#royal dutch shell

[awesome-casuallyfamouscollector]

The oil giant has big plans for the remainder of the decade. It wants to install around 70,000 public charging points by 2025 and around 200,000 by 2030, the report stated.

Unloading 1,000 stations would be like removing a drop out of the ocean—it’s equivalent to just 4% of the company’s sites(..)

P.S.Big oil sees the writing on the wall. Despite the recent negative campaign against the electric car market by mass media (ICE vehicle marketers and oil companies have enough money to buy journalists and bloggers), the EV business is actually growing quite well, surprisingly well... The interesting thing is that that electric cars appear more and more often in developing countries, especially in those without their own oil industry... 

[blue-and-gilt]

17th Century Shell Guard Broadsword

There's something unique about holding a piece of history that dates back four hundred years. They have a presence, a gravitas that, more recent swords lack.

So, what is this sword? The Royal Armouries simply describes the examples in their collection as an early 17th-century broadsword with shell guard (Object IX.172). While Ewart Oakeshott in his book "European Weapons and Armour - From the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution" describes two types of swords with related characteristics: the German sabre, circa 1540s, with forward and rear quillons, a knuckle bow, and a distinctive shell guard covering the outside of the hand. Plus, the second type of Sinclair hilt, with its one-piece S-shaped crossguard forming the rear quillon and knuckle guard.

At the same time, the Dutch sword historian J.P. Puype describes these as a Solingen horseman's sword of the classical type: "The problem with this type of sword is that so far there has never been written a proper monography on them and that opinions on them are practically always unsubstantiated by evidence. The other problem is that they are often seen as naval but there is more evidence to tell us that they were army swords.

I think that I may be the first arms historian who identified these swords as cavalry swords, but I have to admit that in publications prior to 1998 I (too) identified them exclusively as shipboard cutlasses.

In the 1990s I became increasingly involved in writing publications and doing museum exhibitions on Prince Maurice and the new Dutch so-called  States Army of the 1590s. In the course of this involvement I analysed the pictures by Jacob de Gheyn made during the 1590s of the infantry drill and cavalry drills. These infantry pictures were published in a book in 1607, although we know that its manuscript was already in existence c. 1595-c.1597, but was withheld by Prince Maurice for reasons of security.

Simultaneously, a book on the cavalry exercise was conceived, but its publication was permanently withheld by Maurice, partly for security reasons, partly also because Prince Maurice in 1597 or 1598 abolished the lancers.

Among the cavalry prints the heavy cavalry has as its chief weapon the lance (it was abolished in 1597 or 1598 in favor of the wheel-lock pistol, and the lancers became 'pistoliers'). However, the light cavalry is armed with swords with shell-guard hilts.

So we can only prove that the seashell-hilted sword apparently originated in the cavalry. The earliest proof that I have of its maritime use is after 1700. I do not know how to explain the picture of the French privateer Lolonois of 1684 (the year of appearance of the original Dutch edition) who is armed with a seashell-hilted cutlass with a curved blade with clipped point.

One other of the very few other 17th C pictures I know in which appear  what seem to be shell-hilted cutlasses is on the title-page of a book published in 1673 (see the attachment). There is a heap of apparently seashell-hilted cutlasses in the foreground but it is clear that the hilts are rendered in a wrong version. The blades, however, are curved and with clipped point.

In or before 1978 the wreck of a flatboat was found in the lake what once was the Zuyderzee. This boat was full of arms and military equipment, destined for what were army outposts on islands against a possible French invasion in 1672. Among the cargo were four swords with seashell guards and straight blades. In the attachment are two archaeological drawings.

All this does not bring us definitive answers to the problem when we view the portrait of the French privateer l'Olonnais (spelled as Lolonois) in which he is holding a seashell-hilted cutlass with curved blade with clipped point. I do not know of the actual existence of such a sword - nowhere in the world. I dare not go so far as to suggest that swords of this type may be artists' impressions only but somehow it does feel that way!"

Jan Piet Puype.

In short, these are another variation of military broadsword that would have been common amongst the military armies of the first half of the 17th-century. While it is appealing to look at the portrait of the French privateer Lolonois as evidence that these swords have a naval connection, the unfortunate reality is that the artist likely never met his subject. Furthermore, he made a notable error in the sword's detailing; with the quillon and knucklebow reversed, the sword becomes impractical to wield. In conclusion, we see an artist's impression, not a historical representation.

