<ul><li>EaseMyTrip recently appointed <keyword id="31515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vijay-raaz" source="Orion">Vijay Raaz</keyword> and <keyword id="337442" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="varun-sharma" source="Orion">Varun Sharma</keyword> as its first-ever brand ambassadors to expand its reach across the country.</li><li>As the travel platform launches its campaign with new ambassadors and rolls out its marketing blitzkrieg, we speak to <keyword id="6106039" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nishant-pitti" source="Orion">Nishant Pitti</keyword>, CEO and Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip about the idea behind choosing Vijay and Varun, platform’s game plan to deal with COVID and macro-economic changes that might come in our way and larger vision.</li></ul>Six days into 2022 and brands and organisations are planning to completely return to work-from-home model and prepare for the impending wave of COVID-19 and macro-economic challenges that it might bring along. The economic impact of the third wave might not be as devastating as the second wave, but it might take a toll on the hospitality industry yet again. If the government strengthens lockdown restrictions across the country in the coming days, the hospitality sector might face a recap of 2020. <br /><br />However, home-grown hospitality and travel brand EaseMyTrip witnessed a six-fold growth in revenue during the peak of the second wave and on the back of its ‘flexible and lean business model,’it is optimistic about maintaining its financial health in 2022 as well. <br /><br />With its first-ever brand ambassadors in Vijay Raaz and Varun Sharma and a slew of customer-centric initiatives such as zero-convenience fee, full refund on medical grounds, discounted air tickets for train waitlisted customers, EaseMyTrip has entered this year all guns blazing!<br /><br />So, to discuss what lies ahead, Advertising and Media caught up with Nishant Pitti, CEO and Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip. He told us about his game plan for the platform in 2022, larger vision, marketing strategy and a lot more.<br /><br /><strong>Q. Can you tell us how 2021 was for EaseMyTrip and the travel industry?</strong><br />In FY20-21, we almost doubled our profits and this was despite halving of Gross Booking Revenue in a pandemic struck year. In Q4 of FY21, we witnessed a V-shaped recovery, registering almost 89% of the gross booking revenue of the corresponding quarter in the previous fiscal. Additionally, Q1FY22 was one of the worst periods for the travel industry due to the second wave, however, we grew our profits six-fold to more than Rs 15 crore in Q1FY22 as against a net profit of Rs 2.5 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. This makes us one of the few companies to be profitable in the industry that has been the worst impacted in the country in the quarter of April- June’21. We have been able to maintain our profitability through the pandemic as we have been flexible and maintained a lean business model, which has been the key driver in maintaining financial health. <br /><br />For the travel industry, the year started well as there was a strong demand. However, the second wave struck soon after, which led to a fall in travel demand. The second wave had impacted the entire tourism industry. However, the strong vaccination drive helped in lowering active cases and the industry was seeing a recovery again.<br /><br />The festive season further pushed travel demand as people were comfortable travelling and had adapted to the travel norms. The rise in travel bookings during this festive period was a clear sign of the underlying pent up travel demand and the growing sentiment among travellers to venture out for leisure travel. We believe that the sector has been able to weather the storm as a lull period was followed by strong growth in demand. We also witnessed a rise in travellers from smaller cities and towns which eventually led to a rise in passenger traffic and demand.<br /><br /><strong>Q. You have recently onboarded your first-ever brand ambassadors. Firstly, why did you think this was a good time to bring on the actors and what was the thought behind choosing Varun and Vijay?</strong><br />We have been witnessing strong growth, even during the pandemic, and we have been constantly innovating and providing value to the consumer. As a result, we believe that now is the right time for branding and to get more people to know about EaseMyTrip. EaseMyTrip has always believed in leveraging relevant and meaningful avenues for brand connect and this association is in-line with the same brand philosophy.<br /><br />We believe that Varun Sharma and Vijay Raaz are unique actors who have superb comic timing and have created a niche in the market based on their unique performances. They have a unique mass appeal that cuts across all audiences and geographies. We have consciously chosen two unique actors from two different generations as we believe that an association with both of them will help us reach our overall target audience efficiently. The association with Varun and Vijay are in sync with the brand as just like these ace actors, EaseMyTrip too has established itself and gained market share purely based on performance to date.<br /><br /><strong>Q. After onboarding your first-ever brand ambassadors, what are you eyeing to achieve from this partnership?</strong><br />The country is witnessing a growing air traffic demand, even from smaller cities now. A significant chunk of these people are digital savvy and prefer doing online bookings. Through this unique marketing campaign, we are trying to reach out to those customers and with the explosion of the internet and online booking, we believe that it is the right time to do so. Additionally, the company has aggressive plans to grow its business with a slew of customer-centric initiatives including the zero-convenience fee, full refund on medical grounds, discounted air tickets for train waitlisted customers, and many more. We believe that this initiative provides us with an opportunity to make more travellers aware of these unique initiatives and grow our customer base. <br /><br /><strong>Q. What is your larger marketing strategy? How will your messaging change, if at all, now that you have new brand ambassadors onboard?</strong><br />We aim to cater to the pent-up demand via cross-selling to the huge customer base by promoting the same aggressively across all marketing platforms. We are confident that this pent-up demand will continue to grow. We also aim to continue with our record growth across businesses and grow our market share. We emphasize high ROI marketing spending and instead of opting for very high marketing budgets, we try to source relevant platforms that can gain the maximum interest of our customers. We will continue to move in that direction in 2022 as well. While we have onboarded brand ambassadors, we do not expect our messaging to change. We have always maintained a strong messaging and unique proposition of customer centricity and consistent performance, and our brand ambassadors will continue to take that proposition ahead.