Oceania

Exposure from 12 weeks prior to conception until <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2023//09//11//is-the-german-government-encouraging-its-citizens-not-to-have-children-in-order-to-save-th/">birth was analysed to determine if it had any impact on birth weight.<\/p>\n<p>Of the study sample, 9.8 per cent of <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//06//22//climate-financing-ignores-vulnerable-children-heres-how-we-can-change-that/">children were born too small and 9.9 per cent were born too large for gestational age.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers found that exposure to extreme cold or <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2022//11//24//7-in-10-young-people-are-worried-about-the-climate-crisis-but-they-also-want-to-make-a-dif/">heat stress during pregnancy increased the risk of abnormal birth weight.<\/p>\n<p>This could be because thermal stress exposures increase dehydration and induce oxidative stress and systemic inflammatory responses, according to the researchers, which can negatively impact foetal <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//04//17//low-sperm-count-miscarriages-and-dementia-how-car-fumes-cause-health-problems-throughout-l/">health./n

From living in tents to missing school, here\u2019s why climate change is a \u2018child rights crisis\u2019<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//12//08//indigenous-children-in-colombia-were-given-cameras-to-capture-climate-change-here-are-thei/">Indigenous children in Colombia were given cameras to capture climate change. Here are their photos<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Who is most at risk from heat and cold stress?<\/h2><p>The average biothermal exposure was between 8.1 and 30C, indicating slight cold stress at the lower end and moderate heat stress on the higher end on the UTCI scale.<\/p>\n<p>The 1 per cent of people most exposed to either the top or bottom end of this <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//08//24//portuguese-wildfires-and-eco-anxiety-spurred-these-children-to-start-a-major-european-cour/">temperature scale were most likely to see changes in birth weight.<\/p>\n<p>This was especially true for those exposed to temperature stress in the latter stages of pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p>The risk became greater for certain groups, including non-<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//08//28//overwhelmingly-white-meet-the-environmentalists-who-want-to-diversify-conservation/">white people<\/strong><\/a>, male births, pregnancies in those aged 35 or over, those in rural areas and those who smoked during pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p>This adds to growing evidence of the threat posed by climate change to <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//02//21//concerning-growth-in-average-penis-size-could-be-down-to-pollution-scientists-warn/">reproductive health<\/strong><\/a>. As well as making heat and cold waves more common, it is fuelling vector-borne diseases, natural disasters, and scarcity of resources, all with damaging <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//04//24//air-pollution-is-killing-1200-children-and-teenagers-in-europe-each-year-eea-warns/">health impacts<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1704880803,"updatedAt":1704956498,"publishedAt":1704956440,"firstPublishedAt":1704883009,"lastPublishedAt":1704956498,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Canva","altText":"Climate change could be impacting babies\u2019 birth weights, a new study has found.","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Climate change could be impacting babies\u2019 birth weights, a new study has found.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/16\/20\/02\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_63e37f2f-e2d4-59c7-99f1-3ecc8f4673f8-8162002.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"symons","twitter":null,"title":"Angela Symons"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"baby","titleRaw":"Baby","id":13328,"title":"Baby","slug":"baby"},{"urlSafeValue":"children","titleRaw":"Children","id":12073,"title":"Children","slug":"children"},{"urlSafeValue":"extreme-weather","titleRaw":"Extreme weather","id":17856,"title":"Extreme weather","slug":"extreme-weather"},{"urlSafeValue":"heatwave","titleRaw":"Heatwave","id":12493,"title":"Heatwave","slug":"heatwave"},{"urlSafeValue":"climate-change","titleRaw":"climate change","id":15386,"title":"climate change","slug":"climate-change"},{"urlSafeValue":"grossesse","titleRaw":"pregnancy","id":27724,"title":"pregnancy","slug":"grossesse"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"related"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"climate","urlSafeValue":"climate","title":"Climate","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/climate\/climate"},"vertical":"green","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"green","id":8,"title":"Green","slug":"green"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":8,"slug":"green","urlSafeValue":"green","title":"Green"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"climate","id":"climate","title":"Climate","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/climate"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":34,"urlSafeValue":"climate","title":"Climate"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":391,"urlSafeValue":"oceania","title":"Oceania"},"country":{"id":4611,"urlSafeValue":"australia","title":"Australia","url":"\/news\/oceania\/australia"},"town":{"id":4291,"urlSafeValue":"perth","title":"Perth"},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_health','gs_science','neg_pmi','shadow9hu7_pos_pmi','gs_healthylvng','neg_pmi_english','neg_saudiaramco','gt_negative','progressivemedia','gs_healthylvng_women','neg_mobkoi_castrol','gt_negative_fear','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','gs_family_children','gs_health_misc'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"GREEN_Climate change could be impacting babies\u2019 birth weights, new study reveals","path":"\/green\/2024\/01\/11\/climate-change-could-be-impacting-babies-birth-weights-new-study-reveals","lastModified":1704956498},{"id":2452520,"cid":8160652,"versionId":4,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240109_HLSU_54473064","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Scientists and chefs have developed a cake recipe that may boost your brain health","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"This cake may boost your brain health, experts say","titleListing2":"Scientists and chefs have developed a cake recipe that may boost your brain health","leadin":"Dubbed the \u2018unforgettable cake\u2019, its recipe includes ingredients that should help our brains stay healthy such as beetroot, olive oil, and cinnamon.","summary":"Dubbed the \u2018unforgettable cake\u2019, its recipe includes ingredients that should help our brains stay healthy such as beetroot, olive oil, and cinnamon.","keySentence":"","url":"scientists-and-chefs-have-developed-a-cake-recipe-that-may-boost-your-brain-health","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/health\/2024\/01\/09\/scientists-and-chefs-have-developed-a-cake-recipe-that-may-boost-your-brain-health","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A pastry chef has teamed up with experts to invent a cake that may boost your brain health. \n\nThe ingredients sound like ones that could be used to make a delicious salad. \n\n\"Spinach, turmeric, pumpkin, beetroot,\" make up some of the ingredients, according to Christopher Th\u00e9, the pastry chef in charge of bringing the recipe to life. \n\nThe recipe for this \"unforgettable cake\" also includes ingredients such as olive oil, and cinnamon. \n\nNo clinical test has been done to prove the cake\u2019s benefits for the brain. \n\nBut the team from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia says the ingredients have been linked to improved blood and oxygen flow. \n\nThey hope to highlight \"the widespread issue of cognitive decline among senior Australians\". \n\nBeetroot is known, for example, to improve blood flow and protect our neural network. \n\nOlive oil can decrease Alzheimer\u2019s disease biomarkers, while honey is anti-inflammatory, and blueberries can enhance the oxygen flow to our vital organs. \n\n\"There's molecules in food ingredients which do have powerful and strong effects in keeping us healthy,\" said Johannes le Coutre, UNSW's food and health expert. \n\nLe Coutre says that food is a crucial element when it comes to preventing and treating cognitive decline. \n\n\"The awareness is growing over the past 10, 20, 30 years with the idea and concept of functional foods, these types of things,\" he added. \n\nKaarin Anstey, director of UNSW's Ageing Futures Institute, added in a statement that ideally, people should eat a healthy diet throughout their lives. \n\n\"If a person is exhibiting signs of cognitive decline, diet alone won\u2019t dramatically improve their brain health,\" Anstey said. \n\n\"The studies that linked healthier diets to reduced risk of dementia were measuring dietary patterns which probably reflect how people have been eating for many years.\" \n\nMeanwhile, Th\u00e9, who is an experienced pastry chef, said getting the right balance of ingredients and flavours was a challenge. \n\n\"The first version I did tasted like a curry,\" said Th\u00e9. \n\nThe cake was created to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the food delivery charity Meals on Wheels which caters mainly to older generations. \n\nFor more on this story, watch the video in the media player above. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>A pastry chef has teamed up with experts to invent a cake that may boost your brain health.<\/p>\n<p>The ingredients sound like ones that could be used to make a delicious salad.<\/p>\n<p>\"Spinach, turmeric, pumpkin, beetroot,\" make up some of the ingredients, according to Christopher Th\u00e9, the pastry chef in charge of bringing the recipe to life.<\/p>\n<p>The recipe for this \"unforgettable cake\" also includes ingredients such as olive oil, and cinnamon.<\/p>\n<p>No clinical test has been done to prove the cake\u2019s benefits for the brain.<\/p>\n<p>But the team from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia says the ingredients have been linked to improved blood and oxygen flow.<\/p>\n<p>They hope to highlight \"the widespread issue of cognitive decline among senior Australians\".<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7581106\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//05//08//our-oceans-could-be-empty-by-2048-this-start-up-is-3d-printing-fish-to-meet-growing-seafoo/">Our oceans could be empty by 2048. This start-up is 3D printing fish to meet growing seafood demand<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Beetroot is known, for example, to improve blood flow and protect our neural network.<\/p>\n<p>Olive oil can decrease Alzheimer\u2019s disease biomarkers, while honey is anti-inflammatory, and blueberries can enhance the oxygen flow to our vital organs.<\/p>\n<p>\"There&#039;s molecules in food ingredients which do have powerful and strong effects in keeping us healthy,\" said Johannes le Coutre, UNSW&#039;s food and health expert.<\/p>\n<p>Le Coutre says that food is a crucial element when it comes to preventing and treating cognitive decline.<\/p>\n<p>\"The awareness is growing over the past 10, 20, 30 years with the idea and concept of functional foods, these types of things,\" he added.<\/p>\n<p>Kaarin Anstey, director of UNSW&#039;s Ageing Futures Institute, added in a statement that ideally, people should eat a healthy diet throughout their lives.<\/p>\n<p>\"If a person is exhibiting signs of cognitive decline, diet alone won\u2019t dramatically improve their brain health,\" Anstey said.<\/p>\n<p>\"The studies that linked healthier diets to reduced risk of dementia were measuring dietary patterns which probably reflect how people have been eating for many years.\"<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Th\u00e9, who is an experienced pastry chef, said getting the right balance of ingredients and flavours was a challenge.<\/p>\n<p>\"The first version I did tasted like a curry,\" said Th\u00e9.<\/p>\n<p>The cake was created to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the food delivery charity Meals on Wheels which caters mainly to older generations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For more on this story, watch the video in the media player above.<\/strong><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1704813343,"updatedAt":1706748844,"publishedAt":1704815903,"firstPublishedAt":1704815907,"lastPublishedAt":1706748372,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"EBU","altText":"\u2018Unforgettable cake\u2019 slices on a tray","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"\u2018Unforgettable cake\u2019 slices on a tray","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/16\/06\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_422863fb-219e-5a04-bf3f-c3bfe5ec162c-8160652.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"min","twitter":"@MinRoselyne","title":"Roselyne Min"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[{"urlSafeValue":"min","twitter":"@MinRoselyne","title":"Roselyne Min"}]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"cake","titleRaw":"cake","id":24156,"title":"cake","slug":"cake"},{"urlSafeValue":"brain","titleRaw":"brain","id":14354,"title":"brain","slug":"brain"},{"urlSafeValue":"neuroscience","titleRaw":"neuroscience","id":28394,"title":"neuroscience","slug":"neuroscience"},{"urlSafeValue":"sagl-kl-beslenme","titleRaw":"healthy diet","id":17074,"title":"healthy diet","slug":"sagl-kl-beslenme"},{"urlSafeValue":"scientific-research","titleRaw":"scientific research","id":22514,"title":"scientific research","slug":"scientific-research"},{"urlSafeValue":"nutritional-health","titleRaw":"Nutritional health","id":9569,"title":"Nutritional 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brain cake","path":"\/health\/2024\/01\/09\/scientists-and-chefs-have-developed-a-cake-recipe-that-may-boost-your-brain-health","lastModified":1706748372},{"id":2437714,"cid":8116740,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"231218_NWSU_54265425","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Australia's Queensland state suffers its worst flooding ever","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":null,"titleListing2":"Australia's Queensland state suffers its worst flooding ever","leadin":"More than 300 people were rescued from floodwaters in northeast Australia, with dozens of residents clinging to roofs, officials said on Monday.","summary":"More than 300 people were rescued from floodwaters in northeast Australia, with dozens of residents clinging to roofs, officials said on Monday.","keySentence":"","url":"australias-queensland-state-suffers-its-worst-flooding-ever","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/12\/18\/australias-queensland-state-suffers-its-worst-flooding-ever","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"In just hours an unprecedented two metres of rainwater fell on the city of Cairns when it would normally take a year for that much to fall. \n\nThe floodwaters even partially submerged the planes at Cairns airport.