HAPPY EASTER - TRUMP & BREXIT

Dear John,

Contrary to your critique (below) of my vision, direction and actions; for 15 years, I have put much positive energy into my green transport projects and my books on global warming-warning and in lobbying UK.Gov to prepare for coastal flooding - particularly by using our very marketable marine-engineering skills to build amphibious cities. If you read AD2516 you will learn of my very positive, economic, practical vision for the future. While you are positively cheering on and wishing for the next Ice-Age, the short term evidence (our lifetime) is that the ice is melting - read the news. …And move to higher ground. Do not sink money into Mar A Lago – the clue is in the name.

http://www.eco-business.com/news/slice-of-greenland-ice-melts-into-oblivion/

See Doggerland a huge marine-engineering green project - which the UK should be leading – but isn’t:

http://www.cityam.com/261567/sse-snaps-up-larger-stake-dogger-bank-offshore-wind-farm

TRUMP MOCKS DISABLED JOURNALIST

In the meantime selfish shallow monetarism, greed, grasping and aggression will bring chaos – characterised  by the US appointing an elderly obese paranoid sweaty bewigged groping incontinent narcissistic gold-leaf NY mafia-trained vengeful trigger-happy idiot, with the attention span of a gnat, as its president. What a role-model. For whom you ask me to “be grateful”. (I missed out "bullying").

"The Markets" "The City", now migrating from London to Europe thanks to Brexit, will be made redundant by computers. If all the UK can offer is global gambling & usury via bytes & bits of paper - the Russians. Chinese, Indians and Japanese – and the EU’s - computers can do it better - overnight. Wait for the Asian-Rouble-Dollar to emerge. The UK needs real industry; not casinos for blinkered demented soft bellied off-shore early retirees.

Your deep-frozen Trumpland is a most negative not positive future to aim for. My AD2516 Utopia is better than your wished for frozen wastes. Global warming cannot be reversed for the next few hundred or thousand years. Get used to it. And get working to achieve a great future of intelligent co-operation for human-kind. We owe it to our children – and our children’s children; unto the N^th generation.

Noel

PS – You at least acknowledge the need for world governance of all vital commodities via “all Western Nations working together”. Good thinking.

Thus endeth my Easter Address.

 Noel HODSON - Author

Sci-Fi & Socio-Economics

16 Brookside, OXFORD OX3 7PJ, UK

Tel 01865 760994 Cell 07713 681216

Blogs:

POLITICS & ECONOMICS

SCIENCE & FICTION

Books:

AD2516 - After Global Warming

Out of the Depths - Inundated London

****

-----Original Message-----

From: John

Sent: 17 April 2017 11:54

To: Noel Hodson <noel@noelhodson.com>

Subject: Re: Brexit

Noel

EU collapse, reform of monetary system like the Plaza Accord.

All western nations agree to work together inc UK.

That's what will actually happen.

UK will be saved by not being caught in debris of EU.

UK will also be saved by its finance hub being even more important after EU collapse, and the trade arrangements UK makes with rest of world especially Asia, the rising power rather the than EU the fallen power.

This is the future.

Your mental health will be better if you adopt a positive attitude instead of your constant glass half empty rhetoric. That's been proved. People find what they look for in life.

Sp first of all look at all the positives in your life and develop gratitude.

Be grateful every day.

Spend your energy in working out ways you can help your country to succeed and thank your lucky stars you live in a democracy.

Best

John

**** 

John 

> On 17 Apr 2017, at 10:38, Noel Hodson <noel@noelhodson.com> wrote:

>

> Confirming that 75% are dumb,

> unthinking, unrealistic and uninformed.