<br /><br /><strong>Q. Which advertising medium will get your lion's share this year?</strong><br />With people resuming travel, we are expecting a lot more marketing efforts and initiatives in the coming year. The industry is slowly recovering, and we believe that this is the right time for us to strengthen marketing efforts and customer outreach. Seeing a recovery of the industry, in the past year, we have used big-ticket events such as IPL as well as full-page advertisements across national newspapers for marketing initiatives and will continue to explore interesting initiatives this year as well. This year, we plan to release innovative and exciting marketing efforts across digital, print and outdoor media. With the growth in passenger traffic, we will also continue to actively use in-flight branding space, as well as boarding passes as essential touchpoints for travellers.<br /><br /><strong>Q. What are some of the trends that you are expecting to see in the travel industry this year?</strong><br />In 2022, we expect a few prominent trends to surface, which are set to be at the forefront of the travel industry. 2022 is set to witness a rise in travel spending by people as they are now, more than ever, ready to take those once-in-a-lifetime trips that they always wanted to embark on. <br /><br />In 2022, we are also expecting more travellers to prefer locations that are adopting sustainable tourism practices as many travellers have woken up to the benefits and the need of sustainable tourism in a post-covid scenario. Technology is also being implemented in a big way in the tourism industry and travellers are showing a higher preference for places that incorporate smart technology. In 2022, the travel industry is expected to move further into a digital shift and adopt newer platforms and technologies that enable travellers to travel seamlessly. <br /><br />Due to the safety concerns, we are expecting a rise in demand for unique, unexplored destinations, short weekend getaways and road trips to nearby tourist destinations. Reunion travel is set to be a major trend next year as people look to reconnect with family by taking a quick getaway trip. <br /><br />As an aftermath of the pandemic, there will also be a rise in the number of people that are opting for short getaways that offer wellness and self-care activities. In 2022, travellers are set to showcase an increased preference for locations that have a focus on wellness activities that help them rejuvenate, take a break away from the monotony of their daily lives and lead healthier lives.<br /><br /><strong>Q. How did the consumer sentiment change in December and what's it usually like in January?</strong><br />Travel this month is majorly focused on safety. There has been a significant shift in the mindset of travellers towards health and hygiene, and the services provided by travel companies regarding this, make a significant impact on the decision making. While there are safety concerns right now, the travel sentiment of customers is still strong. There is an underlying pent-up travel demand, which is expected to lead to a growth in revenge travel. We are also ensuring safety and hygiene for our customers with the help of our airlines and hotel partners. <br /><br /><strong>Q. We're at that time of the year when people are normally in the mood to travel. What are some of the tourist hotspots in India this year? Have consumers shown any interest in traveling to places they wouldn’t have thought of visiting earlier?</strong><br />The tourist destinations that have been in demand and that we expect to be tourist hotspots this year as well include Kashmir, Goa, Jaipur, Leh and Srinagar. With safety concerns, the demand for unique, unexplored domestic destinations has also shot up in the past few months, and a lot more unheard domestic destinations will come to the fore in the coming months.<br /><br /><strong>Q. In India, we love saving a little extra on hotels while traveling to a different city -- a lot of people in India prefer staying at a relative's place. Has that trend changed after COVID?</strong><br />Yes, we believe that this trend has changed as people have witnessed the high levels of sanitisations and safety protocols undertaken by hotels since the pandemic. Since the pandemic there has been an increased emphasis on safety and sanitization within the travel industry and enhanced health screenings have become the new normal across all travel segments. As a leading travel portal, we also provide all the sanitization protocols that each hotel follows, to ensure that the travellers are aware of the practices followed. This provides them with a sense of relief during this period as safety and hygiene has become a top priority in the current period, which is not guaranteed at a relative’s place. In fact, during the pandemic, there has been an increase in 4 and 5-star hotel bookings as compared to the pre-pandemic period as people would want a better level of sanitization at this time. The average duration of the stay has also gone up from 3.2 days to 4.7 days. While hotels and apartments have performed well, we have also seen an increased demand for private villas and homestays as customers find them more secure and safe during these unprecedented times.<br /><br /><strong>Q. Can you tell us what would be some of your focus areas in 2022?</strong><br />The company plans to focus heavily on its hotel and holiday package businesses and expand in the existing markets. We are working proactively to cater to the increased demand that we foresee. We will look at enhancing the revenues and profitability going forward by leveraging our existing base of customers for cross-selling. We also plan on leveraging our vast agent network and utilizing it for the holiday bookings which shall complement the company’s hotel and holiday businesses.<br /><br />Apart from the Indian market, we are present across UAE, Singapore, UK, Philippines, Thailand, and the USA. We want to establish our air ticketing business in these countries as we have forayed into these new countries anticipating a huge pent-up travel demand. In the coming year, we plan to launch a localized travel search engine in each global subsidiary to strengthen our offerings within each country. We may also look to expand to more viable countries if we see a strong performance and value addition from our existing global subsidiaries.<br /><br /><strong>Q. What is your larger vision for the platform?</strong><br />We aim to continue with the record growth with increased revenue margins and market share. We have been extremely bullish in the air segment and expect to become the number one player in the air segment in the next three to four years. While air travel bookings constitute around 95% of our revenues, we are also growing our non-air travel businesses including hotels, buses, trains and holidays in double digits. We are also looking to expand our services across Tier 2 and 3 cities as we have been witnessing a rise in air ticket bookings in these cities. All in all, we are aiming to be the preferred booking partner for all travellers across the country.<br />

