash forward to today, scientists are looking to make that very science fiction dream a reality for Earth.
There has been tremendous research on space-based solar power (SBSP) or space solar power (SSP) since the mid 20th century. Here is a great timeline of the various international studies and projects related to SBSP.
With SBSP, we could solve our energy and greenhouse gas emission problems with little environmental impact. Professor Sergio Pellegrino of CalTech recently said an SBSP system would receive eight times more energy than Earth does. With SBSP’s continuous massive energy output capability and the fact that our sun is slated to exist for another 10 billion years, we can safely assume we will not run out of this energy source anytime soon.
One of NASA’s most extensive studies ever devised, the Satellite Power System Concept Development and Evaluation Program (PDF) was specifically on SBSP and cost over $50 million, taking place from 1976 to 1980. Another fundamental study NASA funded to re-evaluate and understand the feasibility of SBSP was the Space Solar Power Exploratory Research and Technology (PDF) program. An enormous amount of solid research was accomplished in the study, but the general conclusion was that:
Large-scale SSP is a very complex integrated system of systems that requires numerous significant advances in current technology and capabilities… A technology roadmap has been developed that lays out potential paths for achieving all needed advances – albeit over several decades… — John C. Mankins, 7 September 2000
With all that being said, let’s dive in to better understand this exponential technology and its viability.
So What Exactly Is Space-Based Solar Power?
Space-based solar power is the concept of capturing solar energy in outer space and transferring it directly to Earth or other nearby planets.
In simple terms, we would put some mechanism in outer space to capture the sun’s energy almost continuously and transmit that energy to Earth. This would happen day or night, rain or shine. Once we have received the energy on Earth at a rectenna (a special antenna for receiving energy), we can then easily distribute the power through our normal methods. Easy enough.
There are many ideas related to the SBSP mechanism configuration and architecture we could utilize. Location of the SBSP system, satellite architecture, energy collection, and energy transmission are a few basic areas to look at when understanding the different SBSP systems. Given the number of proposed concepts, we will only look at a few of the more notable options.
Location, Location, Location
Where exactly will we put this SBSP system? Geosynchronous orbit (GEO), mid Earth orbit (MEO), and low Earth orbit (LEO) are a few of the proposed choices. The most promising is utilizing GEO due to the simplistic geometry and alignment of the antenna to rectenna, scalability, and nearly constant power transmission. The main problem with GEO is the large amount of radiation exposure. General space hazards like micrometeors or solar flares also pose a threat.
Satellite Architecture
From creating lunar factories with mass drivers or mining asteroids to fabricate these self-assembling SBSP satellites, creating autonomous space-based factories is still rather challenging. Designs built in space utilizing local and free materials (e.g. lunar materials) to build these SBSP systems allow for different concepts compared to those that can be much more complex to construct on Earth.
One interesting setup we are currently ahem, building on Earth, is a modular roll out solar array being developed by Caltech and Northrop Grumman. The researchers discuss their functional prototype in the video below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=KtNwYweL6hY&feature=emb_logo Another interesting concept is from private company Solaren. They plan to experiment in the future with building a 250 MW SBSP solar array plant in GEO. They even struck a deal with PG&E, California’s biggest energy utility company, in 2009 to provide space solar power (PDF). Solaren also maintains multiple patents and will definitely be an interesting player in this field to watch for new developments.
Even NASA’s SPS-ALPHA via Arbitrarily Large Phased Array concept (developed in 2012) has been getting some recent attention from John C. Mankins, one of the top SBSP experts in the world.
The two basic concepts related to energy collection are utilizing photovoltaics (solar panels) or solar thermal. One concept of solar thermal essentially captures solar energy by using mirrors to concentrate light and heat up a liquid. This in turn spins a turbine to generate electricity (e.g. by generating steam). This concept allows for a potential weight advantage over solar panels, as it could reduce overall mass per watt. The majority of concepts, however, look to utilize ultra lightweight and highly efficient photovoltaics in their prototypes.
Energy Transmission
Microwave power transmission is the typical choice in SBSP designs due to general efficiency, but utilizing laser power beaming is another highly regarded option due to lower weight and cost. However, there is the first initial thought of potential misuse wherein one could turn either choice into a space weapon (e.g. a death ray). Safety protocols can easily deter this unlikely threat given the technology being utilized. Designs incorporate microwave transmission power levels to be within OSHA’s required workplace exposure limits. There would be no worry of microwaving cities and all the living beings within it. A simple handshake between antenna and rectenna would disable the transmission if it came off course.
Now that we have a better understanding of what SBSP is, let’s delve into its biggest limitation.
SBSP Cost
There is always a catch. Some general safety issues were noted above, but the main impediment is related to the cost in sending all the materials required for the SBSP.
