Latest news with #Correia
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Students from Goa, Portugal and Cape Verde create stop-motion films on climate awareness
Panaji: Diela Correia, a Class 6 student of St Andrew's ICSE School, Vasco, spent a year immersed in a unique project that helped her tap into her creative side. She is one of 450 students, 150 each from Goa, Portugal and Cape Verde, who have come together for 'Historias Daqui e Dali III', a unique, cross-cultural project centred on climate awareness. As part of the initiative, children wrote stories inspired by Unesco's Sustainable Development Goal on Climate Action. The stories were exchanged among schools across the three regions to be illustrated, translated, and eventually transformed into three stop-motion animated films. The Camoes-Centro de Lingua Portuguesa, the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa, and Communicare Trust will screen these films at Instituto Camoes in Panaji on Friday. The idea for the project sparked in 2017 from the Kalakriti project by Communicare Trust, wherein students from Saint Michael's School at Taleigao wrote, illustrated and animated four stories that were published in Hindi and English. Broadening the scope of the project, Communicare launched 'Stories From Here and Beyond', in which students from two or more countries collaborate as the authors, illustrators, and movie makers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo The Goa students were visited by two environmentalists who helped contextualise the subject. The youngsters subsequently came up with an idea that was fleshed out, completed, and sent to Portugal, and the students there began illustrating it. Meanwhile, a story from Cape Verde was sent to Goa to be illustrated by the students of St Andrew's. Once the latter completed both the artwork and stop-motion animation under supervision, they were aided in translating the three stories into Konkani, and finally, each component of the project was ready. 'We got an opportunity to learn about different cultures and nature. It also helped me get along with my classmates and connect with foreign students. I am looking forward to more such experiences in the future,' Correia said.
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First Post
6 days ago
- First Post
Brazil guarantees affordable rooms for COP30 participants in Amazon
At least 40,000 people are expected to attend the November 10-21 event in Belem, known as the gateway to the Amazon rainforest, according to government estimates from the start of the year read more People watch the sunset over the Rio Negro in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil on July 6, 2025. AFP/Representational image Brazil insisted Wednesday it will have enough rooms for the tens of thousands of people expected to attend the COP30 UN climate conference in the Amazonian city of Belem in November. After complaints about sky-high room prices in the far-flung destination, organizers said they would guarantee affordable accommodation for delegates and participants from poor least 40,000 people are expected to attend the November 10-21 event in Belem, known as the gateway to the Amazon rainforest, according to government estimates from the start of the year. Around 30,000 potential rooms have been 'identified' for use during the conference, the event's secretary Valter Correia said, including 3,900 on two cruise ships. There will also be rooms in hotels, private homes, and at universities and schools to be converted for the first-ever climate COP to be held in the Amazon. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD They will include 1,500 rooms priced at no more than $220 per night for delegates from 98 developing and island nations, Correia said. Another 1,000 rooms will be priced at no more than $600 per night, and the government was negotiating with the private sector to set 'reasonable prices' for other accommodation, said Correia. 'We will have sufficient accommodations for everyone, have no doubt about that. We just need to set appropriate prices,' Correia told journalists. At a preparatory meeting in June, several countries raised concerns over eye-watering lodging prices in Belem, a northern city of 1.3 million inhabitants with limited hotel capacity. More than 50,000 people attended the last COP, held in Azerbaijan in 2024, some 30,000 fewer than COP28 in Dubai. In recent months, some hotels have been offering rooms at $1,400 per night. jss/rsr/mlr/aks © Agence France-Presse
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Brazil tackles COP30 hotel costs, under pressure from developing nations
FILE PHOTO: A drone view shows the \"Parque da Cidade\", one of the principal venues to host COP30 in November, in Belem, Brazil June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Marx Vasconcelos/File Photo SAO PAULO - Brazil assured worried governments on Wednesday it has organized enough rooms to accommodate the tens of thousands of people crowding into the rainforest city of Belem for the United Nations climate summit in November, even as its listings still fell short of the country's own projections for attendance. Valter Correia, Brazil's special secretary for the summit, known as COP30, laid out a plan to prioritize the needs of developing countries and island nations whose representatives expressed outrage during a conference in Bonn, Germany, that Belem's sky-high accommodation prices might exclude them from COP30. "What we are guaranteeing is that everyone can come at accessible prices," he said. "We can't leave small countries, countries that most suffer with issues related to climate change, out of this thing, it would be absolutely unthinkable." Environmental activists from around the globe had eagerly awaited Brazil's turn to host the climate summit after three years in which the conference was held in countries without full freedom for public demonstrations. Brazil chose Belem for the climate talks to focus attention on the world's disappearing rainforests, but civil society groups have been warning for months that a lack of accommodations in the Amazonian city would create barriers for many. Authorities have already identified more than 30,000 rooms available in the city, Correia said, compared to an estimate of 20,000 that United Nations officials told their Brazilian counterparts were required to accommodate delegations, journalists and observers. Still, the figure falls short of the demand from the 45,000 attendees at COP30 that Correia had projected earlier this year. He said on Wednesday that he expects Belem to meet additional demand as more private homes, hotel rooms, and alternative options, such as repurposed schools, become available. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 600 Telegram groups in Singapore selling, advertising vapes removed by HSA Singapore 2 weeks' jail for man caught smuggling over 1,800 vapes and pods into Singapore Singapore Jail for man who fatally hit his daughter, 2, while driving van without licence Sport 'Like being in a washing machine with 40 deg C water': Open water swimmers brave challenging conditions Singapore Primary 1 registration: 38 primary schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2A Singapore ComfortDelGro to introduce new taxi cancellation, waiting fee policy Business Cathay Cineplexes gets fresh demands to pay up $3.3m debt for Century Square, Causeway Point outlets Singapore Countering misinformation requires both laws and access to trusted news sources: Josephine Teo The United Nations climate change office, UNFCCC, declined a request to confirm the number. This week, Brazil also launched a booking website with 1,500 rooms for a group of 98 developing countries and island nations, priced between $100 and $220 a night, Correia said. Another 1,000 rooms will be added to the platform soon, open to all delegations, he added, with prices of up to $600 a night. The platform will later be open to everyone else. Brazil also said it has signed a contract for 3,900 cabins in two cruise ships that will park at the port city for the COP. Correia said he also expects civil society groups to find adequate accommodations. While his office is fighting price gouging, he added, it won't be able to offer everyone rooms at lower prices. REUTERS
The Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Brazil tackles COP30 hotel costs, under pressure from developing nations
FILE PHOTO: A drone view shows the "Parque da Cidade", one of the principal venues to host COP30 in November, in Belem, Brazil June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Marx Vasconcelos/File Photo SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazil assured worried governments on Wednesday it has organized enough rooms to accommodate the tens of thousands of people crowding into the rainforest city of Belem for the United Nations climate summit in November, even as its listings still fell short of the country's own projections for attendance. Valter Correia, Brazil's special secretary for the summit, known as COP30, laid out a plan to prioritize the needs of developing countries and island nations whose representatives expressed outrage during a conference in Bonn, Germany, that Belem's sky-high accommodation prices might exclude them from COP30. "What we are guaranteeing is that everyone can come at accessible prices," he said. "We can't leave small countries, countries that most suffer with issues related to climate change, out of this thing, it would be absolutely unthinkable." Environmental activists from around the globe had eagerly awaited Brazil's turn to host the climate summit after three years in which the conference was held in countries without full freedom for public demonstrations. Brazil chose Belem for the climate talks to focus attention on the world's disappearing rainforests, but civil society groups have been warning for months that a lack of accommodations in the Amazonian city would create barriers for many. Authorities have already identified more than 30,000 rooms available in the city, Correia said, compared to an estimate of 20,000 that United Nations officials told their Brazilian counterparts were required to accommodate delegations, journalists and observers. Still, the figure falls short of the demand from the 45,000 attendees at COP30 that Correia had projected earlier this year. He said on Wednesday that he expects Belem to meet additional demand as more private homes, hotel rooms, and alternative options, such as repurposed schools, become available. The United Nations climate change office, UNFCCC, declineda request to confirm the number. This week, Brazil also launched a booking website with 1,500 rooms for a group of 98 developing countries and island nations, priced between $100 and $220 a night, Correia said. Another 1,000 rooms will be added to the platform soon, open to all delegations, he added, with prices of up to $600 a night. The platform will later be open to everyone else. Brazil also said it has signed a contract for 3,900 cabins in two cruise ships that will park at the port city for the COP. Correia said he also expects civil society groups to find adequate accommodations. While his office is fighting price gouging, he added, it won't be able to offer everyone rooms at lower prices. (Reporting by Manuela Andreoni, additional reporting from Kate Abnett in BrusselsEditing by Brad Haynes and Aurora Ellis)
The Herald Scotland
12-07-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Can cruises sail with zero-emissions? Norway will put it to the test
