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Day: 22 March 2022

Poles experience extreme temps upto 40°C above normal

by: Cassandra Tanti
22/03/2022

Record highs at both the Arctic and the Antarctic over the weekend have shocked researchers. It comes just weeks after Monaco held the world’s first polar summit and call to action. 

Parts of eastern Antarctica were around 40°C above average on Friday, with Italian-French weather station Concordia at 3,234 metres above sea level recording its highest ever temperature of -11.8°C. That’s 40°C warmer than seasonal norms.

The March temperature record at Antarctica’s Vostok station was broken by almost 15°C and the Terra Nova Base on the Antarctic coast hit +7°C.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the planet, parts of the Arctic were experiencing extremes of around 30°C above the monthly average, with heat records also broken in Norway and unusually warm temperatures recorded in Greenland.

According to the Associated Press, the Antarctic continent as a whole on Friday was about 4.8°C warmer compared to averages between 1979 and 2000, while the Arctic was 3.3°C warmer than the same period.

Scientists don’t believe that the simultaneous occurrence in the poles is related, although this will be examined further. A very high-pressure system drove moist air from the Southern Ocean down across Antarctica, where it was actually warm enough to fall as rain on the coast thanks to an atmospheric river.

In the Arctic, an intense low pressure system formed off the north-east coast of the United States. An atmospheric river formed at its junction with an adjacent high pressure system, funnelling warm air into the Arctic circle.

The extraordinary weather event comes just a week after it was reported that Antarctic sea ice shrank to below two million square kilometres this year, the lowest minimum extent since satellite recordings began 43 years ago. This was attributed partly to strong winds pushing ice out of the Ross Sea, a bay off the coast of Antarctica, to areas farther north, where it is warmer and where the ice broke up and melted.

Monaco’s call for action

On 24th and 25th February, Monaco gathered experts for a polar-focussed scientific symposium called The Cold is Getting Hot: From Arctic to Antarctic at the Oceanographic Museum. It was the first time a global summit put the spotlight on both polar regions.

The meetings were opened by Prince Albert II, who warned in his keynote speech against “selfish interests and short-sighted economic calculations”.

The symposium was structured around four primary themes: Understanding changes in the poles, the contribution of polar changes to the global climate, the effects of polar changes on human societies and economies, and the management responses in the face of these problems and uncertainties.

The event conveyed a sense of urgency to address threats to polar regions and underscored the need for international commitments and global cooperation to address polar challenges and move towards a sustainable future.

The Prince Albert II Foundation organised the polar summit in conjunction with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), with participation by the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, the Prince Albert I of Monaco Foundation, the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, and the UN Decade for Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

 

 

 

Photo of Greenland by William Bossen on Unsplash

 

 

 

 

Covid rates continue steady upward march

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/03/2022

The number of Covid cases is again on the rise in Monaco and France, with the lifting of most restrictions and a sub variant of Omicron being cited as the causes. Hospitalisations, however, remain low.

Last week, from 14th to 20th March inclusive, the positivity rate in Monaco reached 17.18%, with an incidence rate of 910 per 100,000 inhabitants versus 621 the previous week.

France isn’t faring any better. The incidence rate in the Alpes Maritimes is now 867, and 898 in France, while the positive rate in the neighbouring French department is 23.2%.

Monaco dropped mandatory masks at schools on 7th March and the health pass one week later. France has also scrapped the need to wear masks in classrooms and at indoor public venues.

But the rise has not necessarily translated to hospitalisations. The Princess Grace Hospital Centre is currently treating around a dozen patients, three of whom are residents of the Principality, while only one is in intensive care. Meanwhile, France’s health Minister Olivier Veran announced a very modest 1.7% drop in admissions last week. Intensive care occupancy in the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region is 36%.

Whilst the rising numbers are of concern, experts are not raising alarm bells quite yet. The new variant, BA.2, does not appear to cause more severe disease, though it is thought to be highly infectious, like its predecessor. It is also believed that the vaccine is just as effective against this version as the previous one.

 

 

Photo of the Covid testing lab at the CSM by Monaco Life

 

 

 

“We cannot solve the climate crisis without saving the ocean”

by: Luke Entwistle
22/03/2022

Prince Albert II and U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry were amongst those who spoke at the Monaco Blue Initiative (MBI), a nexus event where global figures set about saving our oceans.

Monday’s event at the Oceanographic Institute in Monaco was the 13th of its kind, and arguably the most important, as the passing of time aggravates the crisis and makes the need for solutions more urgent.