Current cost estimates to send roughly 1 kg of payload into space vary from $9,000 – $43,000 depending on the rocket and spacecraft utilized.
If we look at sending up solar panels alone, the low end of the spectrum for launch costs of an ultra-lightweight 4 MW SBSP system is 4,000 metric tons (per Wikipedia). However, Energy.gov estimates a SBSP to be more likely in the 80,000 metric ton range.
Low cost: 4,000 metric tons (4M kg) x $9,000 launch cost per kg = $36,000,000,000
High cost: 80,000 metric tons (80M kg) x $43,000 launch cost per kg = 3.44×1012 or $3,440,000,000,000
While these numbers are not totally accurate to state-of-the-art systems and are simply an estimate, we are still looking at a very rough low cost of $36 billion up to a slightly more expensive cost of $3.4 trillion. Utilizing a lunar or asteroid factory suddenly seems within budget.
NASA’s SERT study results show that space solar power is “economically viable” if recurring launch costs range from $100 – $200 per kg of payload. While prices continue to fall thanks in part to SpaceX’s reusable rockets, there is still a long way to go. Nonetheless, this trend will follow Ray Kurzweil’s Law of Accelerating Returns and the prices of these launches will continue to come down, from billions to millions to thousands and, finally, into the hundred-dollar range.
Needless to say, it is not the tech that is the problem, it is the cost.
The Future of Solar Energy
SBSP’s ability to provide clean, reliable power for the planet 24/7 at a cheaper cost than any other energy source is real. It will take decades of investment, building, testing, and successful implementation before the system can begin to recoup its initial costs.
Isaac Arthur explores this concept in this incredibly informative video, and looks beyond the next decade of where this exponential technology can take us.
Nonetheless, one key component to moving SBSP forward as the de facto energy source is the right political climate, including leaders to drive this innovation. Bruce Dorminey from Forbes sums up this general sentiment to any future world leaders by stating:
If President Trump were to champion space-based solar energy as a means of delivering unlimited, renewable electricity from Earth orbit, it’s arguable that his administration could leave the US and the world at large with a revolutionary new source of energy.
Where Do We Go from Here?
Politics aside, if we get SBSP (or nuclear fusion) successfully running in the next decade, some of these sci-fi concepts could become reality:
Orbital rings – utilizes space elevators to create a ring around the earth as a space station for cheap movement of cargo and space exploration
Dyson spheres – a gigantic shell-like megastructure that encloses an entire star, capturing all its energy output
Matrioshka brains – a layered Dyson sphere setup built to turn stars into massive computers by utilizing all the stars’ energy output
Ringworlds – artificially-created colossal planets that utilize an entire star
You get the point…
While there are still many unknown factors related to SBSP and its implementation in the coming years, one thing is certain: political implications in the energy sphere will be critical for SBSP to expand beyond the concept phase and into a new type of reliable renewable energy. Ushering this new phase of energy into the world would change society in profound ways.
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Pauline Hanson motion all lives matter failed in the Senate, Pauline says the gutless government voted against
Senator PAULINE HANSON (Queensland): I ask that general business notice of motion No. 612 standing in my name today relating to all lives matter be taken as a formal motion.
The PRESIDENT: Is there any objection to this motion being taken as formal? There is. Formality is denied, Senator Hanson.
Senator HANSON: Pursuant to contingent notice, I move:
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the motion being moved immediately and determined without amendment or debate.
The PRESIDENT: As senators know, we now put those motions without the traditional debate in this section of the day. The question is to suspend standing orders to deal with matter No. 612. Hide Division Data
Senator Rachel Stewart Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (Western Australia—Australian Greens Whip) : I move: That the Senate take note of the answer by the Minister representing the Minister for Indigenous Australians (Senator Ruston) to a question without notice asked by Senator Siewert today relating to deaths in custody of First Nations peoples.
I asked: is the government ashamed of the fact that 437 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have died in custody since the 1991 royal commission report? Australia has the highest rate of incarceration of First Nations peoples per capita in the world. Is the government ashamed of that? Apparently not. I asked whether that is recorded in a centralised process across Australia. No, it isn’t. There was no answer to that either, and that is symptomatic of the problem that exists in this country: a failure of governments to address the causes of First Nations peoples ending up incarcerated. They aren’t changing the record. They aren’t changing the drivers that result in people ending up in custody, and they’re not holding people responsible for those deaths in custody. There has not been one conviction in relation to any of those deaths in custody.
