How creative industries could boost the economies of small islands crippled by COVID

by Peter Rudge, The Conversation

Fishing in the Maldives. Credit: Shutterstock/tommybarba

Small islands in the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean or in the Pacific islands promise dream holidays and the fulfillment of bucket lists. And, for the islands themselves, tourism is a vital source of jobs, income and prosperity.

But the pandemic and its effect on the travel industry has meant places such as the Maldives and the Seychelles have seen their economies brought to the brink of collapse.

These islands are mainly powered by the "blue economy"—sectors such as tourism and fisheries which depend on the sea. But COVID-19 has shown the risks of such reliance. So how can these islands build economic resilience while protecting the fragile ecology on which they depend?

As I explain in my new book, one response could be to look to the "orange economy"—a term which describes the various sectors—everything from art, film, music and video games—of the creative and cultural industries.

The impact of these industries is often underestimated. In the UK for example, they add £13 million every hour to the national economy—more than the automotive industry, life sciences and aerospace combined.

And globally, the orange economy employs more people aged 15−29 than any other sector. It has become an engine for regeneration in inner cities such as Liverpool in the UK, and Pittsburgh in the US. But this potential economic boost should not be limited to wealthy countries. Indeed, for developing regions there is no reason why these sectors should not play an increasingly important role.

In small island developing states (known as SIDS) in particular, the orange economy could a play a valuable role in supporting the blue one. Yet many of the entrepreneurs, educators and government officials I spoke to in St Lucia, the Maldives, the Seychelles and the Pacific islands, mentioned the lack of an ecosystem for developing and supporting the creative industries.

That said, some encouraging steps have been taken. For example, in 2017 the Caribbean Development Bank launched a dedicated fund to stimulate growth in these sectors, with an initial injection of US$2.6 million (£1.8 milllion).

Among other projects, this has supported visual artists across the region as well as film and animation projects in St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.

This kind of access to finance is crucial. But independent investment is virtually nonexistent in these islands, meaning entrepreneurs and startups often have to rely on costly borrowing.

Orange, blue and green

Another serious challenge is developing an economic model which has a positive effect on the environment—especially when that environment is essential to the other industries. But a further strength of an orange economy is that creativity and innovation are renewable resources.

It is also a development that could quickly fit into the established economic fabric of a small island. After all, the relationship between digital content, technology platforms and culture has already had a positive disruptive effect on tourism, providing people with more choice and information.

One good example of a digital-creative project is the non-profit company Hydrous which allows users (potential tourists) to go on a virtual dive into the marine environments of Palau in Indonesia, using an immersive technology app. This includes a guided tour of the coral reefs, where virtual divers can explore the islands' marine wildlife, including sea turtles, manta rays and sharks.

This kind of creative content delivered through virtual reality channels can enhance visitor experiences, engage new audiences and increase marketing opportunities.

Before a trip is booked, a potential traveler could explore resorts using high-definition virtual reality software. Once they've arrived, they could use "SLAM" (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) technology, which responds to a user's precise location to provide information (either in text, animation, or audio and visual recordings) about their immediate environment, enhancing their enjoyment and understanding.

From a business perspective, optimizing this kind of technology requires creativity. This is just one way in which a move to more digital and creative businesses could enhance tourism and support the wider ocean economy.

The orange economy has the potential to redefine the recovery of small island states, while protecting the blue economy they have relied on for so long. The focus for SIDS should be on establishing a creative economy which allow islanders to create, innovate and monetise their ideas.

By doing that island states can build a strong, resilient and sustainable economy that supports the health of ocean environments—and the creative and entrepreneurial ambitions of the people who live in them.The Maldives is threatened by rising seas, but coastal development is causing even more pressing environmental issues

Provided by The Conversation 

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Our nine male Japanese reporters turn into lovely young ladies with magic of A.I. photo editing

• SoraNews2411 hours ago
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Mr. Sato and his office bros, as you’ve never seen them before!

Last week, the nine male members of Japanese-language writing and editing team spent the day wearing the clothes they’d like their romantic partners to wear on a date. It was a perspective-broadening experience for them, but while their attire was unlike anything they’re used to, their faces and hairstyles remained as they ever were.

Recently, though, our reporter Mr. Sato wondered what he and his fellow male officemates would look like if they’d changed from the neck up, and so he put together another photo shoot. Let’s start with a look at A-chan.