Our association with Vijay Raaz and Varun Sharma will help us reach our overall target audience more efficiently: Nishant Pitti of EaseMyTrip

The world is becoming more conscious of the environmental pollution due to different kinds of human activity. Amidst the growing efforts in every sector to move towards eco-friendly alternatives, <keyword id="810932" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Eco-friendly-crackers">eco-friendly crackers</keyword> mark a new way of celebrating Diwali with less impact on the environment. <keyword id="6123753" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-crackers">Green crackers</keyword> as they are called, eco-friendly <keyword id="32601" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Crackers">crackers</keyword> are a new initiative by the Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). These crackers feature different formulations than the present crackers and fireworks you will see around in the market. The goal of developing green crackers is to reduce pollution and minimize the health risks.<br /><br /><strong>What are green crackers?<br /></strong><br />The regular firecrackers pose high degree of pollution and health risks. The green crackers or eco-friendly crackers are manufactured from alternative raw materials to leave lesser impact on the environment and pose lesser health risks. <br /><strong><br />News about green crackers</strong><br /><br />In a recent press meet held on October 5, 2019 in New Delhi, the Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan explained about the green crackers and showed some recently developed green crackers to the media persons like flower pots, pencils, sparklers and chakkar. Talking on the green crackers, the minister said the environmental friendly crackers will help maintain the vibrant tradition of celebrations besides also providing livelihood to millions of homes that are solely dependent on the manufacture and sale of fireworks. <br /><br />In a tweet, the minister said, “These will reduce the dust &amp; smoke associated with crackers by 30% and also reduce sulfur oxide &amp; nitrous oxide emissions by 20%”. <br /><br /><strong>Manufacture of green crackers</strong><br /><br />The manufacture of green crackers has started in India already and thee eco-friendly crackers and fireworks are right now available for sellers and consumers in India in the market. <br /><br />The new formulations for the making of green crackers have been developed based on the suggestions received from the Supreme Court. Following the moves by the Supreme Court, so far about 230 MoUs and 165 non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) have been signed with the companies that manufacture fireworks. <br /><br />The green crackers have been developed as a result of the initiatives by the CSIR based on the new formulations for emitting lesser pollutants and sound. Since these crackers and fireworks make use of Potassium Nitrate as an oxidant, there will be about 30 percent reduction in the amount of particulate matter emitted. <br /><br />The prices of green crackers are lesser than or at least equal to the prices of the regular crackers. As per the instructions by the government, the green crackers manufacturers are printing a green logo developed by the government and a quick response (QR) code on the crackers and packets in order to help distinguish them from the regular ones. <br /><br /><strong>Why green crackers have been developed?</strong><br /><br />On grounds of increasing pollution levels due to the firing of crackers, in October 2018, the Supreme Court had banned the manufacture, sale and use of crackers that are not environment friendly. The apex court had also announced some restrictions on the time of bursting the crackers during the <keyword id="3405" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali-celebrations">Diwali celebrations</keyword>. During last year, the territory of Delhi faced very poor levels of air quality following Diwali due to the emissions from crackers and fireworks. <br /><br />As per the Supreme Court orders, the green crackers are not loud enough beyond a particular limit. It is mandatory for the green crackers to be free of harmful ingredients like arsenic, mercury and barium. The manufacturers must obtain clearance for the green crackers from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO).<br /><br />The CSIR got some samples of newly developed green crackers approved by the PESO and so the Supreme Court has permitted the bulk manufacturing of green crackers from May 2019. <br /><br />There is no better way of celebrating this Diwali then by buying green crackers you can find easily in the market. <br />

What are eco-friendly crackers and how are they made

<br /> In view of <keyword id="188" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Diwali">Diwali</keyword>, the Commerce and Industry Ministry has said that “possession and sale of <keyword id="54214" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Fireworks">fireworks</keyword> of foreign origin is illegal and punishable under law.”<br />
<br /> “It has been brought to the notice of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (<keyword id="6391107" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="DIPP">DIPP</keyword>) that fireworks of foreign origin were illegally brought into India under false declarations,” the ministry said in a statement.<br />
<br />
It further said that many fireworks associations have reported that these smuggled fireworks consist of 'Potassium Chlorate' – a dangerous and hazardous chemical that can catch fire or explode spontaneously.<br />
<br />
The TamilNadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers' Association has also informed that illegal, foreign-made fireworks have made their way into the country in large quantities, and they are expected to be sold through retail outlets during Diwali, it added.<br />
<br />
"Possession and sale of fireworks of foreign origin in India is illegal and punishable under the law. Information about possession and/or sale of such fireworks may be reported to the nearest police station for suitable action," the ministry’s statement said.<br />
<br />
No licence has ever been issued for import of fireworks under the Explosives Rules, 2008 by Petroleum &amp; Explosives Safety Organisation, a subordinate office of DIPP.<br />

