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  • Fuel – planetcirculate https://planetcirculate.com Mon, 18 Mar 2024 05:38:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 Japan core machinery orders fall more than expected, fuel economic uncertainty https://planetcirculate.com/japan-core-machinery-orders-fall-more-than-expected-fuel-economic-uncertainty/ https://planetcirculate.com/japan-core-machinery-orders-fall-more-than-expected-fuel-economic-uncertainty/#respond Mon, 18 Mar 2024 05:38:57 +0000 https://planetcirculate.com/japan-core-machinery-orders-fall-more-than-expected-fuel-economic-uncertainty/

    TOKYO – Japan’s core machinery orders fell more than expected in January on the back of a weak manufacturing sector, data showed on March 18, prompting the Japanese government to downgrade its view on the indicator for the first time in more than a year. The data, released on March 18 by the Japanese Cabinet Office, […]

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    TOKYO – Japan’s core machinery orders fell more than expected in January on the back of a weak manufacturing sector, data showed on March 18, prompting the Japanese government to downgrade its view on the indicator for the first time in more than a year.

    The data, released on March 18 by the Japanese Cabinet Office, follows recent data that highlighted concerns about the sluggish recovery in the world’s fourth-biggest economy.

    It comes as the Bank of Japan (BOJ) kicks off its two-day monetary policy meeting, although core machinery orders data is unlikely to have a significant bearing on the central bank’s decision, according to an economist.

    Core orders, a highly volatile data series regarded as a leading indicator of capital spending in the six to nine months ahead, fell 1.7 per cent in January from December, the data showed.

    The decline was bigger than a 1.0 per cent drop expected by economists in a Reuters poll and followed a 1.9 per cent gain in December.

    Weak production against a backdrop of weak demand for goods and production suspension at automakers and uncertainty over the impact of the New Year’s Day earthquake in Noto Peninsula might have motivated manufacturers to push back capital investment, said Daiwa Securities economist Kota Suzuki. “The risk of a slowdown in future capital investment will be significant.”

    The Japanese government lowered its view of machinery orders for the first time since November 2022, changing to “showing some weakness” from “stalling”.

    It made the downward revision after factoring in the October to December three-month average on the data, a Cabinet Office official said.

    On a year-on-year basis, core orders, which exclude volatile numbers from shipping and electric utilities, contracted 10.9 per cent, slightly smaller than the forecast 11.2 per cent slump.

    By sector, orders from manufacturers were down 13.2 per cent in January from December, dragged by chemicals industries and motor vehicles.

    It was unclear whether irregularities in certification tests by Toyota Motor’s affiliate Toyota Industries had any impact, the Cabinet Office official said.

    Service-sector orders grew 6.5 per cent.

    Bigger than expected pay hikes by major Japanese firms have significantly heightened the chance the Japanese central bank will end its negative interest rate policy at the meeting ending on March 19.

    An end to negative short-term rates would be Japan’s first interest rate hike since 2007. Daiwa Securities’ Mr Suzuki said that as capital investment on an actual basis is still firm, any impact from March 18’s data on BOJ’s decision will be limited.

    Policymakers and the Japanese government, though, have pointed out pockets of weakness in the economy.

    BOJ governor Kazuo Ueda said in March that the economy was recovering but also showing some signs of weakness, slightly toning down his assessment from January.

    Japan’s economy avoided a technical recession at the end of 2023, revised government data showed, even though the upward change in the fourth quarter was weaker than expected. REUTERS



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    Vehicle Emissions Star Ratings reveal most expensive and fuel guzzling cars to own https://planetcirculate.com/vehicle-emissions-star-ratings-reveal-most-expensive-and-fuel-guzzling-cars-to-own/ https://planetcirculate.com/vehicle-emissions-star-ratings-reveal-most-expensive-and-fuel-guzzling-cars-to-own/#respond Tue, 12 Mar 2024 15:28:46 +0000 https://planetcirculate.com/vehicle-emissions-star-ratings-reveal-most-expensive-and-fuel-guzzling-cars-to-own/

    A new comparison site has revealed the most expensive fuel guzzling cars to own, with some popular models achieving a rating of only 0.5 stars out of six. The Vehicle Emissions Star Ratings allows consumers to compare the annual fuel and electricity costs, and carbon dioxide emissions of new and second-hand cars, utes and vans, […]

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    ]]>


    A new comparison site has revealed the most expensive fuel guzzling cars to own, with some popular models achieving a rating of only 0.5 stars out of six.

    The Vehicle Emissions Star Ratings allows consumers to compare the annual fuel and electricity costs, and carbon dioxide emissions of new and second-hand cars, utes and vans, which are measured on a six-star rating system.

    The NSW government has launched the star rating system which applies to vehicles right across Australia and was developed in collaboration with the federal and state and territory governments.

    More than 16,000 models are on the register, with vehicles dating back to 2004.

    The multimillion-dollar Aston Martin One-77 Hatch Auto (2011) came in as the most expensive vehicle to run, with annual fuel expenditure of $6860.

    While the luxury vehicle had a 0.5 star rating out of six, there are also only 77 of the cars worldwide.

    Camera IconMotorists will be able to use the Vehicle Emissions Star Ratings to view the fuel emissions and annual cost of running more than 16,000 cars. NCA NewsWire/ David Swift Credit: News Corp Australia

    Although sports cars were generally the most expensive to run, the Nissan Patrol Wagon also had a 0.5 star rating, and costs between $4956 to $2996 a year in fuel costs, depending on the model.

    Some of Australia’s most popular cars also had surprisingly low scores.

    The Ford Ranger, which the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries consistently reports as its top-selling vehicle has a 2.5 star to 0.5 star rating, and fuel costs of $1820 to $3220.

    Depending on the model, the Toyota HiLux had a similar rating, with its most green model the diesel-powered Toyota HiLux Utility Manual (2015). The ute had a two-star rating, and an average fuel cost of $2044.

    Depending on the model, Toyota HiLuxes rated between 0.5 to two stars in terms of fuel emissions. Toyota
    Camera IconDepending on the model, Toyota HiLuxes rated between 0.5 to two stars in terms of fuel emissions. Toyota Credit: Supplied

    The ever popular Toyota Corolla scored considerable better. The most clean model was the Toyota Corolla Hatch CVT (2016), which had a 4-star rating and a running cost of $1148.