\u00a0 \n\nCity authorities were concerned that the city of 160,000 people will lose drinking water. \n\nWhile rain was easing in Cairns, severe weather warnings were in place in nearby Port Douglas, Daintree, Cooktown, Wujal Wujal and Hope Vale, with more rain forecast. \n\nQueensland state Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll described the flooding as \u201cabsolutely devastating.\u201d \n\n\u201cLast night, we had an extraordinarily challenging, challenging evening, rescuing some 300 people,\u201d Carroll told reporters. \n\nThere were no deaths or serious injuries, she said. \n\nAll 300 residents would be evacuated by helicopter from the Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal, where nine adults and a 7-year-old child spent hours overnight on a hospital roof, officials said. \n\nA Category 2 tropical cyclone passed close by Wujal Wujal on Wednesday. But while strong winds did little damage to the community, heavy rains have continued to lash the region. \n\nRoads and railway lines were cut, communities were isolated and 14,000 homes and businesses were without power on Monday. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>In just hours an unprecedented two metres of rainwater fell on the city of Cairns when it would normally take a year for that much to fall.<\/p>\n<p>The floodwaters even partially submerged the planes at Cairns airport.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>City authorities were concerned that the city of 160,000 people will lose drinking water.<\/p>\n<p>While rain was easing in Cairns, severe weather warnings were in place in nearby Port Douglas, Daintree, Cooktown, Wujal Wujal and Hope Vale, with more rain forecast.<\/p>\n<p>Queensland state Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll described the flooding as \u201cabsolutely devastating.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLast night, we had an extraordinarily challenging, challenging evening, rescuing some 300 people,\u201d Carroll told reporters.<\/p>\n<p>There were no deaths or serious injuries, she said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1736406638712557944\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>All 300 residents would be evacuated by helicopter from the Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal, where nine adults and a 7-year-old child spent hours overnight on a hospital roof, officials said.<\/p>\n<p>A Category 2 tropical cyclone passed close by Wujal Wujal on Wednesday. But while strong winds did little damage to the community, heavy rains have continued to lash the region.<\/p>\n<p>Roads and railway lines were cut, communities were isolated and 14,000 homes and businesses were without power on Monday.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1702886355,"updatedAt":1702905484,"publishedAt":1702904572,"firstPublishedAt":1702904576,"lastPublishedAt":1702904576,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Joshua Prieto\/AAP IMAGE","altText":"Stranded residents stand on a road, a large section of which has washed away, in the suburb of Holloways Beach in Cairns, Australia, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023.","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Stranded residents stand on a road, a large section of which has washed away, in the suburb of Holloways Beach in Cairns, Australia, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/11\/67\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b81d23a0-b4dc-5890-951e-92e81ed71fe7-8116758.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":684}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"bellamy","twitter":"danbel","title":"Daniel Bellamy"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"flood","titleRaw":"Floods","id":5052,"title":"Floods","slug":"flood"},{"urlSafeValue":"bad-weather","titleRaw":"Bad weather","id":13686,"title":"Bad weather","slug":"bad-weather"},{"urlSafeValue":"climate-crisis","titleRaw":"Climate crisis","id":20218,"title":"Climate crisis","slug":"climate-crisis"},{"urlSafeValue":"global-warming-and-climate-change","titleRaw":"Global warming and climate change","id":383,"title":"Global warming and climate 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AUSTRALIA FLOODS","path":"\/2023\/12\/18\/australias-queensland-state-suffers-its-worst-flooding-ever","lastModified":1702904576},{"id":2435440,"cid":8109804,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"231214_NWSU_54227214","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Spanish scientist's help key to overturning conviction of Australia's 'worst female serial killer'","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"'Worst female serial killer' conviction overturned by Australian court","titleListing2":"Spanish scientist's help key to overturning conviction of Australia's 'worst female serial killer'","leadin":"Kathleen Folbigg and her legal team are now seeking 'substantial' compensation from the state government for the years she has spent in prison.","summary":"Kathleen Folbigg and her legal team are now seeking 'substantial' compensation from the state government for the years she has spent in prison.","keySentence":"","url":"spanish-scientists-help-key-to-overturning-conviction-of-australias-worst-female-serial-ki","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/12\/14\/spanish-scientists-help-key-to-overturning-conviction-of-australias-worst-female-serial-ki","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Twenty years after a jury found Kathleen Folbigg guilty of murdering her four children, an Australian appeals court has decided to acquit her and overturn her conviction. \n\nFolbigg, now 55, was already pardoned by the New South Wales state government and released from prison in June after a Spanish scientist proved that her four children may have died of natural causes, as she had insisted. \n\nShe was dubbed \"Australia's worst serial killer\" after she was convicted in 2003 of murdering three of her children and manslaughter in the death of the fourth. \n\nProsecutors said her children, aged between nine weeks and three years, had been suffocated by Folbigg, who has always denied the allegations, claiming each death was due to natural causes. \n\nOn Thursday, the courtroom erupted in applause and Folbigg burst into tears when she heard the words she had been waiting for from Chief Justice Andrew Bell. \n\n\"While the verdicts at trial were reasonably open on the evidence available, there is now reasonable doubt as to Ms Folbigg's guilt,\" Bell said. \n\n\"It is appropriate that Ms Folbigg's convictions be quashed,\u201d he added. \n\nOutside court, Folbigg thanked her supporters, lawyers and scientists for clearing her name, including Spanish scientist Carola Garc\u00eda Vinuesa who led the investigation. \n\n\"For almost a quarter of a century I have faced disbelief and hostility. I have suffered abuse in all its forms. I hoped and prayed that one day I would be able to stand here with my name cleared,\" said Folbigg. \n\n\"I am grateful that modern science and genetics have given me answers to how my children died,\" she said, tearing up. \n\nHow did a Spanish scientist have a hand in the case? \n\nThe first to die was Folbigg's son Caleb, 19 days old. One night, she woke up because she had to go to the bathroom. She checked on her baby and realised he wasn't breathing. \n\nShe then lost Patrick when the baby was just eight months old. Ten-month-old Sarah and 18-month-old Laura died later. Two of the children had died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. \n\nFolbigg always maintained her innocence, but no one believed her story until a Spanish scientist decided to help her. \n\n\"The theory that she had killed her children had no evidence. The only evidence was circumstantial, because she was the one finding them dead,\" Vinuesa told Euronews. \n\n\"Folbigg is very grateful, not only to us - the scientists - but also to her lawyers, who have done most of the work for free,\" she added. \n\nAfter seeing the case on television and knowing that up to 35% of sudden deaths can be explained by genetic factors, Vinuesa called her colleague, geneticist Todor Arsov. \n\nThey decided to compile a list of genes that could cause sudden death. The next step in their scientific investigation was to visit Folbigg in prison and sequence her genome. \n\n\"We discovered that there was a mutation in a gene that codes for calmodulin, and this is one of the best known causes of sudden death in infancy,\" Vinuesa told Euronews. \n\nVinuesa's team found a gene mutation in two of Folbigg's daughters, while the other two children had severe epilepsy and breathing difficulties. \n\nExperts testified that myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, was also a possible cause of Laura's death, and that Patrick's sudden death may have been caused by an underlying neurogenetic disorder. \n\nThe inquiry, which recommended Folbigg's pardon and acquittal, was prompted by a petition signed in 2021 by 90 scientists, among them were two Nobel laureates, medical practitioners and related professionals who argued that this new evidence should be taken into account. \n\nWhen asked about the result, Vinuesa is finally satisfied, but looks back with a bittersweet feeling. \n\n\"Scientifically, it was a challenge. It was a very hard, intense and sometimes painful process,\" she told Euronews. \n\nWhile Folbigg breathes a sigh of relief, her former husband, Craig Folbigg, the father of her four children, whose suspicions sparked the police investigation, called for a retrial. \n\n\"That would be the fairest thing to do. To put all this so-called new evidence before a jury and let a jury decide her guilt,\" said Craig Folbigg's lawyer, Danny Eid. \n\nOn the other hand, Kathleen Folbigg's lawyer, Rhanee Rego, said her legal team would now seek 'substantial' compensation from the state government for the years spent in prison. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Twenty years after a jury found Kathleen Folbigg guilty of murdering her four children, an Australian appeals court has decided to acquit her and overturn her conviction.<\/p>\n<p>Folbigg, now 55, was already pardoned by the New South Wales state government and released from prison in June after a Spanish scientist proved that her four children may have died of natural causes, as she had insisted.<\/p>\n<p>She was dubbed \"Australia&#039;s worst serial killer\" after she was convicted in 2003 of murdering three of her children and manslaughter in the death of the fourth.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors said her children, aged between nine weeks and three years, had been suffocated by Folbigg, who has always denied the allegations, claiming each death was due to natural causes.<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, the courtroom erupted in applause and Folbigg burst into tears when she heard the words she had been waiting for from Chief Justice Andrew Bell.<\/p>\n<p>\"While the verdicts at trial were reasonably open on the evidence available, there is now reasonable doubt as to Ms Folbigg&#039;s guilt,\" Bell said.<\/p>\n<p>\"It is appropriate that Ms Folbigg&#039;s convictions be quashed,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Outside court, Folbigg thanked her supporters, lawyers and scientists for clearing her name, including Spanish scientist Carola Garc\u00eda Vinuesa who led the investigation.<\/p>\n<p>\"For almost a quarter of a century I have faced disbelief and hostility. I have suffered abuse in all its forms. I hoped and prayed that one day I would be able to stand here with my name cleared,\" said Folbigg.<\/p>\n<p>\"I am grateful that modern science and genetics have given me answers to how my children died,\" she said, tearing up.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7595004\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//06//05//australias-worst-female-serial-killer-kathleen-folbigg-released-after-help-from-spanish-sc/">Australia's 'worst female serial killer' Kathleen Folbigg released after help from Spanish scientist<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>How did a Spanish scientist have a hand in the case?<\/h2><p>The first to die was Folbigg&#039;s son Caleb, 19 days old. One night, she woke up because she had to go to the bathroom. She checked on her baby and realised he wasn&#039;t breathing.<\/p>\n<p>She then lost Patrick when the baby was just eight months old. Ten-month-old Sarah and 18-month-old Laura died later. Two of the children had died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.<\/p>\n<p>Folbigg always maintained her innocence, but no one believed her story until a Spanish scientist decided to help her.<\/p>\n<p>\"The theory that she had killed her children had no evidence. The only evidence was circumstantial, because she was the one finding them dead,\" Vinuesa told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>\"Folbigg is very grateful, not only to us - the scientists - but also to her lawyers, who have done most of the work for free,\" she added.<\/p>\n<p>After seeing the case on television and knowing that up to 35% of sudden deaths can be explained by genetic factors, Vinuesa called her colleague, geneticist Todor Arsov.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//10//98//04//808x539_cmsv2_41d14113-d3a3-5f52-bb16-9dd432b29db9-8109804.jpg/" alt=\"In this image made from video, Kathleen Folbigg reacts the day after her release from prison in Coffs Barbour, Australia, Tuesday, June 6, 2023.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/10\/98\/04\/384x256_cmsv2_41d14113-d3a3-5f52-bb16-9dd432b29db9-8109804.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/10\/98\/04\/640x427_cmsv2_41d14113-d3a3-5f52-bb16-9dd432b29db9-8109804.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/10\/98\/04\/750x500_cmsv2_41d14113-d3a3-5f52-bb16-9dd432b29db9-8109804.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/10\/98\/04\/828x552_cmsv2_41d14113-d3a3-5f52-bb16-9dd432b29db9-8109804.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/10\/98\/04\/1080x720_cmsv2_41d14113-d3a3-5f52-bb16-9dd432b29db9-8109804.