The 2010 G-20 Toronto summit protests began one week ahead of the summit of the leaders of the G-20 on June 26 and 27 in Toronto. Protests included demonstrations, rallies, marches, as well as a violent riot that broke out on June 26 which caused extensive vandalism to several businesses in Downtown Toronto. A reported 1105 people were arrested in relation to the protests,the largest mass arrests in Canadian history. — Wikipedia

Reuven’s G20 Summit

– Editor’s Note –

@ruv‘s real name Reuven Cohen. He lives in Toronto.His twitter bio claims he is a “Dad, Provocateur, Blogger & Founder of Enomaly, a world wide leader in Cloud Computing — and creator of the CloudCamp series of events around the globe”.

We have never met but we do follow each other on twitter.

Reuven Cohen's face PhotoShopped on Ernesto "Che" Guevara

Is this a guessing game? Give us another clue, please. RT @ruv Most of the anarchists in Toronto are not from Toronto. #g208:59 PM Jun 26th via web

Thank you. RT @ruv G20 Riot brings Protest tourism to Toronto http://ruv.net/a/53
9:03 PM Jun 26th via web

Reuven’s link is to Toronto’s National Post’s blog, Posted Toronto. At this point I start to follow @postedtoronto

RT @Batman Toronto: I am watching. RT @ruv Awesome it’s pouring out, hopefully those rioting idiots catch a cold. #g20
10:28 PM Jun 26th via web

The above tweet is a style of tweeting I invented called DoubleTwit

(It was almost a year ago ~ Hill City, Kan. – Wind Power 101 can be read here if  Flipside Florida needs a refresher course).

Since then, WECC  and Graham County are in the third-quarter of year long meteorological study (met study). The company has specialized software which gauges Graham County’s wind “personality” – speed, direction, seasonal changes and so on. With this information, which in effect is wind-marketing data, Graham County can “sell” itself to electric-power companies/providers.  WECC is intricately involved in the marketing effort.

Nice weather and wind turbines courtesy WECC

The residents of Graham County are all on board with the project, land leases have been signed and everyone is anxious to proceed. At issue, however, is coordinating local red-tape. Poor Kirk Schweitzer, (Director, Graham County Economic Development) was almost in tears the other day. He’s torn out chunks of his hair which is now whiter than it should be.

Of course that isn’t true. But grid developer difficulties and inter-county squabbling is to the point where a “summit” between all parties, including a team from WECC, is taking place on June 24th.

So today we wait for agenda and participant information from Kirk Schweitzer (who promised it would arrive yesterday).

As readers can surmise, this is article is a work in progress to be updated as updates arrive.

Meanwhile in Logan County, Nebraska …

TO BE CONTINUED.

Alberto Alemán Zubieta, CEO, Panama Canal Authority

Panel discussions explored global commerce,  trade and transportation, as well as the Panamanian government’s plans to meet its future energy demands. The business forum was sponsored and chaired by The Economist.

The conference concluded with the president of Panama,  Ricardo Martinelli, discussed his vision and economic priorities  in a “Keynote Conversation” with Justin Thody, Regional Director for Latin America, Economist Intelligence Unit. Panama is in the midst of a booming economy and infrastructure development.

Foreign corporations were the primary audience,  some with U.S. representation – Global agribusiness giant, Syngenta, has a U.S. NAFTA office, while Hamburg Sud is a port tenant at Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT). Domestic corporations included  Procter and Gamble, Caterpillar, Ernst & Young, and Merrill Lynch.

Alberto Alemán Zubieto, the CEO of the Panama Canal Authority underscored that the canal is positioning itself to become the transportation and logistics hub of the Americas.

There are many opportunities to capture the value of our location, particularly by investing in logistics and infrastructure. Panama offers something very unique to world commerce. It is a port with terminals in two oceans.

(L-R): Mayor John Peyton (Jacksonville, FL), Alberto Alemán Zubieta, Rick Ferrin and JAXPORT Board of Directors Chairman, David Kulik

INTERNATIONAL TRADE AGREEMENT PANDEMONIUM  ~~~

The ACP has signed 18 Memorandums Of Understanding (MOU) with U.S. Eastern seaboard and Gulf of Mexico  port authorities as of April 22, 2010. For competitive reasons Flipside Florida is really only interested in Jacksonville – America’s Logistics Center.

PANAMA CITY, Panama, April 20, 2010 –   The Panama Canal Authority and Jacksonville Port Authority launched a strategic partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

In essence, the parties agree to undertake a joint marketing effort to generate new shipping business. These joint marketing efforts may include, but are not limited to:  advertising activities aimed at promoting all-water routes;  joint exhibitor booths at maritime events;  joint press conferences; and editorial. An ACP press release was helpful for this particular article.

This partnership is especially important as both the ACP and JAXPORT undertake landmark expansion projects to spur trade and increase economic opportunities. Further, it is emblematic of the Canal’s goals to constantly look for creative ways to serve the  needs of the international maritime community and provide safe, reliable and efficient service to our customers. — Mr. Alberto Alemán Zubieta.

JAXPORT is already strongly connected to the Panama Canal by 13 ocean carriers and more than 600 annual calls in Jacksonville. We regard the opening of the new locks as the beginning of a profound transformation in global cargo patterns, specifically for cargo flowing from and into the United States. We’ll be ready for the completion of the new locks and the dramatic increase of our Canal cargo volume. —   Rick Ferrin, CEO, Jacksonville Port Authority.

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Meanwhile, JAXPORT needs to dredge the St. Johns River another 10 or so feet. Its current depth is 40 feet. The Army Corps of Engineers – Jacksonville District will release a cost and benefits analysis next year to see if deepening the St. Johns River up to 50 feet is worth $500 million. At the same time, the St. Johns River Water Management District is studying how Orlando’s use of the   St. Johns for drinking water is affecting salinity levels and/or the river’s basic ecosystem.

SAVANNAH, Georgia —  The Georgia Port Authority is light years ahead of the State of Florida in terms of  coordinating its port authorities.  Florida has 14 ports each operating as separate entities with inadequate State funding  to develop its very lucrative trade potential.

In fact, published in the ground-breaking and quite popular magazine, Dredging Today, is Georgia Port Authority explains Savannah River Dredging Impact . The State of Georgia would like to remind  the Jacksonville Port Authority that:

Let us also not forget that Savannah is the only East Coast harbor that is tide regulated.

Panama Canal May 2010 courtesy of ACP

Flipside Florida assumes  the ACE – Jacksonville District will have “learned from past mistakes” to find a $500 million dredging expenditure to be cost effective in a year’s time.

The Florida Times-Union has an interesting overview of Ports 2010, a conference organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers, where this study was announced.

Update REBUTTAL:

I take issue with the Georgia Port Authority (portion).  Florida has 14 ports operating as separate entities and we have inadequate funding. However, you leave out the reasons Georgia might is able to be “light years” ahead. There are only TWO ports there AND they are state owned and operated. JAXPORT is quite content as an independent agency acting as a landlord not an operator. Our tenants prefer to be allowed to run their facilities as they see fit. It is an attractive part of our situation here and does attract business to JAXPORT!

~Nancy Rubin,  Director of Communications, JAXPORT