    NSW Energy and Climate Change Minister Penny Sharpe said the comparison site would help guide consumers make better decisions when it came to their hip pocket, and the environment.

    “The Vehicle Emissions Star Rating website offers information on emissions and efficiency in a simple format so consumers can choose a new or used car which reduces their emissions,” she said.

    Unsurprisingly, battery-operated electric vehicles were the most energy-efficient.

    “Battery EVs are the cleanest light vehicles, receiving a six-star rating because they do not produce any tailpipe emissions,” she said.

    “The NSW government is supporting their uptake by growing the network of EV chargers across the state.”



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    Australia’s biggest car brand calls for ‘fair and reasonable’ fuel efficiency standards https://planetcirculate.com/australias-biggest-car-brand-calls-for-fair-and-reasonable-fuel-efficiency-standards/ https://planetcirculate.com/australias-biggest-car-brand-calls-for-fair-and-reasonable-fuel-efficiency-standards/#respond Tue, 12 Mar 2024 08:37:31 +0000 https://planetcirculate.com/australias-biggest-car-brand-calls-for-fair-and-reasonable-fuel-efficiency-standards/

    Toyota Australia has been under fire from rivals and lobby groups for its slow progress on electric vehicles. And as Australia gears up for new fuel efficiency standards, the company is sticking to its guns by calling for “technology agnostic” rules that are “fair for the Australian public”. Toyota Australia vice president of sales and […]

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    Toyota Australia has been under fire from rivals and lobby groups for its slow progress on electric vehicles.

    And as Australia gears up for new fuel efficiency standards, the company is sticking to its guns by calling for “technology agnostic” rules that are “fair for the Australian public”.

    Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley again took aim at the likes of Greenpeace, arguing what the brand wants is “focused on the long term” – even if it creates “an easy target for groups that manufacture nothing more than media releases”.

    “We’re certainly prepared to wear that. Our critics are certainly entitled to their views, but too often they are playing a short game,” the outspoken executive this week told media.

    Camera IconThe first Toyota electric car in Australia, the bZ4X Credit: CarExpert

    “Yes, it is true some nations have announced a timeline for banning internal combustion engines. And some automotive manufacturers have said they’ll electrify their entire ranges within the next five to 10 years or so.

    “If they live up to their promises, then quite frankly that’s great. But one thing is becoming clearer as we go on this journey, and that’s the need to look a little closer at the fine print.”

    Mr Hanley’s comments come after sustained pressure from Greenpeace, which has accused Toyota of “greenwashing”. They also follow filings this week revealing Australians overwhelmingly support the introduction of fuel efficiency standards (FES)

    “The response to our FES consultation reinforces overwhelming support for the Government’s position: Australia needs fuel efficiency standards that make us competitive with other parts of the world for cleaner, cheaper-to-run cars,” claims Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen.

    Not Supplied
    Camera IconToyota is bringing 48V power to the HiLux Credit: CarExpert

    Mr Hanley repeated Toyota’s mantra of fighting a “war against carbon” on multiple fronts, in a way that means people aren’t “left behind”.

    “We support a fair and reasonable fuel efficiency standard. An appropriate fuel efficiency standard that’s technology agnostic, that understands the requirements of the Australian market,” he told media.

    “It’s not that we’re opposed to [FES] – we’re certainly not. We also want to get to a position where it’s fair for the Australian public, and the Australian motoring public, and what they do with their cars,” he said.

    That’s in contrast with calls from the Australian Electric Vehicle Council lobby group to achieve at least 50 per cent electric car sales among new light vehicles (passenger cars, SUVs, and light commercials) by 2030, and up to 95 per cent EV sales on new vehicles by the mid 2030s.

    Not Supplied
    Camera IconToyota C-HR Credit: CarExpert

    If strict fuel efficiency standards were to hit Australia, forcing brands to drastically lower their average emissions, Toyota says it could bring more hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles Down Under.

    Already the C-HR has gone hybrid-only; more vehicles could follow if required according to Mr Hanley.



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    Chris Bowen lauds fuel saving benefits as fight over car emissions cap shifts up a gear https://planetcirculate.com/chris-bowen-lauds-fuel-saving-benefits-as-fight-over-car-emissions-cap-shifts-up-a-gear/ https://planetcirculate.com/chris-bowen-lauds-fuel-saving-benefits-as-fight-over-car-emissions-cap-shifts-up-a-gear/#respond Sun, 10 Mar 2024 06:56:01 +0000 https://planetcirculate.com/chris-bowen-lauds-fuel-saving-benefits-as-fight-over-car-emissions-cap-shifts-up-a-gear/

    Energy Minister Chris Bowen has ramped up his sales pitch for proposed pollution caps on new vehicles, promising motorists living in outer suburban and regional areas could save up to $1800 a year in fewer trips to the bowser. The intervention comes as the Albanese government proposes to introduce fuel efficiency standards, designed to commence […]

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    Energy Minister Chris Bowen has ramped up his sales pitch for proposed pollution caps on new vehicles, promising motorists living in outer suburban and regional areas could save up to $1800 a year in fewer trips to the bowser.

    The intervention comes as the Albanese government proposes to introduce fuel efficiency standards, designed to commence next year, which would level fleetwide pollution caps on automotive manufacturers, bringing Australia into line with other developed nations.

    While the proposed standards won’t ban any particular model, brands will be penalised if the average emissions of all vehicles they import is higher than an emissions target that will be slashed by more than 60 per cent from 2025 through to the end of the decade.

    Camera IconEnergy Minister Chris Bowen faces a campaign against the vehicle emissions overhaul from the Coalition and segments of the automotive industry. NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia

    With the cap lowered each year, the standard will essentially operate as a carbon price, forcing car makers to either sell more zero and low emissions vehicles, cut back on the sale of high-emitting models such as utes and SUVs, or incur a financial penalty.

    Fending off a campaign from the Coalition and much of the car industry, who have criticised the emissions overhaul and argue that it will add thousands to the cost of a new vehicle, Mr Bowen on Sunday released new departmental analysis calculating how much motorists can expect to save via lower fuel costs.

    According to departmental estimates, a motorist with a new vehicle from Gosford or Wyong on the New South Wales Central Coast would save more than $1600 a year on average by 2028.

    Victorian motorists living on the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula would be in line for a $1695 saving.

    Drivers from Caboolture and Ipswich in Queensland would save in excess of $1300 a year, the department said.