> We will be bankrupt by 2027. The City

> will migrate to the EU. All big trading blocs will move round us. -

> Noel

*****

> -----Original Message-----

> From: John 

> Sent: 16 April 2017 10:34

> To: Max 

> 

> Subject: Brexit

>

> In a newspaper today. "75% would still vote Brexit"

An Easter Essay on the Aether for Atheists, Humanists and Theists. CREATURES OF LIGHT - TILL THE END OF DAYS

EASTER BABIES & BIBLE TRUTHS

SEA LEVEL RISE - SLR - APRIL 2017

NEW SCIENTIST - 8 April 2017

Sea to rise by 3 metres

The worst-case scenario for sea-level rise just got even worse. If the latest numbers are correct, oceans could rise almost 3 metres by 2100. The new figure includes rapid loss of mass from the Antarctic ice sheet, and tops the 2013 IPCC estimate by 2 metres (Environmental Research Letters, doi.org/b46w)

******

Warming drives Alaskan glacier to its lowest point in 900 years

“A small temperature increase of less than 2°C is sufficient to destabilise a glacier”

A MAJOR glacier in Alaska has retreated to its lowest point in 900 years.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2075093-el-nino-means-glaciers-in-the-andes-are-melting-at-record-rates/ around the world are in retreat. But the Columbia glacier is one of the most dramatic and well-documented cases, as well as the largest contributor to sea level rise out of the 50 or so glaciers that descend to the sea in Alaska.

To put the current ebb in the context of the past millennium, Anders Carlson at Oregon State University and his colleagues bored down into the mud at the bottom of the bay that the glacier flows into, Prince William Sound, on the southern coast of Alaska. They then examined the layers of sediment deposited over the past 1600 years or so, and also looked at the age of tree trunks left on the surface by the retreating glacier. From this, they worked out that the last time the glacier was this low was 900 years ago (Geology, http://dx.doi.org/b46k).

*****

http://www.windpoweroffshore.com/article/1428373/statkraft-divests-dogger-bank-stake

Statkraftdivests Dogger Bank stake

23 March 2017 by David Weston, Be the first to comment

UK: Norwegian developer Statkraft has exited the Forewind consortium developing the four 1.2GW projects in the Dogger Bank zone.

The Dogger Bank zone ls located 130 kilometres from the UK's coast

The Dogger Bank zone ls located 130 kilometres from the UK's coast

Two of the consortium partners have taken on a greater share in the developments. Compatriot Statoil and Scottish utility SSE have increased their stakes from 25% to 37.5% each upon Statkrafts exit.

Fellow consortium partner Innogy (formerly RWE Innogy) has kept its 25% stake in the projects.

SSE's director of development, Mike Seaton, said: "This acquisition represents the next step in the development of the Dogger Bank Offshore Wind development, SSE will continue to work alongside the remaining partners in the Forewind consortium to progress these projects."

"By increasing our share, we strengthen Statoil's long-term portfolio materiality and gain additional optionality. This is in line with our strategy to gradually complement Statoil's oil and gas portfolio with profitable renewable energy and other low-carbon solutions," said Stephen Bull, Statoil's senior vice president for offshore wind.

Dogger Bank comprises four 1.2GW projects, located 130km from the UK's east coast. The four projects, to be built in two phases, were permited in 2015.

In September 2016, Statkraft announced plans to divest from its offshore activities entirely, claiming the industry was "too capital intensive".

It agreed with regular project partner Statoil to transfer its 40% share and operatorship of the 317MW Sheringham Shoal project.

Statoil originally also had a 40% stake in the project, the remaining 20% is owned by the Green Investment Bank.

Statkraft also said it was considering withdrawing from the under-construction 402MW Dudgeon site. Dudgeon is also part-owned by renewable energy firm Masdar and Statoil, which is also acting as the project operator.

Statkraft said at the time it would continue developing the permitted 900MW Triton Knoll offshore wind project with Innogy to a final investment decision before selling its share.

RELATED ARTICLES

Offshore wind costs fall 32% since 2011

UK renewables investment approaching 'cliff edge'

Statkraft looks to full offshore divestment

Over 2.6GW of UK wind reaches CfD milestones

SSE closes financing of £2.6bn Beatrice

Statkraft stops offshore investment

GLOBAL WARMING - SUMMER READING

Prime Minister

Rt. Hon David Cameron MP

By Email

12 June 2015.

Dear Mr Cameron,

SEA LEVEL RISE & BRITISH MARINE ENGINEERING

Congratulations on winning a second term.

