Siberian wildfires now bigger than all other fires in world combined

Gigantic wildfires are burning across Siberia on a record scale that is larger than all the fires raging this summer around the world combined.

The massive blazes in Russia are fueled in part by extreme heat waves and record droughts that scientists are blaming on warmer temperatures linked to climate change.  

© NASA Earth Observatory/AFP via Getty Images Smoke emitted from hundreds of forest fires covering most of Russia, Aug. 6, 2021.

The worst hit region is Yakutia, a vast semi-autonomous republic around 3,000 miles east of Moscow that in winter is one of the coldest inhabited places on Earth. The fires have been burning since late spring in Yakutia and are already among the largest ever recorded.

The region is enduring a historic drought that is feeding the fires. The huge quantities of smoke has drifted as far as Alaska and the North Pole. Local authorities are struggling to contain the infernos, saying they have only a fraction of the manpower and equipment needed.

© Ivan Nikiforov/AP Volunteers pause while working at the scene of forest fire near Kyuyorelyakh village at Gorny Ulus area west of Yakutsk, in Russia, Aug. 7, 2021.

In the region’s capital Yakutsk last week, in an office cluttered with equipment, Sviatoslav Kolesov looked short of sleep as he showed the latest situation on a map marked with bright orange patches marking the miles of land burning.

© Alexander Reshetnikov/Reuters

A senior pilot-observer with Yakutia’s branch of the federal Aerial Forest Protection Service, Kolesov has been directing his small teams to contain the titanic fires and keep them away from villages outside Yakutsk

.

© Ivan Nikiforov/AP Firefighters work at the scene of forest fire near Kyuyorelyakh village at Gorny Ulus area, west of Yakutsk, in Russia, Aug. 5, 2021.

“I’ve been working since 1988 and I have never seen such a summer,” Kolesov said. “Now is crazy. There are too many fires and pretty much all of them are major.”As people flee fires in Greece, those trapped plead for help

A state of emergency has been declared in Yakutia over the fires that are estimated by local authorities to cover around 1.5 million hectares. For over a month, thick, acrid smog has hung over hundreds of miles over the region, frequently blanketing the capital and in places blocking out the sun.

© Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images The remains of a burned forest at Gorny Ulus area west of Yakutsk, in the republic of Sakha, Siberia, July 27, 2021.

Siberia's warm summers and forest fires are part of life here but not on this magnitude. Since 2017, the region has had unusually dry summers and last year saw record temperatures, includin

g the highest ever recorded in the Arctic.

Until 2017 the republic could expect one or two major fires a year, said Pavel Arzhakov, an instructor from the Aerial Forest Protection Service, who was overseeing efforts at a large fire about 150 miles west of Yakutsk.

But this year, he said, there are 30 to 40 major fires.

© Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images The sunlight is filtered through smoke from burning forests near the village of Magaras in the republic of Sakha, Siberia, July 27, 2021.'Code red': UN scientists warn of worsening global warming

Greenpeace Russia estimates the fires have burned around 62,000 square miles across Russia since the start of the year. The current fires are larger than the wildfires in Greece, Turkey, Canada and the United States.

Russia’s emergency services says it is fighting nearly 200 fires across the country. But there are also dozens more that the agency is leaving to burn because they are not deemed a risk to population centers.

© Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images Smoke rises from a forest fire outside the village of Berdigestyakh, in the republic of Sakha, Siberia, July 27, 2021.

This year may pass Russia’s worst fire season in 2012 and Greenpeace has warned the biggest fire in Yakutia alone threatens to become unprecedented in scale.

“It’s possible it will be the biggest fire in the whole history of mankind. For now it's competing with several famous historic fires in the U.S. in the 19th century,” he told Euronews

.

© Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images The shadow of an aircraft of the Air Forest Protection Service flys over a burned forest in Sakha, Russia, July 27, 2021.

The fire teams in Yakutia are in a vastly unequal fight with the blazes. Teams from the Aerial Forest Protection Service set up camps in the taiga and are trying to contain the fires with trenches and controlled burns. They have little equipment and firefighting planes are used only rarely.

Authorities have sent some reinforcements from other regions. At one camp, a team had flown around 2,000 miles from Khanty-Mansiyisk and have now been in Yakutia’s forest about a month.

“We’re putting the kraken back in the cage,” joked one fire fighter, Yura Revnivik as his team set a controlled burn, trying to direct a fire toward a nearby lake.

© Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images A forest fire burns outside the village of Byas-Kyuel, Russia, July 26, 2021.

But there are nowhere near enough people for the scale of the fires, local firefighters said. Hundreds of local people have volunteered to try to fill the gap. Afanasy Yefremov, a teacher from Yakutsk, said he was spending his weekends trying to help.

“I have lived 40 years and I don’t remember such fires,” he said. “Everywhere is burning and there aren’t enough people.”

Local firefighters in Yakutia in part blamed the scale of the fires on authorities’ failure to extinguish the blazes early on, a consequence they said in part of cuts to the federal forestry fire service.

© Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images Members of Aerial Forest Protection Service brigade receive instructions from a pilot observer while work to extinguish a forest fire at the edge of the village of Byas-Kyuel, Russia, July 26, 2021.

The fires are worrisome far beyond Russia. They are releasing huge quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Yakutia’s fires have already produced a record amount of carbon emissions, according to the European Union's Copernicus satellite monitoring unit.

The 505 megatons of emissions released since June would be more than Britain’s entire carbon dioxide emissions for the whole of 2019.

This report was featured in the Monday, Aug. 16, 2021, episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast.

R. Murray Schafer, composer and 'father of acoustic ecology,' dies at 88

TORONTO — Acclaimed composer R. Murray Schafer, whose ground-breaking research in acoustic ecology helped move the needle on the understanding of soundscapes, has died at 88

.© Provided by The Canadian Press

Eleanor James, Schafer's wife, told friends by email the prolific creator died on Saturday morning near Peterborough, Ont., after a battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Lauded in many circles of the arts and academia, the Glenn Gould Prize winner's approach to music combined less conventional forms of theory and environmental studies into sprawling and complex works that challenged his audience.

Some of his pieces were performed in vast outdoor spaces, asking the audience to go the extra distance — sometimes literally boarding a bus into the forest — to experience an unparalleled performance within a natural world.

"What Murray would love to say was that the wilderness and the environment offer a constant and infinite set of variations when you listen," said longtime friend and former CBC Music producer David Jaegar.

"He felt very close to the land and he felt that we needed to become one with the land to value what's there."

Schafer was born in 1933 in Sarnia, Ont., but his family moved to Toronto during his youth.

He enrolled in the University of Toronto's Royal Conservatory of Music at 19, studying under musician and professor John Weinzweig, who was often called "the dean of Canadian classical music" for his mentorship of some of the country's greatest composers.

Schafer's time on campus would be a driving force for the direction of his career. He befriended Marshall McLuhan, who is considered to have left a lasting impression on his perspective of the world.

After leaving Canada for Vienna in 1956, studying under composer Peter Racine Fricker while away, Schafer returned in 1961 to direct the "Ten Centuries" concerts, and later teach at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., for a decade starting in 1965.

It was at the university where he secured grants to establish the World Soundscape Project, a study of acoustic ecology or the connection between humans and sound in their environments.

His fascination with the topic defined years of his work as he explored the effects of noise on people, particularly in urban settings, earning himself the title of "father of acoustic ecology." Much of his research and philosophies on soundscape were compiled in his 1977 book "The Tuning of the World."