    Meanwhile, Western Australian motorists in Bunbury, Margaret River and Busselton would be in line for $1200 off their annual fuel bill.

    ELECTRIC VEHICLE TAX
    Camera IconThe new vehicles emissions standards are designed to spur uptake in low and zero-emissions car models. NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe Credit: News Corp Australia

    However, motorists residing in cities and the inner suburbs, who generally drive far fewer kilometres, would receive a smaller saving with the average motorist in inner-Sydney saving just $826.

    The analysis also pointed to the inefficiency of Australian vehicles when compared to their international peers, asserting that new Australian passenger cars used 15 per cent more fuel than in New Zealand, 20 per cent more than in the US and 40 per cent more than in the EU.

    Speaking on Sunday, Mr Bowen was adamant that the scheme would not lead to an increase in the price for utes and other vehicles.

    “That hasn’t happened anywhere else in the world, and why would it happen in Australia?” Mr Bowen told the ABC’s Insiders program.

    “Peter Dutton is arguing that Australians deserve less choice and should be paying more for more petrol.

    “He can make that argument if he wishes. The government chooses to make the argument that it’s about time Australia catches up with the rest of the world and gives Australians better choices.”

    Asked about the lack of electric and low-emissions utes and four-wheel drives available, which has also been a frequent criticism of the policy, Mr Bowen maintained these options would increasingly become available.

    “There are some, and they are improving every day,” he said.

    “This is all about choices … and what we’re not doing is saying we’re going to phase out any particular type of car.”

    In an earlier interview, Coalition energy spokesperson Ted O’Brien doubled down on the Coalition’s line of attack, branding the policy as a “tax”.

    “We’re happy to work constructively with the government, but they have to strike the right balance between emissions, price and choice,” he told Sky News’ Sunday Agenda.

    “They have failed to strike any balance there.”

    The furore over fuel efficiency standards has sparked a fracture within the sector, and led to the resignations of electric vehicle manufacturers Tesla and Polestar from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) last week.

    The pair claimed the lobby group was working to undermine the scheme’s implementation, with Tesla accusing the FCAI of making “demonstrably false” claims the standard would increase car prices.

    Both brands would be key beneficiaries under the scheme as they could sell credits received for meeting the standard to manufacturers that exceeded it, thus boosting their bottom line.



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    MH370 flight documents ‘show extra fuel and oxygen were added at the last minute – proving pilot intended to change route and crash the jet’ https://planetcirculate.com/mh370-flight-documents-show-extra-fuel-and-oxygen-were-added-at-the-last-minute-proving-pilot-intended-to-change-route-and-crash-the-jet/ https://planetcirculate.com/mh370-flight-documents-show-extra-fuel-and-oxygen-were-added-at-the-last-minute-proving-pilot-intended-to-change-route-and-crash-the-jet/#respond Sat, 09 Mar 2024 19:05:24 +0000 https://planetcirculate.com/mh370-flight-documents-show-extra-fuel-and-oxygen-were-added-at-the-last-minute-proving-pilot-intended-to-change-route-and-crash-the-jet/

    Explosive documents have revealed last-minute changes made to the doomed MH370 flight that vanished ten years ago today, with an expert claiming the evidence shows the captain deliberately crashed in a shocking mass murder-suicide. The plane’s flight plan shows an extra 3,000kg fuel was added to the plane before takeoff, along with extra – unrequired […]

    The post MH370 flight documents ‘show extra fuel and oxygen were added at the last minute – proving pilot intended to change route and crash the jet’ appeared first on planetcirculate.

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    Explosive documents have revealed last-minute changes made to the doomed MH370 flight that vanished ten years ago today, with an expert claiming the evidence shows the captain deliberately crashed in a shocking mass murder-suicide.

    The plane’s flight plan shows an extra 3,000kg fuel was added to the plane before takeoff, along with extra – unrequired – oxygen supplied only to the cockpit.

    Speaking to The Sun, Boeing 777 pilot Simon Hardy said the new details could be proof MH370 captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah planned the disappearance that continues to baffle experts. 

    He told the outlet: ‘It’s an incredible coincidence that just before this aircraft disappears forever, one of the last things that was done as the engineer says nil noted [no oxygen added], then someone else gets on onboard and says it’s a bit low.

    ‘Well it’s not really low at all,’ he added. ‘It’s a strange coincidence that the last engineering task that was done before it headed off to oblivion was topping up crew oxygen which is only for the cockpit, not for the cabin crew.’

    The Boeing 777 aircraft vanished from radar while en route from Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. Satellite data showed the plane deviated from its flight path to head over the southern Indian Ocean, where it is believed to have crashed.

    On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and the 239 people on-board took off into the night’s sky from Kuala Lumpur, never to be seen or heard from again. Pictured: A CGI rendering of MH370 from a National Geographic documentary that shows an apparent crash

    The most persistent theory has centred on the pilot – Zaharie Ahmad Shah (pictured) – and suggestions that it was a deliberate act because he was facing personal problems

    Mr Hardy said the lack of oxygen in the back of the plane would have knocked the cabin crew and passengers unconscious, allowing him to carry out a premeditated plan without obstruction.

    The extra fuel, he said, would have allowed the pilot an extra 30 minutes of flying time, allowing him to crash the plane in daylight.

    ‘If you want to do a good ditching, you do it in daylight or at least half daylight,’ he claimed.

    Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished shortly after taking off on March 8, 2014 and the 239 people on-board were never seen again.

    A multinational team carried out the largest search in aviation history for the plane, but it failed to turn up any clues and the operation was suspended in January 2017.

    A private search in 2018 by US-based marine robotics company Ocean Infinity also found nothing.

    Debris confirmed or believed to be from the MH370 aircraft has since washed up along the African coast and on islands in the Indian Ocean.

    Mr Hardy told The Sun the discovery of downward-facing flaps, used to reduce stalling speed, suggest a manual override.

    ‘If you want the flaps down, there has to be someone there putting the flaps down,’ he said.

    ‘If the flaps were down, there is a liquid fuel, then someone is moving a lever and it’s someone who knows what they are doing. It all points to the same scenario.’ 

    But officials have come no closer to working out what happened to the plane.

    One of the most enduring theories has centred on the pilot – Zaharie Ahmad Shah – and suggestions that the disappearance was a deliberate act because he was facing personal problems.

