Alaska earthquake triggers small tsunami

The magnitude 7.5 earthquake near Sand Point, Alaska, generated a tsunami, Scott Langley with the National Tsunami Warning Center said Monday afternoon.

© Michael A. Armstrong/Homer News/AP

 A line of traffic leaves Homer, Alaska, after a tsunami evacuation order was issued for low-lying areas.

Langley said the tsunami sent two waves, each measuring 130 centimeters (4 feet, 3 inches) high. But observers onshore reported the waves appeared to be 1.5 feet (45.7 centimeters) and 2 feet (61 cm) over high tide.

The center is monitoring harbors in a 500-mile area along the Alaska coastline, he said.

A tsunami warning had been issued after the earthquake struck but it was downgraded to an advisory Monday afternoon.

The advisory was for the Alaska Peninsula and South Alaska, according to the tsunami warning center in Palmer, Alaska.

Langley said earlier the area subject to the warning and advisory is "pretty remote."

"For other US and Canadian Pacific coasts in North America, there is no tsunami threat," the center said.

The earthquake's epicenter was recorded less than 60 miles from Sand Point, near the Aleutian Peninsula in the southwestern part of the state.

"We did feel it," Sand Point Clinic employee Lorna Osterback said of the quake. "This is a big one."

Osterback said residents of the town would be heading to higher ground away from the shoreline as they wait out the tsunami threat.

"We expect we will have another one in about half an hour," noted Osterback. "We're right on the fault line. I grew up here and it's kind of normal."

Jeanette Piniones Navales moved her family from Kodiak Island to higher ground on Pillar Mountain when the tsunami alerts sounded Monday. She said she has lived in Kodiak since 2014 and this is her sixth time experiencing a tsunami warning.

"I got nervous and immediately convinced my family to move (to) high ground to be safe," she told CNN.

Candace Nelson, her kids and dogs hid under the table as the earthquake shook Cold Bay, about 90 miles west of Sand Point.

"My kids are all doing good. Brooke, Wilder and Scout all huddled under our kitchen table till the shaking stopped," she told CNN as the family waited for more news about the tsunami. "The dogs were more concerned as to what the heck we were doing under the table."

Residents of Homer could also be seen driving to higher ground after being given evacuation orders.

Several aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 5.9 and one that was 5.8, struck in the hour after the big quake.

By Steve Almasy, Dave Alsup and Andy Rose, CNN 

Video depicting violent arrest of N.L. Indigenous man 

shows systemic racism: council

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The president of a Labrador Indigenous council says he is disgusted and angry following the release of a video depicting a municipal enforcement officer throwing a handcuffed Indigenous man to the ground

.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

Todd Russell, president of the NunatuKavut Community Council, which represents about 6,000 Inuit in south and central Labrador, says the footage is an example of systemic racism in Canada and is calling for an investigation.

"It is a manifestation of the bias and discrimination that is within the law enforcement systems within this country and certainly within the justice system in this country," Russell said in an interview Monday. "And these are facts. These are not debatable any more."

The footage, a copy of which was posted to social media Friday, appears to show an officer holding an Inuk man against the hood of a Happy Valley-Goose Bay municipal enforcement vehicle.

The man's hands are behind his back and the officer is grabbing the man by the back of his hooded shirt. As the man turns slightly to his right, toward the officer, the officer swiftly throws him onto the ground.

Russell said he wants an investigation into the incident, into the protocols of Happy Valley-Goose Bay municipal enforcement officers, and into whether there have been previous complaints about officers' use of force.

"I think what's surprising is that you have a municipal enforcement officer who's supposed to be enforcing municipal bylaws actually handcuffing people, taking them into custody," Russell said.

Russell said he understands the officer was equipped with a body camera and that there could be footage of the incident taken by the device. The Newfoundland and Labrador privacy commissioner's office confirmed Monday the town introduced a body cam policy for its enforcement officers a few weeks ago.

On Monday, a spokesman for the town would not give any information about the investigation or whether the officer was equipped with a body camera.

The town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay issued a statement Saturday stating the officer in the video had been put on administrative leave and that it was seeking an independent agency to conduct an investigation. The release did not say what agency the town will approach.