Dressed in a sassy tank top, A-chan is hoping to take a trip to Hawaii once the pandemic completely settles down. As you might guess, though, A-chan is an alias, and that’s really one of our male reporters after receiving a digital makeover via photo editing app FaceApp. Using the apps “teen” and “feminize” functions, Mr. Sato was given a glimpse of what they’d look like as young ladies, so let’s have a look at the results, followed by a reveal of who’s who.

▼ B-chan, who’s looking forward to going to karaoke with friends when life finally gets back to the old normal

▼ C-chan, who’s been waking up early to do yoga every morning

▼ D-chan, who radiates a mysterious, worldly allure

▼ E-chan, who combines the height of a runway model with the looks of an idol singer

▼ F-chan, ready to head out for a casual lunch date in a cozy, oversized sweatshirt

▼ G-chan, making a heart gesture with crossed thumb and index finger

▼ H-chan, with freshly scrubbed face and smooth, neatly styled hair

▼ And last, I-chan, who’s really into watching mixed martial arts

▼ And here’s what all of them look like ordinarily.

So, what are the real identities of A through I-chan? Going once again in alphabetical order, A-chan is…

…P.K. Sanjun, and B-chan is none other than…

…Mr. Sato!

It’s worth noting that, true to its name, FaceApp is really only concerned with your face, and the digital effects we applied didn’t change anything about our reporters’ bodies. That’s not really an issue with the long-sleeve wearing C-chan, who is, in reality…

…Seiji Nakazawa. However, you might have noticed D-chan’s especially hirsute forearms, which are actually the forearms of…

…Japanese head editor Go Hatori.

Meanwhile, the statuesque E-chan is…

…Masanuki Sunakoma, whom FaceApp saw fit to give some major hair extensions to, a move it also deemed appropriate for F-chan…

…or SoraNews24 owner Yoshio.

We’re getting close to the end, and process of elimination might make it easy to guess that G-chan’s true identity is…

…Takashi Harada, and H-chan is…

…doting daddy Ahiruneko.

Which, finally, means that I-chan’s shy smile is that of…

…Yuichiro Wasai.

It’s honestly startling how far this kind of technology has come in recent years, especially since FaceApp is free. The lack of changes made from the chin down are a tipoff that all might not be as it seems, but it’s probably only a matter of time until free-to-use apps start adding those too.

Related: FaceApp (iOS, Android)
Photos © SoraNews24
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In a multicultural Norway, cultural heritage is more than just stave churches and rose-painting

by Silje Pileberg, University of Oslo

Kaja Hannedatter Sontum. Credit: University of Oslo

If cultural heritage institutions want to be relevant to young people today, they must move away from old categories defining what and who is Norwegian, archaeologist Kaja Hannedatter Sontum argues in her new doctoral thesis.

Social inclusion and diversity is one of the goals within the field of cultural heritage. A new Ph.D. study now suggests that the sector should reconsider current attempts to achieve their goals.

Considering the question of what is cultural heritage, Oslo youths are already divided on the issues laid out in public policies and governing documents within the field.

"In these documents, and also in the public debate, cultural heritage often revolves around material memories from the past. It may consist of excavations, site specific objects and singular artifacts. The young people that I have spoken with often think of cultural heritage as something immaterial," says researcher Kaja Hannedatter Sontum.

She has recently completed a doctorate in archaeology at the University of Oslo, Norway. There, she interviewed young people who felt that cultural practices, such as language, food or music, could be considered just as much a part of cultural heritage as a headdress in a museum exhibition.

"Perhaps this has to do with the fact that it is easier to feel included by an intangible cultural heritage. The traditional understanding of cultural heritage is more bound to a place, static and limited. It has been common to talk about historical roots," says Sontum.

Categorical thinking

Kaja Hannedatter Sontum has investigated what cultural heritage institutions are doing to include and reflect diversity—and what those who are to be included evaluate their efforts.

On the one hand, she has studied the official policies and governing documents. On the other, she has carried out interviews and group conversations with students from a total of five different high schools in the capital Oslo, three from the affluent western side and two from the less privileged eastern side.

The young people she talked with came from various cultural backgrounds. Some had family from Norway only, and others had family with a history of migration. with a migratory background are particularly visible in Sontum's discussions.

