Reoxygenating oceans: startups lead the way in Baltic Sea

Paris (AFP) – European scientists have teamed up with two startups in a pioneering experiment to tackle one of the major problems facing sea life -- the depletion of oxygen in the ocean, causing the disappearance of fish and marine biodiversity.


Issued on: 15/10/2024 - 

The Baltic Sea borders nine northern European countries including Sweden, Finland and Poland, NORWAY AND RUSSIA

 © Alessandro RAMPAZZO / AFP/File

Ocean deoxygenation is one of the issues on the agenda at the UN COP summit on biodiversity, opening on October 21 in Columbia.

Researchers from Stockholm University in Sweden, the French industrial company Lhyfe, and a Finnish startup Flexens are working on a pilot experiment to reoxygenate the Baltic Sea by producing hydrogen at sea.

The BOxHy project is seeking an overall solution to the asphyxiation that threatens a sea bordering nine northern European countries.

The oxygen dissolved in the oceans is essential to sustaining sea life as underwater organisms have no chance of surviving without it, scientists say.

"But for more than 50 years, its concentrations have been decreasing," said Christophe Rabouille, a scientist at France's CNRS scientific research centre.

The loss of oxygen has two main causes, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The warming of oceans due to climate change is one -- warmer oceans contain less oxygen, while organisms require more oxygen in hotter waters.

The other is eutrophication, the process in which fertiliser runoff, sewage, animal waste, aqua culture and the deposits of nitrogen from burning fossil fuels creates excessive algae blooms.

When this seaweed decomposes it produces vast amounts of CO2, removing oxygen from the water.

'Ecological desert'

An overabundance of seaweed in the Baltic Sea has contributed to the depletion of oxygen © Alessandro RAMPAZZO / AFP/File

The central Baltic, a semi-enclosed sea bordered by agricultural and industrial countries, "is one of the largest dead spots in the world... basically an ecological desert," Alf Norkko from the University of Helsinki told AFP.

The aim of BOxHy, which has received support from the UN as part of a 10-year programme on sustainable ocean development, is to study the feasibility of injecting gaseous oxygen at depth, a technique used in certain freshwater lakes in North America.

"Restoring oxygen conditions in deep waters through long-term additions would have many positive effects on the Baltic Sea ecosystem," such as expanding the habitat for cod breeding, said Jakob Walve from Stockholm University and associated with the project.
The long game

A wind turbine farm in the Baltic Sea, north-east of Rugen Island in Germany 

© FRED TANNEAU / AFP/File

Flexens, the Finnish startup involved in the project, has identified three possible zones for oxygen reinjection, but much remains to be done. Oxygen has to be produced cleanly, and on site.

This is where the French startup Lhyfe comes in, specialising in the separation of hydrogen and oxygen molecules from water using an electric current.

The company has developed a first-of-its kind offshore hydrogen production unit using desalinated seawater in a year-long experiment in the western French region of Le Croisic.

Until now, the oxygen produced by Lhyfe has been released into the atmosphere. But in the Baltic Sea, it would be injected into the water.

The project is still in the planning stage -- how the injection would be done, how much, and at what rate all need to be decided, as well as how to measure the subsequent impact on fauna and flora.

The second phase of BOxHy involves running a pilot project, expected to last five to six years and scheduled to start in 2025, according Szilvia Haide of Flexens who is coordinating it.

The aim of the pilot is to work out the method of injecting oxygen and to study the impact on the environment and biodiversity.

According to calculations by Matthieu Guesne, Lhyfe's CEO, around 30 offshore platforms on the Baltic would be necessary to completely reoxygenate it.

"It is not a miracle solution, it is a very long-term project," Guesne told AFP, estimating a duration of 20 to 30 years.

It will also depend on the agricultural industry and its use of fertilisers.

Ethiopia's 'korale' recyclers turn waste into money

Addis Ababa (AFP) – With a tattered bag on his back, Dereje Enigdamekonen trawled the endless alleyways of the Merkato market in Addis Ababa, calling for the Ethiopian capital's abundant scrap.


Issued on: 15/10/2024 -

Ezedin Muste, 23, is one of thousands of waste collectors known in Amharic as 'korale'

 © Michele Spatari / AFP

"Korale, korale," he shouted at regular intervals.

It's a made-up word in Amharic that is now used for the thousands of collectors, almost all men, who hunt out everything from used jerry cans and electrical equipment to shoes, shovels and any other unwanted bric-a-brac.

These objects are then either restored, stripped for spare parts, or transformed into something new -- giving new life to what would otherwise be polluting litter.

Piles of plastic are resold in the historic Merkato district in Addis Ababa © Michele Spatari / AFP

Dereje, 45, has been doing this work for a year, rain or shine, saying he buys "everything that can be reused".