Prince Albert II kicked off proceedings with a speech that highlighted the importance of the ongoing work of the MBI. “Whatever way we see our future, the ocean plays a key role. For the ocean probably more than any other component of our planet, we therefore need to come up with new ways of organising our activities, reconciling our ambitions, and protecting our common heritage together.”

At a time when the eyes of the world are diverted towards the war in Ukraine, Joe Biden’s Special Envoy John Kerry was insistent that nation states mustn’t lose sight of the goal to limit global warming at +1.5℃.

As Kerry pointed out, saving the oceans and the climate are one and the same. “We cannot solve the climate crisis without saving the ocean,” he said, “and we cannot save the ocean without taking care of climate issues.”

An existential threat requires a revolutionary response, leading Kerry to state, “The status quo is our enemy.”

Photo of Prince Albert giving the opening address during Monday’s Monaco Blue Initiative, by JC Vinaj/FPA2

Panellists and experts from a multitude of backgrounds, be it governmental, financial or environmental, then set about re-imagining an ocean-centric model of sustainability, but not before the doom and gloom assessments, which only highlighted the importance of reconceptualising our relationship with the environment, and specifically with our waters.

Currently, only between 7-10% of our oceans remain unperturbed by human activity. This stark statistic gives rise to the “30 by 30” commitment, where the aim is to have 30% of the world’s ocean protected by 2030. There is also a fear that plastic in the ocean could outweigh the fish in it by 2050 if no preventative action is taken.

The third session of the day was therefore pivotal in gathering the private sector, NGOs and governmental figures from around the world towards a common cause. There were calls to consolidate the goals enshrined in treaties, whilst a demand to end seabed mining and sea trawling was met with rapturous applause from those in attendance.

Discourse is one thing and action is another. There is an acceptance that although finance isn’t the entire solution, it can at least be part of it. Panellists discussed ways to funnel funding away from traditional, environmentally-harmful channels, although some believed that this would require nothing short of a fundamental reimagining of the economy.

In fact, the voices that resonated most strongly were those that highlighted the need for more deep-seeded systemic change. This was most succinctly summarised by Karen Sack, Executive Director of Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance U.S.A, who, in reference to whales, stated, “We’ve always valued killing, we need to start valuing living.”

According to many on the panel, this is the kind of shift in mentality that must be adopted in order to effectuate the fundamental change that will be key to saving our oceans and therefore our planet.

 

 

Photo: U.S. Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry, source Government Communication Department

MEB makes strides at Dubai International Yacht Show

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/03/2022

The Monaco Economic Board made a grand showing at the Dubai International Boat Show alongside other local yachting players to promote the Principality’s many advantages and to explore new trade opportunities.

The Dubai International Boat Show welcomed several Monaco entities, effectively strengthening ties already formed and creating new streams of business and communication between the two cities.

The show, held between 8th and 13th March, saw a presence from the Yacht Club of Monaco, Cluster Yachting Monaco, and other local companies linked to the sector.

The Monaco Economic Board (MEB) used the opportunity to meet again with players from Dubai whom they already had formed ties with during previous trade missions as well as to tap into new potential trade partners. The Expo 2020 in Dubai opened doors that allowed Monaco to have a high-profile pavilion on the site and gave people who knew little to nothing about the Principality a chance to learn about the benefits of working and doing business here.

Cluster Yachting Monaco organised a conference in the Monaco Pavilion on Yachting Design and Sustainability that drew key yachting professionals. The MEB was also there to speak to companies interested in setting up in Monaco.

Meetings were held throughout the event, giving MEB Executive Director Guillaume Rose and his Deputy Director Justin Highman time to meet their counterparts at Sharjah Invest, CEO Mohamed Juma AL Musharrkh and Investment Director Marwan Saleh Alichla.

Sharjah is widely recognised as the UAE’s cultural capital, as well as the industrial and nerve centre for education. The Emirates are also fast becoming known as a pioneer of sustainable development and logistics initiatives with its three ports and airport, and as an R&D and innovation hub.

MEB was also hosted by Hassan Al Hashemi, Vice President of long-time partner the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, to continue the working relationship and plan new projects, with MEB inviting the Dubai Chamber to bring a delegation to Monaco in 2023. 

MEB and partners gathered for a conference organised by Cluster Yachting on the theme ‘Yachting, Design and Sustainability’. Photo source: MEB

Additionally, a work meeting between Fahad Al Thani, Director at Dubai FDI, the Dubai government’s business development agency, and MEB’s directors discussed areas of potential business collaborations.

