UN Ocean Conference sets sail in France on World Oceans Day
NICE, France (AP) — A fleet of 30 research and exploration vessels from around the world will set sail just off the French coastal city of Nice on Sunday to kick off the third United Nations Ocean Conference and pay tribute to World Oceans Day.
The event themed 'Ocean Wonders' will see the vessels sail across Nice's Baie des Anges, or Bay of Angels, and is designed to spotlight the beauty and importance of the ocean while urging world leaders not to lose sight of its value as they make decisions about the planet's future.
Thousands of delegates, including heads of state, scientists, and environmental advocates, are expected in Nice this week to confront growing threats to the ocean and the need to transform pledges into protection.
The U.N. has called the threats a global emergency facing the world's oceans as they confront rising temperatures, plastic pollution choking marine life, and relentless overexploitation of fish and other resources.
Just 2.7% of the global ocean is effectively protected from destructive activities like industrial fishing and deep-sea mining — far below the global goal of 30% by 2030.
Participating boats include the Energy Observer, a solar-panel covered catamaran that was the first vessel to circumnavigate the globe using renewable energy alone. It produces hydrogen fuel on board via seawater electrolysis, offering a vision of zero-emissions maritime travel.
Other standout vessels include France's Alfred Merlin, dedicated to underwater archaeology; the OceanXplorer, a high-tech billionaire-owned research yacht; and the WWF's Blue Panda, which is working to map and protect the last remaining seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean Sea.
At the heart of the conference is the push to ratify the High Seas Treaty, adopted in 2023. If it enters into force, the treaty would for the first time allow countries to establish marine protected areas in international waters, which cover nearly two-thirds of the ocean and remain largely ungoverned.
'The High Seas Treaty is critical to ensuring we can protect biodiversity in the ocean,' said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance. 'We're in the middle of a biodiversity and climate crisis. We absolutely have to protect the ocean to address those crises.'
But even in waters already designated as protected, enforcement often falls short. Many countries, France included, face criticism from environmental groups over weak regulation and continued industrial activity within their marine protected areas.
'The ambition is not there, the speed is not there, and the scale has not been there,' said Sílvia Tavares, project manager at Oceano Azul Foundation. 'Moments like UNOC are key to changing that.'
Several countries are expected to announce new marine protected areas during the conference, along with bans on bottom trawling and other destructive activities within their existing MPA networks.
Wednesdays
Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture.
After Sunday's parade sail, the 'Ocean Wonders' fleet will remain docked in Nice and open to the public until the conference concludes on June 13.
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Follow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram @ahammergram.
___
The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
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Winnipeg Free Press
12 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
UN Ocean Conference sets sail in France on World Oceans Day
NICE, France (AP) — A fleet of 30 research and exploration vessels from around the world will set sail just off the French coastal city of Nice on Sunday to kick off the third United Nations Ocean Conference and pay tribute to World Oceans Day. The event themed 'Ocean Wonders' will see the vessels sail across Nice's Baie des Anges, or Bay of Angels, and is designed to spotlight the beauty and importance of the ocean while urging world leaders not to lose sight of its value as they make decisions about the planet's future. Thousands of delegates, including heads of state, scientists, and environmental advocates, are expected in Nice this week to confront growing threats to the ocean and the need to transform pledges into protection. The U.N. has called the threats a global emergency facing the world's oceans as they confront rising temperatures, plastic pollution choking marine life, and relentless overexploitation of fish and other resources. Just 2.7% of the global ocean is effectively protected from destructive activities like industrial fishing and deep-sea mining — far below the global goal of 30% by 2030. Participating boats include the Energy Observer, a solar-panel covered catamaran that was the first vessel to circumnavigate the globe using renewable energy alone. It produces hydrogen fuel on board via seawater electrolysis, offering a vision of zero-emissions maritime travel. Other standout vessels include France's Alfred Merlin, dedicated to underwater archaeology; the OceanXplorer, a high-tech billionaire-owned research yacht; and the WWF's Blue Panda, which is working to map and protect the last remaining seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean Sea. At the heart of the conference is the push to ratify the High Seas Treaty, adopted in 2023. If it enters into force, the treaty would for the first time allow countries to establish marine protected areas in international waters, which cover nearly two-thirds of the ocean and remain largely ungoverned. 'The High Seas Treaty is critical to ensuring we can protect biodiversity in the ocean,' said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance. 'We're in the middle of a biodiversity and climate crisis. We absolutely have to protect the ocean to address those crises.' But even in waters already designated as protected, enforcement often falls short. Many countries, France included, face criticism from environmental groups over weak regulation and continued industrial activity within their marine protected areas. 'The ambition is not there, the speed is not there, and the scale has not been there,' said Sílvia Tavares, project manager at Oceano Azul Foundation. 'Moments like UNOC are key to changing that.' Several countries are expected to announce new marine protected areas during the conference, along with bans on bottom trawling and other destructive activities within their existing MPA networks. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. After Sunday's parade sail, the 'Ocean Wonders' fleet will remain docked in Nice and open to the public until the conference concludes on June 13. ___ Follow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram @ahammergram. ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visit
Canada Standard
13 hours ago
- Canada Standard
As Arctic ice vanishes, maritime traffic booms fuel climate crisis