For a kilogramme of collected metal, he can get about 40 birr ($0.30) and for jerry cans, depending on the size, between three and 25 birr.

"Waste can be transformed into money," he said with a smile.

After wandering for hours, the korales converged on an area of Merkato called Minalesh Tera, which translates from Amharic as "What do you have?".

Here, the narrow alleys of Merkato, one of Africa's largest open-air markets, are lined with tiny tin-shack shops as far as the eye can see.

The recyclers sell their daily finds to middlemen like Tesfaye Getahun, who was in the middle of dismantling a huge printer.

With heavy blows of a mallet, he isolated the motherboard and some aluminium parts.

The collectors hunt out everything from used jerry cans and electrical equipment to shoes, shovels and any other unwanted bric-a-brac © Michele Spatari / AFP

Whether it is computers or old televisions, Tesfaye said he recycles everything.

"They aren't used anymore, and if left like that, they can cause environmental pollution. But if they are disassembled and sold for parts, it helps prevent pollution," he said.

Addis Ababa produces about 400,000 tonnes of waste annually, according to 2020 figures from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), of which only 70 percent is picked up by the official waste management system.
'Help the environment'

The collected waste objects are either restored, stripped for spare parts, or transformed into something new © Michele Spatari / AFP

Tamirat Dejene was almost lost among piles of jerry cans in his shop.

The 21-year-old, who has been collecting plastic for four years, said he earns between 500 and 1,000 birr ($4 to $8.50) a day.

That can be a godsend in a country where more than a third of its 120 million people live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

Workers make mops in a street near the Merkato district of Addis Ababa

© Michele Spatari / AFP

"We earn our living and we also help the environment because these items are not biodegradable," said Tamirat.

"It is also beneficial for Addis Ababa: if this waste were not collected, the city's landfills would overflow. So we earn our living while providing a solution," he added.

The objects made in Minalesh Tera are then sold in shops in the capital and all over the country.

Some go even further.

Addis Ababa produces some 400,000 tonnes of waste annually, according to 2020 figures from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 

© Michele Spatari / AFP

Biruk Shimeles, 31, buys scrap metal to make aluminium charcoal stoves which he sells in Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia.

"This work protects the community from waste by transforming it into a business opportunity," said Biruk.

© 2024 AFP

FRANKFURT BOOKFAIR

Italy row, AI in focus at world's biggest book fair

Frankfurt (Germany) (AFP) – An eclectic range of topics will be in focus at the world's biggest book fair this week, from a row over an Italian mafia author to growing interest in wacky literary subgenres and AI in publishing.


Issued on: 15/10/2024 -

A host of big-name authors and many other figures from publishing are attending the Frankfurt book fair 

© Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

The Frankfurt book fair, which officially kicks off Wednesday, brings together authors, publishers and other industry players over five days in the western German city.

Big names include Israeli author and historian Yuval Noah Harari, best known for "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind", American writer Anne Applebaum and British-Turkish novelist Elif Shafak.

But the run-up has been marred by a row in Italy, this year's "guest of honour", an annual tradition intended to shine a spotlight on a partner country's literary scene.

Fury erupted after the initial official selection put forward by the Italians did not include Roberto Saviano, author of mafia bestseller "Gomorrah" who was convicted and fined last year for defaming far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Following the move, Saviano lashed out on social media at what he branded the "most ignorant government in the history of Italy". In the end he is coming to the fair anyway, but at the invitation of his German publisher.

Controversy has surrounded Italy being 'guest of honour' at this year's fair © Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

Critics say it is further evidence of a worsening climate for freedom of expression in Italy, with 41 authors writing an open letter in response that complained of "increasingly suffocating political interference in cultural spaces".

The Italian Publishers Association insisted that it would never allow any kind of "outside interference" in the programme, called "Roots in the future".

The fair is no stranger to controversy -- last year several publishers from Muslim-majority countries withdrew in protest at organisers' strong support for Israel following Hamas's October 7 attacks that triggered the Gaza war.

Fair director Juergen Boos insisted it was right to maintain Italy as guest of honour, despite the controversy.

"I think to showcase what's happening in Italy's culture right now, in Italy's politics, it is very important," he told AFP.

'Romantasy' and robot writers

There is much more going on besides the controversy surrounding Italy -- the world's biggest publishing trade event will this year welcome about 1,000 authors and other speakers at some 650 events on 15 stages.

A large area will be dedicated to "new adult" literature, which encompasses a weird and outlandish range of sub-genres beloved of younger readers, such as "Romantasy" and "Dark College".

These genres have been rapidly growing in popularity, often boosted by exposure through social media trend BookTok on the TikTok platform, where authors promote their work and readers post reviews.

Artificial intelligence will also be a major topic, with talks and panel discussions dedicated to the subject, as fears mount in the industry about poor-quality, computer-written books flooding the market and potential opyright violations.