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/10\/98\/04\/1200x800_cmsv2_41d14113-d3a3-5f52-bb16-9dd432b29db9-8109804.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/10\/98\/04\/1920x1281_cmsv2_41d14113-d3a3-5f52-bb16-9dd432b29db9-8109804.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">In this image made from video, Kathleen Folbigg reacts the day after her release from prison in Coffs Barbour, Australia, Tuesday, June 6, 2023.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">POOL\/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>They decided to compile a list of genes that could cause sudden death. The next step in their scientific investigation was to visit Folbigg in prison and sequence her genome.<\/p>\n<p>\"We discovered that there was a mutation in a gene that codes for calmodulin, and this is one of the best known causes of sudden death in infancy,\" Vinuesa told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>Vinuesa&#039;s team found a gene mutation in two of Folbigg&#039;s daughters, while the other two children had severe epilepsy and breathing difficulties.<\/p>\n<p>Experts testified that myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, was also a possible cause of Laura&#039;s death, and that Patrick&#039;s sudden death may have been caused by an underlying neurogenetic disorder.<\/p>\n<p>The inquiry, which recommended Folbigg&#039;s pardon and acquittal, was prompted by a petition signed in 2021 by 90 scientists, among them were two Nobel laureates, medical practitioners and related professionals who argued that this new evidence should be taken into account.<\/p>\n<p>When asked about the result, Vinuesa is finally satisfied, but looks back with a bittersweet feeling.<\/p>\n<p>\"Scientifically, it was a challenge. It was a very hard, intense and sometimes painful process,\" she told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>While Folbigg breathes a sigh of relief, her former husband, Craig Folbigg, the father of her four children, whose suspicions sparked the police investigation, called for a retrial.<\/p>\n<p>\"That would be the fairest thing to do. To put all this so-called new evidence before a jury and let a jury decide her guilt,\" said Craig Folbigg&#039;s lawyer, Danny Eid.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, Kathleen Folbigg&#039;s lawyer, Rhanee Rego, said her legal team would now seek &#039;substantial&#039; compensation from the state government for the years spent in prison.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1702550253,"updatedAt":1702554913,"publishedAt":1702551979,"firstPublishedAt":1702551983,"lastPublishedAt":1702554913,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Dan Himbrechts\/AAP IMAGE","altText":"Kathleen Folbigg, right, is embraced by friend Tracy Chapman outside the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal in Sydney, Australia","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Kathleen Folbigg, right, is embraced by friend Tracy Chapman outside the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal in Sydney, Australia","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/10\/98\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0ae0a3fe-b5d4-557e-80ea-c466a0bc7e0f-8109804.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":682},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"POOL\/AP","altText":"In this image made from video, Kathleen Folbigg reacts the day after her release from prison in Coffs Barbour, Australia, Tuesday, June 6, 2023.","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"In this image made from video, Kathleen Folbigg reacts the day after her release from prison in Coffs Barbour, Australia, Tuesday, June 6, 2023.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/10\/98\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_41d14113-d3a3-5f52-bb16-9dd432b29db9-8109804.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"llach","twitter":null,"title":"Laura Llach"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"australia","titleRaw":"Australia","id":13,"title":"Australia","slug":"australia"},{"urlSafeValue":"murder","titleRaw":"Murder","id":12056,"title":"Murder","slug":"murder"},{"urlSafeValue":"scientific-research","titleRaw":"scientific research","id":22514,"title":"scientific 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news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":391,"urlSafeValue":"oceania","title":"Oceania"},"country":{"id":4611,"urlSafeValue":"australia","title":"Australia","url":"\/news\/oceania\/australia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'neg_mobkoi_castrol','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_law','gb_crime_high_med','gb_crime_high_med_low','gb_crime_news-ent','neg_bucherer','gv_death_injury','neg_nespresso','gb_death_injury_high_med','gb_death_injury_high_med_low','gb_death_injury_news-ent','gb_crime_edu','neg_facebook','gt_negative','gs_science','gs_science_misc','gb_crime_high','gb_crime_serious','neg_facebook_neg1','neg_saudiaramco','gv_crime','gs_science_genetics','gs_law_misc','gb_death_injury_high','gb_death_injury_serious','gt_negative_anger','gt_negative_fear'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"WEB: AUSTRALIA'S WORST FEMALE SERIAL KILLER ACQUITTED","path":"\/2023\/12\/14\/spanish-scientists-help-key-to-overturning-conviction-of-australias-worst-female-serial-ki","lastModified":1702554913},{"id":2429830,"cid":8091282,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"231206_GNSU_54127587","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Viewing tower for Olympic surfing could destroy important marine ecosystem, activists warn","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Surfers protest against Olympic viewing platform in Tahiti\u2019s ocean","titleListing2":"Viewing tower for Olympic surfing could destroy important marine ecosystem, activists warn","leadin":"Paris 2024 have pushed their sustainability credentials despite the surfing events being held 16,000 km away.","summary":"Paris 2024 have pushed their sustainability credentials despite the surfing events being held 16,000 km away.","keySentence":"","url":"viewing-tower-for-olympic-surfing-could-destroy-important-marine-ecosystem-activists-warn","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/2023\/12\/07\/viewing-tower-for-olympic-surfing-could-destroy-important-marine-ecosystem-activists-warn","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Olympic surfers will have to brave\u00a0some of the world's biggest waves when they compete in French Polynesia next July. \n\n\nBut the faraway venue has also raised many logistical and environmental questions. The rest of the Summer Games are in the host city, Paris, nearly 16,000 kilometres and 10 time zones away. \n\nFlying 48 surfers, judges, journalists and others so far looks awkward against Paris organisers' stated ambition of reducing the Olympics' carbon footprint by half. Four other surf spots that also bid were dotted along France's Atlantic coast and could easily have been reached by train and bus from the French capital. \n\nControversial plans for a new aluminium judges' tower have also drawn criticism from environmentalists and local surfers for its potential impact on marine life. \n\nWhy is the Olympic surfing being held in Tahiti? \n\nFor big-wave enthusiasts, the\u00a0volcanic island of\u00a0 Tahiti makes sense. The giant swells form in the storm belts of the Southern Ocean, off Antarctica, where whales roam. Supercharged by intense winds, they then roll on an ocean journey of thousands of kilometres to crash into Tahiti in the South Pacific. \n\nThe location promises more dramatic television images than when the sport made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021. Then, the waves on Tsurigasaki Beach were sometimes modest, and COVID dented the atmosphere. \n\nTahiti also has Teahupo'o, a village on the southern shore with lagoons that get the full force of the swells, generating dream surf for the courageous. \n\n\"If the conditions are really good, it's going to be a great contest to watch,\" says surfer Kauli Vaast, an Olympic medal hopeful. The Olympics \"are going to be like crazy\". \n\nTeahupo'o translates from Tahitian as 'wall of heads'. The name refers to a tribal battle where heads were severed, but it's also appropriate for such fearsome waves. The deep ocean bed rises steeply on final approach to Teahupo'o's offshore reefs, forcing the water into towering walls and huge, rolling tubes. \n\nThey are perilous. Surfers who fall risk being body-slammed onto the sharp and shallow corals , which tore chunks off the face of Hawaiian surfer Keala Kennelly when she tumbled in 2011. \n\nBecause Teahupo'o's surf breaks offshore, the Olympic judges have to be out in the lagoon, too.\u00a0 \n\nAluminium viewing tower raises environmental concerns \n\nOrganisers intend to house the judges and television cameras on an aluminium tower that will jut out of the ocean. That plan has sparked protests in Tahiti. Its critics fear for coral and other marine life. \n\nTahitian surfer Matahi Drollet is one of the most vocal opponents. His protest videos on Instagram have racked up hundreds of thousands of views. \n\nA minimal impact viewing tower already exists in\u00a0Teahupo'o. Built 20 years ago, it has been successfully used for judging and live filming of professional World Surf League (WSL) contests. \n\nBut Paris 2024 organisers say that the original tower's foundations do not meet current safety requirements due to natural degradation and corrosion of the structure. A study found that it could not be brought up to standard even if renovation works were carried out.\u00a0 \n\nThe option of having judges on the shore or on a boat would not give them sufficient visibility or allow adequate television coverage, Olympic organisers add. \n\nThe new \u20ac4.6 million aluminium tower would have concrete foundations, and protesters claim large swathes of reef would need to be cleared to make way for drilling.\u00a0Drollet claims it is being built to provide air conditioning and flushing toilets. \n\n\"This new construction is going to destroy a big part of the reef,\" with disastrous impacts on the marine ecosystem that might only become clear in years to come, he says in a video posted on Instagram. In another video, underwater scenes of a thriving coral reef reportedly show the proposed building site for the tower. \n\nBut Paris 2024 organisers have refuted this, sharing a video of the proposed site showing a relatively flat sea bed with coral primarily only on the original foundations. They say the new foundations will be inserted in the intervals of the existing plots to avoid impacting the coral that has developed. \n\nAny coral on the site will be moved outside the work zone according to strict environmental protocols to protect it, they add. \n\n\"The protection of the natural environment at Teahupo'o has always been a priority in the conception of all envisaged solutions for the site,\" Paris 2024 organisers said in a press release last month.\u00a0\"All development plans at Teahupo'o have been studied to minimise impact on the environment.\" \n\nAs well as ensuring safety, the new judges' tower must \"guarantee good conditions for the refereeing of the competition, in particular by offering the judges the necessary visibility over the entire wave,\" they add. \n\nActivists are concerned construction will impact marine life and waves \n\nDrollet says the construction could lead to the spread of ciguatera, a disease that poisons fish and makes them inedible - a particular concern for the fishing town. Previous construction in the fragile marine environments has sparked the disease. \n\nHe is even concerned that the tower could modify the waves in the region. \n\n\"The impact and the risks are too important for only three days of contest,\"\u00a0Drollet says. \n\n\"No contest in this world is worth the destruction of nature,\" he adds in a follow up video. \"This goes against the true value of surfing and sports in general.\" \n\nTitouan Bernicot, founder and CEO of Coral Gardeners - a project that plants coral in French Polynesia - adds, \"What will we tell the next generation that for three days of competition we could have destroyed one of the most important ecosystems on our planet?\" \n\nThey say the plans are at odds with Paris 2024's promise, stated on its website, to \"place sustainability at the heart of its project and inspire new standards\". \n\nFrom from January, Paris 2024 organisers are holding monthly public meetings where associations, residents and stakeholders can air their concerns. Representatives\u00a0of the associations have also been invited to attend each stage of the installation of the tower, starting this month. \n\nThey have already settled on a leaner, smaller tower than originally planned, to minimise its environmental impact. This will reduce the\u00a0depth of drilling for the foundations\u00a0 and allow the use of a barge with a shallower draught during the construction phase. \n\nOlympics could boost tourism in Tahiti \n\nVaast acknowledges widespread concern about the Olympics' footprint in the Teahupo'o lagoon, saying: \"We [are] all scared if they're doing something big.\" \n\nBut he also expects the Olympic spotlight to boost the tourism industry that underpins the Tahitian economy. \n\n\"It's going to be great to see a lot of people getting interested in French Polynesia,\" he says. \"And with the construction for the Olympics and stuff, it creates a lot of work for the local people.\" \n\n21-year-old Vaast hopes the island's legendary surfing conditions are his ticket to a gold medal. He is one of only two French Polynesian surfers qualified so far. The other is Vahine Fierro in the women's competition.\u00a0 \n\nGrowing up surrounded by the vast Pacific, Vaast swam, fished and surfed as a kid and was just eight when he first tackled Teahupo'o waves. \n\nHe remembers being terrified of their reputation, but he was hooked by their beauty and power. Tahitians say the waves have 'Mana', life-affirming spiritual energy. Vaast believes that his intimate knowledge of Teahupo'o gives him home-field advantage and the \"chance of a lifetime\" in July. \n\n\"I feel this energy nowhere [else] in the world, only in Tahiti, at Teahupo'o,\" says Vaast, who often travels on the surfing circuit. \"When you go there, you need to be respectful because if you respect [it], like the ocean is going to respect you.\" \n\nFor France, the Tahitian venue will allow the host country to highlight its long historical ties to the Pacific and involve its far-off overseas territories in the Summer Games. \n\nTeahupo'o, Tahiti's jewel, is primed to wow. \n\n\"When you're in the barrel, you see the mountains\" and colours that are \"super clear\", Vaast says. \"You can see the corals underneath... Beautiful. The most beautiful place in the world.