    Shah had allegedly split with his wife Fizah Khan, and was said to be furious that a relative, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, had been given a five-year jail sentence for sodomy shortly before he boarded the plane for the flight to Beijing.

    But the pilot’s wife angrily denied any personal problems, while other family members and friends said he was a devoted family man and loved his job.

    The ‘murder-suicide’ theory was also the conclusion of the first independent study into the disaster by the New Zealand-based air accident investigator, Ewan Wilson.

    Other theories placed blame on co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, who some suspected could have overpowered the pilot and disabled the aircraft, again due to alleged personal problems.

    Theorists claimed Hamid was having relationship problems, and this was his dramatic way of taking his own life.

    But he was engaged to be married to Captain Nadira Ramli, 26, a fellow pilot from another airline, and loved his job. There are no known reasons for him to have taken any fatal action.

    The missing aircraft - a Boeing 777-200ER plane - is seen taking off in France in 2011

    The missing aircraft – a Boeing 777-200ER plane – is seen taking off in France in 2011

    The flight took off from Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am local time on March 8, 2014, and was scheduled to travel for roughly five hours and 34 minutes before arriving in Beijing at around 6.30am local time.

    The crew last communicated with air traffic control just 38 minutes after takeoff, around halfway between Malaysia’s Malay Peninsula and Cà Mau Cape, the southern-most point of Vietnam.

    Co-pilot Fariq Hamid, 27, was understood to be flying the plane. It was to be his last training flight before he was set to be examined to become a fully-certified pilot.

    Hamid was being trained by the pilot in command – 53-year-old Zaharie Ahmad Shah. 

    With 18,365 flying hours, he was one of the most senior captains at Malaysia Airlines, having joined the company in 1983.

    On board were 10 crew and 227 registered passengers- totalling 239 on board, including the pilots.

    At 1.01am, Zaharie radioed to say they had reached 35,000 feet and levelled off – a slightly unusual communication, when the norm is to report leaving an altitude.

    Seven minutes later, the flight crossed Malaysia’s coastline and flew out over the South China Sea. 

    Within 11 minutes it began to approach a way-point – called IGARI – near the start of Vietnamese air-traffic jurisdiction.

    At 1.19am, the controller at Kuala Lumpur Center radioed: ‘Malaysian three-seven-zero, contact Ho Chi Minh one-two-zero-decimal-nine. Good night,’ 

    The controller told the pilots to alert Vietnam of their approach.

    ‘Good night. Malaysian three-seven-zero,’ Zaharie replied. 

    This was the last communication from MH370. The pilots never checked in with Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam nor answered any attempts to contact them again.

    Seconds after crossing into Vietnamese airspace, the plane dropped off the screens of Malaysian air traffic control. 

    37 seconds later – at 1.21am, 39 minutes after take off – the entire plane disappeared from secondary radar.

    It would later be revealed that the plane’s transponder – a communication system that transmits the plane’s location to air traffic control – had been switched off manually. 

    This appeared to have been done at a vulnerable moment in the plane’s route: as it passed between the air space of two countries. 

    Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik creates a sand sculpture of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Puri beach in eastern Odisha state on March 7, 2015

    Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik creates a sand sculpture of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Puri beach in eastern Odisha state on March 7, 2015

    Officers carrying pieces of debris from an unidentified aircraft apparently washed ashore in Saint-Andre de la Reunion, eastern La Reunion island, France on July 29, 2015

    Officers carrying pieces of debris from an unidentified aircraft apparently washed ashore in Saint-Andre de la Reunion, eastern La Reunion island, France on July 29, 2015

    Inmarsat satellite data and the military radar later showed that the plane likely did not suffer some catastrophic event but that it had instead continued to fly.

    MH370 crossed an arc stretching from Central Asia in the north down towards Antarctica – somewhere – at 8.19am Kuala Lumpur time.

    Analysis indicated with near-certainty that the plane inexplicably turned south, not north, and continued for another six hours after it vanished from military radar at 2.22am.

    It is presumed the flight continued at high-altitude during those six hours, until making its final signal at around 8.19am on March 8 – seven hours after final contact was made with pilots over the South China Sea. 

    Minutes later, experts believe it nose-dived into the ocean.

    Searches continued for years, but only a few pieces of debris were ever found around the east coast of Africa. 



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    Discontent over immigration and the economy fuel Trump’s Super Tuesday romp https://planetcirculate.com/discontent-over-immigration-and-the-economy-fuel-trumps-super-tuesday-romp/ https://planetcirculate.com/discontent-over-immigration-and-the-economy-fuel-trumps-super-tuesday-romp/#respond Wed, 06 Mar 2024 10:47:13 +0000 https://planetcirculate.com/discontent-over-immigration-and-the-economy-fuel-trumps-super-tuesday-romp/

    WASHINGTON – Donald Trump is sailing into battle against President Joe Biden powered by anger over the two policy issues that have driven his comeback campaign so far: immigration and the economy. Trump came close to sweeping the board in the 16 “Super Tuesday” Republican primary races, putting him on the verge of clinching the […]

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    WASHINGTON – Donald Trump is sailing into battle against President Joe Biden powered by anger over the two policy issues that have driven his comeback campaign so far: immigration and the economy.

    Trump came close to sweeping the board in the 16 “Super Tuesday” Republican primary races, putting him on the verge of clinching the party’s nomination and allowing him to train his full fire on Biden ahead of the November election.

    Trump has tapped into a current of dissatisfaction about the state of the country that he has amplified at every opportunity. It is one that could tip the scales in the rematch with Biden, who beat him in 2020.

    Republican voters who went to the polls on Tuesday exhibited a deep pessimism about the economy that extends beyond Trump’s loyal base of supporters to many moderate and swing voters that could help determine the election, according to exit polls conducted by Edison Research.

    Voters also said they are increasingly alarmed by the situation at the U.S. border with Mexico, with many calling it their top voting issue even while living hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

    “There is widespread dissatisfaction with Biden and the way things are going in the county today,” said Mark Baldassare, statewide survey director at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. “The focus on immigration and economy is what caught my attention the most.”

    In early 2023, Trump appeared to be in serious danger of losing the Republican primary race, but he has since swept away all of his party rivals. Only Nikki Haley was still barely clinging on in the party’s race for Super Tuesday and Trump is now set to seal the nomination in upcoming votes over the next two weeks.