In German and Dutch references, these swords are called houdegen or houwdegen, which translates to 'hewing sword'. Although short, their weight and broad, double-edged lenticular blades give these swords a no-nonsense functionality. A single fuller runs for the first 20% starting at the guard. The ricasso is a square block with two smaller side fullers running along its length. On both sides of the ricasso is a maker mark of a crown above an O and T. According to the Royal Armouries, this is the mark of a Spanish smith. However, I have seen one text attribute this to a Solingen swordsmith. Given that the blade has ME FECIT and SOLINGEN (Solingen Made Me) stamped into the fuller, it seems more likely that the stamp is either a copy of the Spanish maker mark or one unique to a Solingen blade maker.

The grip retains its' original wire and Turks head knots at each end. It has a pear-shaped pommel with a tang button on the top for the peen. Although I can't be sure, I expect the pommel is hollow, like we see on the Amsterdam Walloon swords.

The S-shaped crossguard and shell guard are two separate pieces that appear to have been forge-welded together. While the hilt and pommel on my sword are solid, the guard is loose. There probably used to be a fabric or leather washer between the blade shoulder and guard to hold them tight. On the inside of the guard, it continues to cover the thumb, curling around on itself to form a thumb ring. This combination of knuckle bow and shell guard offers the wielder a lot of hand protection.

Stats: Overall Length - 870 mm Blade Length - 725 mm Point of Balance - 90 mm Grip Length - 140 mm Inside Grip Length - 80 mm Weight - 900 grams

[reality-detective]

💥💰 Revealed: The Secret Empire of the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and Morgans 💰💥

Prepare to uncover the shocking truth about the world's most influential families and their iron grip on the global economy. The Federal Reserve Cartel, comprised of the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and Morgans, holds unparalleled power that extends far beyond the realm of oil.

Picture this: The Four Horsemen of Banking, including Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo, join forces with the Four Horsemen of Oil, such as Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch/Shell, BP, and Chevron Texaco. But their domination doesn't stop there. They have extended their reach to encompass the music industry through an intricate network of private banks. These behemoths, along with Deutsche Bank, BNP, Barclays, and other European old money giants, control the strings of the music industry, enabling them to dictate its direction and influence.

The nefarious deeds of the Rockefeller dynasty are far-reaching, starting with their military-commercialization of music in the early 1900s. They orchestrated a diabolical plan to shift the world's standard tuning of music to 440 pitch. This insidious frequency was known to provoke greater aggression, psychosocial agitation, emotional distress, and even physical illnesses. Behind the scenes, this manipulation led to financial gains for those complicit in the monopoly, including agents, agencies, and companies connected to the North American Rockefeller crime cartel and elite organizations.

Fast forward to the late 1980s, when the Rockefellers summoned the top music executives and talent to a highly secretive meeting in Los Angeles. Their sinister agenda? To usher in the era of Controlled Rap Music, tightly linked to the privatization of U.S. prisons. These privately owned prisons, operated by the Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Bush family, and other influential figures, served as money laundering operations, tax exemption schemes, and pyramid scheme operations.

The Rockefellers devised a cunning plan to control the rap industry and target black communities by promoting violent music that fueled oppression and civil unrest. They brought together top executives and leading black artists, binding them with confidentiality agreements. Their objective was clear: coordinate the violence within the rap music movement, while major record labels gained exclusive rights for production and distribution across the United States. As a reward, they would receive shares and points within the private prison systems.

The Masonic plan unfolded with precision, resulting in over 1,500 private prison systems housing more than 1 million black teenagers by 1990. These vulnerable youths, expressing the generational trauma imposed upon them, unknowingly contributed to the Rockefellers' malevolent scheme. The private prison systems reaped billions annually from the government, creating a vast money laundering network through inflated products, such as ramen noodles priced 8 times higher than their actual value. The flow of hundreds of billions from government funding, pyramid schemes, and insurance companies transformed the privatization of prisons into a multi-trillion-dollar venture.

Local courts and judges mercilessly sentenced petty criminals and first-time offenders, filling the ever-expanding private prisons. As a result, the United States now holds the dubious record for the highest number of incarcerated individuals in the world, with an unprecedented number of prisons. This was not an accident—it was a meticulously orchestrated plan by the Rockefellers.

But their influence doesn't end there. These silent thieves also manipulate elections, ensuring their grip on power remains unbroken.

Unmasking the true face of those who control the world, the Rothschilds and Rockefellers find themselves in the crosshairs of military alliance operations aimed at dismantling the Rothschilds' deep state power in Europe, the UK, Russia, and China.