\" \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Olympic surfers will have to brave\u00a0some of the world&#039;s biggest waves when they compete in French Polynesia next July. <\/p>\n<p>But the faraway venue has also raised many logistical and environmental questions. The rest of the Summer Games are in the host city, Paris, nearly 16,000 kilometres and 10 time zones away.<\/p>\n<p>Flying 48 surfers, judges, journalists and others so far looks awkward against Paris organisers&#039; stated ambition of reducing the Olympics&#039; carbon footprint by half. Four other surf spots that also bid were dotted along France&#039;s Atlantic coast and could easily have been reached by train and bus from the French capital.<\/p>\n<p>Controversial plans for a new aluminium judges&#039; tower have also drawn criticism from environmentalists and local surfers for its potential impact on marine life.<\/p>\n<h2>Why is the Olympic surfing being held in Tahiti?<\/h2><p>For big-wave enthusiasts, the\u00a0volcanic island of\u00a0<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//08//15//this-secret-surf-spot-15000km-from-paris-is-hosting-part-of-the-2024-olympic-games/">Tahiti makes sense. The giant swells form in the storm belts of the Southern Ocean, off Antarctica, where whales roam. Supercharged by intense winds, they then roll on an ocean journey of thousands of kilometres to crash into Tahiti in the South Pacific.<\/p>\n<p>The location promises more dramatic television images than when the sport made its Olympic debut at the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2021//08//03//tokyo-2020-how-the-climate-crisis-has-taken-centre-stage-at-one-of-the-hottest-olympics-on/">Tokyo Games<\/strong><\/a> in 2021. Then, the waves on Tsurigasaki Beach were sometimes modest, and COVID dented the atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p>Tahiti also has Teahupo&#039;o, a village on the southern shore with lagoons that get the full force of the swells, generating dream surf for the courageous.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7907674,8029856\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//11//10//australias-groundbreaking-new-pact-offers-refuge-to-tuvalu-residents-displaced-by-climate-/">Australia/u2019s \u2018groundbreaking\u2019 new pact offers refuge to Tuvalu residents displaced by climate change<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//09//20//want-to-sponsor-an-ocean-this-tiny-island-nation-has-come-up-with-a-novel-conservation-pla/">Want to sponsor an ocean? This tiny island nation has come up with a novel conservation plan<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"If the conditions are really good, it&#039;s going to be a great contest to watch,\" says <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//04//06//this-unexpected-british-coastline-has-just-become-a-world-class-surfing-destination/">surfer Kauli Vaast, an Olympic medal hopeful. The Olympics \"are going to be like crazy\".<\/p>\n<p>Teahupo&#039;o translates from Tahitian as &#039;wall of heads&#039;. The name refers to a tribal battle where heads were severed, but it&#039;s also appropriate for such fearsome waves. The deep <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//03//02//protected-uk-seabeds-subjected-to-136000-hours-of-industrial-fishing-last-year-oceana-reve/">ocean bed<\/strong><\/a> rises steeply on final approach to Teahupo&#039;o&#039;s offshore reefs, forcing the water into towering walls and huge, rolling tubes.<\/p>\n<p>They are perilous. Surfers who fall risk being body-slammed onto the sharp and shallow <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//video//2023//10//29//warmer-oceans-have-bleached-corals-at-depths-previously-thought-impossible/">corals, which tore chunks off the face of Hawaiian surfer Keala Kennelly when she tumbled in 2011.<\/p>\n<p>Because Teahupo&#039;o&#039;s surf breaks offshore, the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//07//19//too-hot-for-the-olympics-paris-2024-organisers-are-keeping-a-close-eye-on-europes-heatwave/">Olympic judges have to be out in the lagoon, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-ease-in-up widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//09//12//82//808x454_cmsv2_4a160e37-184f-515e-9c00-7bf9924ebd0b-8091282.jpg/" alt=\"Tahiti is a haven for big-wave enthusiasts.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/384x216_cmsv2_4a160e37-184f-515e-9c00-7bf9924ebd0b-8091282.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/640x360_cmsv2_4a160e37-184f-515e-9c00-7bf9924ebd0b-8091282.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/750x422_cmsv2_4a160e37-184f-515e-9c00-7bf9924ebd0b-8091282.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/828x466_cmsv2_4a160e37-184f-515e-9c00-7bf9924ebd0b-8091282.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/1080x608_cmsv2_4a160e37-184f-515e-9c00-7bf9924ebd0b-8091282.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/1200x675_cmsv2_4a160e37-184f-515e-9c00-7bf9924ebd0b-8091282.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/1920x1080_cmsv2_4a160e37-184f-515e-9c00-7bf9924ebd0b-8091282.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Tahiti is a haven for big-wave enthusiasts.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Canva<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Aluminium viewing tower raises environmental concerns<\/h2><p>Organisers intend to house the judges and television cameras on an aluminium tower that will jut out of the ocean. That plan has sparked protests in Tahiti. Its critics fear for coral and other marine life.<\/p>\n<p>Tahitian surfer Matahi Drollet is one of the most vocal opponents. His protest videos on Instagram have racked up hundreds of thousands of views.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-freeform\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Cyf3UUBLWOW\/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.instagram.com//reel//Cyf3UUBLWOW//?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\%22 style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.instagram.com//reel//Cyf3UUBLWOW//?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\%22 style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by Matahi Drollet (@matahidrollet)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=https://www.euronews.com/"////www.instagram.com//embed.js/"> \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>A minimal impact viewing tower already exists in\u00a0Teahupo&#039;o. Built 20 years ago, it has been successfully used for judging and live filming of professional World Surf League (WSL) contests.<\/p>\n<p>But Paris 2024 organisers say that the original tower&#039;s foundations do not meet current safety requirements due to natural degradation and corrosion of the structure. A study found that it could not be brought up to standard even if renovation works were carried out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The option of having judges on the shore or on a boat would not give them sufficient visibility or allow adequate television coverage, Olympic organisers add.<\/p>\n<p>The new \u20ac4.6 million aluminium tower would have concrete foundations, and protesters claim large swathes of <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2022//01//24//how-the-largest-mooring-system-in-the-world-is-saving-egypt-s-corals/">reef would need to be cleared to make way for drilling.\u00a0Drollet claims it is being built to provide air conditioning and flushing toilets.<\/p>\n<p>\"This new construction is going to destroy a big part of the reef,\" with disastrous impacts on the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//07//13//turning-green-earths-oceans-are-changing-colour-due-to-climate-change/">marine ecosystem<\/strong><\/a> that might only become clear in years to come, he says in a video posted on Instagram. In another video, underwater scenes of a thriving coral reef reportedly show the proposed building site for the tower.<\/p>\n<p>But Paris 2024 organisers have refuted this, sharing a video of the proposed site showing a relatively flat sea bed with coral primarily only on the original foundations. They say the new foundations will be inserted in the intervals of the existing plots to avoid impacting the coral that has developed.<\/p>\n<p>Any coral on the site will be moved outside the work zone according to strict environmental protocols to protect it, they add.<\/p>\n<p>\"The protection of the natural environment at Teahupo&#039;o has always been a priority in the conception of all envisaged solutions for the site,\" Paris 2024 organisers said in a <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////press.paris2024.org//news//the-polynesian-government-paris-2024-and-the-haut-commissariat-confirm-the-organisation-of-the-olympic-games-surfing-events-at-the-teahupoo-site-with-a-proposition-of-a-new-more-moderate-judges-tower-eafc-7578a.html/">press release<\/strong><\/a> last month.\u00a0\"All development plans at Teahupo&#039;o have been studied to minimise impact on the environment.\"<\/p>\n<p>As well as ensuring safety, the new judges&#039; tower must \"guarantee good conditions for the refereeing of the competition, in particular by offering the judges the necessary visibility over the entire wave,\" they add.<\/p>\n<h2>Activists are concerned construction will impact marine life and waves<\/h2><p>Drollet says the construction could lead to the spread of ciguatera, a disease that poisons fish and makes them inedible - a particular concern for the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2022//11//22//fishing-in-the-shadows-overlooked-by-policymakers-small-scale-fishers-face-growing-challen/">fishing town. Previous construction in the fragile marine environments has sparked the disease.<\/p>\n<p>He is even concerned that the tower could modify the waves in the region.<\/p>\n<p>\"The impact and the risks are too important for only three days of contest,\"\u00a0Drollet says.<\/p>\n<p>\"No contest in this world is worth the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//02//21//silent-victim-this-map-shows-the-environmental-destruction-done-by-a-year-of-war-in-ukrain/">destruction of nature,\" he adds in a follow up video. \"This goes against the true value of surfing and sports in general.\"<\/p>\n<p>Titouan Bernicot, founder and CEO of Coral Gardeners - a project that <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//07//26//a-blessing-wounded-soldiers-help-us-scientists-to-save-coral-reefs/">plants coral<\/strong><\/a> in French Polynesia - adds, \"What will we tell the next generation that for three days of competition we could have destroyed one of the most important ecosystems on our planet?\"<\/p>\n<p>They say the plans are at odds with Paris 2024&#039;s promise, stated on its website, to \"place <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//06//22//paris-olympics-to-give-waste-a-second-life-with-recycled-plastic-chairs/">sustainability at the heart of its project and inspire new standards\".<\/p>\n<p>From from January, <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//03//21//paris-olympics-environmental-campaigners-question-claims-games-will-be-climate-positive/">Paris 2024<\/strong><\/a> organisers are holding monthly public meetings where associations, residents and stakeholders can air their concerns. Representatives\u00a0of the associations have also been invited to attend each stage of the installation of the tower, starting this month.<\/p>\n<p>They have already settled on a leaner, smaller tower than originally planned, to minimise its environmental impact. This will reduce the\u00a0depth of drilling for the foundations\u00a0 and allow the use of a barge with a shallower draught during the construction phase.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7716658\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//06//29//france-unprepared-for-serious-impacts-of-climate-change-as-warming-hits-29c-report-warns/">France is unprepared for the \u2018serious impacts\u2019 of climate change, report warns<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Olympics could boost tourism in Tahiti<\/h2><p>Vaast acknowledges widespread concern about the Olympics&#039; footprint in the Teahupo&#039;o lagoon, saying: \"We [are] all scared if they&#039;re doing something big.\"<\/p>\n<p>But he also expects the Olympic spotlight to boost the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2023//03//14//paris-olympic-games-how-much-are-tickets-when-are-they-available-and-where-should-you-stay/">tourism industry that underpins the Tahitian economy.<\/p>\n<p>\"It&#039;s going to be great to see a lot of people getting interested in French Polynesia,\" he says. \"And with the construction for the Olympics and stuff, it creates a lot of work for the local people.\"<\/p>\n<p>21-year-old Vaast hopes the island&#039;s legendary <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//03//29//volcano-surfing-head-to-nicaragua-for-a-travel-experience-you-ll-never-forget/">surfing conditions are his ticket to a gold medal. He is one of only two French Polynesian surfers qualified so far. The other is Vahine Fierro in the women&#039;s competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-ease-in-up widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//09//12//82//808x454_cmsv2_8139fdbb-3f19-59cd-9b80-806ffeb84455-8091282.jpg/" alt=\"Tahitian-born surfer Kauli Vaast films himself surfing on the world-famous Teahupo\u2019o wave in Tahiti.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/384x216_cmsv2_8139fdbb-3f19-59cd-9b80-806ffeb84455-8091282.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/640x360_cmsv2_8139fdbb-3f19-59cd-9b80-806ffeb84455-8091282.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/750x422_cmsv2_8139fdbb-3f19-59cd-9b80-806ffeb84455-8091282.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/828x466_cmsv2_8139fdbb-3f19-59cd-9b80-806ffeb84455-8091282.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/1080x608_cmsv2_8139fdbb-3f19-59cd-9b80-806ffeb84455-8091282.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/1200x675_cmsv2_8139fdbb-3f19-59cd-9b80-806ffeb84455-8091282.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/1920x1080_cmsv2_8139fdbb-3f19-59cd-9b80-806ffeb84455-8091282.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Tahitian-born surfer Kauli Vaast films himself surfing on the world-famous Teahupo\u2019o wave in Tahiti.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Kauli Vaast via AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Growing up surrounded by the vast Pacific, Vaast swam, fished and surfed as a kid and was just eight when he first tackled Teahupo&#039;o waves.