Labrador Progressive Conservative member Lela Evans posted the video of the arrest, which Russell viewed. She said a friend had sent it to her.

"I'm really cautious about posting videos ... But when I saw this video, I thought, 'Okay, this is a huge issue,'" she said in an interview Monday.

Both Evans and Russell said the incident happened Friday. The man in the video is Inuk and homeless, Evans said, adding the incident took place in a public area of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, which has a population of around 8,000 people.

Evans said she has been told the man in the video is doing well. But, she said, he was hurt when he was thrown to ground. "Just imagine now, being thrown head first into the ground with no way to protect yourself."

She said she supports an investigation into the arrest but stopped short of stating that the footage is an example of systemic racism.

"If we've got a rogue cop, a racist cop, it's singular ... I'm saying that his behaviour from an authority perspective, needs to be investigated."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2020.

Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press

UCP narrowly passed a private-health-care resolution at its party convention. What that means for Alberta

Tyler Dawson 

© Provided by National Post United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney outlines his party's health platform ahead of Alberta's 2019 election campaign, in Edmonton on Feb. 20, 2019.

EDMONTON — Delegates at Alberta’s United Conservative Party’s annual general meeting over the weekend narrowly endorsed a controversial proposal in favour of privately managed and funded health care.

The meeting, held via Zoom, saw some 1,400 delegates attend, who considered 30 policy resolutions, some on health care, others on energy politics and others still on labour law.

Of the 793 who voted on the health-care resolution, 53 per cent of them voted in favour of a private-tier system where people could pay a user fee for services. The proposal, brought forward by the Calgary-Varsity constituency, argues a two-tier system would help tackle ballooning health-care costs and wait times, while solving problems of physician pay that have been plaguing the provincial government.

“This could help the economy recover more efficiently by creating choices, for both physicians and patients, in time and public costs to the Public Health System,” the resolution says. The economic benefit to government and the society is a health budget that will not grow excessively for Public Provincial Healthcare that in itself delays accessibility.”

The policy proposals that came up at the convention will be used to inform the UCP’s next election platform.

The private health-care resolution wasn’t especially popular among delegates, with one cabinet minister, Nate Glubish, Minister of Service Alberta, openly opposing it.

“I understand that the health-care system needs significant reforms,” said Glubish on Friday. “If we approve this policy, it is going to cause a ton of grief for all MLAs who are working hard to deliver you results.”

Alberta outsourcing health-care services, axing 11,000 jobs as part of multi-year plan to control spending

Alberta United Conservative leader wants to explore private health-care options

Out of all 30 resolutions adopted, the health-care resolution passed with the slimmest margin. Premier Jason Kenney, speaking on a Calgary radio station Monday, said the party remained committed to public health care.

Kenney said his read on what the party members asked for on the weekend was for the government to explore more options for the delivery of medical services.

“Health care should be based on what’s in the best interest of the patient, not on ideology or special interest groups,” he said.

Health care has been a touchy subject for Kenney’s United Conservatives. Throughout the 2019 election campaign, the New Democrats attacked them on the privatization issue.

Health care has become more sensitive, still, during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the UCP continues to find cost savings within the health-care system.

The New Democrats wasted little time seizing on the policy resolution: “Jason Kenney’s UCP is now committing itself to imposing an American-style health-care system on Albertans in the midst of a deadly pandemic,” thundered David Shepherd, the NDP’s health critic, in a press release Sunday.

The UCP does, in fact, have a policy position that would see some privatization of the health-care system. As part of the overall strategy for reducing costs of the nearly $21 billion health-care budget, the UCP is looking at private surgical facilities and day clinics to clear out the backlog of those awaiting certain procedures, such as orthopaedic surgeries.

In August, the province announced a privately funded $200 million private orthopaedic hospital, which would perform all non-emergency orthopaedic surgeries in the Edmonton region.

Saskatchewan has similarly experimented with private surgeries, and saw 98 per cent of surgeries done within six months, though more recently those wait times have climbed back up, which the province says is due to an aging population.

Other jurisdictions in Canada have experimented with two-tier systems. Quebec, for example, has private medical imaging. Other health-care spending across the country, such as dentistry, long-term care and prescription drugs, are also privatized.