    Still, Biden had a good day, too. He racked up hundreds of delegates as he cruises toward the Democratic nomination and he can take heart in Trump continuing to show weakness with some key voting segments, including college-educated voters and moderates that both sides may need to win.

    By virtually wrapping up his party’s nomination in early March, far ahead of when he did it for the first time in 2016, Trump has eight months to engage directly with Biden.

    He has also seen a spate of relatively positive news on the legal front. It now appears more and more likely that the criminal trials he faces over his role in subverting the 2020 election could be delayed until after the election.

    The most recent Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll showed Trump and Biden essentially tied at 36% support with the rest of poll respondents saying they were not sure or would vote for someone else or no one at all.

    The economy has long been a sore spot for Biden. Thirty-nine percent of Reuters/Ipsos poll respondents said Trump had a better approach to the economy during his 2017-2021 term as president, compared to 33% who said Biden has been better.

    MONEY IN MIND

    Despite the Biden White House’s efforts to reassure Americans that the economy is healthy with unemployment low, the stock market roaring and inflation moderating, there are large swaths of voters who remain unconvinced.

    According to Edison’s exit polls, the electorate that came out to vote in the Virginia Republican primary on Tuesday broke down as 60% self-identified Republicans and 30% independents, along with 10% Democrats who largely crossed over to vote for Trump’s rival, Nikki Haley.

    When those voters were asked about the state of the economy, far more than just Trump’s voters – 78% – said it was “not so good or poor.” At the same time though, 59% said their own family was “holding steady” financially.

    That disconnect suggests voters have a more pessimistic reading on the economy beyond their own situation, said Ron Bonjean, a veteran Republican strategist in Washington.

    “They think everyone else is doing more poorly than they are, which lends to their viewpoint of overall economy as not so good or poor,” he said.

    In North Carolina, where independents made up about one third of the electorate, 81% of all respondents said the economy was in bad shape. Even more striking, 86% said they were “dissatisfied” or “angry” with the state of the country.

    BORDER TALK

    Voters in both Virginia and North Carolina said immigration was their number-one issue, followed by the economy. In North Carolina, of the 63% of voters who said they believe migrants should be deported to their home country, 88% went for Trump.

    At a Super Tuesday event at his Mar-a-Lago home, Trump talked at length about the situation at the U.S. southern border, which both he and Biden visited last week in separate trips.

    “Things that are happening now that are unthinkable. And they are unthinkable at the border,” Trump said. “There are millions of people invading our country. This is an invasion.”

    The economy slightly eclipsed immigration as the top issue in California, where Edison also polled.

    While the primary was open only to registered Republicans, about 30% of those who voted considered themselves “moderate or liberal” and one-third labeled themselves independents. Of all voters, 83% said the economy was “not so good” or “poor” and just 6% said they were satisfied with the state of the country.

    Trump also crushed Haley among nonwhite voters in California, 72%-23%, particularly among Latinos without college degrees. That is a potential warning sign for Biden and a Democratic Party that relies on such voters as a core constituency. REUTERS



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    Bees., cheating scandal fuel TheatreWorks’ latest stage production https://planetcirculate.com/bees-cheating-scandal-fuel-theatreworks-latest-stage-production/ https://planetcirculate.com/bees-cheating-scandal-fuel-theatreworks-latest-stage-production/#respond Wed, 06 Mar 2024 09:00:37 +0000 https://planetcirculate.com/bees-cheating-scandal-fuel-theatreworks-latest-stage-production/

    On a recent afternoon, the cast, director and stage manager of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s production of “Queen” visited the Saratoga home of beekeeper Ken McKenzie to get an up-close look at his backyard beehive. Madhuri Shekar’s play focuses on scientists studying a bee colony collapse and the ethical issues that arise around a paper that […]

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    On a recent afternoon, the cast, director and stage manager of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s production of “Queen” visited the Saratoga home of beekeeper Ken McKenzie to get an up-close look at his backyard beehive.

    Madhuri Shekar’s play focuses on scientists studying a bee colony collapse and the ethical issues that arise around a paper that two PhD students are preparing to publish about the causes of the phenomenon.

    The “Queen” team gathered around to listen to McKenzie give an engaging presentation about bee colony behavior, focusing in particular on the rise and fall of queen bees, while he passed around illustrative photos as the low-tech equivalent of a slideshow. The visitors, especially director Miriam A. Laube, asked occasional questions pertinent to the issues mentioned in the play.

    Then everyone donned beekeeper suits to open up the hive. Sliding trays out of the wooden box where the bees make their home, they got a good look at the queen surrounded by a cluster of worker bees. Soothed by hand-held smokers, the bees seemed relatively calm, only casually flying around the intruders as actor Uma Paranjpe, who plays primary protagonist Sanam, tried her hand at gently sliding the tray back into place.

    Playwright Madhuri Shekar said she was inspired to write “Queen” in part after learning that scientists and writers/artists are similar kinds of people. “We’re all just kind of nerds about it, and we take our work home with us,” she says. (Niyantha Sheka/TheatreWorks Silicon Valley) 

    Interestingly for a play so steeped in the relevant science, the play that became “Queen” originally had nothing to do with bees at all.

    “When I was doing my MFA at USC, my roommate was a scientist who was doing her PhD in organic chemistry,” Shekar says on the phone from her New Jersey home. “Just living with her for several years made me get really interested in her world, and it made me realize that scientists and artists are actually a lot more similar than they are different, which was new to me. The way that she would talk about her work with her friends was very similar to how I talk about theater and writing with my friends. We’re all just kind of nerds about it, and we take our work home with us.”

    That experience inspired Shekar to write a play about PhD students and the way their friendship is tested by an ethical crisis in their work that puts them at odds.

    “I hadn’t seen that many pieces of media that were exclusively about female friendships, and especially female friendships in the workplace,” Shekar says. “So I just took me and my best friend and thought, OK, we love each other. We also constantly read each other’s work and give each other feedback. What would be the worst thing that would happen to us?”

    “That’s often how I start thinking about stories,” Shekar adds. “I think about characters, and I think, what’s the worst possible thing that could happen to them? And I thought, what if one day we had to choose between our work and our friendship? What if one day she told me that I wasn’t a real writer? I would never speak to her again,” she says with a laugh.

    At first the play was set in an organic chemistry lab, but Shekar found herself having trouble getting into the subject matter.