"Their stories are set apart by an experience of mixing different cultures and practices, and thereby creating something new, something that is their own. This experience of having multiple and hybrid cultural connections is not found in the official documents. The documents, however, reflect a categorical way of thinking."

Youth are not included

For example, this is a statement from the Parliamentary Report "Living with our Cultural Heritage" from 2004–2005:

"In addition to preserving Norwegian cultural heritage, cultural heritage administration in a multicultural Norway is about documenting, disseminating and preserving cultural heritage with ties to the Sami as indigenous peoples, the five national minorities—the Jewish people, the Kvens, Roma, the Romani people and the Forest Finns—and the more recent minority groups—the immigrants of the past 35 years."

In the Parliamentary Report "Future with a foothold—Cultural Heritage Policy" from 2012–2013, the wording "in addition to the Norwegian cultural heritage" is no longer used, but the inclusion model is still based on the same principle, Sontum believes.

At the administrative level, however, there has been a tendency to add new categories within an existing idea of what cultural heritage is, she points out.

"The cultural heritage of different groups of immigrants is often presented as an addition to, and at the same time, separate from, the place-bound national and local history. The perspective that it is possible to have multiple connections, or that one may experience falling outside of or moving between the existing categories of identity, is lacking."

The younger generation, in particular, seems to be skeptical about being represented in this way, as Sontum herself has seen in her work.

'The planning documents do not help'

Through informal conversations with people working within the field of cultural heritage, for example museum staff, it is Sontum's impression that many people are now looking for new ways to think about diversity and inclusion.

"The official planning documents and legislations do not seem to be helping," Sontum says.

Through the interviews, the archaeologist has discovered that many young people make considerate choices when they identify themselves with different cultural practices.

"They establish connections between themselves and others in ways that do not correspond to representations of a Norwegian core culture and homogeneous minority cultures. But their stories also indicate that they feel unsure about their own sense of belonging, especially in the context of how they are defined by others around them," says Sontum and adds:

"They express their own cultural heritage as something they choose, as something they do and as something that can be blended and mixed. In different social settings, something new may arise. The experience of being placed between different categories seems to contribute to reflections on definitions, for example: what does it mean to be ethnically Norwegian."

'The mindset must change'

Sontum points out that the administration of cultural heritage and cultural monuments must benefit the people. Thus, she believes, the work must be rooted in the experiences of those we are trying to include.

"New strategies should aim to stimulate critical reflection and dialog about how inequality is constantly produced within society. Cultural inequality is not something that is just there, it is created continuously through various social and political processes."

According to Sontum, we simply need to reverse the whole mindset of how we cultivate inclusion within the cultural heritage sector.

"Instead of undermining people's lived experiences, the sector must involve and acknowledge different voices within society, perhaps even conflicting voices. The actors within the field of cultural heritage have a unique and beneficial position to take part in this conversation. They can also offer tools and spaces where ideas about identity and belonging can be discussed."

A good starting point

Sontum believes that an insight into the migrations, cultural encounters and transformations of the past can provide a foundation for discussing current issues. She suggests that we could use museum exhibitions, collections, cultural heritage sites and historical artifacts as a starting point for inviting difficult but important conversations.

"Knowledge of the past provides the basis for being able to talk about ideas on belonging in today's society. Cultural heritage agents are not supposed to come with pre-prepared answers, but they can take part in the conversation in a critical way," she says and adds:

"We who are archaeologists, or work within cultural heritage administration and dissemination, cannot deny that what we concern ourselves with, is political. Rather, we must acknowledge the position of power we are in when it relates to what culture and cultural heritage is, and we must ask ourselves what role this plays in today's society. We simply have to take part in the conversation."

The conservation of cultural heritage in the face of climate catastrophe

Provided by University of Oslo 

 

The road to launch and beyond for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope

by Thaddeus Cesari, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope rolls to its final stop before launch from 

Arianespace's ELA-3 launch complex at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, on the

 northeastern coast of South America.  Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

Now that NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has safely arrived at its launch site in French Guiana, on the northeastern coast of South America, technical teams have begun making progress on the final checklist of preparations before liftoff later this year.

These preparations are expected to last 55 days from the observatory's arrival by ship to the day of launch.