Colleen Flood, a law professor at the University of Ottawa and the university research chair in health law and policy, said it’s not surprising that an “aging and relatively wealthy population” wants more from the public health-care system, and that alternatives come up when the public system seems unable to cope.

“We have a big mix of public and private,” said Flood. “Of course there is a private tier, it’s just that Canadian governments have to date tried to limit the amount of two-tier that there is.”

Multiple other nations around the world have some form of public-private medical care. But piecemeal privatization in Canada isn’t necessarily moving the country towards a new health-care system, Flood said.

Another controversial UCP policy measure, that Alberta become a “right-to-work” jurisdiction — essentially, an employee cannot be forced into a collective bargaining unit — passed with 81 per cent voting in favour.

That the resolutions passed does not mean they become party policy. The UCP has, in the past, rejected policy recommendations from conventions, most notably in 2018, when the party grassroots wanted parental notification for topics such as sex in school.

With files from the Edmonton Journal and the Calgary Herald

Quebec town of Abestos votes to change name to Val-des-Sources

ASBESTOS, Que. — The Quebec town synonymous with the cancer-causing fibre asbestos has voted for a new name: Val-des-Sources.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

During a livestreamed council meeting Monday night, Mayor Hugues Grimard announced that Val-des-Sources beat five other proposed names with 51.5 per cent of the vote after three rounds.

"It's a name that represents our area, and especially, it's inspiring for the future," he said.

The 7,000-person town of Asbestos, located about 130 km east of Montreal, had been looking to shed its association with the toxic mineral. Political and business leaders in the town complained for years the name attracted ridicule and disgust in the rest of the country and internationally.

Asbestos, Que., helped make Canada one the world's leaders in asbestos exports. The Jeffrey mine, once Canada's largest, closed in 2012.

Asbestos residents over the age of 14 and local property owners were eligible to cast their votes among six proposed names: L'Azur-des-Cantons, Jeffrey-sur-le-Lac, Larochelle, Phenix, Trois-Lacs and Val-des-Sources.

Grimard said the new name reflects "the landscape and our roots." The word "source," he said, describes how the town is located at the confluence of three lakes. And it's a symbol, he said, of what the town wants to become.

"Together, we will be the source of the development of our city."

Long used in building materials such as ceiling tiles and cement, asbestos is now banned in many countries.

The name Val-des-Sources was officially adopted by council and Grimard said it will be proposed to the provincial government for approval. He said there is no prescribed deadline for the Department of Municipal Affairs to accept or reject the proposed new name.

In total, 2,796 people voted between Oct. 14-18, representing about 48 per cent of eligible voters.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2020.

The Canadian Press

Obamacare premiums decline for 3rd year in a row as Trump seeks to take down the landmark law

Even as the Trump administration seeks to kill the Affordable Care Act, it is taking credit for making it more attractive to consumers. 

© Alex Brandon/AP This May 2017 file photo shows the Healthcare.gov website on a laptop computer in Washington.

By Tami Luhby, CNN 

The average premium for the benchmark plan will drop by 2% next year in the 36 states using the federal exchange, the third year in a row of declines, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Monday. Premiums have declined a total of 8% since 2018.

Also, many consumers will have a greater choice of plans. Some 22 more issuers will offer coverage next year, when considering states that are also participating in the federal exchange this year. That brings the total to 181. The share of counties with only one participating insurer will drop to 9% next year, down from 50% in 2018.

The trend is a marked turnaround from the early days of the Affordable Care Act exchanges, which launched in 2014. Many insurers underestimated the health needs of enrollees and priced their plans too low, causing them to suffer big losses. Some left the market, while others raised rates by double digits to stem the bleeding.

Also, President Donald Trump's efforts to undermine the health care law in the first year of his administration were a factor in carriers raising the average premium for the benchmark plan by 37% in 2018.

Since then, the market has stabilized and become more attractive, drawing insurers back into the exchanges and prompting new carriers to offer policies. In addition, the Trump administration has approved more than a dozen state requests to enact reinsurance programs, which lower premiums by shielding insurers from high-cost patients.

The average monthly cost of the benchmark plan next year will be $379 for a 27-year-old and $1,486 for a family of four. However, those who qualify for federal subsidies will pay less than 10% of their income. Some 88% of enrollees on Healthcare.gov receive assistance.