I wrote to you on 15 June 2013, encouraging UK investment in marine–engineering to build large floating cities. E.G. Florida, Boston and Amsterdam will buy one.

http://noelhodson.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/green-sea-cities.html

Today, New Scientist magazine, Page 8, “Five Metres & Counting” by Michael Le Page, says sea level will rise 20 metres. 5 years ago, science predicted sea-level rise of “5mm within the next century”. That scientific consensus was 4,000 times too small. And, in my “futurist’s” view, was decades out on timing. I think a 20 metres rise is still several times too little.

http://www.newscientist.com/special/worse-climate (I don’t know how you avoid the Persil Ad pop-up).

Please re-read my 15^th June 2013 letter and blog (link) and mobilise the UK’s formidable, world class, marine engineering industry to specialise in building amphibious homes and permanently floating major cities. The whole world will need this highly profitable industry – and it is the most efficient and pro-active way to re-house drowned London.

Your colleague, Mayor Boris Johnson MP, was right to propose an island /floating Thames Estuary airport. It is practical, necessary and economic.

Yours truly

Noel Hodson

PS – And, I would be grateful if you could persuade the MoT to fund our green freight transport project, which is both flood proof and simple technology, and far cheaper than any existing freight transport, using only 10% of the energy. Their horrified reaction to date is “But its NEW! Mr Hodson. Its NEW!”

http://www.noelhodson.com/Ftubes/19APR2011-Foodtubes-ISUFT-OnePage.pdf

PANAMA PAPERS - IS YOUR TAX-PLANNER INSURED?

THE NET CLOSES - BUT SLOWLY 

UPDATE 16th December 2017

This, in my view, is what Brexiters are desperate to avoid, or evade. UK tax courts are still stuffed with tax-planners who let-off evaders. EU tax courts are slow, because they have to accommodate tax-evaders from 28 Member States, but are moving inexorably to close tax-havens, most of which were British boltholes for our aristocrats: 

Firms forced to reveal real owners in tax evasion fight

Guardian news: ‘Today’s deal will make it much harder for the criminal and corrupt to use EU companies’

Companies across the European Union will be forced to disclose their true owners under new legislation prompted by the release of the Panama Papers.

Anti-corruption campaigners applauded the agreement as a major step in the fight against tax evasion and money laundering but expressed disappointment that trusts would mostly escape scrutiny.

The revised terms of the EU’s fourth anti-money laundering directive include:

• A requirement for companies to disclose their beneficial, or true, owners in a publicly available register.

• Data on the beneficial owners of trusts to be available to tax and law enforcement authorities, as well as sectors with an obligation to follow anti-money laundering rules, such as lawyers.

• A requirement for member states to verify beneficial ownership information submitted to their registers.

• Extending anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism regulations to apply to virtual currencies, provision of tax services and those dealing in works of art.

TAX JUSTICE EUROPE issued this press release on 4th April 2017.

One year after the Panama Papers, the EU’s drive for increased financial transparency risks falling short

[About Panama Papers]

On the morning of 4 April 2016, one year ago this week, citizens around the world woke up to yet another shocking tax scandal. The leaking of 11.5 million confidential documents from Mossack Fonseca showed how the Panamanian law firm helped its clients through the use of offshore anonymous company and trust structures to launder money, dodge sanctions and evade taxation.

Tuesday, 5 April 2016

PANAMA PAPERS - LEAK FROM TAX-HAVEN

[Political response]

In the weeks which followed, the Panama Papers put the issue of anonymous company ownership high on the international agenda. The European Commissioner responsible for taxation, Pierre Moscovici, said that the use of offshore companies in order to hide financial assets from tax authorities was “immoral, unethical and, in one word, unacceptable”. He said that the EU had “a duty” to act and put an end to the kind of tax dodging uncovered by the Panama Papers.

In April 2016, European governments recognised the need for action, and EU Finance Ministers invited the European Commission to introduce changes to EU anti-money laundering legislation in order to enhance the accessibility of beneficial ownership registers for both companies and trusts.