“Possession And Sale Of Foreign-origin Fireworks Illegal”: Commerce Ministry

<br /><ul><li>Facebook is giving away its photo and video matching technology to help other developers identify <keyword id="2918083" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="harmful-content">harmful content</keyword>.</li><li>Both technologies are available for free on GitHub.</li><li>The impetus to make the technology open source is to fight the increasing problem of child porn online.</li></ul>Facebook is giving away its photo and video matching technology on <a href="https://github.com/facebook">GitHub</a> so that it can be used to identify harmful content. This can help the social media giant earn back some of the brownie points that its lost over the past year. <br /><br />The two technologies, which are now opensource, can detect identical or nearly identical <keyword id="3956681" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="photos-and-videos">photos and videos</keyword>, respectively.<br /><br />The company claims that the software can help smaller developers, non-profit groups and industry partners to identify abusive content like child exploitation, terrorist propaganda and graphic violence.<br /><br />"For those who already use their own or other content matching technology, these technologies are another layer of defence and allow hash-sharing systems to talk to each other, making the systems that much more powerful," shared Antigone Davis, Global Head of Safety in a statement on Thursday.<br /><br /><strong>Fighting child exploitation on social media<br /></strong><br />The explosion of social media has also resulted in an increase in child pornography. Earlier this year in India, the popular video sharing app, TikTok, was banned by a local court for '<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tiktok-ban-in-india-for-hosting-porn/articleshow/68720430.cms">encouraging</a>' child pornography. <br /><br />An <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/probe-finds-child-pornography-in-indian-whatsapp-groups/articleshow/67430347.cms?from=mdr">investigation</a> by AntiToxin Technologies, a Israeli tech firm, also revealed that there are WhatsApp groups and users circulating childpornography globally, hiding behind the app's encryption.<br /><br /><strong>Regaining user trust<br /></strong><br />Facebook hasn't had the easiest time in the market since the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facebook-approved-fake-political-ads-paid-for-by-cambridge-analytica/articleshow/66447635.cms">Cambridge Analytica scandal</a> came to light last year. User trust was breached when a whistleblower revealed that the political consulting firm had harvested data from millions of Facebook profiles for advertising.<br /><br /> <br />The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) leveled a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/The-FTCs-5-billion-fine-for-Facebook-is-so-meaningless-it-will-likely-leave-Mark-Zuckerberg-wondering-what-he-cant-get-away-with/articleshow/70200184.cms">$5 billion settlement</a> against the social networking giant last month after concluding their investigation into the matter. <br /><br />More recently, Facebook '<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-uploaded-1-5-million-users-email-contacts-without-permission-2019-4?r=US&amp;IR=T">unintentionally uploaded</a>' the email contacts of 1.5 million new Facebook users since 2016. The company however claims that they have since deleted the information. <br /><br /><strong>A safer internet<br /></strong><br />Building on Microsoft's generous contribution of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facebook-is-scanning-your-photos-for-explicit-images-of-children-too/amp_articleshow/39851677.cms">PhotoDNA</a> to fight child exploitation 10 years ago and the more recent launch of Google "Content Safety API", the Facebook's announcement is part of an industry-wide commitment to building a safer internet.<br /><br />Known as 'PDQ' and 'TMK+PDQF', these technologies are part of a suite of tools used at Facebook to detect harmful content.<br /><br />The technologies create an efficient way to store files as short digital hashes that can determine whether two files are the same or similar, even without the original image or video.<br /><br />Hashes can also be more easily shared with other companies and non-profit organisations, said Facebook.<br /><br /><em>(with IANS inputs)</em><br /><br /><strong>See also:<br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facebook-pay-for-user-data-on-study-from-facebook-the-research-app/articleshow/69756443.cms">Facebook will now pay you if you give access to your phone's data</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facebook-has-confirmed-that-libra-isnt-coming-to-india-as-government-shies-away-from-private-cryptocurrencies/articleshow/70173729.cms">Facebook has confirmed that Libra isn't coming to India as government shies away from 'private' cryptocurrencies</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facebook-cognizant-exposed-by-a-verge-whistleblowers-report/articleshow/69877536.cms">Facebook and Cognizant get smeared by whistleblowers who exposed an office of horrors with stories of death, theft and dirt</a><br />