Schafer often rebelled against urban life, Jaegar said, coining the term "schizophonia" to describe the separation of a sound from its original source through electronic reproduction.

Espirit Orchestra founder Alex Pauk described Schafer's ideal performing space as one without walls, which is why open-air performances appealed to him so greatly. But even inside the concert hall, he would strive to break down traditional barriers, at times situating the musicians within the audience.

In the 1980s, Schafer returned to the Patria cycle, a series of pieces he'd spent around 40 years of his career exploring in various forms. Doubled in size to 12 works, each one negotiated the relationship between the location of a performance and the art form itself.

"Patria Prologue: The Princess of the Stars" required the audience to board a school bus and travel down logging roads deep into the forest for a performance that began before dawn in canoes on the water.

The story tells of a princess who, captured by a three-horned enemy, is compelled to sing an aria before a ritual timed to the sunrise.

"Musicians were placed all around Wildcat Lake and that particular piece began at four in the morning and when the sun broke through clouds," recalled Pauk of one performance.

"He loved the idea of having the environment and the animals in the environment respond to orchestral sounds"

While working with CBC in the late 1990s, Jaegar captured a performance of "The Princess of the Stars" for the broadcaster.

"Our microphones were literally kilometres apart to cover this recording," he remembered.

"We were able to take advantage of all the reflected sounds that came off the hills, around the water and the hardwood forests ... In the resulting program, you hear the wildlife; you hear a fish jumping; chipmunks; you hear loons and grackles — all manner of wildlife chiming in, along with the musicians."

Shafer continued his exploration of soundscapes late into his career, winning a 2010 Dora Award for outstanding new music or opera for "The Children’s Crusade," performed in a vacant Toronto warehouse.

His 2012 memoir "My Life on Earth and Elsewhere" was published shortly after Schafer told his friends about his battle with Alzheimer's.

"He knew that he was losing his grasp of detail and he thought he really better get this book written now while he still had the chance," Jaegar said.

But even with signs of his deteriorating mental condition, his wife told friends Schafer's love of music never faded in his life: "It kept on bubbling over, she said."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2021.

David Friend, The Canadian Press

Bees' pleas: Habitat loss, pesticides killing pollinators

Issued on: 16/08/2021 - 

For people everywhere, dwindling pollinator populations has potentially devastating consequences 

Yuri KADOBNOV AFP/File

Paris (AFP)

Destruction of nature and the rampant use of pesticides are the main drivers behind a rapid worldwide loss of bees and other pollinator species, an international panel of experts reported Monday.

Shifts in land use to mono-crops, expanded grazing for livestock, and the widespread use of chemical fertilisers have also contributed significantly to their collapse, according to a global index of the causes and effects of pollinator decline.

For people everywhere, dwindling pollinator populations has potentially devastating consequences.

Bees, butterflies, wasps, beetles, bats, flies and hummingbirds that distribute pollen are vital for the reproduction of more than three-quarters of food crops and flowering plants, including coffee, rapeseed and most fruits.

"What happens to pollinators could have huge knock-on effects for humanity," said Lynn Dicks, a professor in Cambridge's Department of Zoology and lead author of a study in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

"These small creatures play central roles in the world's ecosystems, including many that humans and other animals rely on for nutrition," she added in a statement.

"If they go, we may be in serious trouble."

The world has seen a three-fold increase in pollinator-dependent food production -- valued at nearly $600 billion annually -- over the last 50 years, according to a major UN report from 2016 to which Dicks contributed.

To get an up-to-date overview of pollinator status and the risks associated with their decline, Dicks worked with 20 scientists and indigenous representatives from around the world.

The causes and impacts of decline varied across regions.

- 'We feel their loss' -

Mass die-offs due to disease and so-called colony collapse disorder in industrial beehives and other "managed pollinators" ranked as a high risk in North America, where they play a key role in apple and almond production.

In Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America -- regions where poorer rural populations rely on wild-growing foods -- the impact of pollinator decline on wild plants and fruits poses a serious risk.

Latin America was viewed as the region with most to lose.

The world has seen a three-fold increase in pollinator-dependent food production -- valued at nearly $600 billion annually -- over the last 50 years 

Omar TORRES AFP/File

Insect-pollinated crops such as cashews, soybean, coffee and cocoa are essential to the region's food supply and international trade.

Indigenous populations also depend heavily on pollinated plants, with some pollinator species such as hummingbirds embedded in oral culture and history.

"This study highlights just how much we still don't know about pollinator decline and the impacts on human societies, particularly in parts of the developing world," said co-author Tom Breeze, Ecological Economics Research Fellow at the University of Reading.

In China and India -- increasingly reliant on fruit and vegetable crops that need pollinators -- the loss of natural sources means it must sometimes be done by hand.

"Pollinators are often the most immediate representatives of the natural world in our daily lives," said Dicks. "These are the creatures that captivate us early in life. We notice and feel their loss."

"We are in the midst of a species extinction crisis, but for many people that is intangible," she added. "Perhaps pollinators are the bellwether of mass extinction."

Another potential driver of pollinator decline that is likely to get worse is climate change, the study noted.

Some species of hummingbirds in Latin America, for example, can only collect nectar -- and, in the process, pollen -- in the shade during evermore frequent heatwaves, making it more difficult to feed themselves, according to one study.

© 2021 AFP

NASA Tests 3D Printer That Uses Moon Dust As Construction Material For Future Missions

NASA launched new scientific equipment, Redwire's 3D printer, to the International Space Station (ISS) for the on-demand construction of lunar structures

Written By

Vidyashree S

Credit: TWITTER

NASA engineers have taken a step ahead in using technology to test the materials on the moon. In a recent study, Northrop Grumman Sygnus carried a 3D printer that uses moon dust to make solid material and arrived at the International Space Station (ISS). 

According to the Universe Today report, the agency sent a 3D printer to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Redwire Regolith Print (RRP) project to use readily available materials on the moon to make what is required instead of having to haul lots of heavy equipment all the way from Earth.

The space agency informed that RRP was designed to enable the use of regolith including dust, broken rocks, and other materials found on the surface of extraterrestrial objects for the on-demand construction of lunar structures. The project was launched with the Made In Space Manufacturing Device (ManD) 3D printer that was already onboard the ISS.

READ | Asteroid Bennu, as big as Empire State Building may hit Earth, says NASA; check details

NASA said, "The primary objective of performing the print operations is to successfully demonstrate the manufacturing process capability in microgravity. The secondary objective of the print operations is to produce material samples for scientific analysis".

Considering the regolith-based 3D printing in microgravity, to further under the future missions to the moon and Mars, NASA said, "Such technology could eventually be used to construct habitats, landing pads, and other structures for future exploration missions using on-site materials, rather than having to bring along all the raw materials for such construction". 

Further explaining the use of 3D printing projects on the earth's surface, NASA informed, "Development of infrastructure to improve quality of life in remote and undeveloped areas and on-site emergency construction during natural disaster response."

The Redwire Regolith Print project

Redwire’s Chief Technology Officer Michael Snyder explained the project and said, “The Redwire Regolith Print project is a tech demo of on-orbit additive manufacturing using regolith simulating feedstock material".

Snyder further said, “This represents a critical step in developing sustainable manufacturing capabilities for lunar surfaces that will ultimately establish a permanent human presence off-earth by utilizing available resources with adaptive systems. So this is really exciting for the future and hopefully, something like this gets eventually deployed to the moon".