[Insert line about your own country – if relevant]

Soon thereafter, the European Commission responded with a proposal in July, announcing revisions to EU legislation that would allow for full public access to the beneficial ownership registers of companies and business-related trusts operating in the European Union.

[Why this is important]

This was a welcome step towards greater transparency. The types of schemes uncovered by the Panama Papers involved anonymous companies, whose real owners hid behind hired ‘nominee directors’ that often had very little or nothing at all to do with the business in question. They often also involved the use of anonymous offshore trusts. Such anonymous vehicles are known as ‘getaway cars’ for tax evaders, money launderers and criminals, which allow them to obscure their identity and hide the proceeds of their crime.

I SAY AVOIDANCE - YOU SAY EVASION

Public registers would make anonymous trusts and companies a relic of the past. Through such registries, the real owners – also known as “beneficial owners” – would be required to disclose their true identity. With public access to such information, journalists, civil society and interested citizens would be able to peel back the layers of secrecy and uncover wrongdoing. This would not reveal any details about bank accounts, but simply allow us all to know who owns the companies and trusts operating in our societies. Already today, public registers exist, including in the UK where a public register for companies is up and running. One of the world’s largest banks, HSBC, has meanwhile also indicated its support for establishing public company and trust ownership registers.

[Political backtracking by EU Member States]

However, one year on from the Panama Papers, we find that commitments by European governments to put an end to the loopholes revealed by the Panama Papers have waned. Meeting in December last year, negotiators from the EU countries dropped key provisions from the European Commission’s proposal, most notably the proposal to make the registers public. Instead, registers would only be made accessible to those individuals who can prove a ‘legitimate interest’. This would mean that journalists, civil society organizations and the general public would have to demonstrate a ‘legitimate interest’ in order to get any information, unless member states voluntarily opt for public access. [Insert reference to your own government, if relevant, and underline that they have also agreed to this backtracking]  

 http://www.politico.eu/article/eu-no-trade-deal-if-uk-becomes-a-tax-haven/

[Why ‘legitimate interest’ doesn’t work]

In reality, this could mean that the public would often be left in the dark. How to define the concept of ‘legitimate interest’ would be left to the discretion of EU member states. Experience from the ongoing implementation of the current EU’s anti-money laundering directive shows that EU member states cannot agree on a common definition. In the Netherlands, following a lengthy consultation, the government came to the conclusion that registers should be made public because attempting to assess who would have a ‘legitimate interest’ in accessing this information would be too “hard to control, hard to enact, and costly.” Meanwhile, in other countries, such as the Czech Republic and Italy, the interpretation of legitimate interest has been so restrictively defined that individuals have to go through a court procedure in order to demonstrate their legitimate interest in accessing this information.

[Leadership from the European Parliament]

But while EU member states have sought to backtrack the European Commission’s proposals for further transparency, the European Parliament has long recognised the need for transparency. And in February of this year, MEPs voted in favour of an ambitious response to the Panama Papers, backing rules that would introduce public beneficial ownership registers for all companies and trusts operating in the EU.

The European Parliament proposed to close several loopholes in the Commission’s proposal, including by strengthening the definition of when an individual is deemed to be the beneficial owner of a company and requiring banks to terminate business relationships with companies who are unable to identify their beneficial owner.

[The scandals keep coming]

Meanwhile, the billion dollar scandals keep hitting the news. Less than a month ago, a new expose showed that dirty money from Russia worth US$ 20 billion had been laundered through anonymous shell-companies and hidden outside of Russia. One of the favourite hiding places was banks in the EU.

[Next steps & conclusion]

In order to become EU law, the European Parliament and EU member states need to negotiate a final agreement. Therefore, it is crucial that EU governments rethink their unambitious position and instead deliver on their commitment to enhance transparency following the Panama Papers. [Insert reference to your own government, if relevant: “This includes…”]. Only fully publicly accessible beneficial ownership registers of both companies and trusts will allow for the transparency needed in order to put an end to the shadowy business practices that were at the centre of the Panama Papers.