Leading authors, including John Grisham and Jodi Picoult, have in recent times taken legal action against OpenAI, alleging the company unlawfully used their works to train its popular AI chatbot ChatGPT.

A huge range of literature will feature at the Frankfurt book fair 

© Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

Still it's not all doom and gloom. There are hopes that AI can improve efficiency for publishers and also that it could be beneficial in some areas, such as scientific and research publishing.

"On the one side it's beneficial for the workflows in the publishing houses," said Boos. "On the other hand, regarding copyright, it's a big mess."

An annual highlight is the awarding of the prestigious "Peace of the German Book Trade", which will this year go to Applebaum, an American-Polish journalist and historian whose latest book "Autocracy Inc." examines the growing links between authoritarian states.

© 2024 AFP

Belgian pathologist and literary star gives 'voice to the dead'

Blegny (Belgium) (AFP) – Forensic pathologist Philippe Boxho likes to ask people "why shouldn't we laugh about death?". But gallows humour is just one of the ingredients that the surprise literary sensation brings to his macabre line of storytelling.

Issued on: 15/10/2024 - 

Philippe Boxho has worked on hundreds of bodies -- bringing to light homicide cases that would otherwise have remained undetected © Nicolas TUCAT / AFP

In 33 years as a medical examiner in Belgium's eastern Liege region, Boxho has performed hundreds of autopsies -- his attention to detail bringing to light homicide cases that would otherwise have remained undetected.

Boxho has become a surprise star of the book world in Belgium and France, distilling his unusual line of work into taut collections of short stories, each one 15 pages or less.

Anchored in real life, the writing is unflinching and darkly-humorous, but the 59-year-old Boxho also seeks to impart some of his passion for a little-known, but crucial, profession.

The enthusiasm is palpable as the pathologist described the "excitement of being there at the start of an investigation", of pulling on his sturdy dishwashing gloves and white coveralls to begin working.

It's a way, he said of his work, "to give voice to the dead one last time".

Boxho's observations have revealed the most unusual of circumstances for a person's demise -- like the 60-something woman who had her throat slashed by her son's pitbull terrier, that she had exceptionally gone to feed.

Another time he established how a farmer was trapped by a bull he did not see surge from the stable shadows. Multiple fractures to the torso and limbs showed how the hapless victim was crushed by a beast weighing in at 1.2 tonnes.

The idea of writing came to Boxho in 2021, triggered by the success of a post by Belgian channel RTBF, in which he recounted three striking anecdotes.

Encouraged, he decided to set down in writing more of the stories pulled from his more than three decades in forensics -- which until then had been shared only with students at the medical school where he teaches.

Published almost back-to-back, Philippe Boxho's three books have together sold some 740,000 copies © Nicolas TUCAT / AFP

It was an instant hit: published almost back-to-back, his three books have together sold some 740,000 copies, including almost 200,000 for the latest one released in late August, whose title translates as "Looking death in the face".

"It's extraordinary for a work of non-fiction," said a spokesperson for Kennes, a small Belgian publisher that was struggling to make ends meet until it struck gold with Boxho.

In France, his latest book is among the season's non-fiction bestsellers, with talks underway on an English edition of his work

.
'I respect the body'

At a book-signing event at a former mining site in Blegny, near Liege, Boxho drew a full house of enthusiasts.

"It's fascinating to hear him talk because he's passionate about what he does," said Marie Lou Collard, a political science student who was among the readers in the audience.

She came across Boxho via his videos posted on TikTok and YouTube, and sought out his essays to find out more.

In all of Boxho's real-life stories, dating back sometimes decades, the identities have been changed in keeping with medical confidentiality rules.

"I respect the body I have in front of me," Boxho explained to AFP. "It belongs to a person I don't know."

"What I laugh about is death and the ways that people die," he said. "It's a bit cynical, but that's the way I am. If you don't like it, don't read my books."

Many of his cases have involved women killed by their partners. Sometimes it is a parent killed by a child -- or almost killed, as in one extraordinary case Boxho shared with the crowd in Blegny.

Late one night, a woman entered her father's bedroom with a revolver, intent on murdering him. She fired the entire barrel at him, and left him for dead.

But the autopsy later showed the suspected murder victim was already dead when she shot him -- of a brain hemorrhage that occurred just moments earlier -- and the daughter was cleared as a result.

"Criminal law requires certainties," said Boxho, who argued that defending his profession, whose numbers have dwindled dramatically in recent years in Belgium, is also a way of ensuring better justice for all.

© 2024 AFP

PRODUCER POWER

Falling sales cause sour grapes for iconic Portugal wine

"If we don't create scarcity, we'll never manage to keep prices under control,"

São João da Pesqueira (Portugal) (AFP) – Jose Manuel Ferreira should have already started harvesting grapes on his century-old vineyard in northern Portugal -- instead he is still looking for a buyer for his crop.