Are you connecting the DOTS? 🤔

[thehopefuljournalist]

According to a new survey, lawmakers are playing an increasingly important role in holding corporations and governments accountable for failures to tackle the climate crisis.

The research was done by Columbia Law School, and was commissioned by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). It revealed that the number of climate-related court cases has more than doubled since 2017 and is steadily rising around the world.

Their report confirms a trend highlighted in the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2023, which claimed that individuals and environmental organizations were, more and more, turning to the law, as it became clear that the pace of transition to net-zero emissions was too slow.

“Climate litigation is increasing and concerns about emissions under-reporting and greenwashing have triggered calls for new regulatory oversight for the transition to net zero,” the Forum report said.

The UNEP report catalogues a number of high-profile court cases which have succeeded in enforcing climate action. In 2017, when climate case numbers were last counted, 884 legal actions had been brought. Today the total stands at 2,180.

The majority of climate cases to this date (1,522) have been brought in the US, followed by Australia, the UK, and the EU. The report notes that the number of legal actions in developing countries is growing, now at 17% of the total.

Climate litigation is also giving a voice to vulnerable groups who are being hard hit by climate change. The report says that, globally, 34 cases have been brought by children and young people, including two by girls aged seven and nine in Pakistan and India.

Here are five of the climate breakthroughs achieved by legal action so far.

1. Torres Strait Islanders Vs Australia

In September 2022, indigenous people living on islands in the Torres Strait between northern Queensland and Papua New Guinea won a landmark ruling that their human rights were being violated by the failure of the Australian government to take effective climate action.

The UN Human Rights Committee ruling established the principle that a country could be in breach of international human rights law over climate inaction. They ruled that Australia's poor climate record was a violation of the islanders’ right to family life and culture.

2. The Paris Agreement is a human rights treaty

In July 2022, Brazil's supreme court ruled that the Paris climate agreement is legally a human rights treaty which, it said, meant that it automatically overruled any domestic laws which conflicted with the country’s climate obligations.

The ruling ordered the government to reopen its national climate mitigation fund, which had been established under the Paris Agreement.

3. Climate inaction is a breach of human rights

Upholding an earlier court ruling that greenhouse emissions must be cut by 25% by 2020, the Netherlands Supreme Court ruled that failure to curb emissions was a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The December 2019 ruling stated that, although it was up to politicians to decide how to make the emission cuts, failure to do so would be a breach of Articles 2 and 8 of the Convention which affirm the right to life and respect for private and family life.

4. Companies are bound by the Paris accord

Corporations, and not just governments, must abide by the emissions reductions agreed in the Paris climate treaty. This principle was established by a 2021 ruling in the Netherlands brought by environmentalists against energy group Royal Dutch Shell.

The court ordered Shell to cut its CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030 bringing them in line with Paris climate targets. The judge was reported as saying there was "worldwide agreement" that a 45% reduction was needed, adding: "This applies to the entire world, so also to Shell”.

5. Courts overturn state climate plans

Up until now, three European governments have been defeated in the courts over their climate plans.

In March 2021, Germany’s highest court struck down a climate law requiring 55% emissions by 2030 cuts, ruling it did not do enough to protect citizens’ rights to life and health. The same year, the French government was ordered to take “immediate and concrete action” to comply with its climate commitments. And in 2022, the UK’s climate strategy was ruled unlawful for failing to spell out how emissions cuts would be made.

[pwlanier]

Frederick Clifford Harrison (1901-1984), Trompe L'oeil of a Russian 'Kvass' jar and Dutch Deft plates, oil on board, initialled and dated '73. Within original frame.

Frederick Clifford Harrison was a still life painter, born in London in 1901. He studied at Hammersmith College of Art and Central School of Arts and Crafts. In the 1920s he worked in advertising for Publicity Arts Ltd including designing posters for Shell, later he concentrated on producing meticulous trompe l’oeil pictures of uncanny realism. He exhibitrd widely, incluidng at the RA Summer Exhibition until 1967, Furneaux Gallery, Harris Art Gallery in Preston, Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts and Chelsea Art Club. E Stacy-Marks Ltd, Eastbourne, included Harrison in its 1989 Centenary Exhibition.

Hand of Glory

[ltwilliammowett]

Drebbels submarine

The first submersible goes back to Cornelius van Drebbel, a Dutch inventor who later became the court inventor of King James I of England. England. Drebbel had the idea for the construction in 1623, when he observed fishermen pulling catch boxes behind their boats. He noticed that the boats sank deeper into the water when the lines to the boxes tightened, and they lifted out of the water when the lines hung slack again. This gave van Drebbel the idea of constructing a submersible boat. James I approved the plan and financed the project.