For next year, an individual earning less than $51,040 and a family of four making less than $104,800 are eligible for subsidies.

Open enrollment starts November 1 and runs through December 15 in the states using the federal exchange. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are leaving Healthcare.gov next year, joining 12 other states and the District of Columbia in running their own exchanges.

About 11.4 million people signed up for coverage on the exchanges for 2020, down from a high of 12.7 million in 2016.

The Affordable Care Act remains in effect while its future is decided in the courts. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case seeking to overturn Obamacare on November 10.

Retirees rally in Belarus against authoritarian president


KYIV, Ukraine — About 3,000 retirees rallied in the Belarusian capital of Minsk for a third straight Monday to demand the resignation of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko as mass protests of a disputed election continue to roil the country.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

They marched through the streets of Minsk carrying flowers and chanting for Lukashenko to “Go away!” after the Aug. 9 balloting that was widely seen as rigged.

“How many grandmas should it take to oust one grandpa?” said one banner held by the protesters, referring to the 66-year-old president.

Pro-Lukashenko pensioners also rallied in the capital. Some 2,000 people — many of whom were men in military and security forces uniforms — came to Independence Square with national flags and banners that said, “For peace, prosperity and traditional values." Local media reported that some had been bused to the rally in what appeared to be an organized effort.

Lukashenko, who has run the country for 26 years, was declared the winner of the election with 80% of the vote. His main opponent, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, got only 10% and refused to recognize the results as valid, saying they had been manipulated.

Tens of thousands have been regularly protesting in Minsk and other cities since the vote, demanding that Lukashenko step down, with the largest rallies drawing up to 200,000 people.

The authorities tried to disperse the mostly peaceful crowds with truncheons, stun grenades and water cannons, and they have made mass detentions. On Monday, the country’s Interior Ministry threatened to use firearms against them “if need be,” saying the rallies “have become organized and extremely radical.” However, the demonstrations have continued despite the crackdown.

More than 50,000 people gathered in Minsk on Sunday for a traditional anti-government march, according to the Viasna human rights centre, and smaller protests also took place in other cities. The Interior Ministry reported that 280 demonstrators were detained on Sunday, 215 of them in Minsk. The ministry estimated the crowd in the capital at 7,000.

According to Viasna, nearly 14,900 people have been detained since the election, and 91 of them have been declared political prisoners.

Several journalists who covered the protests for Belarusian online media outlets were sentenced Monday to 13-15 days in jail.

Tsikhanouskaya, who is in exile in Lithuania after leaving the country in fear for her safety, has threatened to call a nationwide strike unless Lukashenko resigns, releases political prisoners and stops the crackdown on protesters.

“If our demands aren’t fulfilled by Oct. 25, the entire country will peacefully take to the streets,” she said in a statement last week. “On Oct. 26, a national strike of all enterprises will begin, all roads will be blocked, sales in state-owned stores will collapse.”

She said authorities have released Ilya Salei, a lawyer for her top associate, Maria Kolesnikova, from detention.

Kolesnikova was jailed last month on charges of undermining state security, which could bring a five-year prison term if convicted. Salei also was detained on the same charge.

On Monday, authorities released from jail Vitaly Shklyarov, a Russian political consultant who also holds Belarusian citizenship, and Lilia Vlasova, a prominent member of the opposition's Coordination Council formed to push for a transition of power. Both were detained earlier this year and will remain under house arrest.

The council, whose prominent members were either arrested or forced to leave the country, said in a statement that all those recently released “remain political prisoners” because the charges against them haven't been dropped.

“Only freeing of all political prisoners and ending persecution of people for their political views can be a step towards the beginning of resolving the political crisis,” the statement read.

“The authorities are trying to mobilize their supporters and divide the opposition by ramping up repressions against some and releasing the others,” independent political analyst Alexander Klaskousky said.

Neither approach works, he added.

“For the third month, the protests are not dying down and the political crisis deepens still, leaving the authorities less room to manoeuvr,” Klaskousky said.

The Associated Press


BETA

Chile police arrest 600 after protests as referendum looms
AFP

Police arrested nearly 600 people after demonstrations to mark the anniversary of Chile's social protests turned violent as rioters torched two Catholic churches, the government said Monday.  