Michel Bouquier, the man behind Monaco Private Label, enabled key stakeholders in Monaco to meet prestigious figures in the Emirates at one of his recruitment dinners and MEB also organised a networking dinner for the 40-plus Monegasque entities and their local partners to consolidate ties and make new contacts.

For Guillaume Rose, the trip was “an opportunity to bring to fruition ties already established and create new ones to steer Monaco trade towards the economic fabric of one of the most dynamic cities in the world.”

MEB is preparing its next Trade Missions to Venice in May and Madrid in October.

 

 

Photo: MEB CEO Guillaume Rose, Deputy Director Justin Highman, Invest in Sharjah CEO Mohamed Juma AL Musharrkh, and Marwan Saleh Alichla, Director of Investment. Source: MEB

 

 

 

 

Monaco exhibition showcases human diversity

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/03/2022

Art-Box.Store and Espace 22 have teamed up for a new exhibition called Every Kind of People, highlighting the differences in people that help make the world a more interesting place.

It is often said that art has the power to inspire, unite and build bridges. In that context, Every Kind of People, the latest exhibition at Espace 22 in conjunction with Art-Box.Store is aiming to do all these things, as well as to raise money for a good cause.

The event is showcasing a dozen international artists who each use their own creative approach to the word “people”. Artists include Magdelena Gronowska, Manou Marzban, Christine Franceschini, Michal Zaborowski, Golec&Golec, Ksenia Usacheva, Arnieszka Sztejerwald, Anna Petrika, Anna Pabis-Guillaume, Renata Laytou-Branka, Rafal Frankiewicz, Nika Stanislavova, Mariusz Szydel and $abo Yulia, who is a special participant and will be painting live on site.

“These difficult times are calling upon us all to fight for human equality, for empathy, for tolerance and for intercultural communication,” say the organisers in a statement. “Today, diversity can be measured in many ways: age, race, sex, economics, geography, religion, and philosophy, but also by diversity of human ideas, backgrounds, and life experiences. Equality and non-discrimination are core values a fundamental right of every person.”

Funds raised during the show will benefit local association Chances for Children, who look after the care and needs of 54 orphans in Uganda, the world’s third poorest nation.

The exhibition runs from 14th to 27th March at Espace 22 and doors are open from 10am to 1pm, then again from 3pm to 7pm.

 

 

Photo: Hope, by Michal Zaborowski 

 

 

 

Arthur Leclerc launches his own title challenge

by: Luke Entwistle
22/03/2022

Charles wasn’t the only Leclerc to step onto the podium in Bahrain as his brother Arthur secured second place in Sunday’s F3 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Arthur Leclerc reaped the maximum from his PREMA car to secure the second place in the feature race, after a difficult qualifying had left him in the mid-field in 14th place. As the Monegasque driver stated at the time, his prospects for the opening race weekend seemed bleak: “It wasn’t the best qualifying for the team. We have been missing a bit of pace in every sector.”

With a lot of work to do to get into the points in the sprint race, Leclerc quickly set about his task, providing a brilliant display of overtaking as he weaved his way through the field. The best scrap he had was with rookie Gregoire Saucy, as Leclerc overtook the Swiss driver before losing the position on the following lap.

Their battle was prematurely ended when a collision between Saucy and his team-mate Victor Martins saw both drop back through the field. Leclerc took the gift and continued to move his way through the field, eventually finding himself in fifth position. A bold move down the inside of Zane Maloney on the penultimate corner of the last lap didn’t stick, and so the Monegasque driver had to settle for fifth, missing out on fourth by only a few thousandths of a second.

Leclerc’s rise through the field was even more spectacular in the feature race. A chaotic first lap, which saw multiple retirements, promoted Leclerc to eighth position, as he kept his nose clean before the safety car was deployed.

Turn one was where Leclerc wrapped up many of his overtakes, as his late-braking down the inside continued to reap rewards. It was this exact move that allowed Leclerc to get the job done on Franco Colapinto and take P2.

Martins’ superior pace kept him out of the clutches of the charging Leclerc as he took the victory. A second place for Leclerc, however, was a fitting reward for a remarkable, gritty drive from a difficult position.

“I am so happy about the result today. I think it’s the maximum we could do,” said Leclerc post-race.

Heading into the European stage of the season, which begins in Italy in late April, Leclerc is well-poised to challenge for the top spot, as he lies just one point behind championship leader Martins. The idea of two Leclerc world championships is a mouth-watering prospect, and one that is far from out of the realms of possibility.