Drebbel's first submarine. 17th century, by unknown (x)

For his submersible, he covered a fishing boat with a half-shell-shaped wooden construction. Several layers of greased leather skins were applied to the outside of the construction to seal the hull. On each of the long sides, the boat had six oars, which were guided outwards by cleats sealed with leather and metal straps. They served to propel the ship and were operated by twelve oarsmen inside. There was a snorkel for the air supply. The foredeck of the ship was built sloping towards the front and additionally accommodated water ballast tanks made of goatskin. If the ship was now moved forward, the water flowing over the foredeck pushed the construction downwards and the ship submerged.

(x)

The shape of the overall construction thus resembled a primitive depth rudder. The maximum attainable diving depth was about 3.6 metres. In 1626, he then demonstrated it and had it successfully sail between 12 and 15 feet ( 3.5-4.5m) below the surface of the Thames for about 3 hours from Westminster and Greenwich and back again. This was watched by the King and many others.

A reconstruction drawing of the submersible, with snorkel and water pump (x)

The boat was purely an experimental vessel and had no economic or military significance, as the Royal Navy had no interest in a submersible.  

[aisling-saoirse]

Princess Tree - Paulownia tomentosa

Today's Plant Profile is a little different, I wanted to cover an 'invasive' that fascinated me.

Before I begin I wanted to dissect my terminology on invasive, the term is often thrown at plants without considering a racialized and often problematic methodology on how we relate to these species. Invasive species are typically advantageous in the face of disturbance and quick to colonize altered areas, the monumental spread of invasives is a direct result of euro-centric land commodification, international trade and colonization. These species would not be as 'destructive' as they are without dramatic change to wildspaces/once-thoroughly-managed landscapes. You don't have to love these plants but understand that they often occupy spaces we disturbed, and that doesnt mean i want monocultures of introduced species but we should analyze what makes them thrive the way they do. I usually cover natives species to a document a dramatic loss I noticed in my lifetime however every plant has a good story behind.

To start let's identify the Princess Tree! Best known for their showy pink-lavender foxglove like flowers, perfect structural form, and massive leaves. This tree can grow up 90 feet, it's extremely fast growing, full trees can form between bricks (see 2 images below). The massive leaves are heart-shaped cataylpa-like often exceeding a foot in size (I see people use them as umbrellas in a pinch). The bark is pretty light in color, younger bark is speckled then becomes furrowed with age. The flowers are rather large, about the size of my palm (image 2), typically growing in large triangular clusters. In fall and winter, flowers typically form this large rough shell (see branch cuttings below) that splits overtime, more about that later.

The Princess Tree has a very rich folklore and introduced history behind it. According to my Chinese classmates the Princess Tree gets it's name from an old story about a beloved betrothed Princess who was transformed into this tree by a trickster, her husband-to-be was transformed into a Phoenix and it's said that when a ruler as great as she returns the Phoenix will land on its branches. I see (mostly western anecdotes) claim that this tree is planted when girls are born and the wood is used as a dowry, my classmates did not agree with this (take note these are landscape students). The wood is very sought-after in east Asia as it is sturdy and light, occasionally some american cities will sell the wood from invasive groves back to China, how fascinating!

The introduced history comes in two parts. The first the tree was initially sold as an ornamental originating from the Dutch east India company, the tree reached America by the 1830s. Due to the structure of the tree itself up into the mid century, modernist designers LOVED this tree, I've seen so many architectural drawings lovingly depicting it's big leaves. The second interesting facet about this tree's spread is that certain Chinese porcelain companies used to use the seed pods as a form of packing peanuts. Since the porcelain was primarily shipped by train in continent the tree quickly took hold around rail lines, if you look in philadelphia the oldest trees are around the railroads. The tree was able to survive in the desolate railway soils because it (like most invasive species) is able to derive nitrogen directly from the atmosphere into its roots. That's why you see these babies growing directly in a brick wall like below, crazy right?

The Princess Tree's native range is central to Western China, not much is know about it's natural habitat because literal millenia of civilization scale landscape changes. What is known is that the tree was typically found in dry-ravines and open valleys. Due to the movement of interesting botanical species the tree found found itself everywhere, even in Catherine the Great's royal garden and eventually into colonial-core markets. In America its currently invasive from Pennsylvania to Florida but can be found in almost every major city.