Boris Johnson: 'No Plans' To Meet Gurkhas On Hunger Strike Outside Downing Street

"Only a deep sense of injustice could drive these brave and respectful souls to this point," said Gurkhas activist Joanna Lumley.


16th August 2021 


Boris Johnson has no plans to meet the Gurkha veterans who are on day 10 of a hunger strike over their pensions, according to a spokesman for the Prime Minister.

The group outside Downing Street is calling for equal pensions for Gurkhas veterans who retired before 1997 but are not eligible for a full UK Armed Forces pension.

On Monday, the Support Our Gurkhas protesters had reached their 10th day of not eating.

The Prime Minister's spokesman was asked whether any talks were planned after the protesters said they would end their hunger strike if a meeting was arranged.


GURKHAS
Gurkha Veterans Stage Hunger Strike In Campaign For Equal Pension Rights

27th July 2021

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Watch: Gurkha veterans stage hunger strike in campaign for equal pension rights.

The spokesman said: "I believe the Defence Secretary said that he would be happy to meet with any Gurkha," adding that there were "no plans" for Mr Johnson to join a meeting.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said he was happy to meet protesters, but warned no Government "of any colour" had ever made retrospective changes to pensions like the ones the demonstrators are calling for.

Actress and campaigner Joanna Lumley urged the Government to meet the "brave and loyal" veterans "to address the injustices highlighted".


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Gurkhas – The Origin Story

24th December 2020

Mrs Lumley was born in India before moving to England and led a campaign in 2009 to allow Gurkhas settlement rights in Britain.

Her father was a major in the Gurkha Rifles.

"Only a deep sense of injustice could drive these brave and respectful souls to this point," the Absolutely Fabulous actress said.

"At the heart of this matter is how we value those who have offered, and sometimes given, the ultimate sacrifice to protect our way of life and to keep us safe."


Defence Secretary ‘Happy To Meet Any Gurkha’ As Veterans Continue Hunger Strike
Ben Wallace's comments came as former soldiers continued a hunger strike about their pensions outside Downing Street, but warned no government “of any colour” had ever made retrospective changes to pensions like the ones demonstrators want.


GURKHAS
How A Gurkha Took On Eight Enemy Soldiers Alone – And Won

23rd July 2021


Watch: Defence Secretary 'happy to meet any Gurkha' as veterans continue hunger strike.
The Gurkhas Equal Pension Rights Issue

They are campaigning for equality because Gurkha veterans who retired before 1997 are not eligible for a UK Armed Forces pension.

About 200,000 Gurkhas, recruited from Nepal, fought in both world wars, and they have also served in places such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, Borneo, Cyprus, the Falklands, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Those who served from 1948 to 2007 were members of the Gurkha Pension Scheme until the Labour government of the time eliminated the differences between Gurkhas' terms and conditions of service and those of their British counterparts.

Serving Gurkhas, and those with service on or after 1 July 1997, could then opt to transfer into the Armed Forces Pension Scheme.

The change was brought in after an amendment to immigration rules in 2007, backdated to July 1997, meant more retired Gurkhas were likely to settle in the UK on discharge, whereas the previous pension scheme had lower rates as it had assumed they would return to Nepal where the cost of living was significantly lower.


GURKHAS
New Catterick Memorial Commemorates Gurkhas Killed In Conflict Since 1999

26th May 2021

Ben Wallace Comments: 'Happy To Meet Any Gurkha'.

Mr Wallace told Sky News on Friday: "I am very happy to meet any Gurkha. My father fought alongside the Gurkhas in Malaya in the 1950s, it is a pretty remarkable group of people.

"The group of people currently protesting are groups affected by the change by the Labour government in 1997 to 2003. This was about people who are under a 1947 pension, it is a very small group of Gurkha pensioners, they had different advantages in their pension scheme in that old scheme.

"That scheme said that you got it after 15 years when a British soldier got it after 22, but there is a difference and they feel that difference needs to be made up.

"That is not the same as the Gurkhas of today or the Gurkhas after 2003 – they get exactly the same pensions as British serving personnel," the Defence Secretary added.

Cover image: Gurkha veterans continue their hunger strike to campaign for equal pension rights.

     

US investigates Autopilot after 11 Teslas crashed into emergency vehicles

Regulator worried Autopilot can't spot parked vehicles or keep driver engaged.


TIM DE CHANT - 8/16/2021, 

Enlarge / A 2014 Tesla Model S driving on Autopilot rear-ended a Culver City fire truck that was parked in the high-occupancy vehicle lane on Interstate 405.
Culver City Firefighters Local 1927 / Facebook

US government regulators are opening an investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system after cars using the feature crashed into stopped emergency vehicles.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration announced the investigation today, and it encompasses 765,000 Teslas sold in the US, a significant fraction of all of the company’s sales in the country. The agency says the probe will cover 11 crashes since 2018; the crashes caused 17 injuries and one death.

The NHTSA is looking at Tesla’s entire lineup, including Models S, X, 3, and Y from model years 2014–2021. It’s investigating both Autopilot and Traffic Aware Cruise Control, a subset of Autopilot that does not steer the vehicle but allows it to match traffic speeds.

In each of the 11 crashes, Teslas have hit first responders’ vehicles that have been parked and marked with flashing lights, flares, illuminated arrow boards, or road cones.

The investigation will cover the entire scope of the Autopilot system, including how it monitors and enforces driver attentiveness and engagement, as well as how the system detects and responds to objects and events in or near the roadway.

Driver attention questioned

Tesla has faced scrutiny for the way Autopilot verifies drivers’ attentiveness while the system is turned on. In an assessment of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), Autopilot received middling marks in the European New Car Assessment Program. The system was hampered by its relative inability to keep drivers engaged with the road.

FURTHER READING
Federal investigators blast Tesla, call for stricter safety standards

Like many other ADAS systems, Autopilot requires a driver to keep their hands on the wheel, though such systems can be easily fooled by draping a weight over one of the steering wheel’s spokes. A recent investigation by Car and Driver found that it took anywhere between 25 to 40 seconds for the vehicle to flash a warning when drivers took their hands off the wheel, depending on the model. If drivers didn’t respond, the car would drive for another 30 seconds before starting to brake. At highway speeds, this could result in the system operating without driver engagement for up to a mile.

In the wake of a January 2018 crash in California, the National Transportation Safety Board criticized the way that Tesla attempts to keep drivers engaged. In that incident, which is also part of the NHTSA probe, a 2014 Model S rear-ended a fire truck in the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane of Interstate 405 in Culver City. The Tesla’s driver had Autopilot engaged and was following another vehicle in the HOV lane when the lead vehicle changed lanes to avoid the parked fire truck. Autopilot did not swerve or brake, and the driver, who was eating a bagel, did not take control of the vehicle. The Tesla hit the fire truck at 31 mph, according to the accident report.

The National Transportation Safety Board said that driver’s inattentiveness was the likely cause of the crash “due to inattention and overreliance on the vehicle’s advanced driver assistance system; the Tesla Autopilot design, which permitted the driver to disengage from the driving task; and the driver’s use of the system in ways inconsistent with guidance and warnings from the manufacturer.”