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Melting sea ice is opening up paths for increased shipping and other vessel traffic in the region, especially along the Northern Sea Route, the Arctic shortcut between Europe and Asia that stretches more than9,000 kilometres. Shipping seasons are also being prolonged as a result of the warming climate. But with more traffic comes more environmental degradation. The consequences are dire, particularly forclimateheating, loss ofbiodiversityand since the Arctic is a key regulator of the Earth's climate, what happens in this region can be felt thousands of kilometres away. A vicious cycle It's a vicious cycle. As sea ice melts and opens new routes for maritime traffic in the Arctic, the environmental fallout caused by vessels burning fossil fuels adds to global warming, which in turn melts more sea ice. A perfect example of this is black carbon. It's a sooty material emitted from gas and diesel engines that aren't completely combusted. 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Still, the overall trend is alarming. Melting sea ice brought on by global warming allowed shipping traffic to increaseby 25 percentbetween 2013 and 2019. The butterfly effect of the Arctic The Arctic helps keep the planet's climate in balance. As sea ice perishes and maritime traffic increases, further accelerating global warming, environmental consequences become ever more far-reaching. The polar regions act to help cool the rest of the planet through the white ice reflecting energy from the sun back to space, Buzzard explained. They act a bit like a giant freezer for the rest of the planet. This has an effect on global ice regulates heat exchange between the atmosphere and ocean, impacting the global circulation of heat, said Buzzard. [So] anything that reduces the amount of ice, or darkens it, can mean less energy is reflected, which means extra warming, which then has consequences for the entire planet. Some changes are being implemented to slow down this worrying feedback loop. A ban on heavy fuel oil, which releases black carbon, was introducedin July 2024, though some vessels can continue to use it until July 2029. The UN agency responsible for regulating maritime transport, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), also pledged to reduce emissionsby at least 20 percentin the next five years. But the Clean Arctic Alliance, a group of 21 NGOs who advocate for government action to protect the Arctic's wildlife and its people, insists there is not enough being done to curb the rise of black carbon and methane pollution from shipping in the Arctic. Its lead advisor, Sian Prior, said that in recent years, black carbon emissions from Arctic shipping have more than doubled, in astatementpublished on 14 May. For Buzzard, the economic interests of using Arctic shipping routes may be beneficial. But increased traffic must be coupled with strict environmental regulations. 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Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Film Festival showcases what artificial intelligence can do on the big screen
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The 9-minute and 28-second film questions how many possible images — real or not — exist in the digital space, and uses math to calculate a colossal number. A stunning series of images, ranging from the familiar life moments to those that completely bend reality, gives viewers a glimpse of what's out there. Meanwhile, Andrew Salter's 'Jailbird,' which snagged second place, chronicles a chicken's journey — from the bird's perspective — to a human prison in the United Kingdom to take part in a joint-rehabilitation program. And 'One,' a futuristic story by Ricardo Villavicencio and Edward Saatchi about interplanetary travel followed in third place. The 10 films shown were finalists selected from thousands submitted to Runway's AI Film Festival this year. The shorts will also be shown at screenings held in Los Angeles and Paris next week. How AI is used and executed is a factor judges evaluate when determining festival winners. But not every film entered was made entirely using AI. While submission criteria requires each movie include the use of AI-generated video, there's no set threshold, meaning some films can take a more 'mixed media' approach — such as combining live shots of actors or real-life images and sounds with AI-generated elements. 'We're trying to encourage people to explore and experiment with it,' Valenzuela said in an interview prior to Thursday's screening. Creating a coherent film using generative AI is no easy feat. It can take a long list of directions and numerous, detailed prompts to get even a short scene to make sense and look consistent. Still, the scope of what this kind of technology can do has grown significantly since Runway's first AI Film Festival in 2023 — and Valenzuela says that's reflected in today's submissions. While there are still limits, AI-generated video is becoming more and more life-like and realistic. Runway encourages the use of its own AI tools for films entered into its festival, but creators are also allowed to turn to other resources and tools as they put together the films — and across the industry, tools that use AI to create videos spanning from text, image and/or audio prompts have rapidly improved over recent years, while becoming increasingly available. 'The way (this technology) has lived within film and media culture, and pop culture, has really accelerated,' said Joshua Glick, an associate professor of film and electronic arts at Bard College. He adds that Runway's film fest, which is among a handful of showcases aimed at spotlighting AI's creative capabilities, arrives as companies in this space are searching for heightened 'legitimacy and recognition' for the tools they are creating — with aims to cement partnerships in Hollywood as a result. AI's presence in Hollywood is already far-reaching, and perhaps more expansive than many moviegoers realize. Beyond 'headline-grabbing' (and at times controversial) applications that big-budget films have done to 'de-age' actors or create eye-catching stunts, Glick notes, this technology is often incorporated in an array of post-production editing, digital touch-ups and additional behind-the-scenes work like sorting footage. Industry executives repeatedly point to how AI can improve efficiency in the movie making process — allowing creatives to perform a task that once took hours, for example, in a matter of minutes — and foster further innovation. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Still, AI's rapid growth and adoption has also heightened anxieties around the burgeoning technology — notably its implications for workers. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees — which represents behind-the-scenes entertainment workers in the U.S. and Canada — has 'long embraced new technologies that enhance storytelling,' Vanessa Holtgrewe, IATSE's international vice president, said in an emailed statement. 'But we've also been clear: AI must not be used to undermine workers' rights or livelihoods.' IATSE and other unions have continued to meet with major studios and establish provisions in efforts to provide guardrails around the use of AI. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has also been vocal about AI protections for its members, a key sticking point in recent labor actions. For Runway's AI Film Festival, Valenzuela hopes screening films that incorporate AI-generated video can showcase what's possible — and how he says this technology can help, not hurt, creatives in the work they do today. 'It's natural to fear change … (But) it's important to understand what you can do with it,' Valenzuela said. Even filmmaking, he adds, was born 'because of scientific breakthroughs that at the time were very uncomfortable for many people.'
