The “Queen” of this year’s Monaco Yacht Show is set to be the enormous 115m Ahpo, a Lürssen megayacht featuring fuel cell technology. Here are some others that have made the list so far.
Top photo: Ahpo super yacht. Article by Cassandra Tanti and Stephanie Horsman
Restoring coastal vegetation, commonly called “blue carbon” habitats, may not be working in quite the way it was hoped it would, according to a new report by researchers, who are calling the practice “risky”.
The restoration of coastal areas such as mangroves, saltmarshes and seagrasses have long been thought useful in the removal of large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But scientists from the University of East Anglia (UEA), the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the OACIS initiative of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation are challenging this view after completing a study which has just been published in the journal Frontiers in Climate.
It identifies seven reasons why carbon accounting for these coastal ecosystems is not only a big challenge but may also be harmful. They include the high variability in carbon burial rates, continued vulnerability to climate change, and fluctuations in methane and nitrous oxide output. The researchers also assessed the costs of these restoration projects.
“If you want to have extra carbon removal, you need extra habitat, and the scope for restoration is limited. Many of these sites have been built on, for coastal settlement, tourism and port development,” said Lead author Dr. Phil Williamson. “Nevertheless, we believe that every effort should be made to halt, and wherever possible reverse, the worldwide loss of coastal vegetation. That’s because blue carbon habitats are more than carbon stores – they also provide storm protection, support biodiversity and fisheries, and improve water quality.”
As more countries and businesses pledge to reduce carbon footprints, knowing what actually works and what doesn’t is important.
“If we use these ecosystems for carbon offsets in a major way, expecting that they would remove up to, say, 100 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide over the period 2025-2100, but find they only remove 10 or maybe just one gigatonne of CO2, then climate tipping points could be crossed, with really serious consequences,” said Dr. Williamson.
“Restoration should therefore be in addition to, not as a substitute for, near-total emission reductions. Where coastal blue ecosystems restoration projects are carried out primarily for carbon removal, they need to include comprehensive long-term monitoring to verify that the intended climate benefits are being achieved.”
The curtain will rise on AS Monaco’s Ligue 1 season with a trip to Strasbourg on Saturday. Can Philippe Clement’s men challenge PSG, who reigned supreme last year?
Speaking at a press conference, which inaugurated the beginning of pre-season back in June, sporting director Paul Mitchell said that the objective was to “improve” on last season. Given that Monaco finished on the Ligue 1 podium last season, “improvement”, at least on a domestic level, can reasonably be interpreted as mounting a title push.
PSG will once again begin the season as hot favourites, and few would bet against them winning consecutive Ligue 1 titles, and their eighth in the last 10 seasons. The club have invested smartly during the transfer window. Vitinha, Hugo Ekitike and Nordi Mukiele bolster a team that is already primed to compete for the top honours in European football. Should the arrivals of Milan Skriniar and Renato Sanches also be confirmed, they would represent a truly terrifying outfit.
There are, however, uncertainties going into the upcoming campaign. New manager Christophe Galtier has never handled a team full of international stars. Undoubtedly a shrewd technician, a different kind of challenge awaits the Frenchman at the Parc des Princes. Time will tell how he rises to it.
Should that appointment not work out, it is hard to argue that anyone other than Monaco are best place to profit from any slip-up. Despite losing their talisman in Aurélien Tchouaméni, few, if any of their rivals, have invested as smartly as Monaco, although gaps do admittedly remain.
A forward line consisting of Kylian Mbappé, Neymar and Lionel Messi cannot be rivalled, but on paper, it is hard to see anyone other than the current French champions scoring more than Monaco this season. The fourth highest scorers during last season’s campaign, Monaco have strengthened further in the forward department.
Both Takumi Minamino and Breel Embolo arrive with elite international and European-level experience as well as with a point to prove. They are both arriving in the prime of their career and looking to take on a more prominent role. That applies particularly to Minamino, who after dazzling at Red Bull Salzburg and whilst at Southampton on loan, saw his game time heavily constrained at Liverpool.
Whilst Monaco have a wealth of attacking options, including the returning Krépin Diatta, who Mitchell said would feel like a “new signing,” their midfield, and potentially defensive options still need enhancing.
Tchouaméni has yet to be replaced, although the club are heavily linked with a move for Leicester’s Boubakary Soumaré. Regardless of his arrival, there is an expectation that others will have to step up to bridge that deficit. Chief amongst them is Youssouf Fofana, who will be looking to pick up where he left off after hitting a purple patch at the end of last season. Youngsters Eliot Matazo and Félix Lemarechal can also expect to feature more prominently. Replacing Tchouaméni won’t be the role of an individual, but of the entire team.
Whilst Monaco have great depth in both full-back positions, the same cannot necessarily be said about centre-back. Given that Monaco will compete in some level of European competition next season, the trio of Axel Disasi, Guillermo Maripán and Benoît Badiashile, may not give them the required depth to compete on all fronts. The future of the latter also remains unclear, and given many top club’s need for a quality centre-back, those rumours will likely drag on until the end of the transfer window. Whether he goes or stays, Monaco may still be a player short in that department.