After Webb arrived at the Arianespace clean room facilities in French Guiana, contamination control technicians ensured the observatory is clean and contaminant free following its 5,800 mile journey. Then engineers ran a final set of electrical and functional tests and checked the stowed mechanical configuration to ensure delivery went smoothly. A trained crew in special hazmat suits will soon begin the two-week process of loading the spacecraft with the hydrazine fuel and nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer it will need to power its rocket thrusters to maintain its orbit. Next, Webb will move to the nearby vehicle integration building to be lifted and mounted on top of the Ariane 5 rocket "stack." The final few remove-before-flight "red-tag" items are taken off, and a few remaining add-before-flight "green tag" items are installed. Then the rocket fairing is lifted and lowered over top and locked into place, signifying the conclusion of a long journey. At this point, Webb will be very nearly ready to launch from Europe's Spaceport, also known as the Guiana Space Center (CSG).

As a fully integrated launch vehicle with Webb as the payload, the Ariane rocket will roll out to the launch pad a few days before launch. Engineers monitor the rocket via electrical connections running from the payload control room to the pad through an umbilical attachment to the vehicle that separates at liftoff. A few hours before liftoff, the rocket is loaded with liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. About a half hour before launch, engineers in the payload control room switch the spacecraft from external electrical power to the spacecraft's on-board battery.

Webb's launch will be a pivotal moment for NASA and its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), but it is only the beginning. The following 29 days will be an exciting but harrowing time. Thousands of parts must work correctly, in sequence, to unfold Webb and put it in its final configuration, all while it flies through the expanse of space alone, to a destination nearly one million miles away.

A more detailed breakdown of what lies ahead for Webb:

Webb's 29 days on the edge begin upon liftoff. After 206 seconds of flight, at an altitude of about 75 miles above the atmosphere, the two halves of the rocket fairing that shields the observatory during ascent are separated by a pyrotechnic system with springs that expose the observatory to space. Ground teams expect to receive communication from Webb shortly after separation. Webb will then separate from the launch vehicle nearly 28 minutes after launch, and from this point on the ground team at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore will be in full control, to begin the most complex sequence of deployments ever attempted in a single space mission.

Webb's first deployment, the extension of its solar array, will occur between 31 to 33 minutes after liftoff, stopping the drain on the observatory's internal battery by supplying nearly 2 kilowatts of power to drive the spacecraft's electrical systems and avionics. To enable the highest data rate communication to the ground through NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), the onboard medium and high-gain antenna platform is deployed at two hours.

Upon its arrival at the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana, engineers quickly set about

 unpacking, cleaning, and preparing the James Webb Space Telescope in its remaining

 days on Earth. Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

At 12 and a half hours after launch, Webb will fire its thrusters, performing the first of several critical course corrections that send the observatory towards its final destination in orbit. The observatory will pass the Moon nearly two and a half days after launch, faster than the time it took Apollo astronauts to reach lunar orbit.

Webb's first large deployment, the extension of its sunshield frame known as a unitized pallet structure, folds down nearly three days after launch, opening the observatory up to continue expanding. This represents the start of all major deployments and is scheduled to take approximately five hours for both front and back pallets to fold down completely.

Four days after launch, a deployable tower will extend to separate the telescope mirrors and instruments from the spacecraft bus. This separation effectively isolates the telescope from vibrations and conducted heat coming from the spacecraft bus. Additionally, this extension allows for the rest of Webb's larger deployable components, like its sunshield and primary mirror, to have enough room to make their own sequence of complex movements afterwards.

Sunshield membrane deployments formally begin approximately five days after launch, as special covers that protect the sunshield during ascent will roll out of the way. Next, a critical juncture in the mission will occur when all of the 107 sunshield release mechanisms, or special pins that keep the five sunshield layers locked into place, need to fire on cue and pull themselves out to free the membranes. After all sunshield pins have been successfully removed, two wings, known as mid-booms, extend to pull each of the sunshield layers out into their characteristic diamond formation nearly a day later. Following full deployment, each of the five layers are tensioned and separated using special pulleys and motor systems. Sunshield deployments and tensioning are expected to conclude between eight to nine days after liftoff but can be slowed down to circumvent any unforeseen issues if they arise.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope seen being prepared for transport to French Guiana

 for launch later this year. Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

Following the conclusion of sunshield tensioning, a special radiator behind the primary mirror is deployed to help cool down the scientific instruments.

