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Climate Action 15: 2024's top global innovators powering green solutions

Johannesburg, Top leaders of the BRICS nations on Thursday decided to admit <keyword id="5927" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="argentina" source="Orion">Argentina</keyword>, <keyword id="6354912" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="egypt" source="Orion">Egypt</keyword>, <keyword id="61936" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ethiopia" source="Orion">Ethiopia</keyword>, <keyword id="41896" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iran" source="Orion">Iran</keyword>, <keyword id="50996" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="saudi-arabia" source="Orion">Saudi Arabia</keyword> and the <keyword id="6354870" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-arab-emirates" source="Orion">United Arab Emirates</keyword> as full members of the grouping that is largely seen as a counterweight to Western powers. The decision to induct the six countries to join the bloc from January 1 next year was announced by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the final day of the annual summit of the BRICS that currently comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. "We have consensus on the first phase of this expansion process, and further phases will follow," Ramaphosa, flanked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said at a media briefing at the end of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. With the entry of the six countries, the total number of members in the grouping is reaching 11 from the current five. The decision to expand the bloc is seen as an effort to reshape global governance while putting the voices of the Global South as a key priority area to advance the overall development agenda. The South African president said an agreement was reached on the "guiding principles, standards, criteria and procedures of the BRICS expansion process, which has been under discussion for quite a while". "We have decided to invite the Argentine Republic, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to become full members of BRICS," he added. Around 40 countries had shown interest in joining BRICS out of which 23 formally applied for the membership. In his media statement, Modi said the "expansion and modernisation" of BRICS is a message that all institutions in the world need to mould themselves according to changing times. "India has always fully supported the expansion of the BRICS membership. India has been of the view that the addition of new members will further strengthen BRICS as an organisation, and give a new impetus to all our common endeavours," he said. The prime minister said the decision to expand the bloc will further strengthen the faith of many countries in the multipolar world order. "The expansion and modernization of BRICS is a message that all the institutions of the world should adapt to the circumstances of the changing times," he said. "This is such an initiative that can become an example for the reform of other global institutions established in the 20th century," he added. Chinese President Xi described the expansion of BRICS as a "new starting point" for cooperation in the grouping. "It will bring new vigour to the BRICS cooperation mechanism, further strengthening a force for world peace and development," he said at the press briefing. The grouping took shape in September 2006 and it originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC). It was renamed as BRICS after South Africa was accepted as a full member in September 2010. At present, the BRICS represents 41 per cent of the global population, 24 per cent of the global GDP and 16 per cent of the global trade. The BRICS member nations have been the main engines of global economic growth over the years. Speaking remotely, Russian leader Vladimir Putin hailed the expansion. In his remarks, Ramaphosa said the BRICS valued the interests of other countries in building partnership with the grouping. "We have tasked our foreign ministers to further develop the BRICS partner country model and a list of prospective partner countries and report by the next summit," he said. "Through this Summit, BRICS has embarked on a new chapter in its effort to build a world that is fair, a world that is just, a world that is also inclusive and prosperous," he noted. In its Johannesburg declaration, the BRICS leaders said they appreciated the considerable interest shown by countries of the global South in becoming members of BRICS. Ramphosa said the BRICS is ready to explore opportunities for improving the "stability, reliability and fairness of the global financial architecture." He said the summit agreed to task the BRICS finance ministers and Central Bank governors to consider the issue of local currencies, payment instruments and platforms and report back to the leaders by the next summit. "We are concerned about ongoing conflicts in many parts of the world. We stress our commitment to the peaceful resolution of differences and disputes through dialogue and inclusive consultation," the South African president said. "We addressed our expectations for the BRICS economic partnership to generate tangible benefits for our communities and deliver viable solutions for common challenges faced by the global South," he said. "We shared our vision of BRICS as a champion of the needs and concerns of the peoples of the Global South. These include the need for beneficial economic growth, sustainable development and reform of multilateral systems," he added. The South African leader said the BRICS reiterated its commitment to inclusive multilateralism and upholding international law. On the Ukraine conflict, the BRICS called for peaceful resolution of the crisis. "We recall our national positions concerning the conflict in and around Ukraine as expressed at the appropriate fora, including the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly," the declaration said. "We note with appreciation relevant proposals of mediation and good offices aimed at peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, including the African Leaders Peace Mission and the proposed path for peace," it said.