As said before it typically only invades disturbed locations, it's a pioneer species therefore it's advantageous in areas of full sun, poor soil, and generally super dry. The tree can honestly grow anywhere but typically only thrives in that disturbance niche, it has trouble invading older growth forests. The tree itself usually doesn't live more than 70ish years and after that a new ecology typically sprouts from the area it formerly inhabited, this tree is very good at building a fertile soil network from its nitrogen rich leaves. It must be said that this tree does rootsprout vigorously, and these sprouts can grow a shocking 15 feet in one growing season!!! Trees derived from seed usually take 3 years to reach that size (see my alleyway below)...for basically any oak it would take like 10 years to maybe reach that.

As for ethnobotanical usage, this is invasive so I'm going to recommend you just use this tree to death honestly. The massive leaves are very rich in nitrogen and make great compost. Leaves also make an umbrella in a pinch. The tree is super vigorous and a rapid grower so you can imagine it makes great coppice (and for my silvoculturists: leaves makes good animal fodder). The flowers have a lovely scent and look like foxglove without the poison (and they last a while). The wood is quite light lovely and workable, it reminds me of a lighter colored black locust. Apparently this tree also utlizes C⁴ photosynthesis which utilizing a different compound of carbon to derive energy, that's kind of interesting. It has a lot of great qualities honestly, as far as invasives go I really like this tree.

If you want to plant this tree...don't <3...there's enough, go to any city to experience it. In Eastern America some good alternatives are northern catalypa or black locust. If any of my Chinese followers know the full Princess story I would love to hear about it! As always happy hunting!

[effervescentdragon]

ok flip the script time! tell me an international law that you think is a) really well thought through/ written and b) actually well implemented! basically a law that makes u happy

-that dickhead who deleted her tumblr

none of them, they all fucking suck.

okay so, thats not completely true. the fact is, the issue with any kind of international law is the fact that there is issues in how its enforced. basically, imagine a bunch of ppl come together and say "okay we're gonna do this thing and we won't do this thing". and wverybody says okay fine, deal. except. there's no proper consequence if someone does the thing theyre not supposed to and vice versa, because you cannot force someone to comply to an agreement that relies on bona fide principle. any sort of consequence for breaking an international law then also depends on the willingness of the breaker to accept them. its a fucking joke is what it is. Most international law relies on state law, which is mostly hard law, to govern the breaches, and that is another matter completely because for something to become a hard/state law, it takes... decades, and thats IF there is actual willingness for it to happen, which there usually isnt, because again, diff branches of govt have to approve diff things and ev3ry govt is different and yeah. And climate law is even worse, because none of those treaties is truly binding in a way that matters, because again, you cannot force compliance.

THAT being said... i like how human rights law is used as a tool to rely on in climate change litigation. i like how judges in some cases went "arw you fucking serious" *khm*fuck you royal dutch shell and state of netherlands*khm*. I likw it when the bad guys get commeupance. Except the whole system was made by bad guys who left enough space for them to pretend theyre doing something, when in reality theyre patting themselves on the back for speaking smart phrases and taking millions for it, while nothing is done for those who actually suffer.

So we're back at the beginning which is - thank fucking god i never went into international law, like i wanted to at one point. I would've either ... joined a whaling crew out of despair, or lost my whole soul.

[trader-sg112]

Premarket U.S. Stock Movers: Tesla, Macy’s, Coinbase, Nio, Shell, Amazon 

In today's early trading, the U.S. stock market is already buzzing with notable movements among key players. Investors and analysts are closely monitoring the premarket activity of several prominent stocks, each showing distinctive performance dynamics.

Tesla (NASDAQ) has started the day on a positive note, with its stock rising by 1.8%. This upward movement follows recent market optimism surrounding Tesla's innovative developments in electric vehicles and sustainable energy solutions. As a pioneering force in the automotive industry, Tesla continues to capture investor interest with its innovative technological advancements and ambitious growth strategies.

Macy’s (NYSE) is another standout performer in the premarket, showcasing a robust 6.8% increase. This surge reflects renewed investor confidence in the retail giant's ability to navigate challenges and capitalize on evolving consumer trends. Macy's ongoing efforts to enhance its digital capabilities and strategic initiatives in omnichannel retailing are positioning the company for sustained growth in a competitive market landscape.

Coinbase (NASDAQ), however, faces a 4.6% decline in its premarket trading. The cryptocurrency exchange platform is experiencing volatility amidst regulatory scrutiny and market fluctuations in digital assets. Despite its leadership in the digital currency space, Coinbase's stock performance underscores the inherent volatility and regulatory uncertainties impacting the crypto industry.