The Berkley, Massachusetts, resident joined her mother on a cruise through Norway's fjords - as well as a stop in Belgium - after her father unexpectedly passed away. Correia, who owns a liquor promotions company and makes travel content on TikTok, has taken cruises before, including to see glaciers in Alaska, but found the Norwegian voyage "was almost like the Alaskan cruise on steroids." "It was just so much more (grand)," she said. Norway is taking steps to keep it that way. The country will enact new zero-emissions requirements for passenger ships beginning in 2026, aimed at reducing the vessels' environmental impact and potentially providing a model for more sustainable cruise tourism. That could have an impact on cruisers' travel plans, too. What are Norway's zero-emissions requirements? The zero-emissions requirements will apply to the West Norwegian Fjords, Geirangerfjord and Naer?yfjord, among the longest and deepest fjords in the world. The sites were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. The rule requires that "energy sources used must not result in direct emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane (CH4)," according to a policy document from the Norwegian Maritime Authority. "Fuels that generate direct emissions of greenhouse gases may be used to the extent necessary to ignite the energy sources. If nitrous oxide (N2O) is generated through the use of energy sources that meet the zero-emission requirement, the vessel shall use the best available technology to reduce such emissions." Passenger ships will also be required to plug into shore power where available. The rules will apply to passenger vessels under 10,000 gross tonnage starting on Jan. 1, 2026, and those 10,000 gross tonnage or more on Jan. 1, 2032 (the changes were originally set to take effect for all ships in 2026 but were delayed for larger vessels). How will the zero-emissions requirements help the environment? Helene Muri, an adjunct senior researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's Department of Energy and Process Engineering, said that large ships in particular have "been increasingly affecting these beautiful fjords." CO2 emissions contribute to global warming, for starters. And while other regulations in the fjords have cut down on air pollution from sulfur, others, such as ozone formed as a result of nitrogen oxide emissions - which is a pollutant when it appears near the ground - can cause respiratory problems in humans and impact crops and other plants. "Within these fjords, you have these kinds of narrow gateways, usually, with very steep mountains diving down into the fjords," said Muri, who is also a senior scientist at NILU, an independent climate and environmental research institute. "So, the emissions from the ships tend to get kind of trapped within the fjords, so the air quality will be polluted, as well." Noise from the ships can also disturb wildlife, and the vessels - especially larger ones - have been criticized for "visual pollution," according to Muri. "It's the same kind of argument sometimes against wind turbines," she said. "Like, it doesn't look so nice in the serene and beautiful nature." Some cruise operators may have an easier time complying than others. Hurtigruten and Havila Voyages, for example, already have battery-hybrid-powered ships. While the industry is aggressively exploring alternative fuels, though, those are not yet widely available. Small passenger ships that cannot meet the requirements in time may be eligible for temporary exemptions from the Norwegian Maritime Authority, and larger vessels have years to adapt their technology. "Nevertheless, many cruise companies have reported that they anticipate significant challenges in complying with the regulations once they take effect," the policy document reads. Cruise Lines International Association, the industry's leading trade organization, told USA TODAY that the "transition is intended to be gradual, recognizing that technology for larger ships is still under development." Nearly every cruise ship operating in Norway can use renewable, low-carbon fuel, according to CLIA; however, these are not yet accessible at the necessary scale. "Rapid decarbonization of cruise and maritime transport is possible with the right investment in place," the organization said in an email. "Cruise lines are pursuing net-zero emissions by 2050, and such initiatives signal the industry's commitment to be an active partner in the development of sustainable tourism." Helga Maria Sulen Sund, Senior Communications Advisor with the Norwegian Maritime Authority, said it did not have data on how many ships operate in Norway annually. Can we have eco-friendly cruising?: What to know about zero-emission ships. Norway cruise tips A wide range of operators sail in Norway, from mainstream cruise lines carrying thousands of guests at a time, such as Celebrity and Princess Cruises, to smaller expedition operators like National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions and HX. Cruises departing from Norway typically leave from Oslo or Bergen, according to Kristin Winkaffe, a luxury travel designer and founder of Winkaffe Global Travel. Many itineraries that visit the Scandinavian country also sail from Southampton, England. Cruises typically operate there between May and September - though some ships still sail coastal routes during other times - and can be a particularly nice way to see the country. "It's just otherworldly nature," Winkaffe said. "You have really cool opportunities for a lot of great off-the-beaten-path experiences. There's a lot of really, really tiny towns and villages that you can get to when you're doing a cruise, as opposed to a land itinerary." She warned that passengers could see changes to their itineraries due to the new regulations, but cruise lines' customer service departments should be able to address questions about that. "And if they're not prepared to answer those questions, then that's kind of an answer in and of itself," Winkaffe added. Muri acknowledged that achieving zero emissions on cruise ships remains "a work in progress." "These kinds of laws and regulations are really a step in the right direction, and I really hope that cruise operators will now really make an effort to do something about their emissions," she said. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@