© PABLO COZZAGLIO Aerial view of the church of the Assumption in flames after violence broke out during protests in Santiago Sunday

Police stations were attacked as the authorities recorded 107 serious incidents nationwide while violence continued overnight, interior ministry undersecretary Juan Francisco Galli told reporters.

© Martin BERNETTI Demonstrators clash with a riot police vehicle as protests marking the October 18 anniversary of the social movement turn violent

The demonstration came just a week before Chileans vote in a referendum on whether to replace the dictatorship-era constitution -- one of the key demands when the protest movement began in October 2019

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© MARTIN BERNETTI Aerial view of a demonstration with a banner reading “We will overcome” as marchers mark the first anniversary of Chile's social protests on October 18 2020

Galli said streets were barricaded amid "looting and attempted looting" of stores.

The violence erupted after around 30,000 protesters flocked to Santiago's central Plaza Italia for a peaceful demonstration, the government said.

But as the afternoon wore on, clashes broke out on the periphery of the square, more than 300 meters from the main, peaceful, demonstration.

The official said there was a "very clear distinction in how the day evolved" after it began with a peaceful demonstration but ended with serious acts of violence.

The most serious incidents occurred when hooded men attacked two churches and set them alight.

One church close to Plaza Italia was burned to the ground as hooded protesters cheered, while a second place of worship was looted and also suffered fire damage.

The small Church of the Assumption, which was destroyed in Sunday's violence, is known as the "artists' parish," according to local press. The building dated back to 1876.

- Nationwide clashes -

Clashes also occurred in other neighborhoods of Santiago and in cities around the country, resulting in 580 arrests, 287 in the capital alone, Galli said.

"In these events, there is no demonstration, there is no demand that is acceptable," he said.

Firefighters managed to get that blaze under control.

There were clashes between groups of football hooligans in one Santiago neighborhood, while protesters in Plaza Italia doused a statue with red paint.

Interior and Security Minister Víctor Perez, said on Sunday that the violence had come from a "minority" of protesters.

The images of the blazing churches was a stark reminder of the months of violent protests that broke out in Santiago last October 18, initially over a rise in metro fares.

The unrest quickly broadened into generalized protests against the country's stark inequalities and left some 30 dead and thousands wounded.

Demonstrators on Sunday also called for their countrymen to vote to "approve" the proposed constitutional change.

"This is the opportunity to say 'enough!' We're here and we're going to vote for 'Approve,'" Paulina Villarroel, a 29-year-old psychologist, told AFP.

On October 25, more than 14 million Chileans will decide whether to amend the constitution.

The referendum to decide whether to change the constitution established under the military rule of General Augusto Pinochet (1973-90) was originally due to take place in April but had to be postponed as the country of 18 million reeled from the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

For those supporting a yes vote -- notably the leftist opposition -- a new constitution would allow for the establishment of a new and fairer social order in one of the Latin American countries most marked by economic and other forms of inequality.

pa/dga/db/ft

Hand signals only: How  (MILLENIAL) Thais are marshalling mass protests

By Juarawee Kittisilpa

© Reuters/SOE ZEYA TUN

Pro-democracy protesters attend an anti-government demonstration, in Bangkok

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Hands point above head = need umbrella; Hands held over head = need helmet; Hands crossed over chest = enough supplies here.

Thai protesters are learning a whole new language, developed within days to coordinate among crowds of thousands of people at demonstrations that have swollen in defiance of a government ban and despite the arrest of many protest leaders.

"Everyone has been helping each other out," said 19-year-old Riam, who like most protesters would only give one name. "At first, we had to work out what people were saying, but with the gestures, it's pretty easy to guess."

Some of the words in the Thai hand signal vocabulary are the same as those used by protesters in Hong Kong. Some they made up themselves and have now gained common usage.

Three months of protests in Thailand have sought to bring down Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former junta leader, and to curb the powers of the monarchy of King Maha Vajiralongkorn

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They gained added momentum last week with a government crackdown that brought the arrest of several of the highest profile protest leaders and saw police using water cannon for the first time on Friday

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That has also meant a need to be able to quickly move protective equipment and other supplies from point to point so that everyone can be prepared.