Autopilot changes

Tesla recently began changing the way Autopilot works, ditching the radar sensor in Models 3 and Y in favor of additional cameras. (Models S and X will retain radar for the foreseeable future.) As the crashes that are part of the NHTSA probe show, radar data doesn’t guarantee that ADAS systems will properly sense obstacles in the roadway, though generally, additional sensors can help the systems get a complete picture of the scene. Because radar and lidar data are essentially a series of measurements, they aid in determining how far a vehicle is from an object. While ADAS systems can get the same information from camera images, they require more complicated computations than with radar or lidar. It’s unclear whether the NHTSA investigation includes Tesla’s new camera-only models.

Nor is it clear whether the probe will affect Tesla’s so-called Full Self-Driving feature, beta versions of which have been released to a group of drivers. Videos of the system in action show that it’s very much a work in progress, and it needs driver attention at all times.

FURTHER READING
Tesla: “Full self-driving beta” isn’t designed for full self-driving

While Full Self-Driving does make some decisions that closely emulate a human driver, in other cases, it makes more questionable choices. In one video, a Full Self-Driving car brakes only after passing a disabled vehicle on the shoulder. On the same trip, it suddenly swerves right into another lane before taking a left. In another video, the car creeps forward into intersections despite cross traffic, and later, it almost tries to drive into a hole in the street that was surrounded by construction cones. At times, Full Self-Driving can't tell whether the human driver has control of the vehicle, and it will drive for more than a minute between prompts to confirm driver attention.

So far, automakers have been largely free to develop ADAS features without significant regulatory oversight. The NHTSA has been relatively hands-off, to the point that the NTSB has been critical of its laissez-faire attitude. This new investigation suggests the agency may be considering a less lenient approach.

US to investigate Tesla's Autopilot following emergency vehicle crashes

Cyrus Chan

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will investigate into Tesla driver assistance system Autopilot after repeated crashes with emergency vehicles. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said today it plans to launch a probe into Tesla’s driver assistance system Autopilot after repeated crashes with emergency vehicles.

The investigation will cover Tesla Models Y, X, S, and 3 vehicles released between 2014 and 2021, estimating 765,000 Tesla vehicles in the US to be involved in the probe.

The NHTSA will assess the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist, and enforce the driver’s engagement with the dynamic driving task during Autopilot operation.

The auto safety agency could opt to take no action or upgrade a preliminary investigation into an engineering analysis before ordering for a recall. The two-step investigation would take a year or more.

Tesla shares slipped as much as 5 per cent after the investigation was announced.

Also Read:
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Autopilot handles some driving tasks and allows drivers to keep their hands off the wheel for extended periods in Tesla vehicles.

NHTSA said since January 2018 had identified 11 crashes in which Tesla models “have encountered first responder scenes and subsequently struck one or more vehicles involved with those scenes.”

Most of the reported crashes took place after dark, and the crash scenes encountered included measures like emergency vehicle lights, flares or road cones.

It reported 17 injuries and one death in those crashes.

The US National Transportation Safety Board criticised Tesla’s lack of system safeguards for Autopilot and NHTSA’s failure to ensure the safety of Autopilot.

Tesla’s chief executive Elon Musk has repeatedly defended Autopilot, saying, “Tesla with Autopilot engaged now approaching 10 times lower chance of accident than average vehicle” in a tweet this April.

More Tesla troubles: U.S. safety agency investigating Autopilot problems on 765,000 vehicles

The investigation covers 765,000 vehicles — nearly everything Tesla has sold in the United States since the start of the 2014 model year.

By Associated Press

Aug 16, 2021
Tom Krisher

Tesla 2018 Model 3 sedans on display outside a Tesla showroom in Littleton, Colo. AP

The U.S. government has opened a formal investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot partially automated driving system after a series of collisions with parked emergency vehicles.

The investigation covers 765,000 vehicles — nearly everything Tesla has sold in the United States since the start of the 2014 model year.

Of the crashes identified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as part of the probe, 17 people were injured and one was killed.

NHTSA says it has identified 11 crashes since 2018 in which Teslas on Autopilot or Traffic Aware Cruise Control have hit vehicles at scenes where first responders have used flashing lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board or cones warning of hazards. The agency announced the action Monday.

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The probe is another sign that NHTSA under President Joe Biden is taking a tougher stance on automated vehicle safety than under previous administrations. Previously the agency was reluctant to regulate the new technology for fear of hampering adoption of the potentially life-saving systems.

The investigation covers Tesla’s entire current model lineup, the Models Y, X, S and 3 from the 2014 through 2021 model years.

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The National Transportation Safety Board, which also has investigated some of the Tesla crashes dating to 2016, has recommended that NHTSA and Tesla limit Autopilot’s use to areas where it can safely operate. The NTSB also recommended that NHTSA require Tesla to have a better system to make sure drivers are paying attention. NHTSA has not taken action on any of the recommendations. The NTSB has no enforcement powers and can only make recommendations to other federal agencies.

Last year the NTSB blamed Tesla, drivers and lax regulation by NHTSA for two collisions in which Teslas crashed beneath crossing tractor-trailers. The NTSB took the unusual step of accusing NHTSA of contributing to the crash for failing to make sure automakers put safeguards in place to limit use of electronic driving systems.

The agency made the determinations after investigating a 2019 crash in Delray Beach, Florida, in which the 50-year-old driver of a Tesla Model 3 was killed. The car was driving on Autopilot when neither the driver nor the Autopilot system braked or tried to avoid a tractor-trailer crossing in its path.

Autopilot has frequently been misused by Tesla drivers, who have been caught driving drunk or even riding in the back seat while a car rolled down a California highway.

Tesla, which has disbanded its media relations office, didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

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NHTSA has sent investigative teams to 31 crashes involving partially automated driver assist systems since June of 2016. Such systems can keep a vehicle centered in its lane and a safe distance from vehicles in front of it. Of those crashes, 25 involved Tesla Autopilot in which 10 deaths were reported, according to data released by the agency.

Tesla and other manufacturers warn that drivers using the systems must be ready to intervene at all times. In addition to crossing semis, Teslas using Autopilot have crashed into stopped emergency vehicles and a roadway barrier.

The probe by NHTSA is long overdue, said Raj Rajkumar, an electrical and computer engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University who studies automated vehicles.

Tesla’s failure to effectively monitor drivers to make sure they’re paying attention should be the top priority in the probe, Rajkumar said. Teslas detect pressure on the steering wheel to make sure drivers are engaged, but drivers often fool the system.

“It’s very easy to bypass the steering pressure thing,” Rajkumar said. “It’s been going on since 2014. We have been discussing this for a long time now.”

The crashes into emergency vehicles cited by NHTSA began on Jan. 22, 2018, in Culver City, California, near Los Angeles when a Tesla using Autopilot struck a parked firetruck that was partially in the travel lanes with its lights flashing. Crews were handling another crash at the time.

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Since then, the agency said there were crashes in Laguna Beach, California; Norwalk, Connecticut; Cloverdale, Indiana; West Bridgewater, Massachusetts; Cochise County, Arizona; Charlotte, North Carolina; Montgomery County, Texas; Lansing, Michigan; and Miami, Florida.

“The investigation will assess the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist and enforce the driver’s engagement with the dynamic driving task during Autopilot operation,” NHTSA said in its investigation documents.

In addition, the probe will cover object and event detection by the system, as well as where it is allowed to operate. NHTSA says it will examine “contributing circumstances” to the crashes, as well as similar crashes.

An investigation could lead to a recall or other enforcement action by NHTSA.