Nio (NYSE), known for its electric vehicle offerings, is witnessing a 2.3% decrease in its American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) during premarket trading. This decline comes amid broader sectoral challenges and market sentiment towards growth stocks in the EV sector. Nio continues to navigate through supply chain disruptions and competitive pressures as it strives to expand its market presence globally.

Shell (LON) ADRs, representing Royal Dutch Shell, have shown a modest 1.1% rise in premarket trading. As a global energy leader, Shell's stock performance reflects investor sentiment toward energy markets and macroeconomic factors influencing oil and gas prices. The company's strategic focus on sustainable energy transitions and operational resilience in a dynamic energy landscape remains pivotal amid evolving market conditions.

Amazon (NASDAQ), a cornerstone of e-commerce and cloud computing services, is demonstrating a minor 0.3% change in its premarket activity. Amazon's stock movement reflects ongoing investor sentiment towards tech giants amid regulatory scrutiny and competitive pressures in digital retail and cloud computing markets. The company continues to innovate across its business segments, driving growth and adaptation to evolving consumer behaviors.

Today's premarket movements highlight the diverse dynamics shaping the U.S. stock market. Investors are navigating through a mix of sector-specific trends, regulatory developments, and macroeconomic factors influencing stock performance. As market participants analyze these early signals, the day's trading session promises to offer further insights into the evolving landscape of global financial markets.

[feckcops]

Palestine Activists Are Planning to Besiege an Israeli Weapons Factory

“On 1 April, Palestine Action (PA) was only half-joking when it served Elbit Systems with an eviction notice. On 1 May, the group plans to occupy the Israeli weapons company’s Leicester factory for the second time in just over a year. Founded in July 2020 by a pair of longtime pro-Palestine activists disillusioned with polite resistance – co-founder Huda Ammori quit her job at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign after tiring of the NGO model of political campaigning – PA has earned a reputation as one of the UK’s most militant direct action groups. Andrew Feinstein, a South African anti-apartheid activist, arms trade expert and PA advisor, called the group ‘undoubtedly the most effective campaign against a specific arms company I’ve seen anywhere in the world’.

“The group’s sole target, Elbit Systems, is Israel’s largest private weapons manufacturer, which happens to have a major UK manufacturing base. PA’s preferred tactics are raids and occupations; images of its activists in red boiler suits and black balaclavas scaling and spraypainting redbrick buildings have become fixtures across mainstream media. Since launching, PA has occupied all five of Elbit’s UK sites, one of which the company sold off last January after multiple rooftop occupations; the company also abandoned its London HQ in the summer after PA activists occupied and defaced it. The Siege, which starts on 1 May, will see PA return to the Leicester factory they first occupied two years ago (activists were eventually removed by police after six days).

“At a time when many activists are feeling burned out by intensifying crises and relentless repression, PA keeps upping the ante. How do they do it? Feinstein attributes PA’s success in part to its laser focus on one target. Just as activists in his home country targeted Barclays and Royal Dutch Shell for their engagement with the apartheid government, rather than attempting to pressure the entire banking or oil sector, he says that PA has chosen its target ‘very cleverly’.”

[465]

Prices were collapsing worldwide on the brink of the Great Depression, and this induced a price war among the major oil companies. Like the other leading oil companies, AIOC had two options: compete to win new markets for investment or set up joint ventures with other companies and divide markets among them. In response, AIOC actively pursued a parallel policy on world oil production, prices, and synthetic fuel technology. In August 1928, during the same period as his meeting with Iranian government officials in Switzerland, [John Cadman, chairman of AIOC] traveled to Achnacarry, Scotland, and agreed with the heads of the major international oil companies such as Standard Oil of New Jersey, Royal Dutch / Shell, Gulf Oil, and Standard Oil of Indiana to enter into a “Pool Association” or “As-Is” agreement. This monopoly arrangement was designed to manage the glut of oil supplies by establishing a uniform selling price so that participants would not have to worry about price competition. The group agreed to control world oil production as well, enabling the companies to increase their output above volumes indicated by their market quotas, but only so long as the extra production was sold to the other pool members.

The “As-Is” agreement additionally formed part of a much larger “hydrocarbon cartel” concerning not just oil but the chemical and coal industries. The goal was to control the chemical industry and block the coal industry from accessing the patented use of a hydrogenation technology known as the Bergius process that could be used to convert coal into oil and develop synthetic fuels. The agreement ensured that chemical firms were blocked from using the new technologies to make chemicals, synthetic rubbers, and fuels from the conversion of coal into synthetic oil. Such arrangements would help maintain a particular economy of oil through the construction of an artificial system of scarcity.