<\/p>\n<p>He remembers being terrified of their reputation, but he was hooked by their beauty and power. Tahitians say the waves have &#039;Mana&#039;, life-affirming spiritual energy. Vaast believes that his intimate knowledge of Teahupo&#039;o gives him home-field advantage and the \"chance of a lifetime\" in July.<\/p>\n<p>\"I feel this energy nowhere [else] in the world, only in Tahiti, at Teahupo&#039;o,\" says Vaast, who often travels on the surfing circuit. \"When you go there, you need to be respectful because if you respect [it], like the ocean is going to respect you.\"<\/p>\n<p>For France, the Tahitian venue will allow the host country to highlight its long historical ties to the Pacific and involve its far-off <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//11//13//france-is-one-of-the-worlds-richest-countries-why-are-its-territories-facing-life-threaten/">overseas territories<\/strong><\/a> in the Summer Games.<\/p>\n<p>Teahupo&#039;o, Tahiti&#039;s jewel, is primed to wow.<\/p>\n<p>\"When you&#039;re in the barrel, you see the mountains\" and colours that are \"super clear\", Vaast says. \"You can see the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//04//22//you-could-spend-3-weeks-in-the-maldives-learning-to-restore-coral-reefs-all-for-free/">corals underneath... Beautiful. The most beautiful place in the world.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1701875624,"updatedAt":1701961258,"publishedAt":1701957553,"firstPublishedAt":1701957556,"lastPublishedAt":1701961258,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Canva","altText":"Tahiti is nearly 16,000 kilometres and 10 time zones away from Paris.","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Tahiti is nearly 16,000 kilometres and 10 time zones away from Paris.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_87596334-3a73-5758-a615-b4c9c9dd7d95-8091282.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Kauli Vaast via AP","altText":"Tahitian-born surfer Kauli Vaast films himself surfing on the world-famous Teahupo\u2019o wave in Tahiti.","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Tahitian-born surfer Kauli Vaast films himself surfing on the world-famous Teahupo\u2019o wave in Tahiti.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_8139fdbb-3f19-59cd-9b80-806ffeb84455-8091282.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Canva","altText":"Tahiti is a haven for big-wave enthusiasts.","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Tahiti is a haven for big-wave enthusiasts.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/09\/12\/82\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_4a160e37-184f-515e-9c00-7bf9924ebd0b-8091282.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"symons","twitter":null,"title":"Angela Symons"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"tahiti","titleRaw":"Tahiti","id":14504,"title":"Tahiti","slug":"tahiti"},{"urlSafeValue":"france","titleRaw":"France","id":117,"title":"France","slug":"france"},{"urlSafeValue":"olympic-games","titleRaw":"Olympic Games","id":4165,"title":"Olympic Games","slug":"olympic-games"},{"urlSafeValue":"olympic-games-paris-2024","titleRaw":"Olympic games Paris 2024","id":27198,"title":"Olympic games Paris 2024","slug":"olympic-games-paris-2024"},{"urlSafeValue":"surfing","titleRaw":"surfing","id":14078,"title":"surfing","slug":"surfing"},{"urlSafeValue":"environmental-protection","titleRaw":"Environmental protection","id":9507,"title":"Environmental protection","slug":"environmental-protection"}],"widgets":[{"count":2,"slug":"image"},{"count":1,"slug":"html"},{"count":2,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2431414}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"John Leicester","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"green-news","urlSafeValue":"green-news","title":"Green News","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/green-news\/green-news"},"vertical":"green","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"green","id":8,"title":"Green","slug":"green"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":8,"slug":"green","urlSafeValue":"green","title":"Green"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"green-news","id":"green-news","title":"Green News","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/green-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":35,"urlSafeValue":"green-news","title":"Green News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":391,"urlSafeValue":"oceania","title":"Oceania"},"country":{"id":119,"urlSafeValue":"french-polynesia","title":"French Polynesia","url":"\/news\/oceania\/french-polynesia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_science','gs_sport','gs_science_geography','progressivemedia','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','gt_mixed','gs_busfin','gs_event_olympics','neg_audi_list1','gs_sport_olympics','neg_mobkoi_castrol','neg_facebook_q4','neg_bucherer','gs_busfin_indus'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"GREEN_Surfing venue for the Paris Olympics poses environmental questions","path":"\/green\/2023\/12\/07\/viewing-tower-for-olympic-surfing-could-destroy-important-marine-ecosystem-activists-warn","lastModified":1701961258},{"id":2427954,"cid":8084432,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"231204_NWSU_54091853","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Australia and France reset relationship after 'back-stabbing' defence deal","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Australia and France reset relationship after 'back-stabbing' deal","titleListing2":"\ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa Australia and France reset relationship after 'back-stabbing' defence deal","leadin":"A new agreement will mean each country can have access to the other's military facilities in the Pacific region and increase joint activities.","summary":"A new agreement will mean each country can have access to the other's military facilities in the Pacific region and increase joint activities.","keySentence":"","url":"australia-and-france-reset-relationship-after-back-stabbing-defence-deal","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/12\/05\/australia-and-france-reset-relationship-after-back-stabbing-defence-deal","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"France and Australia are to reset their bilateral relationship after a two-year 'cold war' following a 'back-stabbing' defence deal that saw Canberra renege on a huge military contract to buy submarines from Paris.\u00a0\u00a0 \n\nThis week, foreign ministers Catherine Colonna and Penny Wong signed a new deal to share military bases and training facilities in the Pacific, clearly hoping to put the past few years behind them and move on. \n\n\"We are determined to step up, beef up our cooperation with the partners in the region including of course, with the number one partner for us in the region, Australia,\" Colonna said. \n\nWong added that Australia was keen to work more closely with the French military, particularly in the Pacific. \n\nSpeaking at the National Press Club before their meeting, Colonna said the French government had \u201cdecided to move on\u201d following the fallout from the debacle of the submarine deal. \n\nRelations between the two countries hit rock bottom after former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison\u00a0angered Paris in 2021 by pulling the plug on a $90 billion Australian (\u20ac55 billion) contract for a fleet of French-built submarines. \n\nMorrison opted for\u00a0a nuclear-powered US model under the AUKUS partnership with the UK and the US instead. \n\nFrance's then foreign minister\u00a0 Jean-Yves Le Drian described the move as a \"stab in the back.\" \n\n\"Colonna\u2019s visit to Australia is a clear signal that France has decided to close the book on what was a very bad bit of diplomatic manoeuvring from the Australian side,\" John Fowler , a former Australian diplomat and co-founder of the daily global affairs newsletter ' International Intrigue ' told Euronews.\u00a0 \n\n\"Of course, Australia is only too happy to move on as well\".\u00a0 \n\nColonna described the aftermath of the AUKUS pact as not \u201cpleasant\u201d. \n\nThe move prompted\u00a0France to temporarily recall its ambassador in Canberra and the\u00a0 infamous response from the French president, Emmanuel Macron when asked if he thought Morrison had lied to him about the deal. \n\n\u201cI don\u2019t think, I know,\u201d Macron replied. \n\nFowler explains that France\u2019s initial anger toward the Australian decision was also about \"the shock and subsequent distrust France felt at being kept out of the loop on the AUKUS partnership\". \n\nAustralia\u2019s \"clumsy diplomacy\" gave France a \"public target for their anger that might have more accurately been directed at the UK and the US,\" he said. \n\nWith the AUKUS security partnership now clearly here to stay, Fowler points out that France will try to work with AUKUS countries where it can rather than risk being \"left on the outside looking in\". \n\n\"Bilateral tensions were a storm in a teacup... of course, a change of government in Australia and of foreign minister in France helped too\".\u00a0 \n\nWhile Fowler expects there to be some \"scar tissue\u201d in the relationship, he doubts it will affect anything going forward. \n\nBilateral roadmap \n\nThe new bilateral roadmap signed on Monday aims at improving relations in three areas: security and defence; climate action and resilience; and culture and education. \n\nIt comes as France seeks to establish a greater presence in the Indo-Pacific to fend off influence from China. \n\nBeijing recently stepped up military exercises in the strategically important Taiwan Strait, and China's coast guard has been accused of harassing Philippine fishing boats in disputed waters. \n\nColonna called on China to show restraint in its actions in the South China Sea, saying that \"the world does not need a new crisis.\" \n\nProfessor Steven L. Lamy, an expert in Global Security at the University of Southern California told Euronews that France is trying to ensure it has a voice in \"the new great power competition phase\" of global politics. \n\n\"They have lost influence in many parts of Africa where China, the US, and Russia are battling for influence and access to critical resources, so where else can it go?\" \n\nLamy explains that France has territory in the region and wants friends. \n\n\"With the UK out of the EU, France is looking to become the major global power within the EU as the EU tries to extend its global influence\". \n\nLast month Australia criticised Beijing for \"unsafe and unprofessional\" conduct at sea, saying one of its navy divers was injured by sonar pulses from a nearby Chinese warship. \n\n\"We are of course concerned about what happened a few days ago to the Australian navy, as well as what happened to the Philippines a few weeks ago,\" Colonna added. \n\nThe French\u00a0Foreign Affairs Minister\u00a0also said\u00a0she was open to any resettlement request from tiny South Pacific nations threatened by rising sea levels. \n\nColonna said France had watched with \u201cgreat interest\u201d last month when up to 280 Tuvaluans were offered the opportunity to come to Australia each year to escape the rising seas and increased storms brought by climate change. \n\nBut she said she was not sure if the French Pacific territories of French Polynesia and New Caledonia had the capacity to make similar offers. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>France and Australia are to reset their bilateral relationship after a two-year &#039;cold war&#039; following a &#039;back-stabbing&#039; defence deal that saw Canberra renege on a huge military contract to buy submarines from Paris.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This week, foreign ministers <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////twitter.com//MinColonna/">Catherine Colonna<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////twitter.com//SenatorWong/">Penny Wong<\/strong><\/a> signed a new deal to share military bases and training facilities in the Pacific, clearly hoping to put the past few years behind them and move on.<\/p>\n<p>\"We are determined to step up, beef up our cooperation with the partners in the region including of course, with the number one partner for us in the region, Australia,\" Colonna said.<\/p>\n<p>Wong added that Australia was keen to work more closely with the French military, particularly in the Pacific.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1731628797579977177\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Speaking at the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.youtube.com//watch?v=Ly3IGgu2ZAU\%22>National Press Club<\/strong><\/a> before their meeting, Colonna said the French government had \u201cdecided to move on\u201d following the fallout from the debacle of the submarine deal.<\/p>\n<p>Relations between the two countries hit rock bottom after former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison\u00a0angered Paris in 2021 by pulling the plug on a $90 billion Australian (\u20ac55 billion) contract for a fleet of French-built submarines.<\/p>\n<p>Morrison opted for\u00a0a nuclear-powered US model under the AUKUS partnership with the UK and the US instead.<\/p>\n<p>France&#039;s then foreign minister\u00a0Jean-Yves Le Drian <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//09//16//us-uk-and-australia-announce-new-security-pact-to-counter-china-in-indo-pacific/">described the move<\/strong><\/a> as a \"stab in the back.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"Colonna\u2019s visit to Australia is a clear signal that France has decided to close the book on what was a very bad bit of diplomatic manoeuvring from the Australian side,\" <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////twitter.com//johnsnonsense/">John Fowler<\/strong><\/a>, a former Australian diplomat and co-founder of the daily global affairs newsletter &#039;<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.internationalintrigue.io///">International Intrigue<\/strong><\/a>&#039; told Euronews.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"Of course, Australia is only too happy to move on as well\".\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Colonna described the aftermath of the AUKUS pact as not \u201cpleasant\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The move prompted\u00a0France to temporarily recall its ambassador in Canberra and the\u00a0<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//11//01//uk-france-australia/">infamous response<\/strong><\/a> from the French president, Emmanuel Macron when asked if he thought Morrison had lied to him about the deal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think, I know,\u201d Macron replied.