“NHTSA reminds the public that no commercially available motor vehicles today are capable of driving themselves,” the agency said. “Every available vehicle requires a human driver to be in control at all times, and all state laws hold human drivers responsible for operation of their vehicles.”

The agency said it has “robust enforcement tools” to protect the public and investigate potential safety issues, and it will act when it finds evidence “of noncompliance or an unreasonable risk to safety.”

In June NHTSA ordered all automakers to report any crashes involving fully autonomous vehicles or partially automated driver assist systems.

Tesla, based in Palo Alto, California, uses a camera-based system, a lot of computing power, and sometimes radar to spot obstacles, determine what they are, and then decide what the vehicles should do.

But Carnegie Mellon’s Rajkumar said the company’s radar was plagued by “false positive” signals and would stop cars after determining overpasses were obstacles.

Now, Tesla has eliminated radar in favor of cameras and thousands of images that the computer neural network uses to determine if there are objects in the way. The system, he said, does a very good job on most objects that would be seen in the real world. But it has had trouble with parked emergency vehicles and perpendicular trucks in its path.

“It can only find patterns that it has been ‘quote unquote’ trained on,” Rajkumar said. “Clearly the inputs that the neural network was trained on just do not contain enough images. They’re only as good as the inputs and training. Almost by definition, the training will never be good enough.”

Tesla also is allowing selected owners to test what it calls a “full self-driving” system. Rajkumar said that should be investigated as well.

LUCIFER RISING 

Is Europe's 48C heatwave heading to Scotland?

Met Office predict path of 'Lucifer'

Could the sizzling European heatwave, nicknamed 'Lucifer', make its way to the UK?


By Sophie LawAdvance Content Writer

16 AUG 2021

European holiday destinations are suffering in an extreme heatwave as air from the Sahara creates a "heat dome" over the Mediterranean.

The catastrophic heatwave raging in Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal is causing devastating wildfires and potentially the hottest temperatures ever seen on the continent.

It comes as a town on the Italian island of Sicily may have recorded the highest temperature ever reached in Europe as the mercury soared to 48.8C last week.

If the readings are approved, it will beat the record of 48C recorded in Athens, Greece, in 1977, as set out by the World Meteorological Organisation.

But could this heatwave, nicknamed 'Lucifer', make its way to the UK?

The heatwave is baking Europe

The extreme heatwave which may have registered Europe’s hottest ever temperature is being caused by an anticyclone nicknamed ‘Lucifer’.

An anticyclone is an area of high atmospheric pressure where the air is sinking.

Clouds tend not to form during an anticyclone because the air is descending, bringing hotter temperatures to the earth’s surface.

However, the anticyclone is not expected to come to the UK in the next few weeks.

BBC weather forecaster Ben Rich told Countryfile viewers last night there is "no chance" of that heat coming to the UK due to 'two main players' battling it out in the atmosphere.

Italy may have recorded the highest temperature ever reached in Europe (Image: Getty Images)

He explained that a north-westerly wind off the Atlantic is actually pushing the heat from the south away from us.

This wind will bring cool weather, cloud, showery rain and "below-par" temperatures this week - although it will be quite dry.

The Met Office has responded to claims of another 'heatwave' and theories on what might happened towards the end of the month.

A spokesman said: "There is no indication in our forecast of any heatwave in the UK and certainly no indication that the heatwave impacting parts of Europe is going to impact the UK."

"There's been a lot of hyped up media coverage but there's nothing in the forecast to suggest anything more than average or potentially slightly above average temperatures."

The Met Office long forecast for September says there is a chance of 'warmer than average conditions' but also risk of 'thunder showers and rain'.

It's bad news for Scotland, which will likely experience more 'unsettled conditions'.

Hundreds of firefighters tackle wildfire in southern France

Issued on: 16/08/2021 

A major fire has broken out in the Var region of southern France. © SDIS83

France dispatched hundreds of firefighters to battle a wildfire that broke out in the Var region of southern France, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Monday.

Much of the Mediterranean region has faced bouts of extremely hot weather in recent weeks but southern France had hitherto escaped any big blazes.

Darmanin said 650 firefighters had been deployed to protect residents in the area. Multiple water-bombing aircraft were also involved in the operation to contain the fire that has already burned several hundred hectares (acres), local authorities said.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin

"Weather conditions are highly unfavourable," Darmanin said on Twitter.

The fire was burning near the village of Gonfaron, about 50 km (30 miles) west of the Riviera town of Saint Tropez. Locals were told to stay well away from the blazeADVERTISI

Elsewhere in Europe, two wildfires, fanned by strong winds, raged out of control near Athens on Monday, forcing the evacuation of villages.

(REUTERS)

Firefighters battle second day of blazes near Jerusalem

Issued on: 16/08/2021 - 

Ten firefighting planes and a helicopter along with hundreds of firefighters are battling blazes in the Jerusalem hills Ahmad GHARABLI AFP

Jerusalem (AFP)

Fires tore through the hills west of Jerusalem for a second day on Monday as firefighters struggled to contain an expanding blaze, Israeli police and the fire service said.

Police and local officials "began evacuating hundreds of families" from communities on the western outskirts of Jerusalem, police said in a statement.

Ten firefighting planes and a helicopter supported hundreds of firefighters, the National Fire and Rescue Authority said in a statement.


"The rate of fire progress is extremely fast," it said, adding that in some areas, firefighters were able to contain the blazes but not overcome them.

Fire and Rescue Commissioner Dedi Simchi announced he was calling all fire and rescue personnel to help battle the "huge" blaze.

The fires had broken out in the wooded hills east of Jerusalem on Sunday, sending acrid-smelling clouds of smoke that hung over the holy city and its iconic Dome of the Rock and forcing the evacuation of a psychiatric hospital.

Firefighters managed to contain the blaze before strong winds sent flames racing through the trees again on Monday afternoon.

A spokesperson for the Fire and Rescue Authority told AFP three communities had been evacuated so far.

Police said the cause of the fire was not clear.

Fires have flared this summer around the Mediterranean basin, including in Greece, Turkey, Algeria and Morocco.

Israel experienced a week-long heatwave in early August.

Fresh fires force evacuations in Greek villages

Issued on: 16/08/2021 

Scores of firefighters battled fresh blazes in Greece Monday, including near the village of Markati, near Athens Angelos Tzortzinis AFP


Athens (AFP)

Greek firefighters battled to control two new fires around Athens on Monday, forcing the evacuation of several villages after blistering blazes scorched swathes of land in the country.

Greece's prime minister has linked the devastating blazes to the "climate crisis", speaking last week as wildfires swept across the Mediterranean, engulfing parts of Greece, Italy and Spain.

Scores of firefighters battled fresh blazes Monday near the Greek port city of Lavrio, as helicopters and planes dropped water from the air, a firefighting official told AFP.

Locals from three nearby villages southeast of Athens were ordered to evacuate.

"The fire front is large and the winds in the area are very strong," Thanasis Avgerinos, the deputy regional governor of East Attica told AFP.

"This is a very flammable pine-covered area."

Meanwhile, another forest fire broke out in Vilia, Attica, some 60 kilometres (37 miles) northwest of Athens, prompting the mobilisation of air and ground forces.

Authorities have called for the evacuation of two nearby villages, while another 40 firefighters were battling the blazes, according to a firefighting official.

The fires come on the heels of blazes in recent weeks that have destroyed homes, properties, pine forests, beehives and livestock across more than 100,000 hectares of affected land.