What we need to do is change the record. Change the Record, the organisation that has been tracking the issue of justice for our First Nations peoples, is also articulating what the government should be doing. Across Australia, the government should be repealing the punitive bail laws that are the reason people end up in prison. The government should be getting rid of mandatory sentencing. How much more evidence does this mob need that mandatory sentencing is leading to First Nations peoples being discriminated against and is contributing to them ending up in prison? The government should be ending things like the criminalisation of public drunkenness. They should be decriminalising that. The government should be making sure that children don’t end up in prison. For far too long, governments across Australia have been obfuscating the issue; we need to address the fact that this country is locking up children. We need to end racist policing and require police accountability on these issues.
We need to make sure we genuinely implement the recommendations of the royal commission. I can tell you that the report that was tabled a couple of years ago—in fact, it wasn’t tabled and it was not released publicly; there had to be an order for the production of documents requiring that it be tabled in the Senate—found that, supposedly, two-thirds of those recommendations had been implemented. But, if you actually read the report— and, in estimates, we finally dragged the information out of the bureaucrats—it was, in fact, a desktop survey and they couldn’t track the information. This is a travesty. The government should be ashamed of its record.
Senator HANSON (Queensland) : The matter of public importance I have raised today is based on our state governments, in particular the weak leadership of Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, allowing activists to breach COVID-19 restrictions without punishment even as these same restrictions are devastating jobs, businesses and lives. It’s a grave insult to all law-abiding Australians.
Last weekend we saw tens of thousands of Australians pack city centres across the nation protesting for Black Lives Matter. This protest started in the United States with the unnecessary death of a black American at the hands of police officers. No-one could possibly condone the way in which George Floyd died, but what upsets me is the attitude of many people, black and white, that his death matters more because he is black, and yet when a white 40-year-old Australian-American woman by the name of Justine Damond was shot, there was no protest. No-one really cared, because she was white.
George Floyd had been made out to be a martyr. This man had been in and out of prison numerous times. He was a criminal and a dangerous thug. George Floyd had a criminal history of breaking into a pregnant woman’s home, looking for drugs and money and threatening her by holding a gun to her stomach. It sickened me to see people holding up signs saying ‘Black Lives Matter’ in memory of this American criminal. I’m sorry, but all lives matter. If I saw signs being paraded on the day that said that very thing, we wouldn’t be having this debate.
More whites in Australia and America die in custody than blacks. That’s a fact. But where is the outrage for white people? For the majority of people in custody, it’s because they’ve broken the law. In other words, they’ve committed crimes against innocent people. To hear brainless comments from people saying our Indigenous Australians should not be locked up, as was the case put forward in 1995, is absolutely ridiculous. Black and white Australians must face punishment if they commit an offence or break the law. We cannot allow bleeding hearts and those on the Left to destroy the fabric of our society and our freedom. The public sentiment calls for those who do the wrong thing to be held to account for their actions. I’m used to seeing gutless behaviour from political parties, but the word ‘gutless’ doesn’t even begin to describe what I have seen transpire over the last few days.
When the severity of the coronavirus pandemic became apparent, we asked Australians to make some sacrifices. We asked them to stay at home, to shut down their businesses. We asked people to put their livelihoods on the line for the wellbeing of every Australian. And they’ve done that, much to their own detriment. So, after what I saw over the weekend, I don’t blame the 445,000 mum-and-dad businesses in my home state for saying they feel betrayed. Although there were just two new cases of coronavirus across Australia, the Queensland Labor Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has kept our state border in lockdown, like a scene out of Germany in the 1960s when they established Checkpoint Charlie. While ‘Checkpoint’ Palaszczuk claims to be saving Queenslanders from COVID-19, she authorises a mass gathering of 30,000 Black Lives Matter protesters in Brisbane, which flies in the face of all social distancing laws. Reportedly, not one person was fined or held to account even when someone was filmed jumping on a police car. What an insult to law-abiding Australians.
We saw this scene played out across Australia, and every politician who turned a blind eye should hang their head in shame. People are furious, and I don’t blame them. They want to know how this can happen when our pubs, clubs, gyms, restaurants and businesses are still crippled by the full force of COVID-19 restrictions. They can barely have 20 people in a room. Doesn’t Queensland’s economy matter? Doesn’t Australia’s economy matter? These activists should never have been allowed to march and call Australians racist, especially when we can’t even hold a proper funeral for our loved ones. I say shame on the politicians who were too gutless and too scared of losing votes to stand up to the mob.
THE SENATE PROOF MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE COVID-19 SPEECH Wednesday, 10 June 2020
Senator Mehreen Faruqi (New South Wales) (BILLS – Official Development Assistance Multilateral Replenishment Obligations (Special Appropriation) Bill 2019 – Second Reading:
Faruqi: I rise to speak to the Official Development Assistance Multilateral Replenishment Obligations (Special Appropriation) Bill 2019. The bill provides funds to existing and future official development assistance multilateral replenishment obligations. The Greens support this bill, but the government needs to do much more. We are living through a global pandemic with the entire world impacted. We are set to face, as a global community, social and economic consequences at a massive scale which will be felt ever more deeply in the global south.