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"6075704,6082312,6078918\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//09//17//us-attempts-to-curb-french-and-eu-backlash-over-indo-pacific-pact-with-uk-and-australia/">US attempts to curb French and EU backlash over Indo-Pacific pact with UK and Australia<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//09//16//us-uk-and-australia-announce-new-security-pact-to-counter-china-in-indo-pacific/">'Stab in the back': France blasts new UK-US-Australia security pact in Indo-Pacific<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//09//19//emmanuel-macron-to-speak-with-us-president-joe-biden-on-aukus-fallout/">Emmanuel Macron to speak with US president Joe Biden on AUKUS fallout<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Fowler explains that France\u2019s initial anger toward the Australian decision was also about \"the shock and subsequent distrust France felt at being kept out of the loop on the AUKUS partnership\".<\/p>\n<p>Australia\u2019s \"clumsy diplomacy\" gave France a \"public target for their anger that might have more accurately been directed at the UK and the US,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>With the AUKUS security partnership now clearly here to stay, Fowler points out that France will try to work with AUKUS countries where it can rather than risk being \"left on the outside looking in\".<\/p>\n<p>\"Bilateral tensions were a storm in a teacup... of course, a change of government in Australia and of foreign minister in France helped too\".\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While Fowler expects there to be some \"scar tissue\u201d in the relationship, he doubts it will affect anything going forward.<\/p>\n<h3>Bilateral roadmap<\/h3><p>The new bilateral roadmap signed on Monday aims at improving relations in three areas: security and defence; climate action and resilience; and culture and education.<\/p>\n<p>It comes as France seeks to establish a greater presence in the Indo-Pacific to fend off influence from China.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1731567906335359206\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Beijing recently stepped up military exercises in the strategically important Taiwan Strait, and China&#039;s coast guard has been accused of harassing Philippine fishing boats in disputed waters.<\/p>\n<p>Colonna called on China to show restraint in its actions in the South China Sea, saying that \"the world does not need a new crisis.\"<\/p>\n<p>Professor Steven L. Lamy, an expert in Global Security at the University of Southern California told Euronews that France is trying to ensure it has a voice in \"the new great power competition phase\" of global politics.<\/p>\n<p>\"They have lost influence in many parts of Africa where China, the US, and Russia are battling for influence and access to critical resources, so where else can it go?\"<\/p>\n<p>Lamy explains that France has territory in the region and wants friends.<\/p>\n<p>\"With the UK out of the EU, France is looking to become the major global power within the EU as the EU tries to extend its global influence\".<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7986208\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//10//23//china-and-philippines-boats-clash-in-disputed-south-china-sea-area/">China and Philippines boats clash in disputed South China Sea area<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Last month Australia criticised Beijing for \"unsafe and unprofessional\" conduct at sea, saying one of its navy divers was injured by sonar pulses from a nearby Chinese warship.<\/p>\n<p>\"We are of course concerned about what happened a few days ago to the Australian navy, as well as what happened to the Philippines a few weeks ago,\" Colonna added.<\/p>\n<p>The French\u00a0Foreign Affairs Minister\u00a0also said\u00a0she was open to any resettlement request from tiny South Pacific nations threatened by rising sea levels.<\/p>\n<p>Colonna said France had watched with \u201cgreat interest\u201d last month when up to 280 Tuvaluans were offered the opportunity to come to Australia each year to escape the rising seas and increased storms brought by climate change.<\/p>\n<p>But she said she was not sure if the French Pacific territories of French Polynesia and New Caledonia had the capacity to make similar offers.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1701683495,"updatedAt":1701781061,"publishedAt":1701780910,"firstPublishedAt":1701780917,"lastPublishedAt":1701781061,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Lukas Coch\/AAP IMAGE","altText":"French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna prepares to address the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna prepares to address the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/08\/44\/32\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_783dd081-2554-5e08-8310-ba95dd308f0b-8084432.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"dartford","twitter":"@cayteye","title":"Katy Dartford"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"france","titleRaw":"France","id":117,"title":"France","slug":"france"},{"urlSafeValue":"aukus","titleRaw":"AUKUS","id":25694,"title":"AUKUS","slug":"aukus"},{"urlSafeValue":"diplomacy","titleRaw":"Diplomacy","id":12034,"title":"Diplomacy","slug":"diplomacy"},{"urlSafeValue":"australia","titleRaw":"Australia","id":13,"title":"Australia","slug":"australia"}],"widgets":[{"count":2,"slug":"twitter"},{"count":2,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2224462},{"id":1719976},{"id":1673318}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.byenglishwebteam"},{"path":"euronews"}],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP, AFP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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and France post-Aukus tensions ease","path":"\/2023\/12\/05\/australia-and-france-reset-relationship-after-back-stabbing-defence-deal","lastModified":1701781061},{"id":2425652,"cid":8077152,"versionId":4,"archive":0,"housenumber":"231204_S4WB_54051749","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":1,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Meet the ecologist spreading her wings in New Zealand to save seabirds","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":null,"titleListing2":"Meet the ecologist spreading her wings in New Zealand to save seabirds","leadin":"\"You can't expect to save a whole species in a month. Don't give up. We need to keep fighting. The alternative is to just let it all crumble. We can't do that.\"","summary":"\"You can't expect to save a whole species in a month. Don't give up. We need to keep fighting. The alternative is to just let it all crumble. We can't do that.\"","keySentence":"","url":"meet-the-ecologist-spreading-her-wings-in-new-zealand-to-save-seabirds","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2023\/12\/04\/meet-the-ecologist-spreading-her-wings-in-new-zealand-to-save-seabirds","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"SCENES shines a spotlight on youth around the world that are breaking down barriers and creating change. The character-driven short films will inspire and amaze, as these young change-makers tell their remarkable stories. \n\nHome to hobbits and spectacular landscapes, New Zealand is also the nesting ground for seabirds. The island is one of the most biodiverse, with nearly 90 seabird species from gulls to gannets breeding there, earning it the rightful reputation as the seabird capital of the world. \n\nBut populations are declining, and avian experts estimate that up to 90 per cent of seabird populations are facing risks of extinction. \n\nLike many scientists around the world, Maira Fessardi wants to save these threatened or endangered animals, and she does so by studying thriving species. \n\nSpecial species \n\n\"Grey-faced petrels are pretty special,\" Maira tells SCENES. \"They are one of the only species of seabirds in New Zealand that are not threatened. We want to find out why they're doing so well, even though other birds are not,\" she explains. \n\nTogether with her longtime mentor, Todd Landers, Maira's research under the Auckland Council Seabird Monitoring programme takes them through the rolling hills, scenic coastlines and into burrows, literally. \n\nWith great care, Maira slides her hand into the burrow and takes a bird out of it for a health check. She weighs them and measures their legs and wing length. \n\n\"We have to be careful,\" the seabird ecologist cautions, \"We need to minimise stress to those birds. We're doing it for them, but we also can't add to the threats that they're facing. We need to be respectful.\" \n\nAfter logging these measurements, Maira also puts identification bands around the birds' legs to track their progress when she rechecks them next year. Before putting them back in the burrow, Maira collects feather samples. \n\nFeather importance \n\nBirds' feathers hold a wealth of information. According to Maira, examining the feathers using a spectrometer, an instrument that measures a spectrum of plumage pigmentation, or even by the naked eye, can reveal signs of the birds' health. A deeper lab analysis can reveal a lot more. \n\n\"If they ingest heavy metal contaminants while growing feathers, that's deposited in their feathers. They can tell us if that's a threat for that population or if the area they are foraging is contaminated,\" Maira explains, hopeful that the data collected in this non-invasive manner will aid wildlife management strategies. \n\nMaira was a postgraduate student, obtaining a master's degree when she first peeked into feathers. She focused her thesis on using bird feathers as a population and ocean health monitoring tool. Her study caught the attention of the Auckland Council, and her work is now incorporated there. \n\n\"I feel really lucky. Not many people can say they've had that chance to take their results and make a difference,\" the South American native admits. \n\nBirds of a feather flock together \n\nMaira attributes her interest in seabirds to the similarities they share. \n\n\"The first thing that attracted me to seabirds was that they are immigrants like me. I was born in Sao Paulo in Brazil, and I live in Auckland, New Zealand,\" Maira continues.. \n\nSimilarly, in the summer months or when conditions are favourable, most seabirds flock to New Zealand to breed where, historically, there were no natural predators. In different periods of the year, these migratory birds hunt in hyper-fertile waters where nutrients abound, some flying as far as South America. \n\nKnowing that her work in New Zealand could also impact South America, where she comes from, makes it worthwhile for Maira. \n\n\"Seabirds are perfect because they just join all my worlds together, both geographically and ecologically. It really resonated with me and with what I wanted to do with my life,\" she adds. \n\nWhile she never expected to work in New Zealand, Maira had always envisioned an exciting and dynamic career. Recently, this vision came to life. \n\n\"I have fieldwork, but I'm also in front of the computer. It's very fulfilling and very intellectually stimulating,\" says Maira. \n\nHowever, her adventurous work comes with its challenges. \n\n\"There's a lot of weight-bearing, and some days of hiking, it's 12 hours hiking, really tough terrains,\" she says. \n\nAs environmental ecologists, both Maira and Todd appreciate and respect the arduous trek because it puts them in the birds' environment. \n\n\"We go to some very interesting places. It's a wonderful world to interact with,\" Todd says. \n\n\"Don't give up\" \n\nDespite the difficulties of their work, Todd is encouraged by Maira's participation. \n\n\"Young people really bring an enthusiasm to conservation in terms of getting the message out. It's very important to keep the momentum going for this sort of work,\" he explains. \n\nMaira concurs, acknowledging that the pessimism around conservation and environmental sciences can be discouraging. \n\n\"You can't expect to save a whole species in a month. Don't give up. We need to keep fighting. The alternative is to just let it all crumble. We can't do that,\" Maira explains. \n\nDetermined to inspire others to become proponents of environmental activism, Maira continues to spread the conservation message. She is confident that there is still an opportunity to make a difference and save species through her work. \n\n","htmlText":"<p><strong>SCENES shines a spotlight on youth around the world that are breaking down barriers and creating change. The character-driven short films will inspire and amaze, as these young change-makers tell their remarkable stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Home to hobbits and spectacular landscapes, New Zealand is also the nesting ground for seabirds. The island is one of the most biodiverse, with nearly 90 seabird species from gulls to gannets breeding there, earning it the rightful reputation as the seabird capital of the world.<\/p>\n<p>But populations are declining, and avian experts estimate that up to 90 per cent of seabird populations are facing risks of extinction.<\/p>\n<p>Like many scientists around the world, Maira Fessardi wants to save these threatened or endangered animals, and she does so by studying thriving species.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5606153846153846\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//07//71//52//808x454_cmsv2_e616102f-15ef-53b5-87d7-7f787880ef48-8077152.jpg/" alt=\"Maira Fessardi inserts a probe camera to capture images inside seabirds&apos; burrows using a phone\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/384x215_cmsv2_e616102f-15ef-53b5-87d7-7f787880ef48-8077152.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/640x359_cmsv2_e616102f-15ef-53b5-87d7-7f787880ef48-8077152.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/750x420_cmsv2_e616102f-15ef-53b5-87d7-7f787880ef48-8077152.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/828x464_cmsv2_e616102f-15ef-53b5-87d7-7f787880ef48-8077152.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1080x605_cmsv2_e616102f-15ef-53b5-87d7-7f787880ef48-8077152.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1200x673_cmsv2_e616102f-15ef-53b5-87d7-7f787880ef48-8077152.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1920x1076_cmsv2_e616102f-15ef-53b5-87d7-7f787880ef48-8077152.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Maira Fessardi inserts a probe camera to capture images inside seabirds&apos; burrows using a phone<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Luke McPake<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Special species<\/h2><p>\"Grey-faced petrels are pretty special,\" Maira tells SCENES. \"They are one of the only species of seabirds in New Zealand that are not threatened. We want to find out why they&#039;re doing so well, even though other birds are not,\" she explains.