Katayoun Shafiee, Machineries of Oil: An Infrastructural History of BP in Iran, 2018

[anyoneknowwhatbrexitmeans]

“Like Liz Truss, Sunak’s campaign for the Conservative Party leadership was also partly financed by those with financial interests in polluting industries. Of the more than £530,000 Sunak has received in donations in 2022, around a quarter (26.5%) have been from those with portfolios which include investments in oil, gas and aviation industry.

Baron Michael Farmer, for example, a former Conservative Party Treasurer, donated more than £23,000 to Sunak’s campaign. He is among the world’s most famous metals traders and a founding member of the multi-billion-pound Red Kite metals hedge fund. He also has current shareholdings in energy giants Royal Dutch Shell and BP.”

[reality-detective]

Exposed: The Secret Dominion of the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and Morgans 💥

Prepare to uncover the startling reality behind the world's most influential families and their immense control over the global economy. The Federal Reserve Cartel, consisting of the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and Morgans, wields unprecedented power that extends well beyond the realm of oil.

Imagine this: The Four Horsemen of Banking, including Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo, unite with the Four Horsemen of Oil, such as Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch/Shell, BP, and Chevron Texaco. Yet, their dominion doesn't stop there. Through an intricate web of private banks, they have expanded their influence to encompass the music industry. These colossal entities, along with Deutsche Bank, BNP, Barclays, and other European old money giants, hold the reins of the music industry, allowing them to shape its trajectory and exert their influence.

The Machiavellian machinations of the Rockefeller dynasty reach far and wide, commencing with their commercialization of music in the early 1900s. They orchestrated a sinister plot to shift the world's standard tuning of music to 440 pitch. This insidious frequency was known to provoke heightened aggression, psychosocial agitation, emotional distress, and even physical ailments. Behind closed doors, this manipulation resulted in financial gains for those complicit in the monopoly, including agents, agencies, and companies associated with the North American Rockefeller crime cartel and influential organizations.

Fast forward to the late 1980s when the Rockefellers summoned top music executives and artists to a highly clandestine meeting in Los Angeles. Their sinister agenda? To usher in the era of Controlled Rap Music, intricately linked to the privatization of U.S. prisons. These privately owned prisons, operated by the Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Bush family, and other influential figures, served as money laundering operations, tax exemption schemes, and pyramid scheme enterprises.

Crafting a deceitful plan, the Rockefellers aimed to control the rap industry and target black communities by promoting violent music that fueled oppression and civil unrest. They brought together leading executives and prominent black artists, binding them with strict confidentiality agreements. Their objective was clear: orchestrate violence within the rap music movement while major record labels secured exclusive rights for production and distribution across the United States. In return, they would receive shares and points within the private prison systems.

The Masonic scheme unfolded with precision, resulting in over 1,500 private prison systems incarcerating more than 1 million black teenagers by 1990. These vulnerable youths, expressing the generational trauma imposed upon them, unknowingly contributed to the Rockefellers' malevolent plan. The private prison systems reaped billions annually from the government, establishing an extensive money laundering network through inflated products, such as ramen noodles priced at 8 times their actual value. The flow of hundreds of billions from government funding, pyramid schemes, and insurance companies transformed prison privatization into a multi-trillion-dollar enterprise.

Local courts and judges mercilessly sentenced petty criminals and first-time offenders, filling the expanding private prisons. Consequently, the United States holds the unfortunate record for the highest number of incarcerated individuals in the world, with an unprecedented number of prisons. This was not a coincidence—it was a meticulously orchestrated plan by the Rockefellers.

But their influence doesn't stop there.

As the true faces of those who wield global authority are revealed, the Rothschilds and Rockefellers find themselves targeted by military alliance operations aiming to dismantle the Rothschilds' deep state power in Europe, the UK, Russia, and China.

- Julian Assange WikiLeaks 🤔

[haber-euro-turk]

Petrol devlerinin karı yüzde 10 düştü

9 petrol firmasının bilançolarından derlediği verilere göre, Amerikalı ExxonMobil ve Chevron ile Hollandalı Royal Dutch Shell, İngiliz bp, Fransız TotalEnergies, İtalyan Eni, Rus Rosneft, Norveçli Equinor ve Suudi Arabistan’ın ulusal petrol şirketi Saudi Aramco’nun yılın ilk yarısındaki toplam karı 2023’e göre yaklaşık yüzde 10 düşüş gösterdi. Söz konusu dönemde, Saudi Aramco 56,30 milyar dolar,…

[adityarana1687-blog]

Petrochemicals Market Size To Reach $1002.45 Billion By 2030

The global petrochemicals market size is expected to reach USD 1002.45 billion by 2030, as per the new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2024 to 2030. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.0% from 2023 to 2030. The demand for petrochemicals is attributed to an increase in demand from the end-use industries such as construction, textile, medical, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, automotive, and electronics.