    “When I was in deep crisis, I happened to be visiting another scientist friend of mine in Berkeley,” she says. “I have multiple female scientist friends. I’m Indian. That’s just the way our community shakes out in the U.S. I was hanging out with her and told her I’m hitting a wall on this project. And she said, ‘Well, yeah, organic chemistry is impenetrable. You should do something with environmental science,’ which is what she was doing. And then she said, ‘You should do something about the bees. Everyone loves bees.’ One of her friends studied insect populations, and I just found that whole world very interesting, so I started diving into research.”

    As bees fill an essential role in life on earth and widespread colony collapse represents a real environmental crisis, Shekar found a lot to explore with real dramatic potency.



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    Canada’s top pensions have trillions in assets. Should they do more to fuel the energy transition? https://planetcirculate.com/canadas-top-pensions-have-trillions-in-assets-should-they-do-more-to-fuel-the-energy-transition/ https://planetcirculate.com/canadas-top-pensions-have-trillions-in-assets-should-they-do-more-to-fuel-the-energy-transition/#respond Thu, 29 Feb 2024 07:43:58 +0000 https://planetcirculate.com/canadas-top-pensions-have-trillions-in-assets-should-they-do-more-to-fuel-the-energy-transition/

    Canada’s largest pension funds, which hold trillions of dollars in assets combined, are trailing behind many of their international counterparts when it comes to shifting away from investments in fossil fuels, a new report has found. The report, released Tuesday by the advocacy group Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health, evaluated the policies of 11 of the […]

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    Canada’s largest pension funds, which hold trillions of dollars in assets combined, are trailing behind many of their international counterparts when it comes to shifting away from investments in fossil fuels, a new report has found.

    The report, released Tuesday by the advocacy group Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health, evaluated the policies of 11 of the country’s largest pension managers against international best practices, as well as global targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    The report found some progress since the group’s first assessment, released last year, but on the whole found that most of Canada’s pension managers still lag when it comes to climate commitments.

    “What we’re seeing is progress, which is great to see, but the pace of that progress just isn’t fast enough to protect pensions and to align more broadly with climate goals,” Adam Scott, executive director of the advocacy group, said in an interview.

    WATCH | Call for pension funds to stop investing in fossil fuels: 

    Call for pension funds to stop investing in fossil fuels

    Climate change concerns are important to many Candians but some are calling out pension funds for continuing to invest in the fossil fuels sector.

    Climate activists in Canada and beyond have been increasing pressure on pension managers to steer away from fossil fuel investments toward renewable energy.

    Some pension funds in other jurisdictions have already begun divesting from fossil fuels. 

    Big changes abroad

    The report cites New York City pension funds, as well as others in France and Netherlands, as examples of how to be more transparent about investments, help fund the renewable energy sector and use shareholder resolutions to demand climate action from companies.

    Earlier this month, another Dutch fund, PFZW, divested its holdings in Europe’s biggest oil and gas companies, saying they are not reducing emissions fast enough.

    In Canada, by contrast, four of the 11 pension funds listed still do not have emissions reductions targets for both 2030 and 2050, according to the report. 

    Part of the problem may be “entanglements” at the board level between the pension sector and oil and gas production in Canada, the report’s authors argued.

    Seven of the 11 pension funds have at least one director or trustee who is also the director or executive of a fossil fuel company, the report said. 

    Quebec pension fund scores high

    For the second year in a row, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) scored highest in climate leadership among the funds analyzed, with the University Pension Plan (UPP) in Ontario placing second. 

    The CDPQ, which has net assets totalling $434 billion, completely divested from oil production, refining and coal mining in 2022 and increased its investments in low-carbon assets to $47 billion, according to the report.

    UPP, a smaller fund representing university workers with about $11 billion in net assets, was praised for its transparency with beneficiaries and for working toward having a net-zero portfolio by 2040.

    A pumpjack draws out oil from a well head near Calgary in this file photo taken in September 2022.
    A pumpjack draws out oil from a well head near Calgary. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

    The biggest improvements came from the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) and the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), funds that were previously far behind but released climate strategies in 2023.

    The Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), which holds $158 billion in assets, ranked lowest for the second consecutive year.

    According to the report, it “failed again to commit to measurable goals that could align its portfolio with climate safety.” It also said AIMCo has not yet released what it called a credible climate plan.

    AIMCo did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday.

    “It’s our job to invest in places where we can make money for our clients, not to impose our values on our clients’ money,” Evan Siddall, AIMCo’s CEO, told the Financial Post in December. “And so we’ll continue to invest in oil and gas, which has paid off.”

    In early February, AIMCo announced a new $1-billion fund dedicated to the energy transition and decarbonization.

    “AIMCo has been strategically evaluating climate change risks and opportunities for the last decade,” Marlene Puffer, its chief investment officer, said at the time.

    $2.2T in assets

    The 11 pension funds in the report collectively manage more than $2.2 trillion in retirement savings on behalf of more than 27 million Canadians. In total, Canadian pension funds hold more than $4 trillion in assets, the report said.

    The vast sums of money at stake has spurred debate over whether pension funds have an obligation to take climate goals into consideration, or whether their fiduciary duty rests solely in maximizing returns for beneficiaries.

    New York City municipal workers sued pension funds last year, arguing the managers were putting the climate over their investment returns. 

    Scott rejected the idea that divesting from fossil fuels could jeopardize retirement savings.

    He pointed to a 2023 analysis by the University of Waterloo and the environmental group Stand.earth that found six major U.S. public pension funds would have seen a return on their investments that was 13 per cent higher on average, or $21 billion US more, had they divested from fossil fuels a decade ago.

    In Scott’s view, pension funds are in a unique position in the financial sector to help drive the transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy.

    “They own everybody, including banks. They own companies, they own the whole real economy and they’re long-term investors. So they have a different perspective,” he said.

    Julie Segal, who specializes in financial regulation at the advocacy group Environmental Defence, said the report shows the need for greater regulation of the financial sector so that institutions are required to set clear, measurable climate targets. Other jurisdictions, notably the European Union, have gone further in this regard, she said. 

    “Canada is very far behind on setting those rules for the financial sector and we need climate-aligned finance policy,” Segal said.

    A recent World Bank report concluded that the global pension industry, whose assets totalled an estimated $44 trillion US in 2018, play “a critical role in the transition to a low-carbon climate resilient economy.”