<\/p>\n<p>Together with her longtime mentor, Todd Landers, Maira&#039;s research under the Auckland Council Seabird Monitoring programme takes them through the rolling hills, scenic coastlines and into burrows, literally.<\/p>\n<p>With great care, Maira slides her hand into the burrow and takes a bird out of it for a health check. She weighs them and measures their legs and wing length.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.561652281134402\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//07//71//52//808x454_cmsv2_5451ce16-3817-5df7-820a-8ee4a2c8be2e-8077152.jpg/" alt=\"Collecting feather samples is Maira&apos;s specialty, having done a thesis about feathers during her postgraduate studies\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/384x216_cmsv2_5451ce16-3817-5df7-820a-8ee4a2c8be2e-8077152.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/640x359_cmsv2_5451ce16-3817-5df7-820a-8ee4a2c8be2e-8077152.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/750x421_cmsv2_5451ce16-3817-5df7-820a-8ee4a2c8be2e-8077152.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/828x465_cmsv2_5451ce16-3817-5df7-820a-8ee4a2c8be2e-8077152.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1080x607_cmsv2_5451ce16-3817-5df7-820a-8ee4a2c8be2e-8077152.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1200x674_cmsv2_5451ce16-3817-5df7-820a-8ee4a2c8be2e-8077152.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1920x1078_cmsv2_5451ce16-3817-5df7-820a-8ee4a2c8be2e-8077152.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Collecting feather samples is Maira&apos;s specialty, having done a thesis about feathers during her postgraduate studies<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Luke McPake<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"We have to be careful,\" the seabird ecologist cautions, \"We need to minimise stress to those birds. We&#039;re doing it for them, but we also can&#039;t add to the threats that they&#039;re facing. We need to be respectful.\"<\/p>\n<p>After logging these measurements, Maira also puts identification bands around the birds&#039; legs to track their progress when she rechecks them next year. Before putting them back in the burrow, Maira collects feather samples.<\/p>\n<h2>Feather importance<\/h2><p>Birds&#039; feathers hold a wealth of information. According to Maira, examining the feathers using a spectrometer, an instrument that measures a spectrum of plumage pigmentation, or even by the naked eye, can reveal signs of the birds&#039; health. A deeper lab analysis can reveal a lot more.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5588235294117647\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//07//71//52//808x451_cmsv2_26a2edcd-34d5-5e05-bc82-eea3f760b3a2-8077152.jpg/" alt=\"Feathers are collected in a non-invasive way and can give scientists an insight into the bird&apos;s health\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/384x215_cmsv2_26a2edcd-34d5-5e05-bc82-eea3f760b3a2-8077152.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/640x358_cmsv2_26a2edcd-34d5-5e05-bc82-eea3f760b3a2-8077152.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/750x419_cmsv2_26a2edcd-34d5-5e05-bc82-eea3f760b3a2-8077152.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/828x463_cmsv2_26a2edcd-34d5-5e05-bc82-eea3f760b3a2-8077152.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1080x604_cmsv2_26a2edcd-34d5-5e05-bc82-eea3f760b3a2-8077152.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1200x671_cmsv2_26a2edcd-34d5-5e05-bc82-eea3f760b3a2-8077152.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1920x1073_cmsv2_26a2edcd-34d5-5e05-bc82-eea3f760b3a2-8077152.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Feathers are collected in a non-invasive way and can give scientists an insight into the bird&apos;s health<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Luke McPake<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"If they ingest heavy metal contaminants while growing feathers, that&#039;s deposited in their feathers. They can tell us if that&#039;s a threat for that population or if the area they are foraging is contaminated,\" Maira explains, hopeful that the data collected in this non-invasive manner will aid wildlife management strategies.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8034196,7819424,7759670\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2023//08//14//meet-the-crew-saving-the-worlds-most-endangered-marine-life-off-the-coast-of-mexico/">Meet the crew saving the world's most endangered marine life off the coast of Mexico<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2023//07//24//meet-the-conservationists-saving-rare-animals-in-uganda/">Meet the conservationists saving rare animals in Uganda<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2023//11//13//meet-indias-superhero-saving-ponds-from-stagnation/">Meet India\u2019s superhero saving ponds from stagnation<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Maira was a postgraduate student, obtaining a master&#039;s degree when she first peeked into feathers. She focused her thesis on using bird feathers as a population and ocean health monitoring tool. Her study caught the attention of the Auckland Council, and her work is now incorporated there.<\/p>\n<p>\"I feel really lucky. Not many people can say they&#039;ve had that chance to take their results and make a difference,\" the South American native admits.<\/p>\n<h2>Birds of a feather flock together<\/h2><p>Maira attributes her interest in seabirds to the similarities they share.<\/p>\n<p>\"The first thing that attracted me to seabirds was that they are immigrants like me. I was born in Sao Paulo in Brazil, and I live in Auckland, New Zealand,\" Maira continues..<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, in the summer months or when conditions are favourable, most seabirds flock to New Zealand to breed where, historically, there were no natural predators. In different periods of the year, these migratory birds hunt in hyper-fertile waters where nutrients abound, some flying as far as South America.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.562268803945746\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//07//71//52//808x454_cmsv2_52807843-ba5e-50a9-8c0b-04f86f61b9f9-8077152.jpg/" alt=\"Seabirds breed along the coast and are competing with humans for prime real estate\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/384x216_cmsv2_52807843-ba5e-50a9-8c0b-04f86f61b9f9-8077152.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/640x360_cmsv2_52807843-ba5e-50a9-8c0b-04f86f61b9f9-8077152.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/750x422_cmsv2_52807843-ba5e-50a9-8c0b-04f86f61b9f9-8077152.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/828x466_cmsv2_52807843-ba5e-50a9-8c0b-04f86f61b9f9-8077152.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1080x607_cmsv2_52807843-ba5e-50a9-8c0b-04f86f61b9f9-8077152.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1200x675_cmsv2_52807843-ba5e-50a9-8c0b-04f86f61b9f9-8077152.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1920x1080_cmsv2_52807843-ba5e-50a9-8c0b-04f86f61b9f9-8077152.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Seabirds breed along the coast and are competing with humans for prime real estate<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Mohit Vankawala<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Knowing that her work in New Zealand could also impact South America, where she comes from, makes it worthwhile for Maira.<\/p>\n<p>\"Seabirds are perfect because they just join all my worlds together, both geographically and ecologically. It really resonated with me and with what I wanted to do with my life,\" she adds.<\/p>\n<p>While she never expected to work in New Zealand, Maira had always envisioned an exciting and dynamic career. Recently, this vision came to life.<\/p>\n<p>\"I have fieldwork, but I&#039;m also in front of the computer. It&#039;s very fulfilling and very intellectually stimulating,\" says Maira.<\/p>\n<p>However, her adventurous work comes with its challenges.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.562268803945746\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//07//71//52//808x454_cmsv2_58e1acc4-1e4a-59be-aad7-6f50b6cc33e3-8077152.jpg/" alt=\"Fieldwork for ecologists like Maira include treacherous treks to the animal&apos;s natural habitat\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/384x216_cmsv2_58e1acc4-1e4a-59be-aad7-6f50b6cc33e3-8077152.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/640x360_cmsv2_58e1acc4-1e4a-59be-aad7-6f50b6cc33e3-8077152.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/750x422_cmsv2_58e1acc4-1e4a-59be-aad7-6f50b6cc33e3-8077152.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/828x466_cmsv2_58e1acc4-1e4a-59be-aad7-6f50b6cc33e3-8077152.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1080x607_cmsv2_58e1acc4-1e4a-59be-aad7-6f50b6cc33e3-8077152.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1200x675_cmsv2_58e1acc4-1e4a-59be-aad7-6f50b6cc33e3-8077152.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1920x1080_cmsv2_58e1acc4-1e4a-59be-aad7-6f50b6cc33e3-8077152.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Fieldwork for ecologists like Maira include treacherous treks to the animal&apos;s natural habitat<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Luke McPake<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"There&#039;s a lot of weight-bearing, and some days of hiking, it&#039;s 12 hours hiking, really tough terrains,\" she says.<\/p>\n<p>As environmental ecologists, both Maira and Todd appreciate and respect the arduous trek because it puts them in the birds&#039; environment.<\/p>\n<p>\"We go to some very interesting places. It&#039;s a wonderful world to interact with,\" Todd says.<\/p>\n<h2>\"Don't give up\"<\/h2><p>Despite the difficulties of their work, Todd is encouraged by Maira&#039;s participation.<\/p>\n<p>\"Young people really bring an enthusiasm to conservation in terms of getting the message out. It&#039;s very important to keep the momentum going for this sort of work,\" he explains.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//07//71//52//808x454_cmsv2_020c4350-9159-5d73-89fd-95e4f9d88847-8077152.jpg/" alt=\"Maira and her long time mentor, Todd Landers, work together tirelessly to study seabirds\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/384x216_cmsv2_020c4350-9159-5d73-89fd-95e4f9d88847-8077152.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/640x360_cmsv2_020c4350-9159-5d73-89fd-95e4f9d88847-8077152.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/750x422_cmsv2_020c4350-9159-5d73-89fd-95e4f9d88847-8077152.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/828x466_cmsv2_020c4350-9159-5d73-89fd-95e4f9d88847-8077152.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1080x608_cmsv2_020c4350-9159-5d73-89fd-95e4f9d88847-8077152.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1200x675_cmsv2_020c4350-9159-5d73-89fd-95e4f9d88847-8077152.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/1920x1080_cmsv2_020c4350-9159-5d73-89fd-95e4f9d88847-8077152.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Maira and her long time mentor, Todd Landers, work together tirelessly to study seabirds<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Luke McPake<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Maira concurs, acknowledging that the pessimism around conservation and environmental sciences can be discouraging.<\/p>\n<p>\"You can&#039;t expect to save a whole species in a month. Don&#039;t give up. We need to keep fighting. The alternative is to just let it all crumble. We can&#039;t do that,\" Maira explains.<\/p>\n<p>Determined to inspire others to become proponents of environmental activism, Maira continues to spread the conservation message. She is confident that there is still an opportunity to make a difference and save species through her work.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1701345215,"updatedAt":1711367334,"publishedAt":1701707452,"firstPublishedAt":1701684372,"lastPublishedAt":1711367334,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Kadambari Gladding","altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1620,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_60e6b658-71b5-5874-a0d9-83c49b16cae6-8077152.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":910},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Luke McPake","altText":"Feathers are collected in a non-invasive way and can give scientists an insight into the bird's health","callToActionText":null,"width":1598,"caption":"Feathers are collected in a non-invasive way and can give scientists an insight into the bird's health","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_26a2edcd-34d5-5e05-bc82-eea3f760b3a2-8077152.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":893},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Luke McPake","altText":"Seabirds breed along the coast and are competing with humans for prime real estate","callToActionText":null,"width":1622,"caption":"Seabirds breed along the coast and are competing with humans for prime real estate","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_52807843-ba5e-50a9-8c0b-04f86f61b9f9-8077152.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":912},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Intern 05\/","altText":"zzz","callToActionText":null,"width":1622,"caption":"zzz","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5451ce16-3817-5df7-820a-8ee4a2c8be2e-8077152.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":911},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Kadambari Gladding","altText":"zzz","callToActionText":null,"width":1622,"caption":"zzz","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_58e1acc4-1e4a-59be-aad7-6f50b6cc33e3-8077152.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":912},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Kadambari Gladding","altText":"zzz","callToActionText":null,"width":1616,"caption":"zzz","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_020c4350-9159-5d73-89fd-95e4f9d88847-8077152.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":909},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Kadambari Gladding","altText":"zzz","callToActionText":null,"width":1625,"caption":"zzz","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/71\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e616102f-15ef-53b5-87d7-7f787880ef48-8077152.