Facebook is giving away its technology to fight child porn and regain user trust

<p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Melia Robinson/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><ul><li><strong>The San Francisco Shipyard, a mixed-use development rising on the site of a former nuclear testing facility, is in limbo amid new allegations.</strong></li><li><strong>The Navy has found evidence that a government contractor hired to clean radioactive contamination from the area botched the cleanup.</strong></li><li><strong>Almost half of the cleanup work was later showed to be falsified or "suspect." Workers swapped soil samples from contaminated sites with clean ones.</strong></li></ul><p> </p><p><span>A sprawling middle-class </span>neighborhood is rising<span> on the site of a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-shipyard-has-dark-past-2017-12">former nuclear testing facility</a> in San Francisco. But its future is uncertain amid new allegations of a botched cleanup.</span><span></span></p><p>The US Navy has learned that Tetra Tech, a government contractor tasked with the cleanup of radioactive contamination at the retired San Francisco Naval Shipyard, faked more soil tests than previously thought, in order to expedite the city's largest redevelopment project. Workers swapped samples from areas known to be highly contaminated with dirt from clean areas.</p><p>According to investigations by <a href="https://sf.curbed.com/2018/1/26/16916742/hunters-point-shipyard-toxic-cleanup">Curbed SF</a> and <a href="https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Navy-Finds-More-Evidence-of-Potential-Data-Manipulation-in-Hunters-Point-Shipyard-Cleanup--470033613.html">NBC Bay Area</a>, almost half of the toxic waste-site cleanup was "<span>suspect" or has "evidence of potential data manipulation or falsification."</span></p><p><span>These findings could cause the project to be delayed many years. The Navy is expected to release the results of its investigation into Tetra Tech in a <a href="https://bracpmo.navy.mil/content/dam/bracpmo/california/former_naval_shipyard_hunters_point/pdfs/restoration_advisory_board/2018_communityinformation/HP20180131_CommunityMtgs.pdf">public meeting</a> on January 31.</span></p><p>This long-forgotten patch of the San Francisco waterfront holds promise for the city's strained housing market. The plan is to transform the retired shipyard into a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-sf-shipyard-transformation-2017-11">bustling live-work community with 12,000 new homes</a> and about five million square feet of office and commercial space. The project is being developed by <a href="https://www.fivepoint.com/">Five Point</a>, a spinoff of mega-developer Lennar.</p><p><span>The project has a </span><a href="http://sfmayor.org/hunters-point-shipyard-%E2%80%93-candlestick-point-project-recognized-national-transformative-investment">price tag</a><span> to match its hefty ambitions: $8 billion. That's on top of the $1 billion or more in taxpayer money that has been <a href="https://archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/chairman-willie-willie-browns-not-so-secret-connection-to-the-hunters-point-project/Content?oid=2826740">spent on the cleanup</a> since the 1990s.</span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Melia Robinson/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div><span></span></p><p><span>Hunters Point was a private commercial shipyard from 1869 until the start of World War II, when the Navy bought the property. The military repaired ships and submarines there. </span>From 1948 to 1969, the shipyard hosted a <a href="https://yosemite.epa.gov/r9/sfund/r9sfdocw.nsf/vwsoalphabetic/Hunters+Point+Naval+Shipyard?OpenDocument">then-secret laboratory</a> that ran tests on ships exposed to nuclear weapons, as well as research on the effects of radiation on living organisms.</p><p><span>Military equipment and ships <a href="https://archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/fallout/Content?oid=2141567">contaminated by atomic bomb explosions</a> were left at Hunters Point, and toxic substances including petroleum fuels, pesticides, and heavy metals seeped into and polluted the soil at Hunters Point, the <a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/science/article/Housing-blooms-at-last-at-once-toxic-Hunters-6314858.php">San Francisco Chronicle</a> reported in 2015.</span></p><p>After the shipyard closed, it was declared a "<a href="https://www.epa.gov/superfund/what-superfund">superfund</a>" site - a toxic-waste site where the United States Environmental Protection Agency can force parties responsible for the contamination to either perform cleanups or reimburse the government to do the work.</p><p>That burden fell on the Navy. It outsourced the work of decontamination and soil-testing to Tetra Tech. But several investigations into the nature of those efforts have led to scandals.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Melia Robinson/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>The City of San Francisco selected Lennar as the <a href="http://sfocii.org/hunters-point-shipyard-and-candlestick-point">master developer</a> of the shipyard in 1999. A year later, an investigation</span><span> by </span><a href="https://archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/fallout/Content?oid=2141567">SF Weekly</a> <span>found</span><span> that the Navy mishandled the radioactive waste it produced there. It <a href="https://archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/fallout/Content?oid=2141567">reportedly dumped huge amounts</a> of contaminated sand into the San Francisco Bay and sprinkled radioactive material around the base to practice cleanup.</span></p><p><span>In 2017, several former employees of Tetra Tech </span><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Ex-SF-Navy-shipyard-workers-allege-fraud-in-11257774.php">admitted to faking soil tests</a>. They described a company culture that valued speed over safety and accuracy. The whistleblowers led the federal Environmental Protection Agency to delay transfers of land from the Navy to the new master developer, Five Point.</p><p>The latest revelations suggest the cleanup was more questionable than previously thought.</p><p><span>Last fall, the Navy hired third-party contractors to conduct a review of Tetra Tech's data. A series of draft reports that those contractors presented to the Navy (and which <a href="https://sf.curbed.com/2018/1/26/16916742/hunters-point-shipyard-toxic-cleanup">Curbed SF</a> reviewed via a public records request) showed that 853 "units" of land at the shipyard were tested. Of them, 414 were identified as falsified or suspect, representing 48% of total units.</span></p><p><span>The reports, which have not been publicly released, recommend retesting those 414 units.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Melia Robinson/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><a href="http://greenaction.org/">Greenaction</a>, a local non-profit fighting for health and environmental justice, has filed a <a href="http://greenaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Petition-to-Revoke-Tetra-Techs-License.pdf">petition</a> <span>with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to strip Tetra Tech of its license to perform radiological cleanup. Tetra Tech received a $85 million contract from the EPA in October to assess the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-awards-tetra-tech-inc-85-million-contract-assess-navajo-abandoned-uranium-mines-0">abandoned uranium mines</a> in the Navajo Nation across the American southwest.</span></p><p>It's unclear what impact the new allegations leveled against Tetra Tech might have.</p><p>Construction on the mixed-use development at the (rebranded) San Francisco Shipyard began long ago. Five Point has sold about 300 townhouses and condominiums and plans to build 11,000 more units. A recent quarterly report from Five Point said it expects the Navy to deliver the last 408 acres it owns in phases between 2019 and 2022, instead of starting this year.</p><p>Five Point declined to comment on the draft reports and referred Business Insider to the Navy.</p><p>The Navy has said<span> that residents who already live at the San Francisco Shipyard are "<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2017/02/08/sf-shipyard-delayed-soil-lennar-len-fivepoint.html">100 percent safe</a>." The existing housing is located on land that was used for military housing and non-industrial activities, SF Curbed reported and a spokesperson with Five Point confirmed.</span></p><p>Bradley Angel, executive director of watchdog-group Greenaction, told Business Insider that he thinks prospective buyers will think twice before settling down at the shipyard.</p><p>"If I was living there, I would definitely be asking some questions," Angel said.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-cyberwar-with-north-korea-could-look-like-kim-jong-un-nuclear-mirai-botnet-hackers-hacking-left-of-launch-2017-11">What a cyberwar with North Korea could look like, according to a cybersecurity expert</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