The island of Evia, 200 kilometres northeast of Athens, has paid the heaviest price with more than half of the hectares burned there.

The Peloponnese peninsula, 300 kilometres west of Athens, but also the northern suburbs of the capital, were also heavily affected by some 600 fires.

The blazes were finally brought under control Friday.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said the fires offered a dire warning.

"The climate crisis tells us everything must change," he said.

As global temperatures rise, heatwaves are predicted to become more frequent and intense, and their impacts more widespread, scientists say.

© 2021 AFP

Biden's Permanent SNAP Boost 'Will Transform Lives,' Say Anti-Poverty Advocates

The USDA's record 27% increase in food stamp benefits "is a large advance for poverty reduction, nutrition, and opportunity for children," said one economist.


Rebecka Ortiz offers a sample of pasta to her 3-year-old daughter at the grocery store where she was using her SNAP benefits to stock up on food for her family on March 1, 2013 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. (Photo: Michael S. Williamson/Washington Post via Getty Images)


KENNY STANCIL

August 16, 2021


Progressives on Monday commended the Biden administration for approving the largest permanent expansion of food benefits in the history of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which anti-poverty advocates say will help improve health and educational outcomes for millions of low-income households in need of financial support.

"This increase will be a huge relief for the 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP, including working families who are simply not paid enough to afford basic living expenses."

—Joel Berg, Hunger Free America

Although the cost of a healthy diet has grown over time, the United States Department of Agriculture had not increased the value of the Thrifty Food Plan—its model for estimating how families could meet nutritional guidelines as inexpensively as possible, which is used to calculate SNAP benefits—since it was first established in 1975 based on 1962 prices, with the exception of adjustments for inflation.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on Monday that thanks to a long-awaited re-evaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan, the maximum SNAP benefit will climb to $835 a month for a family of four, an increase of 21%, beginning on October 1, 2021. The average SNAP benefit will rise by 27% above pre-pandemic levels, adjusted for inflation, according to the New York Times.

"A modernized Thrifty Food Plan is more than a commitment to good nutrition—it's an investment in our nation's health, economy, and security," said Vilsack. "Ensuring low-income families have access to a healthy diet helps prevent disease, supports children in the classroom, reduces healthcare costs, and more. And the additional money families will spend on groceries helps grow the food economy, creating thousands of new jobs along the way."

As the Times reported Sunday:


For at least a decade, critics of the benefits have said they were too low to provide an adequate diet. More than three-quarters of households exhaust their benefits in the first half of the monthly cycle, and researchers have linked subsequent food shortages to problems as diverse as increased hospital admissions, more school suspensions, and lower SAT scores.

Under the new rules, average monthly benefits, $121 per person before the pandemic, will rise by $36. Although the increase may seem modest to middle-class families, proponents say it will reduce hunger, improve nutrition, and lead to better health.

Unlike coronavirus-driven expansions of the social safety net, some of which are set to expire next month, the upcoming augmentation of SNAP benefits has been designed to outlast the ongoing public health emergency.

While the boost to SNAP comes amid a pandemic-related surge in hunger, the Times noted that the importance of food assistance has been growing for years in the wake of bipartisan cuts to social welfare programs during the Clinton administration. Enrollment in SNAP "more than doubled... from the early 2000s to the aftermath of the Great Recession," according to the newspaper.

The Biden administration's revision of the Thrifty Food Plan, and ensuing permanent expansion of SNAP benefits, elicited praise from a number of anti-hunger advocates.

Anti-poverty expert Rebecca Vallas called the change a "historic step towards addressing a shameful nationwide hunger crisis that long predated Covid."

Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America said in a statement Monday that "the new Thrifty Food Plan is a huge victory in the fight against hunger and for the tens of millions of Americans facing food insecurity."

"This is something that Hunger Free America has been advocating for years," he continued, "as a permanent boost to SNAP benefits will allow families participating in the program to be able to afford healthier food without fear of running out of benefits each month."

Berg added that "this increase will be a huge relief for the 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP, including working families who are simply not paid enough to afford basic living expenses. Being able to afford a more nutritious diet is also crucial for the overall health of low-income families, allowing them to have greater protection against Covid-19 as the rates of the virus continue to skyrocket in areas across the country."

The increase in food aid did not require congressional approval, and "as hints of the benefit increase spread last week, Republicans pushed back," the Times reported. "Before the plan was even released, two Republican legislators called for a watchdog to review it."

"The changes have enormous potential to reduce, and potentially eliminate, child hunger and poverty in this country."
—Jamie Bussel, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Ironically, however, "the changes are the result of [the Farm Bill] passed in 2018 by a Republican Congress, which ordered a review of the program's assumptions and gave the Agriculture Department four years to do it," the Times noted. "In January, President [Joe] Biden urged the department to speed up the process so that benefits 'reflect the true cost of a basic healthy diet.'"

"In allowing the plan's value to rise, officials argued they were following the 2018 law, which required new standards but did not specify whether costs should stay the same," the newspaper added. "Former Rep. Mike Conaway, a Republican and chief author of the 2018 law, said it was written 'assuming the precedent of cost-neutrality would be followed' and warned the administration against 'unilateral overreach.'"

Progressive critics of the USDA's previous Thrifty Food Plan have long argued that the assumption of fixed food costs resulted in an unrealistic model that ignored several factors, including preparation time, geographic variation in prices, and dietary changes during adolescence. The resulting inadequate food budget for impoverished families forced many to settle for cheaper, less nutritious options or go hungry when benefits began to run low, as they did for almost 90% of recipients before the end of the month.

A study (pdf) published last month by the Urban Institute found that in 2020, the maximum SNAP benefit provided by the old formula "did not cover the cost of a modestly priced meal in 96% of all U.S. counties."

Anti-poverty advocates, meanwhile, celebrated the Biden administration's new, more generous plan, which incorporates the latest recommendations regarding exercise and caloric intake, reflects updated dietary standards, and acknowledges the need for greater convenience.

"I am beyond thrilled President Biden is taking the long overdue step to adjust the Thrift Food Plan to be in line with the increased cost of healthy food," Jason Furman, professor of economics at Harvard University, said Sunday. "This is a large advance for poverty reduction, nutrition and opportunity for children."

Jamie Bussel, a senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, told the Washington Post on Sunday that "this is totally a game-changing moment."

"The changes have enormous potential to reduce, and potentially eliminate, child hunger and poverty in this country," said Bussel. "This will reflect much more accurately what food actually costs in communities."

Haiti braces for storm Grace as PM warns earthquake death toll could rise

Tropical depression could pass over areas already hit by Saturday’s quake that killed at least 1,297 people

People drive past the remains of a church in Les Cayes. Medical teams and aid workers were racing to save lives and provide food and shelter in the country. 

Photograph: Reginald Louissaint Jr/AFP/Getty Images

Tom Phillips and Jean Daniel Delone in Port-au-Prince and Karen McVeigh
Mon 16 Aug 2021 

Medical teams and aid workers were racing to save lives and provide food and shelter on Monday as Haiti’s prime minister warned the official death toll from Saturday’s earthquake could rise further and a tropical depression bore down the crisis-stricken Caribbean country.

At least 1,297 people were killed by the 7.2-magnitude quake – a tremor even more powerful than the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 200,000 Haitians in 2010 and leveled much of Port-au-Prince.