Police spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen noted that the protest situation was "very dynamic" and that people should understand their presence there was illegal.

Since Friday, police have not tried to break up protests, but protesters are taking no chances.

Their new language only took shape at the weekend - when groups started to teach and practice the moves together. Some messages are still passed down human chains by shouting them in a form of Chinese whispers that are anything but whispered.

"Everyone is well educated and learns how to survive without the leaders," said 20-year-old Tangmae as she demonstrated some of the signs. "We should communicate so the protest can happen in an orderly way."

(Editing by Matthew Tostevin, William Maclean)

Millennials get little satisfaction from (CAPITALI$T) democracy:  Cambridge study

LONDON (Reuters) - Young people are less satisfied with democracy and more disillusioned than at any other time in the past century, especially in Europe, North America, Africa and Australia, a study by the University of Cambridge has found.

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IS NOT

(DIRECT) DEMOCRACY

© Reuters/KEVIN MOHATT FILE PHOTO: People march from Aurora to Denver to protest against inequality and police violence

Millennials, or those born between 1981 and 1996, are more disillusioned than Generation X, those born between 1965 and 1981, or Baby Boomers born between 1944 and 1964 and the Interwar Generation of 1918-1943.

"Across the world, younger generations are not only more dissatisfied with democratic performance than the old, but also more discontented than previous generations at similar life stages," the Cambridge study found.

The picture is bad in the United States, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, France, Australia and the United Kingdom.

But satisfaction has increased in Germany, South Korea and many of the post-Communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

The main reason behind the disillusion with democracy among young people was inequality of wealth and income, the report said, citing figures showing that Millennials make up around a quarter of the U.S. population but hold just 3% of the wealth. Baby Boomers held 21% of the wealth at the same age.

© Reuters/Hannibal Hanschke FILE PHOTO: Fridays for Future activists protest in Berlin

The study suggested that the populist challenge to mainstream, "establishment" politics could actually help improve democratic engagement by shocking moderate parties and leaders into reversing the decay.

The Cambridge Centre for the Future of Democracy delved into data from over 4.8 million respondents collected across 160 countries between 1973 and 2020.

For a link: http://www.cam.ac.uk/youthanddemocracy

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

All-female scientific coalition calls for marine protected area for Antarctica Peninsula

Plus other ways to help penguins, whales, and seabirds

UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

Research News

 

IMAGE: THE PARTICIPANTS OF HOMEWARD BOUND COHORT 4, THE LARGEST ALL-FEMALE EXPEDITION TO ANTARCTICA. view more 

CREDIT: WILL ROGAN

The Western Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest warming places on earth. It is also home to threatened humpback and minke whales, chinstrap, Adélie and gentoo penguin colonies, leopard seals, killer whales, seabirds like skuas and giant petrels, and krill - the bedrock of the Antarctic food chain.

With sea ice covering ever-smaller areas and melting more rapidly due to climate change, many species' habitats have decreased. The ecosystem's delicate balance is consequently tilted, leaving species in danger of extinction.

Cumulative threats from a range of human activities including commercial fishing, research activities and tourism combined with climate change is exacerbating this imbalance, and a tipping point is fast approaching.

Dr Carolyn Hogg, from the University of Sydney School of Life and Environmental Sciences, was part of the largest ever all-female expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula, with the women in STEMM initiative, Homeward Bound, in late 2019. There, she witnessed the beauty and fragility of the area, and the negative impacts of climate change and human activity on native species, first-hand. As part of the Homeward Bound program she learnt about the science, conservation and governance of Antarctica.

In a new commentary piece published in Nature, Dr Hogg and her colleagues from the expedition outline these threats, and importantly, offer ways to counter them. More than 280 women in STEMM who have participated in the Homeward Bound initiative are co-signatories to the piece.

A global initiative, Homeward Bound 'aims to elevate the voices of women in science, technology, engineering mathematics and medicine in leading for positive outcomes for our planet'.

Women are noticeably absent in Antarctica's human history, which is steeped in tales of male heroism. Female scientists are still a minority in the region's research stations.

"Now, more than ever, a broad range of perspectives is essential in global decision-making, if we are to mitigate the many threats our planet faces," said Dr Hogg.