    It concluded that pension funds must “reinvent themselves to comply with their global presence and a definition of fiduciary duty aligned with today’s challenges.”



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    Study: Lower gas prices make ICEs more affordable to fuel up than EVs https://planetcirculate.com/study-lower-gas-prices-make-ices-more-affordable-to-fuel-up-than-evs/ https://planetcirculate.com/study-lower-gas-prices-make-ices-more-affordable-to-fuel-up-than-evs/#respond Wed, 28 Feb 2024 15:53:25 +0000 https://planetcirculate.com/study-lower-gas-prices-make-ices-more-affordable-to-fuel-up-than-evs/

    With gasoline prices dropping, a new study suggests gas-powered vehicles may be more economic to fuel up versus an equivalent electric vehicle. Entry-level gas-powered cars like the Honda Civic and Subaru Impreza had an average fueling cost of $9.46 per 100 purposeful miles, which are defined as those going to a destination, not a gas […]

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    With gasoline prices dropping, a new study suggests gas-powered vehicles may be more economic to fuel up versus an equivalent electric vehicle.

    Entry-level gas-powered cars like the Honda Civic and Subaru Impreza had an average fueling cost of $9.46 per 100 purposeful miles, which are defined as those going to a destination, not a gas or charging station, according to the East Lansing-based consulting firm Anderson Economic Group, which has done business for automakers like General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. Ltd.; auto suppliers; and groups like the Nature Conservancy.

    Meanwhile, the cost for 100 miles of operating similarly segmented EVs likes the Nissan Leaf or now-defunct Chevrolet Bolt was estimated at $12.55 when charging mostly at home based on U.S. Energy Information Administration energy cost data, which typically records Michigan electricity prices higher than the national average. The cost jumped to $15.98 with mostly commercial charging.

    “With electricity prices steady and gas prices slightly down,” Patrick Anderson, CEO and study author, said in a statement, “we continued to see most traditional gas-powered vehicles as more economical to fuel than their EV counterparts in late 2023.”

    Nationally as of Monday, regular gas prices are on average $3.26 per gallon, down 3.1% year-over-year, according to the American Automobile Association. The annual difference is 1.3% in Michigan, down to a $3.25 average.

    Additionally, gas-powered mid-priced cars and crossovers like the Chevrolet Equinox or Toyota Camry had an average fueling cost of $10.71 per 100 purposeful miles. Charging mostly at home, EVs like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model 3 had an estimated cost per 100 miles of $12.61. The cost while using mostly commercial charging was even higher at $16.11.

    There was one exception to the higher costs for EVs. When charged mostly at home, luxury EVs like the Tesla Model S and Mercedes-Benz EQS came out at $13.50 per 100 purposeful miles, compared to $17.81 using mostly commercial charging. The cost was $17.30 for gas-powered luxury vehicles like the Cadillac CT5 and Lexus ES. Premium-gas users increased the difference.

    For pickup trucks, fueling up an Ford F-Series truck, Chevrolet Silverado, Ram 1500 or other gas-powered options was estimated at $17 per 100 purposeful miles. It was $16.86 for diesel. Meanwhile, charging an F-150 Lightning or a Rivian R1T mostly at home came out to $17.75 and mostly using commercial chargers raised the cost to $26.39.

    “Trends for the recently introduced electric pickup truck segment again saw fueling costs comparable to those of traditional gas or diesel fueled ICE pickups,” Anderson said, noting pickup drivers often are traveling to job sites, hauling or taking extended road trips that require commercial charging. “Under these conditions, EV fueling is more expensive, though of course it’s not uncommon for new technologies to be more expensive than their traditional counterparts.”





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    Young female readers, #BookTok fuel spicy romantasy genre’s staggering sales figures https://planetcirculate.com/young-female-readers-booktok-fuel-spicy-romantasy-genres-staggering-sales-figures/ https://planetcirculate.com/young-female-readers-booktok-fuel-spicy-romantasy-genres-staggering-sales-figures/#respond Sun, 25 Feb 2024 12:11:58 +0000 https://planetcirculate.com/young-female-readers-booktok-fuel-spicy-romantasy-genres-staggering-sales-figures/

    Day 65:22A romance bookstore owner explains the fairy-driven frenzy pushing romantasy books to record sales If you’ve been on TikTok or in a bookstore lately, you’ve probably noticed the buzz around the hashtag #romantasy, or of titles like House of Flame and Shadow, Iron Flame and Trial of the Sun Queen. Romantasy, a subgenre that […]

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    Day 65:22A romance bookstore owner explains the fairy-driven frenzy pushing romantasy books to record sales

    If you’ve been on TikTok or in a bookstore lately, you’ve probably noticed the buzz around the hashtag #romantasy, or of titles like House of Flame and Shadow, Iron Flame and Trial of the Sun Queen.

    Romantasy, a subgenre that combines romance and fantasy, is seeing runaway success, with authors like Sarah J. Maas now outselling even her publisher Bloomsbury’s previous fantasy blockbuster, the Harry Potter series.

    In 2023, Maas’s books brought in £61 million ($104 million Cdn), while Harry Potter sales were at £41 million ($70 million Cdn), an industry report provided to CBC News shows.

    “You’re seeing the progression of our generation who love those Y.A. [young adult] books like The Hunger Games and Twilight, and now we’re growing up and we are older, so the material that we want is, you know, a bit more mature,” said Nicola MacNaughton, co-owner of Calgary’s Slow Burn Books, which she opened less than a year ago with her sister, Shannon, to meet growing demand for romance books in general.

    Book publishers and industry watchers are taking note of both the genre’s enormous popularity among young female readers, and the power of #BookTok, the hashtag used on TikTok to discuss books, to elevate its traditionally published writers and self-published indie authors alike. 

    Sisters Nicola MacNaughton, left, and Shannon MacNaughton are co-owners of the romance bookstore Slow Burn Books in Calgary, Alberta. (Nora Hanako Photography)

    Videos with the hashtag #romantasy have around 800 million views on TikTok.

    Fuelling the commercial success is the appeal of romantasy’s strong female characters, MacNaughton said. But she said it’s also being able to step into a whole new world — one complete with mystical animals, fairies, vampires and even monsters.

    “And the nice thing, too: you have that guaranteed happily ever after. You know that the author is going to put you through a lot. But at the end of the day, they’re going to put you back together and make you whole again.”