Fewer lives have been lost this time, because the epicentre was further from the densely populated capital. But rescue workers say conditions on the ground in Haiti’s southern peninsula, where the earthquake struck, are dire, and likely to get worse after tropical depression Grace makes landfall in the coming hours. By midday Monday, heavy rain was already lashing the capital, Port-au-Prince, and flash floods and mudslides were expected to complicate road travel.

Reuters said projections from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) indicated that Grace, which is expected to hit Haiti between Monday night and Tuesday morning, could pass over areas directly affected by the earthquake and douse them with up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain, bringing the risk of flash floods and landslides.

“We need to get prepared. It’s going to bring a lot of flooding … and it’s going to hamper rescue efforts,” warned Jean William Pape, a prominent Haitian doctor who is involved in the earthquake response.

One of the worst-hit towns is Les Cayes, a seaport about 120 miles southwest of the capital with about 100,000 residents.

Sterens Yppolyte, a medical intern at the Les Cayes’ Immaculate Conception hospital, said its doctors were struggling to cope with the influx of injured patients from the town and, increasingly, the rural area around it.

“The emergency room is full and the yard is full,” Yppolyte said on Monday. “We are fighting.”

The 26-year-old trainee doctor said the patients being brought in included children and elderly people, many of whom had suffered fractured legs or arms and head trauma injuries from falling debris. “You do what you can – but there are not enough orthopedic doctors.”

Compounding the crisis, two of the hospital’s medical students were killed when the house they were in collapsed after the quake. Yppolyte, who unsuccessfully tried to extricate his colleagues out from the rubble, said the situation outside the hospital gates was also desperate. “People are in need. There is no water in the town, no food. They are sleeping outside,” he said. “Haiti needs the world and its prayers. People are really scared.”

Civil defence authorities say at least 13,000 houses were destroyed by the quake and nearly 6,000 people wounded. On Monday, USAID said its urban search-and-rescue teams were being flown into Les Cayes by helicopter, with sniffers dogs trained to locate trapped victims in fallen buildings.

“Right now people are traumatized because they don’t know what will happen in the coming hours, days or weeks,” said Thomas Jean Verlin, a 31-year-old teacher from Les Cayes. “There is a lot of panic. I believe 90% of the population needs psychological assistance.”

Akim Kikonda, an aid worker from Catholic Relief Services, an NGO which operates in Les Cayes and in Jeremie, said they were distributing tarpaulins to people sleeping on the streets.

“After the earthquake, there were a dozen aftershocks, so houses that were not completely destroyed have been seriously damaged. People are not comfortable being inside, so they are sleeping outside.”Alessandra Giudiceandrea, head of mission for Médecins Sans Frontières, sad the charity had three small teams in the south, including in Les Cayes and Grand Anse, where they had a surgeon and anaesthetist. They were also dealing with patients in Port-Au-Prince, who had travelled north for treatment.

“The rain has already started in Port-au-Prince” she said. “The best we can say is that movement by air and road will be slower. Buildings have collapsed, and we are operating out of tents. We just have to hope the tents will withstand the wind”.

But security is another major challenge, after months of political turmoil which have left gangs in control of key routes, Giudiceandrea said.

“Here, we have it all, the security situation, the epidemic, natural catastrophe. Let’s cross our fingers that this is the last …. I’ve been here in the past, I know this country and what I will say that is that the Haitians’ capacity to respond – even when they themselves are the victims – is great.”


Haitians heartbroken as deadly quake heaps misery on crisis-hit nation

When Saturday’s earthquake struck Haiti was already reeling from profound social, economic, political and security crises, which reached a terrible crescendo on 7 July with the murder of its president. Nearly six weeks after that brazen assault on the presidential residence – allegedly carried out by a team of retired Colombian soldiers – few believe the true masterminds have been identified, let alone caught. There are growing doubts over whether a general election, scheduled for early November, will go ahead.

“Haiti is just in incredibly dire straits,” said Jonathan M Katz, an American journalist who covered Haiti’s 2010 earthquake and wrote a book about the mishandled international response.

Even before the assassination, Haiti had effectively been “a country without a government”, Katz said. Now, Haitians had little choice but to face the crisis by drawing on their “seemingly endless reservoirs of self-reliance and solidarity.” “It really is a mess.”

Haiti earthquake aid remains a priority for emotional Osaka

Issued on: 16/08/2021 - 20:34

Naomi Osaka said lighting the Olympic flame 'will be a really big memory for me' 

Jeff PACHOUD AFP


Cincinnati (AFP)

Naomi Osaka vowed on Monday to give more than just this week's Cincinnati Masters prize money in aid of the earthquake in her father's native Haiti.

The natural disaster which has claimed nearly 1,300 victims, prompted an immediate response from the world number two.

But Osaka, who had to leave a pre-tournament press conference for a few moments to compose herself after being queried about the Caribbean tragedy, then returned to spell out her personal action plan.

"I'm not really doing that much," the four-time Grand Slam champion said. "I could do more and I'm trying to figure out where to put my energy.

"The prize money was the first thing I thought of that would raise the most awareness."

The Japanese-Haitian player called the disaster "really scary. I see there was damage near my parent's former school."

Osaka was holding her first traditional press conference since May in Rome.

Her distaste for media questioning exploded at Roland Garros in May when she suggested the question-answer format was too intrusive, especially after losses, and said she would refrain from them in Paris.

After her first-round win, she answered a few questions on court but a day later quit the tournament before the second round.

Osaka also skipped Wimbledon, saying she needed time to work on her mental health as a result of her post-match tennis stress level.

After lighting the Olympic flame in Tokyo, Osaka lost in the third round to Czech Marketa Vondrousova and left for the US.

"I feel sad about how I did," she said of the Games. "But I was glad for the experience, lighting the torch was fun.

"It will be a really big memory for me."

Osaka takes the second seeding at the joint ATP-WTA Cincinnati event behind Australian Ashleigh Barty.

© 2021 AFP

EXPLAINER: Why Haiti is prone to devastating earthquakes


BY BEN FINLEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUGUST 16, 2021 

The Cayimite Hotel is damaged after an earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Delot Jean) DELOT JEAN AP


Earthquakes have been wreaking havoc in Haiti since at least the 18th century, when the city of Port-au-Prince was destroyed twice in 19 years. Saturday’s powerful quake killed hundreds and injured thousands more. Eleven years earlier a temblor killed tens of thousands of people, if not hundreds of thousands.

Haiti sits near the intersection of two tectonic plates that make up the Earth’s crust. Earthquakes can occur when those plates move against each other and create friction. Haiti is also densely populated. Plus, many of its buildings are designed to withstand hurricanes — not earthquakes. Those buildings can survive strong winds but are vulnerable to collapse when the ground shakes.

___


WHAT MAKES HAITI PRONE TO EARTHQUAKES?

The Earth’s crust is made up of tectonic plates that move. And Haiti sits near the intersection of two of them — the North American plate and the Caribbean plate.

Multiple fault lines between those plates cut through or near the island of Hispaniola, which Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic. What's worse, not all of those fault lines behave the same way.

“Hispaniola sits in a place where plates transition from smashing together to sliding past one another,” said Rich Briggs, a research geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Geologic Hazards Science Center.

“It's like a rock stuck in the track of a sliding glass door," he said. "It just does not want to move smoothly because it’s got so many different forces on it.”

___

WHAT CAUSED THE MOST RECENT QUAKE?