"Solutions include the ratification of a Marine Protected Area around the Peninsula, set to be discussed on 19 October, at a meeting of a group of governments that collectively manage the Southern Ocean's resources," said Dr Hogg. "The region is impacted by a number of threats, each potentially problematic in their own right, but cumulated together they will be catastrophic."

Decreasing krill affects whole ecosystem

The Peninsula's waters are home to 70 percent of Antarctic krill. In addition to climate change, these krill populations are threatened by commercial fishing. Last year marked the third largest krill catch on record. Nearly 400,000 tonnes of this animal were harvested, to be used for omega-3 dietary supplements and fishmeal.

"Even relatively small krill catches can be harmful if they occur in a particular region, at a sensitive time for the species that live there," said Dr Cassandra Brooks, a co-author on the comment from the University of Colorado, Boulder. "For example, fishing when penguins are breeding lowers their food intake, and affects their subsequent breeding success. A Marine Protected Area will conserve and protect this unique ecosystem and its wildlife, and we need to implement it now."

Climate change is fundamentally altering the Western Antarctic Peninsula:

• temperatures reached a record 20.75°C in February 2020
• the average daily temperature that month was two degrees higher than the mean over the past 70 years
• almost 90 percent of the region's glaciers are receding rapidly
• in spring 2016, sea-ice levels reached their lowest since records began
• if carbon emissions keep climbing, within 50 years the area of sea-ice will almost halve, and the volume of ice-shelves will decrease by one quarter

As sea ice recedes, populations of larval and juvenile krill, which use the ice for shelter and to feed off the algae it attracts, decline.

A warmer climate and less sea-ice cover will also give opportunities to invasive species, which can enter the territory via international ships, including those carrying tourists.

The lasting tourism and research footprint

Tourism's footprint is growing. The Peninsula is the most-visited region in Antarctica, owing to its proximity to South America, dramatic beauty and rich marine ecosystem.

Tourist numbers have more than doubled in the past decade, with 74,000 visiting last year compared to 33,000 in 2009.

"Ships can pollute the ocean with micro-plastics, oils and ship noise," said Dr Justine Shaw, another co-author from the University of Queensland.

While the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), a self-regulating association that advocates for safe and environmentally responsible travel, provides guidelines for cruise ships and tourists, "an increasing number of vessels that are not IAATO members and that carry up to about 500 passengers have begun visiting the region, and this is concerning as it adds greater pressure," Dr Shaw said.

While the collection of data and knowledge is important, research activities can also potentially damage the Antarctic Peninsula's sensitive environment, the team stated.

The Peninsula hosts science facilities belonging to 18 nations - the highest concentration on the continent. New stations and expansions are ever-present.

While these scientific endeavours can increase our understanding of native species', there can be negative impacts on the region if not properly managed. Dr Shaw explained: "Buildings and infrastructure displace wildlife and vegetation."

Three ways to protect the Peninsula

1. A Marine Protected Area (MPA) designation for the waters

The authors endorse a proposed MPA for the western Antarctic Peninsula. Led by Chile and Argentina, this is due to be discussed during a two-week meeting commencing 19 October by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), a group of governments that collectively manage the Southern Ocean's resources.

The MPA would reduce commercial fishing in ecologically sensitive areas, helping preserve the food chain and ensuring greater sustainability for the future in surrounding areas.

A comparable MPA for the Ross Sea, in southern Antarctica, was agreed to in October 2016 to global celebration.

2. Protect land areas

Only 1.5 percent of Antarctica's ice-free terrain enjoys formal protected status. Much unprotected land is adjacent to research and tourist areas and is therefore vulnerable to human-generated risks like pollution and invasive species.

The authors call for a greater extent and variety of landscapes to be protected.

"Globally, parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity have agreed that 17 percent of land should be protected to ensure conservation of biodiversity. This is a good starting point for Antarctica," Dr Hogg said.

3. Integrate conservation efforts

For conservation efforts to be effective, they have to be collaborative. Dr Shaw furnished examples: "The Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) must work to limit the expansion of research infrastructure. Tour operators' body IAATO and parties to the Antarctic Treaty System should cooperate to better manage tourist activity - ensuring all tour operators abide by IAATO regulations regardless of whether they are IAATO members."

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