San Francisco wants to build 12,000 new homes on a former nuclear test site - but the project is in turmoil after the Navy found evidence of a botched cleanup

<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>One of the big stories of the last few years has been the boom in unconventional gas and oil extraction, outside the traditional oil-producing countries.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> The explosion of fracking in the US seemed like it was dislodging the old oil producing countries permanently.</span></p><p>But that's not likely, according to <a href="http://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/pdf/Energy-economics/energy-outlook-2015/Energy_Outlook_2035_booklet.pdf">BP's latest long-term outlook for the energy market</a>. They say the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) isn't going anywhere, and it'll actually make a comeback.</p><p>They're forecasting <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"OPEC's market share by the end of the Outlook is around 40%, similar to its average of the past 20 years."</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">That's partly coming from Iraq, which is expected to increase production by two million barrels per day in two decades time. Another extra three billion barrels per day is expected to come from natural gas. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-wants-its-own-shale-gas-2015-1">Saudi Arabia and other countries have been trying to expand into away from oil</a>.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2a32f6a8-b6ad-11e4-95dc-00144feab7de.html#axzz3S5Df5mUz">According to the Financial Times' write-up of his presentation</a>, BP chief economist (and former Bank of England exec) said <span>"We don't see a big roll out across the globe of the shale revolution"</span>.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The FT says he added added: "I've read report after report about the impending demise of Opec... My hunch is those reports are greatly exaggerated".</span></p><p>Despite the US becoming a net energy exporter, the middle east and former Soviet Union (FSU) countries still make up a huge chunk of the world's exports.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image"><a title_source="BP" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54e457eadd08952f318b45ac-960/screen shot 2015-02-18 at 08.51.33.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>BP</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>There are other massive changes over the period. Despite the fact that China is probably the world's second most promising shale energy source, it's also still seeing surging demand for energy, and will surpass the US as the world's biggest consumer of liquid fuel by 20135, according to BP.</p><p>But in terms of growth, China's expected to give in to another Asian giant in the next 20 years: "India overtakes China as the largest source of demand growth towards the end of the Outlook".</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/largest-ice-glacier-calving-filmed-2015-1">This Video Of The Largest Breakage Of Ice From A Glacier Ever Filmed Is Absolutely Frightening</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="NqbHJucjpzcqR3obKs3FqeMQRi8yolxr" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

BP says OPEC is going to make a massive comeback

<p>Stocks had a huge day. The S&amp;P 500 came within 100 points of its all-time high, and the Dow gained nearly 2%. Several stocks, including McDonald's, Home Depot, and Kellogg hit all-time highs in trading. </p><p>The euro went in the other direction, after the European central bank signaled that more quantitative easing could be on its way.</p><p>First, the scoreboard:</p><ul><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong>Dow:</strong> 17,499.35, +330.74, (1.93%)</span></li><li><strong>S&amp;P 500:</strong> 2,053.74, +34.80, (1.72%)</li><li><strong>Nasdaq:</strong> 4,917.42 +77.30 (1.60%)</li></ul><p>And now, the top stories on Thursday:</p><ol><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/euro-gets-slammed-october-22-2015-10">The euro sank</a> nearly 2% to the weakest level in about four weeks, to as low as 1.1109. The European Central Bank announced its decision to keep <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/european-central-bank-decisions-and-press-conference-october-2015-10">interest rates unchanged</a>, as expected. And then, ECB president Mario Draghi said the quantitative easing program was "proceeding smoothly" and will be reevaluated in December. This was a signal to markets that the ECB could balloon its QE program. That would be bearish for the euro. </li><li><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=%24mcd&amp;oq=%24mcd&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57l3j69i59j69i65l2.599j0j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;es_sm=91&amp;ie=UTF-8">McDonald's</a> reported its first quarter of positive same-store sales in two years. Sales at stores open for at least a year rose 0.9% in the US, and 4% worldwide. The company said that the new crispy buttermilk chicken sandwich helped lift sales. Its adjusted earnings per share of $1.40 beat by $0.12. Shares rallied my as much as 8% to an all-time high. </li><li>Valeant will hold a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/valeant-to-host-call-on-monday-2015-10">conference call</a> on Monday to address all the allegations made by a short-selling research firm. CEO Michael Pearson and a number of board members wil be on the call, with ten Valeant execs in all. On Wednesday, Citron Research asked whether the pharmaceutical giant was like Enron. It accused Valeant of using Philidor and other specialty pharmacies to create fake invoices for ghost transactions. Citron's Andrew Left, who penned the scathing report, had an explosive <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/andrew-left-interview-on-bloomberg-2015-10">interview on Bloomberg TV</a> in which he advised investors not to listen to him and do their own homework. </li><li>Under Armour reported more than a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/under-armour-q3-earnings-2015-10">billion dollars in revenues</a> for the first time. Its third-quarter revenues totaled $1.2 billion, and adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.45, both beating estimates. Footwear sales increased 61% to $196 million as it made more running and basketball shoes available. The active-wear retailer raised its outlook on full-year net revenues to about $3.91 billion from $3.84 billion.</li><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/build-a-bear-recalls-stuffed-animals-2015-10">Build-A-Bear shares dropped</a> by as much as 7% after the company recalled its Starbrights Dragon stuffed animals. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the 33,600 products had their stuffing material exposed and were a choking hazard. The company said in a statement that it was committed to safety, and offered customers with the stuffed animal an exchange.</li><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/oregon-sues-gnc-over-illegal-ingredients-2015-10">GNC</a> also got slammed with unsavory news, from the Oregon attorney general. In a court filing, Ellen Rosenblum alleged that the health-and-nutrition-products retailer violated <span> the Oregon Unlawful Trade Practices Act and sold dietary supplements that had potentially dangerous ingredients. One of them - BMPEA - is banned by the World Anti-Doping Organisation. GNC shares sank by as much as 21%. In response, the company said the claims were "without merit".</span></li><li>In economic data, the four-week average of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/initial-jobless-claims-october-22-2015-10">initial jobless claims</a> fell to the lowest level since 1973, at 263,250. First-time claims for unemployment insurance totaled 259,000 last week.</li><li>And two for the housing sector: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/existing-home-sales-september-2015-10">Existing-home sales</a> rose more than expected, by 4.7% at an annualized rate of 5.55 million. Lawrence Yun, the National Association of Realtors' chief economist, said affordability had slightly improved in the spring, maintaining demand. The median existing-home price rose 6.1% year-on-year to $221,900. And, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fhfa-house-price-index-august-2015-10">home prices</a> rose 0.3% in August, less than expected, according to the Federal <span>Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).</span></li><li><span>The Treasury Department <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/treasury-postpones-2-year-auction-2015-10">postponed next week's auction</a> of two-year notes "due to debt ceiling constraints". It's the first major step that government took, as a standoff continues over America's debt limit. The five-and -seven-year auctions will go as planned.</span></li></ol><p><strong>DON'T MISS: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bi-most-important-charts-october-2015-10">Wall Street's brightest minds reveal the most important charts in the world »</a></strong></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-employee-lives-in-truck-in-parking-lot-save-money-2015-10">A Google employee lives in a truck in the parking lot to save money</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="pxaHNieDq5NItrpXInpLuo6tdMJe1b-7" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