Issued on: 15/10/2024

Roughly 20,000 winegrowers operate along the banks of the River Douro 

© MIGUEL RIOPA / AFP

"I used to sell my grapes to a cooperative, but this year they refused me," the 74-year-old told AFP in Sao Joao da Pesqueira, in the heart of the Douro wine region.

"We feel abandoned. It's revolting," he said.

His plight is repeated across the Douro Valley, known for its endless swathes of vineyards cascading down lush green hills on tiered terraces carved over the centuries.

The cause: sluggish sales of the region's famous sweet port wine and overproduction.

Roughly 20,000 winegrowers operate along the banks of the River Douro, which winds its way across northern Portugal before spilling out into the Atlantic at Porto, the country's second-largest city, where major wineries are based.

Most vineyards in the region belong to several owners, who cultivate small plots averaging just two hectares (five acres) and generally sell their output to groups operating large estates known as "quintas".

Port wine, which is made by adding brandy during fermentation, was invented by the British in the 18th century and went on to become one of Portugal's most famous exports.

'Can't compensate'

The Upper Douro region, which in 2001 was added to the United Nations' cultural heritage list, produces port wine and table wine, with both enjoying a protected designation of origin status.

This means they can be made only in the region according to a set of production specifications.

While sales of Douro table wines are rising, those of port wines -- which are more profitable -- have fallen steadily in recent years because of changing consumer habits.

Wine consumption has decreased globally, and especially so for products like port wine that are traditionally drunk before meals to stimulate the appetite.

Portugal's Douro Valley is known for its endless swathes of vineyards cascading down lush green hills on tiered terraces 

© MIGUEL RIOPA / AFP

The volume of port wine sold annually has fallen over the last 15 years by a quarter to nearly 65 million litres in 2023.

"Douro table wines can't compensate for the fall in port wine sales," said the head of Portuguese wine promotion body ViniPortugal, Frederico Falcao.

"The grapes still to be harvested in the Douro region are being sold at very low prices, often not even enough to cover the cost of picking," he added.

"Unfortunately, this means there is likely to be quite a lot of grapes left uncollected in the vineyards."

Production cut

To tackle the problem of oversupply, the Port and Douro Wines Institute regulatory body has slashed the port wine production quota this year to 90,000 barrels from 104,000 in 2023. Each barrel contains 550 litres (145 gallons).

But industry representatives argue this level of production remains too high given the amount of stocks that have built up in recent years.

These reserves enable major port wine brands, which control almost 90 percent of the market, to limit their losses.

It is small growers like Ferreira, whose modest plot is expected to produce around a tonne of grapes this year, that are being hit hardest.

Oscar Quevedo, a 41-year-old winemaker, believes steeper production cuts are the answer 

© MIGUEL RIOPA / AFP

"The region, which has a unique, world-famous product, generates wealth, but it is not well redistributed," Manuel Cordeiro, the mayor of Sao Joao da Pesqueira, told AFP.

Some are calling for a steeper cut to production that would involve pulling up vines, as is currently being done in the Bordeaux region in southwestern France.

"If we don't create scarcity, we'll never manage to keep prices under control," said Oscar Quevedo, a 41-year-old winemaker who has taken over the family business of around 100 hectares.

Producing wine in the Douro, with its steep slopes and arid climate, "is very expensive" so moving upmarket is necessary to survive and "market a wine that is profitable", he added.

© 2024 AFP

Only one-third of Europe's surface water is in good health, report warns

Only 37 percent of Europe’s surface waters are in good condition, warns the European Environment Agency. Climate change, habitat degradation, freshwater overuse and pollution are key threats. "Our waters face unprecedented challenges," said EEA Executive Director Leena Yla-Mononen, highlighting risks to Europe's water security.


Issued on: 15/10/2024 -

Activists fear time is running out to save what they call Europe's last major "wild river". 

Pollution, habitat degradation, climate change and over-use of freshwater resources are putting a strain on Europe, with only a third of its surface water in good health, the European Environment Agency warned on Tuesday.

"The health of Europe's waters is not good. Our waters face an unprecedented set of challenges that threatens Europe's water security," EEA executive director Leena Yla-Mononen said in a statement.

Only 37 percent of Europe's surface water bodies achieved "good" or "high" ecological status, a measure of aquatic ecosystem health, the EEA report said.

Meanwhile, only 29 percent of surface waters achieved "good" chemical status over the 2015-2021 period, according to data reported by EU member states.

Europe's groundwaters -- the source of most drinking water in the continent -- fared better, with 77 percent enjoying "good" chemical status.

Good chemical status means the water is free of excessive pollution from chemical nutrients and toxic substances like PFAS and microplastics.

Surface water is threatened by air pollution -- such as coal burning and car emissions -- as well as the agriculture industry, whose dumped waste contaminates the soil.