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":911}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"Alshahab","twitter":null,"title":"Sharifah Fadhilah Alshahab"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"ecology","titleRaw":"Ecology","id":4365,"title":"Ecology","slug":"ecology"},{"urlSafeValue":"birds","titleRaw":"Birds","id":14368,"title":"Birds","slug":"birds"},{"urlSafeValue":"conservation","titleRaw":"conservation","id":24902,"title":"conservation","slug":"conservation"},{"urlSafeValue":"wildlife-conservation","titleRaw":"wildlife conservation","id":24900,"title":"wildlife conservation","slug":"wildlife-conservation"},{"urlSafeValue":"biodiversity","titleRaw":"biodiversity","id":14370,"title":"biodiversity","slug":"biodiversity"},{"urlSafeValue":"extinction","titleRaw":"Extinction","id":27696,"title":"Extinction","slug":"extinction"}],"widgets":[{"count":6,"slug":"image"},{"count":1,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2413414},{"id":2507422},{"id":2513292}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"editorial.ocean.news"},{"path":"editorial.ocean"},{"path":"editorial"},{"path":"editorial.newsletter"},{"path":"editorial"},{"path":"editorial.media-city"},{"path":"editorial"},{"path":"editorial.qatar-scenes"},{"path":"editorial"}],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"NBiJaC8I_Kk","dailymotionId":"x8q8912"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":363000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":45626701,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/S4\/WB\/23\/12\/04\/en\/231204_S4WB_54051749_54095627_363000_140359_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":363000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":68279629,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/S4\/WB\/23\/12\/04\/en\/231204_S4WB_54051749_54095627_363000_140359_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Kadambari Gladding","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"scenes","urlSafeValue":"scenes","title":"Scenes","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/culture-series\/scenes"},"vertical":"culture","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"culture","id":10,"title":"Culture","slug":"culture"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"culture-series","id":"culture-series","title":"Culture Series","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/culture-series"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":55,"urlSafeValue":"culture-series","title":"Culture series"},"advertising":1,"advertisingData":{"startDate":1630511520,"endDate":2114355123,"type":"sponsored","slug":"Scenes","title":"Media City - Qatar","disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":"Media 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Zealand","url":"\/news\/oceania\/new-zealand"},"town":{"id":4286,"urlSafeValue":"auckland","title":"Auckland"},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','gs_science','gt_positive','progressivemedia','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','gs_science_geography','gt_positive_curiosity','gs_edu','gs_edu_college','gs_edu_college_postgrad','gs_education','neg_bucherer','client_easports_sporting_gaming','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-web","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"S4-49-Saving Seabirds - New Zealand Scenes S03 EP49 - MASTER WEB","path":"\/culture\/2023\/12\/04\/meet-the-ecologist-spreading-her-wings-in-new-zealand-to-save-seabirds","lastModified":1711367334},{"id":2425006,"cid":8074684,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"231129_HLSU_54036070","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Omicron variants may cause fewer long COVID cases than previous strains, study finds","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Omicron variants may cause fewer long COVID cases, study says","titleListing2":"Omicron variants may cause fewer long COVID cases than previous strains, study finds","leadin":"A new study analysed the prevalence of long COVID in the population and found fewer cases of lasting symptoms associated with more recent strains.","summary":"A new study analysed the prevalence of long COVID in the population and found fewer cases of lasting symptoms associated with more recent strains.","keySentence":"","url":"omicron-variants-may-cause-fewer-long-covid-cases-than-previous-strains-study-finds","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/health\/2023\/11\/29\/omicron-variants-may-cause-fewer-long-covid-cases-than-previous-strains-study-finds","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"New variants of COVID-19 are less likely to cause persistent symptoms months later, according to a new pre-print study. \n\nResearchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia analysed data from confirmed COVID-19 infections between January 2020 and October 2022 and interviewed more than 12,000 people for the study. \n\nThe authors found that persistent symptoms after COVID-19 - also known as long COVID - were common, with nearly 40 per cent of people with COVID-19 infections reporting at least one persistent new symptom compared with 20 per cent of the control group. \n\nAround 14 per cent of study participants who had a previous COVID-19 infection reported at least one persistent symptom of COVID-19 that continued to cause problems three months on. \n\nOne in five of the people with long COVID experienced impairment at 12 months, but as the pandemic progressed, COVID-19 became less likely to cause persistent symptoms. \n\nThe researchers found that people infected with the newest strain of COVID-19, Omicron, which was first detected two years ago, were less likely to have long COVID. \n\nAround 25 per cent of people infected with the original COVID-19 strain developed long COVID and had moderate problems with their usual activities after three months. That compared to around 22 per cent of people with the Delta strain who developed long COVID. \n\nHowever, just 12 per cent of people infected with Omicron reported long COVID, the researchers found. \n\n\u201cWe cannot exclude the possibility that the difference in vaccination between the ancestral and Delta groups, but is unlikely to explain the subsequent decrease in long COVID in later strains as the rates of immunisation do not increase a great deal,\u201d Alex Holmes, an associate professor in psychiatry at the University of Melbourne and study author, told Euronews Next. \n\nThe researchers also determined that people at greater risk for long COVID include women, people between the ages of 40 and 49 and those with previous chronic illness, past anxiety and depression or who had severe COVID-19. \n\nHolmes added that studying long COVID could \u201copen up opportunities\u201d for more research into \u201cimmunological and autoimmune mechanisms that may have wider benefits in terms of other conditions\u201d. \n\nLong COVID widespread \n\nPrevious studies have found that persistent symptoms after a COVID-19 infection are widespread. \n\nAn estimated 36 million people living in Europe and some parts of central Asia may have experienced long COVID in the three years since the beginning of the pandemic, according to estimates from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. \n\nMeanwhile, a survey of a quarter of a million people in the UK found that tens of thousands of people in England may have lasting COVID-19 symptoms more than a year after infection. \n\nThe most common symptoms include fatigue, difficulty thinking and concentrating, and joint pains, the analysis found. \n\nPrevious studies have also found that the risk of developing long COVID was lower with the latest strain of the virus Omicron than with the previous strain Delta. \n\nAn analysis from researchers at King\u2019s College London compared 56,000 adults who tested positive for COVID-19 infection between December 2021 and March 2022 compared to around 41,000 who tested positive between June 2021 and November 2021. \n\nThey found that just 4.5 per cent reported they had experienced long COVID during the Omicron period compared to 10.8 per cent during the Delta period. \n\n\u201cThe Omicron variant appears substantially less likely to cause Long-COVID than previous variants but still 1 in 23 people who catch COVID-19 go on to have symptoms for more than four weeks,\u201d lead author Claire Steves from King\u2019s College London, said in a statement last year. \n\nShe added that \u201cgiven the numbers of people affected\u201d, they should continue to be supported at work, at home and in the health system. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>New variants of COVID-19 are less likely to cause persistent symptoms months later, according to a new pre-print study.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia analysed data from confirmed COVID-19 infections between January 2020 and October 2022 and interviewed more than 12,000 people for the study.<\/p>\n<p>The authors found that persistent symptoms after COVID-19 - also known as long COVID - were common, with nearly 40 per cent of people with COVID-19 infections reporting at least one persistent new symptom compared with 20 per cent of the control group.<\/p>\n<p>Around 14 per cent of study participants who had a previous COVID-19 infection reported at least one persistent symptom of COVID-19 that continued to cause problems three months on.<\/p>\n<p>One in five of the people with long COVID experienced impairment at 12 months, but as the pandemic progressed, COVID-19 became less likely to cause persistent symptoms.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers found that people infected with the newest strain of COVID-19, Omicron, which was first detected two years ago, were less likely to have long COVID.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"4806306\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2020//07//16//chronic-covid-meet-the-survivors-who-ve-had-coronavirus-symptoms-for-months/">Chronic COVID? Meet the survivors who've had coronavirus symptoms for months<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Around 25 per cent of people infected with the original COVID-19 strain developed long COVID and had moderate problems with their usual activities after three months. That compared to around 22 per cent of people with the Delta strain who developed long COVID.<\/p>\n<p>However, just 12 per cent of people infected with Omicron reported long COVID, the researchers found.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe cannot exclude the possibility that the difference in vaccination between the ancestral and Delta groups, but is unlikely to explain the subsequent decrease in long COVID in later strains as the rates of immunisation do not increase a great deal,\u201d Alex Holmes, an associate professor in psychiatry at the University of Melbourne and study author, told Euronews Next.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers also determined that people at greater risk for long COVID include women, people between the ages of 40 and 49 and those with previous chronic illness, past anxiety and depression or who had severe COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>Holmes added that studying long COVID could \u201copen up opportunities\u201d for more research into \u201cimmunological and autoimmune mechanisms that may have wider benefits in terms of other conditions\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2>Long COVID widespread<\/h2><p>Previous studies have found that persistent symptoms after a COVID-19 infection are widespread.<\/p>\n<p>An estimated <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2023//06//28//36-million-people-in-the-european-region-are-living-with-long-covid-symptoms-who-says/">36 million people<\/strong><\/a> living in Europe and some parts of central Asia may have experienced long COVID in the three years since the beginning of the pandemic, according to estimates from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, a survey of a quarter of a million people in the UK found that tens of thousands of people in England may have lasting COVID-19 symptoms more than a year after infection.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7711424\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//health//2023//06//28//36-million-people-in-the-european-region-are-living-with-long-covid-symptoms-who-says/">'We're still at home sick': 36 million people across Europe are living with long COVID symptoms<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The most common symptoms include fatigue, difficulty thinking and concentrating, and joint pains, the analysis found.<\/p>\n<p>Previous studies have also found that the risk of developing long COVID was lower with the latest strain of the virus Omicron than with the previous strain Delta.<\/p>\n<p>An analysis from researchers at King\u2019s College London compared 56,000 adults who tested positive for COVID-19 infection between December 2021 and March 2022 compared to around 41,000 who tested positive between June 2021 and November 2021.<\/p>\n<p>They found that just 4.5 per cent reported they had experienced long COVID during the Omicron period compared to 10.8 per cent during the Delta period.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Omicron variant appears substantially less likely to cause Long-COVID than previous variants but still 1 in 23 people who catch COVID-19 go on to have symptoms for more than four weeks,\u201d lead author Claire Steves from King\u2019s College London, said in a statement last year.<\/p>\n<p>She added that \u201cgiven the numbers of people affected\u201d, they should continue to be supported at work, at home and in the health system.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1701258195,"updatedAt":1701258840,"publishedAt":1701258838,"firstPublishedAt":1701258840,"lastPublishedAt":1701258840,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Gints Ivuskans \/ AFP","altText":"A man wearing a protective face mask sits in a city bus in Latvia.","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"A man wearing a protective face mask sits in a city bus in Latvia.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/07\/46\/84\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a6ac6d8b-cf0f-5334-a1b4-e58ad86f44ea-8074684.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"chadwick","twitter":null,"title":"Lauren Chadwick"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"long-covid","titleRaw":"Long COVID","id":26464,"title":"Long COVID","slug":"long-covid"},{"urlSafeValue":"covid-vaccine","titleRaw":"Covid Vaccine","id":24154,"title":"Covid Vaccine","slug":"covid-vaccine"},{"urlSafeValue":"omicron","titleRaw":"Omicron","id":26122,"title":"Omicron","slug":"omicron"},{"urlSafeValue":"omicron-variant","titleRaw":"Omicron variant","id":26124,"title":"Omicron 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