Products such as ethylene, propylene, and benzene are widely used in various industries such as packaging, electronics, plastics, and rubber. The ethylene product segment dominated the market in 2021 and is expected to maintain its lead in the forecast period owing to its wide application scope across several industries. Asia Pacific is anticipated to dominate the market in the forecast period owing to the favorable regulatory policies in the region.

Crude oil and natural gas are the major raw materials used for the manufacturing of petrochemical products. The volatile prices of crude oil are a major challenge in the procurement process of crude oil as a raw material for manufacturers. The industry players that are reliant on crude oil as a feedstock for manufacturing are likely to face difficulties in the coming years. However, declining prices of natural gas owing to a rise in its production are expected to augment the growth of the product over the forecast period.

The competitiveness among the producers of the product is high as the market is characterized by the presence of a large number of global players with strong distribution networks. Top players are dominating the industry for the past few years owing to the increasing investment in R&D activities related to new product development.

Request a free sample copy or view the report summary: Petrochemicals Market Report

Petrochemicals Market Report Highlights

The methanol product segment is expected to expand at the highest revenue-based CAGR of 8.9% over the forecast period. The demand is attributed to the increase in demand for methanol in manufacturing biodiesel, which is biodegradable, safe, and produces fewer air pollutants as compared to other fuels

Surged use of polyethylene, High-density Polyethylene (HDPE), and Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE) is expected to foster the overall growth of the market for petrochemicals.

The butadiene product segment is expected to be an emerging segment in the coming years as it is a key building block used in the manufacturing of several chemicals and materials employed in the industries such as consumer durables, healthcare, and building and construction

Manufacturers have adopted joint ventures and acquisitions as major strategies to increase their global presence

Petrochemicals Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global petrochemical market report on the basis of Product, and region

Petrochemicals Product Outlook (Volume, Million Tons; Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

Ethylene

Polyethylene

Ethylene oxide

EDC

Ethyl benzene

Others

Propylene

Polypropylene

Propylene oxide

Acrylonitrile

Cumene

Acrylic acid

Isopropanol

Other

Butadiene

SB Rubber

Butadiene rubber

ABS

SB latex

Others

Benzene

Ethyl benzene

Phenol/cumene

Cyclohexane

Nitrobenzene

Alkyl benzene

Other

Xylene

Toluene

Solvents

TDI

Others

Methanol

Formaldehyde

Gasoline

Acetic acid

MTBE

Dimethyl ether

MTO/MTP

Other

Petrochemicals Regional Outlook (Volume, Million Tons; Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

North America

U.S.

Canada

Europe

Germany

UK

France

Belgium

Netherlands

Asia Pacific

China

India

Japan

South Korea

Indonesia

Latin America

Brazil

Middle East

Africa

List of Key Players of Petrochemicals Market

BASF SE

Chevron Corporation

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)

China Petrochemical Corporation

ExxonMobil Corporation

INEOS Group Ltd.

LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V.

Royal Dutch Shell PLC

SABIC

Dow

[ltwilliammowett]

Did the keelhauling really exist ? or is that just a myth ?

Hi, it really did exist and it was a very brutal punishment, so brutal in fact that the Royal Navy and the US Navy even banned it. Originally it was a Dutch invention and it was normal to pull the person to be punished under the keel, but it was not allowed to be too slow, because otherwise the person would drown, but also not too fast, because it was supposed to be a punishment. Since there was no copper sheathing on the hull at the time when it was still allowed, it was full of sharp shells that cut the victim open when he was pulled past them. The procedure was then carried out three times. If the offence was a minor one, however, the victim was only dipped into the sea a few times by the yardarm. If it was a serious crime, however, the person concerned would certainly have wished that he had simply been hanged. Then he was dived, keelhauled, whipped and, if he was still alive, robbed of his money and discharged from the Navy.

The Keelhauling of the Ship’s Surgeon by Admiral Jan van Nes (detail) by Lieve Pietersz Verschuier. 1660 – 1686 © Rijksmuseum

The Dutch used this method of punishment until 1750, when they too found it a little too barbaric.

I hope this helps you, have a nice evening.