"European agriculture needs to increase its use of more sustainable organic and agroecological practices, accompanied by incentives and a change in our food and dietary habits," the report said.

The European agency analysed 120,000 surface water bodies and 3.8 million square kilometres (1.5 million square miles) of groundwater body areas in 19 EU countries and Norway.

It called on EEA member states to halve their use of pesticides by 2030.

"We need to redouble our efforts to restore the health of our valued rivers, lakes, coastal waters and other water bodies, and to make sure this vital resource is resilient and secure for generations to come," Yla-Mononen said.


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Climate change effects, including extreme droughts and flooding, and the over-use of freshwater resources are putting a strain on Europe's lakes, rivers, coastal waters and groundwaters "like never before", the EEA said.

Governments must prioritise reducing water consumption and restoring ecosystems, it said.

(AFP)

Painkiller sale plan to US gives France major headache


By AFP
October 14, 2024


Copyright AFP Hector RETAMAL
Jurgen HECKER

The planned sale of France’s best-selling medical drug to US investors has caused the government a splitting headache after an outcry against the project from politicians on all sides.

Even President Emmanuel Macron is involved in the debate centred on a perceived “loss of sovereignty” if popular painkiller Doliprane falls into American hands.

Doliprane is the brand under which healthcare giant Sanofi sells paracetamol, a non-opioid analgesic for the alleviation of mild to moderate pain, and of fever.

In French pharmacies, the brand’s colourful boxes often line entire shelf walls, and Doliprane comes in many doses — from 100 mg for newborn babies to 1,000 mg for adults — and in tablet, capsule, suppository and liquid forms.

It is so ubiquitous that French people call any paracetamol product Doliprane, even when it is made by a different manufacturer.

Sanofi, which is France’s biggest healthcare company and among the world’s top 12, has found out over the past few days just how attached the French are to the drug.

Political and trade union reactions came in hard and fast after the company announced last week that it was in talks with New York-based private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) to sell a 50-percent controlling stake in its subsidiary Opella, which makes Doliprane along with other consumer healthcare products.

The planned spinoff, it said, would be part of Sanofi’s strategy to focus less on over-the-counter medication and more on innovative medicines and vaccines, including for polio, the flu and meningitis.

“This is another symbol for the loss of our sovereignty,” thundered Fabien Roussel, France’s Communist party leader, calling the planned sale “shameful”.

At the other end of the political spectrum Jordan Bardella, president of the farright RN party, said that “the piecemeal sale of France carries on”.

– ‘Protect France’ –

Green party deputy Marine Tondelier said the government had “learned nothing” from the Covid pandemic when France suffered from medication bottlenecks blamed mostly on the outsourcing of production to foreign countries.

An adhoc group of centre-right lawmakers — including from Macron’s party — meanwhile stated that the sale represented “a very worrying risk for our national security”.

Boris Vallaud, parliamentary leader for the Socialists, reminded the government of 2022 when a sharp rise in demand for paracetamol caused some shortages in French pharmacies.

“Already some months ago, paracetamol was nowhere to be found,” he said. “And now they want to give it up completely?”

In a message to Finance Minister Antoine Armand — in the job only since last month — the group of deputies said the planned sale went against “the re-establishment of France’s sovereignty in the health sector”.

The government had the legal option, they said, of posing conditions or blocking the sale on the grounds that it concerns a “sensitive” industry.

Macron himself entered the fray Monday, saying that “the government has the instruments needed to protect France” from any unwanted “capital ownership”.

The American investment fund is offering more than 15 billion euros ($16.4 billion) for Opella, according to Les Echos, a French business daily.

Faced with the protests, Armand on Friday told Sanofi and the potential buyer that Opella’s “headquarters and decision-making centres” had to remain in France.

On Monday, Industry Minister Marc Ferracci said that current production also had to stay, “to safeguard employment and to secure supply for French people”.

The same went for research and development facilities, he said.

Speaking to broadcaster France 3, Ferracci said the government would invoke a procedure for the control of foreign investment if the buyers failed to meet the demands.

But he added: “I honestly believe that those commitments will be made.”

burs-jh/as/rl

THREE MILE ISLAND REDUX

Google signs nuclear power deal with startup Kairos


By AFP
October 15, 2024

Google and Kairos have yet to determine how many of the small nuclear reactors being built to meet the AI energy demand will be located near the tech giant's facilities - Copyright AFP Aamir QURESHI

Glenn CHAPMAN

Google on Monday signed a deal to get electricity from small nuclear reactors to help power artificial intelligence.

The agreement to buy energy from reactors built by Kairos Power came just weeks after word that Three Mile Island, the site of America’s worst nuclear accident, will restart operations to provide energy to Microsoft.