Next, Webb's optics, and NASA's new eye on the cosmos, open up. Telescope deployment begins by unfolding and latching into place the tripod holding the secondary mirror, and it is expected to conclude two hours into the 10th day after liftoff. The secondary mirror is one of the most important pieces of equipment on the telescope, essential to the success of the mission. This smaller circular mirror plays an important role in collecting light from Webb's 18 primary mirrors into a focused beam. Primary mirror deployment is set to begin on the 12th day, with the mirror's side panels, each holding three primary mirror segments, taking nearly three hours to extend out and latch into place. At 13 days in, Webb's large-scale deployments are expected to conclude with the locking in of its primary mirror wings, revealing the telescope in all its glory.

A 10-day, multi-step process to move all 18 primary mirror segments out of their launch configuration will begin after the mirror wings are latched in and conclude on day 25. To begin fine-tuning the mirrors, 126 extremely precise actuators on the backside of the mirrors will position and subtly bend or flex each mirror into a specific prescription, a process that will take months.

On the 29th day, Webb will fire its thrusters once again to insert itself into its prescribed orbit at the second Lagrange point, or L2, nearly one million miles away from Earth, formally concluding the most difficult and complex deployment sequence ever attempted in space.

Video: Impression of Webb's journey to space

Provided by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center 

Mysterious "superbubble" hollows out nebula in new Hubble image

by Andrea Gianopoulos, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Credit: NASA, ESA, V. Ksoll and D. Gouliermis (Universität Heidelberg), et al.; 

Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)

N44 is a complex nebula filled with glowing hydrogen gas, dark lanes of dust, massive stars, and many populations of stars of different ages. One of its most distinctive features, however, is the dark, starry gap called a "superbubble," visible in this Hubble Space Telescope image in the upper central region.

The hole is about 250 light-years wide and its presence is still something of a mystery. Stellar winds expelled by massive stars in the bubble's interior may have driven away the gas, but this is inconsistent with measured wind velocities in the bubble. Another possibility, since the nebula is filled with massive stars that would expire in titanic explosions, is that the expanding shells of old supernovae sculpted the cosmic cavern.

Astronomers have found one supernova remnant in the vicinity of the superbubble and identified an approximately 5 million year difference in age between stars within and at the rim of the superbubble, indicating multiple, chain-reaction star-forming events. The deep blue area at about 5 o'clock around the superbubble is one of the hottest regions of the nebula and the area of the most intense star formation.

N44 is an emission nebula, which means its gas has been energized, or ionized, by the radiation of nearby stars. As the ionized gas begins to cool from its higher-energy state to a lower-energy state, it emits energy in the form of light, causing the nebula to glow. Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, N44 spans about 1,000 light-years and is about 170,000 light-years away from Earth.

A beautiful instance of stellar ornamentation

Provided by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center 

Mysterious comet has been having multiple large outbursts

Credit: Faulkes Telescope Project, Las Cumbres Observatory telescope network, 

McDonald node. Authors:Julio Vannini (NIC), Daniel Jose Mendicini (ARG)

Amateur and professional astronomers have found that the comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann has been experiencing an unusually large outburst recently. Normally, it has little outbursts spread throughout the year.

Comet 29P was discovered in 1927 and shortly thereafter was found to be orbiting the sun on a planet-like path in the space between Jupiter and Saturn. It was also found to be very large—approximately 60 kilometers across. Later, astronomers found that it behaved differently than other comets. Instead of shedding material as its outer layers melted during close fly-bys to the sun, it exhibited a kind of explosive behavior on occasion. Something was being ejected from the comet's interior, making the comet shine extremely brightly. The ejecta then fell back to the comet, adding a coating. Further study showed that periodically, a much larger outburst would occur and the comet would shine even more brightly. Such a huge outburst has been happening again, this time it started at the end of September.

Their research has shown that both the small outbursts and the large outbursts are unpredictable. In this latest outburst, there have been multiple eruptions and the comet grew in brightness to approximately 250 times that of its normal luminosity.