DOW GAINS 320: Here's what you need to know

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>The Bayji Oil Refinery represents a lot of things for me. <br><br>When I was first deployed there in 2005, the only thing it initially meant was the pungent smell of petroleum I thought I would never get over. But I quickly grew used to it, among other things.</br></br></p><p>The refinery would be the location of the first improvised explosive device (IED) to hit my vehicle and the place that I would spend the majority of my hours "outside the wire" in an effort to write detailed reports about the inner workings of the refinery and the people who worked there. It far outweighed anything else I did for the next year.</p><p>When I visited various villages surrounding Bayji the children from other towns always said, "Bayji bad" and gave me the thumbs down. Recent battles between ISIS and Iraqi government forces seem to confirm that sentiment that Bayji is indeed a bad place. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Baiji">Battle for Bayji</a> between ISIS and Iraqi government and militia forces has been ongoing intermittently since November 2014.</p><p>However, after the most recent battle in Tikrit ended in early April, ISIS has attempted to gain control of the Bayji Oil Refinery in a new offensive, begun on <a href="http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/04/islamic-state-assaults-baiji-oil-refinery.php">April 11, 2015</a>. As the largest refinery in Iraq, Bayji Oil Refinery is an important source of power and money for ISIS, the Iraqi government and for local interests.</p><h3><strong>Strategic Importance</strong></h3><p>The first report I wrote on the refinery was rejected. It was not considered a major interest for the US-led coalition at the time. When I left Bayji a year later, the US military position on the importance of the refinery had reversed. An infantry company would be embedded there in an attempt to monitor widespread corruption and, hopefully, stop terrorist financing. </p><p>In my mind, there is no doubt that Bayji is strategically important. Therefore, it was no surprise Joint Chiefs Chairman General Martin Dempsey stated the same five days into the most recent battle for the refinery.</p><p>General Dempsey upset many people with his <a href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/04/16/fight-in-iraq-moves-to-baiji/?utm_content=buffer2b382&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer&amp;wp_login_redirect=0">remarks</a> about the strategic differences, or lack thereof, between Bayji and Ramadi. Although his phrasing may have been questionable, it cannot be denied that the largest oil refinery in Iraq lying along the primary supply route separating ISIS-controlled points to the north of Baghdad is of strategic importance.</p><p>Regardless of Dempsey's remarks and strategic importance, Ramadi is also of great <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/middleeast/2015/04/ramadi-falls-150425100900554.html">symbolic</a> importance, especially to those who fought there and quite obviously to the vital pockets of Sunni support against ISIS that exist there. Many assumed Dempsey's remarks meant there was no coalition support for Ramadi, when in fact there have been <a href="http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2014/0814_iraq/Airstrikes6.html">continuing coalition airstrikes</a> in Ramadi. At least one source suggested the ISIS attack on Bayji was a <a href="http://www.demanjo.com/news/world/1217509/iraqi-forces-launch-counter-attack-against-islamic-state-in-anbar.html">strategic</a> move and part of an effort to distract coalition attention from their base in Anbar.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">However, I believe ISIS understands how important the oil refinery is to local and national Iraqi interests and is not wasting manpower on a simple diversion.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> In any case, the chances of depending upon Bayji as a reliable source of oil and income are lessening daily for either side due to ongoing attacks on facilities and infrastructure there. </span></p><p>ISIS and the Iraqi government aside, even with reduced reserves, the majority of the local population still depend on its ability to provide some gasoline, cooking oil, and a power supply to the local power company.</p><h3><strong>A Complex Attack</strong></h3><p>Once the April 11 attack on Bayji began, it was clear it was well-planned and <a href="http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/04/islamic-state-assaults-baiji-oil-refinery.php">complex</a><strong>. </strong>ISIS publicly disclosed it was using <a href="http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/04/islamic-state-uses-drones-to-coordinate-fighting-in-baiji.php?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=%2ASituation%20Report&amp;utm_campaign=SitRep0417">drone</a> capabilities to monitor activity at the refinery for real-time battlefield assessments, a capability they have claimed to have since last year.</p><p>These claims were not mere propaganda, but supported by outside <a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/04/20/263807/video-of-islamic-state-capabilities.html">assessments</a>. ISIS began their attack with a <a href="https://twitter.com/RamiAlLolah/status/588397348608434176">suicide bomber</a>, the first of many such attacks against the refinery. Suicide attacks, regardless of perpetrator, have again become standard in Iraq since ISIS emerged. In 2014, suicide attacks in <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.635193">Iraq increased</a> nearly 200%. The attack was opened simultaneously on multiple fronts and ISIS was careful to camouflage their artillery pieces from coalition aircraft.