Brewery Blocks

Downtown development has been slow to fill during pandemic

READ MORE

Saturday's magnitude 7.2 earthquake likely occurred along the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone, which cuts across Haiti's southwestern Tiburon Peninsula, according to the USGS.

It's the same fault zone along which the devastating 2010 earthquake occurred. And it's likely the source of three other big earthquakes in Haiti between 1751 and 1860, two of which destroyed Port-au-Prince.

Earthquakes are the result of the tectonic plates slowly moving against each other and creating friction over time, said Gavin Hayes, senior science adviser for earthquake and geologic hazards at USGS.

“That friction builds up and builds up and eventually the strain that’s stored there overcomes the friction,” Hayes said. “And that’s when the fault moves suddenly. That’s what an earthquake is.”

___



WHY CAN EARTHQUAKES IN HAITI BE SO DEVASTATING?

It's a combination of factors that include a seismically active area, a high population density of 11 million people and buildings that are often designed to withstand hurricanes — not earthquakes.

Typical concrete and cinder block buildings can survive strong winds but are vulnerable to damage or collapse when the ground shakes. Poor building practices can also play a role.

The 2010 quake hit closer to densely populated Port-au-Prince and caused widespread destruction. Haiti’s government put the death toll at more than 300,000, while a report commissioned by the U.S. government placed it between 46,000 and 85,000.

“I think it’s important to recognize that there’s no such thing as a natural disaster,” said Wendy Bohon, a geologist with Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology. “What you have is a natural hazard that overlaps with a vulnerable system.”



___

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

Geologists say they cannot predict the next earthquake.

“But we do know that earthquakes like this can cause similar-sized earthquakes on the next portion of the fault,” said Hayes of USGS. “And it’s quite a significant hazard in places that don’t have the construction practices to withstand the shaking.”

Construction of more earthquake-resistant buildings remains a challenge in Haiti, which is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.

Before Saturday's quake, Haiti was still recovering from the 2010 earthquake as well as Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Its president was assassinated last month, sending the country into political chaos.

And while there have been some success stories of Haitians building more earthquake-resistant structures, the country has lacked a centralized effort to do so, said Mark Schuller, a professor of anthropology and nonprofit and NGO studies at Northern Illinois University.

Haiti's government has become increasingly weak, while non-governmental organizations focus on their own compartmentalized projects.

“There is technical knowledge in Haiti. There are trained architects. There are city planners. That’s not the problem,” Schuller said. “The problem is a lack of funding for coordination, and lack of political will from donors (to organizations providing aid).”

Why Earthquakes In Haiti Are So Catastrophic


August 16, 2021
JACLYN DIAZ

NPR

Locals recover their belongings Sunday from their homes destroyed in the earthquake in Camp-Perrin in Les Cayes, Haiti.Joseph Odelyn/AP

It happened again.

Over the weekend, Haiti was hit by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that crumbled homes and buildings and killed more than 1,200 people.

Rescuers are still working to find survivors amid the rubble. The death count is expected to rise.

More than a decade ago, a similar quake left an estimated 220,000 dead, more than 1 million people displaced and roughly 300,000 injured.

These two events are part of Haiti's history of major destructive earthquakes, records of which go back centuries.

Researchers say the country's unique geology make it seismically active — and prone to devastating earthquakes. A combination of factors, however, leaves the country especially susceptible to damage from these events.
Why is Haiti so susceptible to earthquakes?

Haiti sits on a fault line between huge tectonic plates, big pieces of the Earth's crust that slide past each other over time. These two plates are the North American plate and the Caribbean plate.

There are two major faults along Hispaniola, the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic.



A map of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti shows dotted orange lines indicating fault lines. The nation sits on a fault line between huge tectonic plates of the Earth's crust — the North American plate and the Caribbean plate.Alyson Hurt/NPR

The southern one is known as the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault system.
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It's this fault that the U.S. Geological Survey says caused Saturday's quake and the same one that caused the January 2010 earthquake.

The USGS believes the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone can be blamed on other major earthquakes from 1751 to 1860. The agency said none of these quakes has been officially confirmed in the field as associated with this fault, however.

HAITI QUAKE: RUIN AND RECOVERY
The Anatomy Of A Caribbean Earthquake

A history of catastrophic earthquakes in Haiti

One of the earliest major recorded earthquakes in Haiti occurred in the 1700s, according to the USGS. Others followed, with researchers cataloging events that left hundreds dead and destroyed homes and businesses.

Nov. 21, 1751: A major earthquake destroys Port-au-Prince and causes major destruction in nearby towns. Witness accounts of the event from the National Centers for Environmental Information recount the devastation. "Houses and factories were thrown down at St.-Marc, Lkogbne, and Plaine du Cul-de-sac. Crevices formed and abundant springs of nauseous water broke forth," researchers who witnessed the event described it. "Great landslips occurred and the beds of the rivers changed direction."

June 3, 1770: An earthquake hits Port-au-Prince again. Researchers described the event as "one of the strongest shocks recorded on the Island of Haiti." An estimated 200 people in the nation's capital died as a result of the earthquake.

April 8, 1860: This earthquake occurred farther west of the 2010 earthquake, near Anse-à-Veau, and was accompanied by a tsunami. "At Anse-a-Veau, crevasses sliced across the streets and 124 houses were demolished; at Miragoane, the bridge sank; at Petit Goave, all the houses were abandoned ... ," researchers said of the event. "Ships in the harbor of Les Cayes felt the shock, as did ships at sea."

Before the 2010 earthquake, there hadn't been another major quake along the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone for about 200 years.

In January 2010, people work to free trapped victims from the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince.

Gerald Herbert/AP

Building to withstand hurricanes, not earthquakes

The USGS says it recorded 22 magnitude 7 or larger earthquakes in 2010, the same year as the devastating earthquake in Haiti. However, despite an active year, almost all the fatalities were produced by the major temblor that hit on Jan. 12 of that year, the USGS said.

It struck around the densely populated capital of Port-au-Prince, contributing to the high death toll.

But the way structures are built in Haiti is also believed to have contributed to the loss of life and property.

Due to the 1751 and 1770 earthquakes and minor quakes that occurred between them, local authorities started requiring building with wood and forbade building with masonry, according to the USGS.

A woman tries to recover her belongings Sunday amid the rubble of her home destroyed by the quake in Camp-Perrin in Les Cayes.

Joseph Odelyn/AP

In the years since, Haitians have focused on building their homes to withstand the bigger threat in the neighborhood — hurricanes.

Structures made of concrete and cinder block hold up well during storms but are more vulnerable during earthquakes, according to The Associated Press.
More earthquakes may be ahead

In 2012, researchers wrote that the 2010 earthquake "may mark the beginning of a new cycle of large earthquakes on the Enriquillo fault system after 240 years of seismic quiescence."

"The entire Enriquillo fault system appears to be seismically active; Haiti and the Dominican Republic should prepare for future devastating earthquakes," researchers said.

It's still too early to determine the long-term impact of Saturday's earthquake. What is certain is the unique pressures facing Haitians in the days ahead.

The country still has not fully recovered from the 2010 earthquake and Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

LATIN AMERICA
Ariel Henry Will Become Haiti's Prime Minister, Ending A Power Struggle

Haiti was already suffering from political instability following last month's assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Moïse's death has since left a power vacuum that's been filled by interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry, a 71-year-old neurosurgeon and public official.

The nation is also bracing for another threat as Tropical Depression Grace threatens to bring heavy rains on Monday.