“We believe that nuclear energy has a critical role to play in supporting our clean growth and helping to deliver on the progress of AI,” Google senior director of energy and climate said during a briefing.

“The grid needs these kinds of clean, reliable sources of energy that can support the build out of these technologies.”

No financial details were disclosed.

– Insatiable AI –

Tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are rapidly expanding their data center capabilities to meet the AI revolution’s computing needs while also scouring the globe for sources of electricity.

The first of a series of small modular reactors (SMRs) developed by Kairos as a result of its deal with Google is projected to be online by the end of this decade, according to the companies.

Additional small reactors are expected to go online through 2035, generating a combined total of 500 megawatts of power.

SMRs are more compact and potentially easier to deploy — with big investments by Microsoft founder Bill Gates in the sector.

However, the technology is still in its infancy and lacks regulatory approval, leading companies to seek out existing nuclear power options.

“We view this as a really significant partnership,” Kairos co-founder and chief executive Mike Laufer said in the briefing.

The agreement allows SMR technology “to mature and learn along the way,” Laufer added.

The grid needs new, clean, electricity sources to support AI as its capabilities and uses accelerate, Terrell said, saying nuclear power is part of a campaign by the tech giant to have abundant carbon-free energy available around the clock.

“This is an incredibly promising bet,” Terrell said of the deal.

“If we can get these projects to scale and then scale globally, it will deliver enormous benefits to communities and power grids around the world.”

– Is it safe? –

Seen as a more consistent source of power than solar and wind, many tech companies are betting on nuclear energy’s rapid development to meet AI’s electricity demands.

Microsoft use of Three Mile Island’s nuclear energy will bolster a power grid covering 13 states.

This area faces severe strain from data centers’ massive energy consumption, raising concerns about grid stability as AI demands increase.

Amazon’s AWS agreed in March to invest $650 million in a data center campus powered by another Pennsylvania nuclear plant.

Nuclear energy has staunch opponents due to concerns about radioactive waste disposal, the potential for catastrophic accidents, and the high costs associated with plant construction and decommissioning.

The 1979 partial meltdown of Unit 2 at Three Mile Island caused panic in the United States and brought the expansion of nuclear energy to a standstill.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission deemed it the “most serious accident in US commercial nuclear power plant operating history,” though it noted no detectable health effects on workers or the public from the small radioactive releases.

East Timor fights new battles 25 years after independence vote

By AFP
October 14, 2024

Since emerging from decades of brutal occupation in 2002, East Timor has made huge strides, but it still faces stubborn problems - Copyright AFP Yasuyoshi CHIBA

Jack MOORE

Along the waterfront of East Timor’s capital, buzzing restaurants sell local dishes and Portuguese colonial fare facing turquoise waters where the Indonesian military launched an invasion nearly half a century before.

Since emerging from decades of brutal occupation in 2002 on the back of an independence vote 25 years ago, Asia’s youngest nation has made remarkable political strides in its short history.

“The most successful? National healing, reconciliation, peace and stability,” President Jose Ramos-Horta told AFP in a recent interview at his home in Dili.

“There has been tremendous progress.”

Independent observers also say the micro-state of 1.3 million stands out as a regional beacon of democracy and press freedom.

“It’s probably the most resilient and strongest democracy in Southeast Asia,” said Joshua Kurlantzick, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

But the country is fighting new battles on various fronts — a poverty rate above 40 percent, crucial energy reserves that experts say will deplete within years, and a balancing act between Western allies and China.



– ‘Doing reasonably well’ –



In 1975 Indonesian forces stormed the capital of the former Portuguese colony, capturing it in hours.

Indonesian occupation followed, along with human rights abuses and the killing of an estimated quarter of the population, before a contentious 1999 referendum helped East Timor achieve independence.

It has since witnessed economic growth thanks to oil and gas profits.

“We are very happy. The progress has been extraordinary,” said teacher Silverio Tilman, 58.

But not everyone has benefited.

“If you go outside of Dili, you’ll see things have not changed economically much in the last 25 years,” said Charles Scheiner, researcher at Dili-based NGO La’o Hamutuk.

“There’s still very high levels of poverty. Child malnutrition is probably one of the worst in the world.”

Ramos-Horta said a deal with Australia on a vast fossil fuel project, crucial to the tiny nation’s economic future, will be struck by November.

“The country’s economic trajectory largely hinges on the successful development of the Greater Sunrise gas field,” said Parker Novak, nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Others warn the project’s development would only delay looming economic problems.

East Timor is still a net food importer and has inadequate tourism infrastructure, making it hard to diversify.

Yet its president was more optimistic.

“Timor-Leste in 2002 had less than 60 years life expectancy. Today, almost 70,” said Ramos-Horta. “We are doing reasonably well.”



– Friends with all –



On his living room table were foreign affairs magazines with China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin leading the front pages.