However, overall, Monaco fare better than most. Closest rivals Marseille, Rennes and Nice have not had transfer windows as plentiful as the Monégasques. The latter in particular have struggled to recruit, and given that they will compete in the Europa Conference League next season, they currently don’t have the depth to compete on all fronts.
“Improvement” as Mitchell puts it, is very much within this squad’s capabilities, especially now that Clement has a full pre-season under his belt as Monaco manager. The Belgian technician certainly showed enough promise last season to suggest that Monaco fans should be excited.
That bubble of excitement could, however, be easily burst, with Monaco facing an incredibly tough start to the season. As well as facing six of last season’s top eight in the first seven Ligue 1 fixtures, Monaco must also try and succeed where they failed last campaign, by qualifying for the Champions League. Their route into the group stages will be tough. Having drawn PSV in the third round, they must first beat their Dutch opponents before also advancing in the fourth round, where they will face either Rangers or Union Saint Gilloise.
The club’s relentless start to the campaign does abate after the September international break. The hope will be that Monaco are still alive and kicking on all fronts when that (slight) respite arrives.
The title may be a step too far for Monaco. PSG, on their day, are a tough match for every elite side in Europe. The key for Monaco will be keeping within striking distance so that should they slip-up, should the Galtier appointment prove to be a failed gamble, they will be the ones to profit. As is the case every season, there is a feeling of opportunity and optimism going into the opening weekend, it is now up to Clement’s men to keep that feeling alive as they head into “the sprint within a marathon.”
Photo source: AS Monaco football club
If you were thinking this heatwave couldn’t go on for much longer, think again. This is what forecasters are predicting for the rest of August and September.
If you are anywhere in Europe this week, you’ll be sweltering through what feels like a continual heatwave.
Around 26 areas in France have been put on ‘orange alert’ as temperatures soar to potentially record-breaking levels.
Holiday hotspots in mainland Spain, Majorca and Ibiza are facing temperatures of between 36-38°C, while Rome and Madrid are suffering through highs of 35°C.
Locally, the thermometer reached up to 33-34°C in Monaco and surrounding cities on Wednesday. The average maximum in Monaco in August is generally around 27°C.
But how long can this heatwave last?
Well, there doesn’t appear to be any significant downturn soon. Temperatures in the 30s are expected to continue from Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th August.
For the week from Monday 8th to Sunday 14th August, Meteo France says the weather will be mostly hot, dry and sunny in most areas. However, some budding clouds carrying locally stormy showers are possible in the mountains, driving temperatures down a few degrees. But this will be short lived, because the mercury is set to return to above normal and new episodes of hot weather are forecast in the southern half of France during the week.
Meteo France says it is a trend that will continue into the last two weeks of August, with temperatures expected to remain above normal in the 30s for the season.
Only a slight drop in temperature is expected at the start of September, with highs of 28-29°C still forecast, before hitting the mid-20s around the 12th of September.
Photo source: Monaco Life
AS Monaco drew 1-1 against PSV Eindhoven at the Stade Louis II on Tuesday as the Principality club kept their Champions League hopes alive with a late Axel Disasi equaliser.
Monaco will therefore head to the Netherlands next week with everything to play for. On the balance of play, Philippe Clement will be disappointed to not be going into the second-leg with a lead, as he alluded to in his post-match press conference: “If a team were to win tonight, it was us,” said the Belgian coach.
It could have been worse, however. PSV had initially taken the lead in the first-half thanks to a thunderous Joey Veerman strike from the edge of the box, after Monaco’s new-look midfield pivot of Youssouf Fofana and Eliot Matazo were dragged out of position.
Prior to that, Monaco were left bemoaning a refereeing decision, or lack of one, which could have significantly altered the course of the match. A fierce Fofana strike hit Ibrahim Sangaré’s arm, warranting a VAR check, but nothing further. “For me, as the Monaco manager, it’s a penalty,’ said Clement. ‘The arm isn’t by the side of the body. We’ll see how UEFA standardise that,” he continued.
In the second-half, Monaco continued to look the more threatening of the two sides, but lacked the cutting edge to create clear-cut chances. That changed after a highly influential double substitution going into the final 15 minutes of the match. Sofiane Diop and new signing Breel Embolo both made their presence felt off the bench and turned the tide of the fixture.
Nimble, progressive and direct running from the pair drew free-kicks across the pitch, one of which was crucially converted. Ismail Jakobs, in the starting line-up in place of Caio Henrique, whipped the ball in for Axel Disasi to scramble home. The centre-back doesn’t score many, but on Monday, Clement had revealed how he expects him to score more in matches. “In training he scores goals,” said Clement pre-match.
Having scored a crucial equaliser, Monaco pushed for the winner, and they almost got it. Disasi was once again the danger man in the box. His shot was blocked and on the follow up, Fofana struck the post. A late barrage ensued; Monaco’s fitness advantage was clear for all to see.
However, neither side could find the winner and both sides will head to Eindhoven next week with everything to play for, but also everything to lose.
To prevail, Monaco will need to once again show the “exemplary mentality” that they displayed in the first-leg in order to get the win.
Should they get the victory at the Philips Stadium, just as they did in the Europa League group stages last season (2-1), they will face either Rangers or Union Saint-Gilloise in the final qualification round.
Photo source: AS Monaco football club
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