Wealthy nations like ours have a responsibility to share capacity, information and resources so that other countries have a fighting chance of withstanding this crisis and recovering from it. Sadly, the recent repurposing of our already shrinking aid budget is a signal the coalition government is moving further away from the global community and retreating from its responsibilities. The government should increase rather than repurpose aid to our immediate neighbours so we can come through stronger. The government should also cancel the debt owed to us by Pacific countries. I’m glad to see the Australian government committing to using its leverage at the International Financial Institutions for financial support packages in the Pacific, but this needs to go further. We should be lobbying for debt forgiveness. We live in a grossly unequal world, and we have an obligation to contribute to the global and ongoing response that this pandemic requires—and beyond. Australia has a crucial leadership role to play, and this involves continuing to fund multilateral organisations and work to ensure a strong international effort.
It is a shame then that we have seen the right-wing of politics in our country following in the footsteps of US President Donald Trump and attacking organisations like the World Health Organization. Divisive leaders will not get us on the other side of this. Closed-minded politicians will not get us on the other side of this, but our collective global community work will. This is a time when Australia must recognise and foster our global community with the understanding that we are all truly in this together. It’s not just one country; it is all of us. This is a time to show leadership. This is a time to build a global community that can face threats such as this in the future. It is also a time to move in solidarity towards a recovery.
Australia’s aid and development funding is pitifully low. In fact, it is the lowest it has been in decades. Our aid budget has been cut by 25 per cent since 2013. This is abysmal. It is a real shame that we are not willing to play our part in addressing the vast social, economic, environmental and health inequalities that exist across the world. The impact of COVID-19 will mean millions upon millions more people will fall into poverty in the global south, undoing decades of work fighting against poverty. Our aid is at a dismal level of less than 0.2 per cent of our gross national income, which is well below the OECD average. We must bring our aid back up to at least meet the United Nations’ target of 0.7 per cent of our GNI.
We know public health systems are desperately underfunded and ill equipped in many countries. These countries—already low income countries—will be disproportionately affected by the crisis, with social and economic costs of lockdowns and shutdowns far greater than we could imagine. In addition to increasing our aid budget, we must also act immediately to provide emergency funding to countries in the global south to bolster their health, social and economic response.
The climate emergency looms large in the landscape of global inequality. Given Australia’s ‘dirty hands’ in producing climate-changing emissions, we have a special responsibility to do everything we can for climate justice. The longer we wait, the greater the loss of life and the greater the threat to the world as we know it. Those who have contributed least to the climate emergency we face are often the hardest hit—by rising sea levels, extreme weather events and environmental change. Australia must provide climate reparations to affected countries and communities that are commensurate with its historical and ongoing contribution to the problem. Our aid programs must include mitigation, adaptation, and resilience building, with a focus on addressing the particular needs and challenges facing women and girls. Australia must not forget its Pacific neighbours in this public health crisis or in the climate crisis. Health systems in the region are already at risk of stretching to breaking point, and a full-blown outbreak could cause serious economic disaster. Climate change is already causing serious havoc to our Pacific neighbours. Australia should release new, targeted funding to add capacity to health systems and towards whatever other needs our Pacific Island nations have. This is a time to be working with our global partners to achieve a truly global response and to be prepared for the future. This is a time to be committing more, not less, to our foreign aid program.
While we are on the topic of our Pacific neighbours, I do want to bring up the comments made by the Minister for International Development and the Pacific which were reported in The Guardian. The comments criticised the people who attended the Black Lives Matter protests in Australia and called the Black Lives Matter protests ‘self-indulgent’. This just shows how out of touch Minister Hawke is with the deep systemic and structural racism, the discrimination and the calls for equality that the protesters and black and brown people and other indigenous people are demanding—racism and discrimination from which they have suffered for centuries, including those who live in the Pacific. Minister Hawke and the Prime Minister and their government need to listen. They need to learn. They need to heed these calls and act immediately to dismantle systems of racial discrimination and violence against First Nations people and people of colour.
At this time of crisis we must start to think transformatively about our foreign aid program. As we move to recovery, we must not forget that our foreign aid program is central to it. We must re-imagine foreign aid: not simply as charity but as an issue of global justice; not as a way to further our own national ambitions but as a way to right historic wrongs; and not as a way to further our greedy trade interests but as a way to build communities in parts of the world that have been left destitute. Australia has an obligation, particularly as a wealthy country and given its colonial past, to contribute to a just and equitable world by working with communities in the global south to alleviate poverty and to promote human rights and access to essential services such as health care and education. This is an obligation that we must take seriously as we move into the recovery phase and beyond.