    Pick your spice level 

    It also doesn’t hurt that the books often feature pretty spicy sex scenes, said Duncan Stewart, a consumer-forecasting analyst for Deloitte who lives in Toronto and specializes in media and technology, including book publishing. 

    “There was always a genre of romance that was more sexually explicit, but it was kind of considered not mainstream,” said Stewart, who has read many romantasy titles. While some are more innocent, he said others are graphic enough that they might not have been publishable 40 years ago “without running afoul of censorship law.”

    Just as notable, he said, is that the depictions of sexuality are becoming more inclusive, reflecting diversity in gender identity and sexual orientation.

    “The romantasy genre is doing an extraordinarily good job reflecting not merely modern human sexuality, but specifically the sexuality of people under the age of 30.”

    WATCH | Author Nisha J. Tuli uses TikTok to drum up interest in her books:

    The “lifetime value” of readers in that demographic is considerable, given the number of book-buying years ahead of them, he said.

    It’s significant for the book industry that the genre is resonating with teens, as well. 

    Just looking at Maas’s sale of 40 million copies, Stewart said the revenues from that are “on the order of half a billion in revenues.

    “In book terms, that is a material and world-changing number.”

    Rania Husseini, vice-president of print at Indigo, told the Globe and Mail earlier this month that the impact of romantasy books on sales is “absolutely a phenomenon.” 

    She said 25 per cent of the chain’s top 20 fantasy authors fall under the romantasy umbrella.

    That growth has been reflected across a range of romance subgenres. One U.S. report said sales of romance print books increased 52 per cent between May 2022 and May 2023, with younger readers finding out about titles through #BookTok and even romance TV series adaptations such as Bridgerton.

    A woman poses for a portrait standing with her hand on her waist.
    Winnipeg-based romantasy author Nisha J. Tuli. (Lindsay Caitlin Photography)

    Indie titles picked up by publishing houses

    Nisha J. Tuli from Winnipeg says she has always been a big fantasy reader, but what launched her career as an author was when she started to read romantasy around the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “I read some of it and I was like, ‘Yeah, this is what I want to write,'” said Tuli. 

    She’s since written 14 titles.

    Two book titles are shown in this composite photo. At left is Heart of Night and Fire and at right is Trial of the Sun Queen.
    Trial of the Sun Queen, right, is Nisha J. Tuli’s bestselling novel. Heart of Night and Fire, left, is anchored in Tuli’s South Asian heritage. (Submitted by Nisha J. Tuli)

    As a new author, she couldn’t initially interest the publishing houses, but like many other indie-published romantasy authors have discovered, that hasn’t prevented her books from finding an audience. That’s because romantasy communities on BookTok have been so effective at boosting sales.

    Her most popular book, The Trial of the Sun Queen, the first title in her Artifacts of Ouranos series, was originally self-published.

    “But it ended up selling really, really well. And then a publisher acquired it last summer,” reprinting the series’ first two books, which she said have sold hundreds of thousands of copies, and taking over with the third and fourth, due later this year. 

    Tuli, who previously worked in communications, credits some of her books’ success to the fact that making BookTok videos comes naturally to her, though it’s even more helpful when her readers post.

    MacNaughton said she and her sister have certainly noticed in their bookstore the power of social media to fuel sales. “The nice thing about BookTok and Bookstagram is that you don’t have to be traditionally published to get your book out there and to have people know about it. That’s really made it a lot more democratized in the marketing of books.”

    A young woman smiles while standing in an aisle at a book store.
    Tasnim Geedi, a #BookTok influencer from Toronto, said TikTok is the first platform that helped give credibility to romance titles in general. (Submitted by Tasnim Geedi)

    Tasnim Geedi, a BookTok influencer who shares her observations about romantasy using the handle @groovytas, said she sees TikTok as the platform that helped lend credibility to romance fiction in general.

    “Romance is quite maligned compared to other genre fiction, because it’s primarily written by women for women,” said Geedi, who is a nursing student in Toronto and a former Canada Reads panellist. It was seen as “frivolous, or like a guilty pleasure” that couldn’t amount to “real reading.”
     
    Romantasy readers “are primarily female, and they’re the ones that are kind of dictating the market right now … and now we’re seeing more books being pushed out to meet that demand.”

    WATCH | Check out one of Tasnim Geedi’s BookTok videos:

    Having grown up primarily reading fantasy series like Shadowhunters and Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Geedi notes that the fantasy genre — with its mostly male authors and main characters — is not always known for portraying women positively.

    “Especially women of colour, they are not taken with such care. But now that we’re seeing a lot more diverse authors, a lot more female authors in the space, I think that’s making it much more successful on TikTok, and also, like, the mass market in general.”

    She points to British author Tasha Suri as an example of one of those more diverse authors she enjoys reading. Suri’s titles, like Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash, are romantasy novels that reflect her South Asian heritage.

    Subgenre has been around since at least the ’90s 

    Rachel Sargeant, a book blogger from Vancouver who focuses on fantasy and queer romance books, points out that while it might have acquired the #romantasy hashtag in more recent years, the subgenre wasn’t invented by Maas.

    “We’re looking back at Mercedes Lackey and like J.R. Ward and all these, these women who wrote these fantasy romance books in the ’90s and the 2000s,” she said. “I feel like those aren’t being put in the conversation at all.”

    A young woman flexes a bicep and holds a book standing in front of a full bookcase. Her T-shirt says "Read books and fight the patriarchy."
    Rachel Sargeant, a book blogger from Vancouver whose TokTok handle is @amodelwhosread, says while it might have acquired the #romantasy hashtag in more recent years, it wasn’t Sarah J. Maas who invented the genre. (Submitted by Rachel Sargeant)

    Sargeant attributes part of the success of romantasy to its relative accessibility compared to traditional fantasy, which can get quite bogged down in world-building and “high fantasy jargon” — part of the territory if you’re reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy or and George R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series.

    “And it’s because it is based in [the] romance plot, it tends to be really fast-paced, it tends to have more things that a reader can instantly connect with.”

    But even though the pace isn’t nearly as plodding as traditional fantasy can be, Tuli said the fantasy elements are still so transporting for the reader. “Probably none of us would last more than a day in any of these worlds. But still, you still want to be where you might meet that handsome Fae King, who’s gonna sweep you off your feet, as unrealistic as it is. 

    “No matter how old we get, it’s still fun to pretend.” 



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