Adorning his walls were pictures of American icons like Marilyn Monroe, John F. Kennedy and Elvis Presley, next to a large image of Cuban revolution hero Che Guevara.

The juxtaposition is emblematic of East Timor’s position as a small piece in the superpower competition between Washington and Beijing.

Ramos-Horta has pledged to be friends with all despite fears Dili could turn away from traditional Western allies as it seeks more investment.

“It’s the Chinese helping us. We are not helping them,” he said.

But Western partners are watching closely for fear of East Timor falling into a debt trap and becoming in thrall to Beijing.

Asked how he squared his own democracy fight with closer relations with China — accused of indirectly supporting Russia’s Ukraine invasion and conducting aggressive moves around self-ruled Taiwan — Ramos-Horta says Western criticism was steeped in hypocrisy.

“Long before we were born as an independent state, the whole international community recognised Beijing… as the sole China,” he said.

“Why does the West want little Timor-Leste to do the opposite?”



– Generation of ’75 –



Ramos-Horta, 74, is feted at home and says he occasionally drives around safely in his American jeep to holiday in the mountains.

His tireless diplomacy in exile earned him a 1996 Nobel Peace Prize and the popularity to secure his first presidential term between 2007 and 2012, during which he survived an assassination attempt.

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, 78, is also revered as a liberation hero.

They come from an ageing class known as the “Generation of ’75” who aided the independence battle and have rotated in positions of power.

Ramos-Horta came out of retirement in 2022 to win a second presidential term against former guerrilla fighter Francisco “Lu-Olo” Guterres.

But observers say it’s time for a new class of leaders.

“The country has needed new leadership for the past 15 years,” said Damien Kingsbury, a Deakin University politics professor.

“I expect that will only occur when the Generation of ’75 die or are too sick to continue.”

Ramos-Horta says he won’t run again in 2027, and is scouting for new leaders.

And some young Timorese are ready for that change.

“This country needs a new generation,” said Adao Guterres, a 25-year-old university student.

“A new generation ready to compete and improve this country.”

In the Colombian Pacific, fighting to save sharks


By AFP
October 14, 2024

The bountiful waters around Malpelo Island attract illegal fishing vessels from far and wide, many from neighboring Ecuador, others from Panama and Costa Rica in the Caribbean or even China, where shark fin is a delicacy 

- Copyright AFP CHANDAN KHANNA

David SALAZAR

A lone catamaran named “Silky” patrols waters around the remote island of Malpelo, a refuge that is protected yet full of peril for endangered marine species in the Colombian Pacific.

Its crew of environmentalists is the terror of boats illegally fishing for sharks inside the reserve some 500 kilometers (310 miles) off mainland Colombia — one of the richest countries in terms of marine fauna.

Without weapons or backup, the activists shoo away intruder vessels, threaten to report them to the authorities, even dive under water to cut loose sharks caught in nets or on lines.

Active round-the-clock since 2018, the team of shark-lovers claims to be turning the tide in the Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary, a mecca for divers and the largest no-fishing zone in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.

“The success of the project can be seen in the fact that they (the illegal fishers) do not return,” said Colombian diver Erika Lopez, who created the foundation Biodiversity Conservation Colombia with the help of an Australian philanthropist.

The project was born from what the activists view as a lack of official shark protection, with the navy arresting illegal fishers only if they happen to come across them on routine patrols against drug traffickers and other territorial intruders.

Due to play host of the UN COP16 biodiversity conference starting next Monday, Colombia’s vast Pacific coastline is on a key migratory route for hammerhead sharks, whale sharks and other species, many of them endangered.

But the bountiful waters of the sanctuary attract vessels from far and wide, many from neighboring Ecuador, others from Panama and Costa Rica in the Caribbean or even China, where shark fin is a delicacy.

Lopez’s foundation claims the crew of the Silky — the name of a type of shark — has rescued 508 animals alive since 2018, scared away 302 boats and confiscated more than 70,000 meters of fishing line.

Since last December, the foundation reports it has not spotted any fishing boats near Malpelo island in the reserve of more than 850,000 hectares recognized as a UNESCO heritage site.

“We try as much as possible to take the equipment away from them, to free the species that are trapped, that’s the main mission,” 53-year-old Dario Ortiz, an artisanal fisherman-turned-environmentalist, told AFP on board the “Silky.”

But it is a full-time effort.

“This boat has to be basically 24/7, 365 days a year containing this threat,” said Lopez, 51, who dreams of upscaling the project to a flotilla of vessels dedicated to conservation and science in the Pacific.



– Rich and desirable –



On the high seas, far from Malpelo island, a Colombian navy warship also patrols an area teeming with hammerhead sharks, marlin and other endangered creatures.

On a recent mission with AFP on board, it arrested three Ecuadoran fishermen found with a highly valuable haul of silky, hammerhead and blacktip sharks, sailfish and four blue marlins — all still alive.