</p><p>Overall, the ISIS strategy appears more sophisticated than the oft-used "spray and pray" methods used by Iraqi security forces. On their own, Iraqi government forces would likely be far out-maneuvered by ISIS. However, over nine days coalition aircraft conducted 47 airstrikes in and around Bayji, which certainly helped turn the tide in favor of the government forces. <br><br><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">On April 26th,</span><sup style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </sup><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">as ISIS continued their siege of the refinery, it was suggested that they intentionally set fire to multiple oil wells in an effort to disrupt further air support to the Iraqi forces. At the time of writing, ISIS attacks on the perimeter of Bayji continue, including a high-profile suicide attack conducted by a 14-year-old </span><a href="http://www.theiqdteamconnection.com/iraq-news/cousin-of-al-baghdadi-suicide-bomber-baiji-refinery">cousin</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.</span></br></br></p><p>During my time in Bayji, a member of the Sunni Ubaydi tribe was in charge its security. At one of our early meetings he told me about a Shia staff member who had been killed and how everyone, regardless of sect, was very upset. At the time, in 2005, I was told that one of the unique characteristics of Bayji is that it was an industrial city where Sunni, Shia, and Kurds worked together to run the state-owned industries: Oil, electric, and chemical.</p><p>Initially it seemed true, as the major schism in Bayji was between the Ubayd and the <a href="http://ciceromagazine.com/opinion/to-defeat-isis-again-support-sunni-tribal-awakening/">Jubur</a> tribesman that dominated the area for control of the refinery and local government. It was as if non-Sunni residents were of no concern at all because they were not power brokers. The bombing of Samarra in February 2006 changed everything.</p><p>Suddenly the north-south route through Iraq was flooded with overpacked vehicles of Shia fleeing northward to theoretical safety. Soon after there was a mass murder of Shia at Bayji as they left their job at the electric plant for the day. The landscape changed.</p><p>Since 2006 I do not know how the tribal and sectarian schisms have played out, but I assume the Shia and Kurds did not fare well.  When ISIS came to Bayji, they were quick to highlight the Shia militants they killed, which is to be expected from a militant Sunni group. ISIS is also quick to kill any Sunni tribesman that work against them.<br><br><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">One of the first victims of the April 11 attack was the most recent head of the refinery's security, General Dheif Ayoub </span><a href="http://independencenews.net/ar/%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%B6%D9%8A%D9%81-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B5.html">al-Tai</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">, who was not from one of the dominant Bayji tribes and likely appointed by Baghdad. His death leads me to suspect the local Ubayd and Jubur, pushed out of control of that critical position, were not disheartened to hear of his passing and possibly encouraged it.</span></br></br></p><p>For me, reading that General al-Tai had been killed (and not another name I knew) means Bayji has transformed into a place I would be unlikely to recognize. Over the past nine years I have often wondered about the people I met at the refinery, some of whom I even hoped to see again one day. I hope they are still alive, that they left Bayji, or even Iraq altogether. </p><p>Yet, I still must wonder if they are still there or even helping ISIS? As this is published, it is still unclear who will be in control of the refinery. For now, as the battles continue, I see little hope for the people of Bayji or for the refinery as every attack by ISIS or the coalition leaves less hope it will be of much use for whichever party eventually controls it.</p><p>However, the geographic position and potential income and power it holds mean it is too strategically important for either side to yield it to the other. It will be a long road to recovery and, for Iraq, that recovery will be based on oil.</p><p class="p1"><em>Carolyn Schapper served in Bayji, Iraq as a Sergeant in the Army National Guard in 2005/6 where she became an area expert on the Bayji Oil Refinery. She took part in approximately 200 combat patrols and interacted extensively with the local population in and around Bayji. She currently works in the national security field in the Washington, D.C. area and is a National Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project.</em></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-after-black-widow-spider-bite-poison-2015-4">Here's what happens when you get bitten by a black widow</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="5wdGFndDqN2zqp8TnWPghhDHfhDWYD_r" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

This oil refinery could be the next major front in the fight against ISIS

Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation

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