Notably, nobody knows why the comet erupts, though it does appear that the large outbursts work in ways similar to some volcanos. The ejecta from the small eruptions cover the exterior of the comet, creating a sort of shell. This, researchers suggest, leads to a build-up of pressure. Eventually, the pressure is strong enough to break through the icy crust, leading to a very large eruption.

In a novel twist, most of the research conducted regarding comet 29P has been done by amateurs with backyard telescopes. Time on the big telescopes has grown so competitive that most of the pros tend to focus on larger more important projects. The amateur astronomy community was hoping to learn more about the comet during this large outburst, however, as several professional teams requested and were granted time on the Hubble Space Telescope to peer at the comet. Sadly, these hopes were dashed as Hubble experienced technical problems that prevented it from pointing at the comet in time to catch its massive outburst in action.The biggest comet ever seen will get as close as Saturn in 2031

© 2021 Science X Network

Ash from erupting volcano forces Spanish islanders indoors

by Emilio Morenatti

Police officers and emergency personnel look as lava flows from a volcano as it continues to erupt on the Canary island of La Palma, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. A volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma that has been erupting for six weeks has spewed more ash from its main mouth a day after producing its strongest earthquake to date. 

Credit: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

Authorities on the Spanish island of La Palma are telling people who live near an erupting volcano to stay indoors because of a heavy fall of ash that has forced the cancellation of flights and school classes.


The Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma, which is part of Spain's Canary Islands off northwest Africa, has been spewing lava, ash and gases for more than six weeks. The eruption has alternately surged and ebbed since Sept. 19.

Local air quality is "extremely unfavorable" because of high levels of small particles in the air, emergency services belonging to the Canary Islands government said in a statement late Tuesday.

All flights to and from the island have been canceled because of the falling ash, according to Spain's national airport authority.

With flights canceled, some tourists who came on a sightseeing trip to witness the eruption had to wait in long lines for ferries to leave the island Wednesday.

Madrid resident Patricia Privado, 30, described the erupting volcano as "a spectacle of nature."

"It is worth it," she said of her trip. "To hear it roar, to see how the lava falls. You have to experience it".

León Peña, 65, said he came from the nearby island of Fuerteventura to see what he called "something unique".

Lava from a volcano advances destroying a house as it continues to erupt on the Canary island of La Palma, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. A volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma that has been erupting for six weeks has spewed more ash from its main mouth a day after producing its strongest earthquake to date. 

Credit: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

Passengers line up as they try to leave boarding a ferry at the port in the Canary island of La Palma, Spain, Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. Authorities on the Spanish island of La Palma are telling people who live near an erupting volcano to stay indoors due to a heavy fall of ash that has forced the cancellation of flights and school classes. 

Credit: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

Passengers line up as they try to leave boarding a ferry at the port in the Canary island of La Palma, Spain, Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. Authorities on the Spanish island of La Palma are telling people who live near an erupting volcano to stay indoors due to a heavy fall of ash that has forced the cancellation of flights and school classes. 

Credit: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

Lava from a volcano advances destroying a banana plantation on the Canary island of La Palma, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021. The volcano that has been roaring on Spain's La Palma for over six weeks has destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of farmers and workers who grow and sell the Canary Islands banana. So far, lava flows have covered over 390 acres of land dedicated to the cultivation of the sweet yellow fruit that feeds 30% of the economic motor of the Atlantic island. 

Credit: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

Passengers line up as they try to leave boarding a ferry at the port in the Canary island of La Palma, Spain, Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. Authorities on the Spanish island of La Palma are telling people who live near an erupting volcano to stay indoors due to a heavy fall of ash that has forced the cancellation of flights and school classes. 

Credit: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti


Both said they knew flight cancellations were a possibility, but they didn't let that deter them from traveling to La Palma. They also saw their trips as a way of supporting the local economy by spending money on the island.

Scientists have said the eruption could last up to three months.

Around 85,000 people live on La Palma. Most of the island is unaffected by the eruption.

More than 7.000 people have been evacuated from their homes due to the threat from the rivers of lava.

The molten rock has covered more than 997 hectares (2,463 acres) and crushed or damaged more than 2.200 buildings.

The volcano's constant roar and numerous earthquakes have also kept locals on edge. A magnitude 5 quake was felt in the island Wednesday morning according to the National Geographical Institute.


Explore further Lava flow from Spanish island volcano likened to a tsunami

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