“The Colombian Pacific is very rich and it is desirable,” said Admiral Rafael Aranguren.

With “our ships we can reach this part of the territory and exercise controls so that they do not illegally exploit these riches, so that they do not harm the environment.”

In 2020, the government of former president Ivan Duque banned shark fishing, both on an industrial and small-scale, to try to protect marine stocks.

But faced with an outcry from Afro-Caribbean fishing communities on the Pacific coast which rely on shark catches for meat to eat and sell, incumbent President Gustavo Petro in January partly repealed the ban.

The government decreed that small-scale fishermen may keep and consume sharks accidentally caught in nets meant for other, unrestricted, fish species.

The decision caused outrage among conservationists who view it as a license to kill.

The Navy estimates it has arrested 30 people so far this year for illegal fishing in Colombian waters.

Between 2012 and 2022, authorities seized more than 334 tons of fish meat illegally harvested, according to the Ministry of Environment.

The country does not keep a record of sharks that fall victim to illegal fishing

Cars, chlamydia threaten Australian koalas

By AFP
October 14, 2024

Orphaned koala joey Ajooni is fed by wildlife caregiver Emma Meadows in Sydney - Copyright AFP Saeed KHAN

Laura CHUNG

Clinging to a fluffy toy twice her size, orphaned koala joey Ajooni made a snuffling noise as she drank milk from a tiny syringe.

Weighing about the same as a mango, she was found by the side of a Sydney road where her mother was hit by a car and died.

It is a familiar tale for wildlife carer Emma Meadows.

Over the past two years, Meadows and other volunteers have recovered 40 koalas hit by cars in their neighbourhood. The number left for dead is likely much higher.

Koalas are shy and notoriously difficult to count.

There are anywhere between 95,000 and 524,000 left in Australia, possibly down from millions before European settlement.

There is little doubt that expanding cities, land clearance and the spread of chlamydia are devastating the populations of one of Australia’s most iconic animals.

East Coast koalas were officially listed as “endangered” by the Australian government in 2022.

“I actually, truly, believe we’re heading towards extinction,” said Meadows, a volunteer with WIRES.

“I don’t know if there is any coming back from this. I’m scared it’s too late.”

Chlamydia was first observed in koalas about 50 years ago. In the decades since, it has wiped out entire local populations.

The bacteria leads to blindness, bladder infections, infertility, and death.

Although some chlamydia-free koala populations exist –- such as the area where Ajooni was found -– scientists fear these pockets may soon disappear.



– World’s ‘extinction capital’ –



Annabelle Olsson, director of the University of Sydney Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital, has regularly examined rescued koalas — including seven-month-old Ajooni.

On the day AFP visited the centre, a sedated three-year-old koala lay on an operation table, while Olsson and her team took the marsupial’s blood, did X-rays and examined the koala’s face.

The koala was chlamydia-free but had a head injury that impacted her reflexes and would require further attention.

Olsson said without better koala protections “our grandchildren, or at least their grandchildren, are going to see maybe koalas in a zoo if they’re lucky”.

“Australia is an island nation with an incredibly high biodiversity and incredibly unique wildlife species and floral species that need to be preserved,” she said.

Scientists believe Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction in the world, with about 100 of the country’s unique flora and fauna species wiped out in the last 123 years.

Environment minister Tanya Plibersek has said Australia is “the mammal extinction capital of the world. ”

While there are some rules and guidelines to protect koala habitats, koala bushland continues to be cleared.



– Vaccine hopes –



Some have instead focused their conservation efforts on quelling the spread of koala chlamydia.

University of the Sunshine Coast researcher Samuel Phillips is part of a team working on a potential vaccine.

They have vaccinated and monitored 165 koalas over 10 years and found inoculated marsupials developed chlamydia later in life and their mortality was reduced by 64 percent.

A Queensland trial of the vaccination, used in conjunction with traffic and predator controls, was so successful that a local koala population doomed for extinction within 10 years rebounded.

Some marsupials will even need to be translocated to stop overpopulation, Phillips said.

“It’s been a really positive story,” he said.

However, Phillips warns that more needs to be done to address the other key drivers of koala decline, particularly the deforestation of their habitats.

“We can keep protecting these small populations, but without increasing the habitat and protecting it, then they won’t be living.”



– ‘Make a difference’ –



Ajooni will remain in Meadow’s care until she is big enough to be released back into the wild.

It will be a “bittersweet” moment for Meadow, but she says seeing any koala successfully released is the best feeling.

That feeling is what keeps her going through the awful parts of her volunteer role: scraping dead koala bodies off the road in the middle of the night, or finding animals that are so severely injured that they need to be put down.

“I continue to do what I do because somebody needs to make a difference, and I feel that this is one way in the world that I can make a difference,” Meadows said.