BRICS decides to admit 6 countries as new members of grouping; focuses on voices of Global South

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "short but a very productive visit" to Jakarta, where he participated in the <keyword id="1493716" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ASEAN-India-Summit" source="Orion">ASEAN-India Summit</keyword> and the East Asia Summit, has concluded on Thursday, said Secretary (East), <keyword id="6374106" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ministry-of-external-affairs" source="Orion">Ministry of External Affairs</keyword> (MEA), <keyword id="331724" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="saurabh-kumar" source="Orion">Saurabh Kumar</keyword>. "Prime Minister's participation in this summit will give India-ASEAN relations a strategic direction," said Secretary Kumar. In a short video message posted on X, by MEA spokesperson <keyword id="10953867" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="arindam-bagchi" source="Orion">Arindam Bagchi</keyword>, Kumar summarised the key takeaways of <keyword id="2238662" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="pm-modi" source="Orion">PM Modi</keyword>'s Jakarta visit. He said that PM Modi highlighted the "need to amplify the voice of the Global South, including in the G20". The <keyword id="5891" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="asean" source="Orion">ASEAN</keyword> leaders welcomed PM Modi's leadership in the G20 and wished him success and also congratulated India for the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission. "Prime Minister had comprehensive discussions, including in areas such as connectivity, maritime cooperation, digital transformation, trade and economy, environment, health and traditional medicines. In each of these, the Prime Minister made specific proposals, which has already been put out in the form of a twelve-point proposal," said Kumar. He added, "Two joint statements were issued between India and ASEAN. These relate to maritime cooperation and food security. In maritime cooperation, areas such as safety and security of the maritime area, maritime domain awareness, disaster management, blue economy, et cetera, have been covered." Prime Minister also announced the formation of an ASEAN India Fund for Digital Future, which would provide financial connectivity between ASEAN and India, said Kumar, adding, "Prime Minister also announced support for ERIA (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia), which is an ASEAN think tank, which would be our knowledge partner to further deepen ASEAN-India relations." He also said that the Prime Minister, during his interactions and discussions, "called for a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific, emphasised ASEAN centrality and made the point that cod complements the same". Following his participation in the summits, PM Modi thanked Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, and the people. "Had a very short but fruitful Indonesia visit, where I met ASEAN and other leaders. I thank President @jokowi , the Indonesian Government and people for their welcome," wrote PM Modi on X. PM Modi, who is in Jakarta, will return to New Delhi on Thursday evening ahead of the <keyword id="42982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="g20-summit" source="Orion">G20 Summit</keyword>, which will be held on September 9 and 10. ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/g20-check-out-the-full-list-of-restricted-roads-in-delhi-during-summit/articleshow/103436759.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Delhiites, here are all the traffic restrictions as a result of the G20 summit</a>

ASEAN-India Summit: PM Modi highlights need to amplify voice of Global South during Jakarta visit

In <keyword id="6355117" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="south-africa" source="Orion">South Africa</keyword>'s Greater Kruger National Park, home to a substantial <keyword id="6370207" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lion" source="Orion">lion</keyword> population, a study reveals that mammals display greater fear towards human voices compared to lion snarls, dog barks, or gunshots associated with <keyword id="71847" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hunting" source="Orion">hunting</keyword>. Despite lions being formidable group-hunting predators, humans are identified as more lethal killers according to recent global research. A comprehensive experiment involved observing 19 mammal species' reactions to recordings of human voices, lion vocalisations, barking dogs, and gunshots. The recordings, featuring the four most spoken languages in the region (Tsonga, Northern Sotho, English, and Afrikaans), were played at conversational volumes. Custom waterproof systems with cameras and speakers were strategically placed at waterholes to record wildlife interactions. The study encountered challenges in safeguarding the equipment from hyenas and leopards, but the team persevered, accumulating 15,000 recordings over months. Analysis of these videos revealed that animals were twice as likely to flee waterholes upon hearing human voices compared to lion or hunting sounds. Remarkably, 95% of the analysed species, including giraffes, leopards, hyenas, zebras, warthogs, impalas, elephants, and rhinos, exhibited a stronger aversion to humans. The authors emphasise the deeply ingrained and pervasive fear of humans in wild animals, raising the possibility of leveraging this fear for <keyword id="30871" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="conservation" source="Orion">conservation</keyword> purposes. The study explores the potential use of a custom sound system to deter endangered animals from known <keyword id="6401331" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="poaching" source="Orion">poaching</keyword> grounds in South <keyword id="12925" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="africa" source="Orion">Africa</keyword>, with successful outcomes observed in deterring rhinos. The study's findings have been detailed in Current Biology.

Wild animals are more scared of human voices than lion snarls or even gunshots, shocking study finds

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jay Sean rose to fame in the 2000s with hits like "Down" and "Do You Remember."</li><li>He was the first South Asian artist to top the Billboard Hot 100.</li></ul>When British-Indian artist <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/4pADjHPWyrlAF0FA7joK2H">Jay Sean</a> first broke into the mainstream music scene two decades ago, he felt he had no choice but to sing in English."It wasn't as alienating as Punjabi coming from a Punjabi on stage," the singer, now 43, told Business Insider. He found subtle, creative ways to express his Indian roots in his music instead. "It would either be a Bollywood sample or it would be Eastern strings, or it would be the Indian flute," he said.The world may not have been ready for Sean to sing in Punjabi, but it was ready to make him a star. By the mid-2000s, he'd become the first South Asian artist to top the Billboard Hot 100, the first South Asian artist to perform on "Top of the Pops," and the first British Asian artist to have simultaneous Top 10 Billboard singles in the US.It would take a bit longer for Punjabi music to find its groove in the West. It was only once Sean saw K-pop go mainstream, Afrobeats being played on the radio, and Pitbull rapping in Spanish that he thought, "Why can't we have our artists who are doing the same?"Now, that's finally happening. Artists like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/diljitdosanjh/?hl=en">Diljit Dosanjh</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LEG9Ld1aLImEFEVHdWNSB">AP Dhillon</a> are singing and rapping in Punjabi over Western beats. And they're not just catering to a niche Indian audience — they're filling stadiums from Canada to Germany to Australia with thousands of fans and taking over late-<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0JDN_q6RBE">night stages</a> while proudly busting out Bhangra moves.It's a very different media landscape than the one Sean and people of his generation and ethnicity, like me, grew up in. As a Pakistani who moved to the US in 2002, right after 9/11, people of my background were not exactly celebrated in Hollywood. We were cast as exotic oddities in movie franchises like Indiana Jones, or as comedic fools like Apu in "The Simpsons." The West perceived South Asians as one-dimensional when in reality, we encompass a large geographic region that includes India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Afghanistan."For the longest time, I used to say if you were from another planet, you wouldn't think there's any Indians walking around anywhere," Sean said. "It was very hard to name even two or three South Asian artists in the mainstream music industry."Now, this demographic has grown so much that it will be hard for the music industry to ignore. A 2023 report from <a target="_blank" href="https://luminatedata.com/reports/yearend-music-industry-report/">Luminate</a> shows that India alone saw the biggest year-over-year increase in total annual on-demand music streams of any nation last year. Its 2023 total streams were up by nearly half a trillion plays (+463.7 billion) from 2022. The US, by contrast, saw a year-over-year increase of just 184 billion.<div type="image" title="Jay Sean wears a black bomber jacket sitting net to Veyah, a female singer wearing a teal, black and yellow striped shirt and Converse." height="1600" width="1200" msid="112636845" hostid="261" sizebytes="175430"></div>The internet has helped serve as a great equalizer in helping music go global. When Sean began his career, the way to get discovered was by showcasing your talents to record labels. Now, talent all over the world is emerging through platforms like YouTube and TikTok."You could be in the most remote village somewhere, and if you've got access to the internet and you've uploaded yourself singing — boom, you are out there for the whole world to discover you," Sean said.In fact, one of today's hottest Indian artists, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/diljitdosanjh/?hl=en">Diljit Dosanjh</a>, first broke through in 2020 when he entered Billboard's Social 50 chart, which ranks the most active artists on the world's leading social media platforms. It was his 11th album that finally got him there. In 2023, he became the first Indian artist to perform at Coachella.With the winds of change moving East, Jay Sean wants to find more South Asian artists and promote them. His record label 3AM Entertainment has partnered with Virgin Music Group and Range Media Partners to focus on artists from the South Asian diaspora, regardless of genre. You can see his eyes glow with excitement as he talks about the project."Our first signing is an absolutely phenomenal artist called <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuILunIEi48">Veyah</a>. I saw her on TikTok singing from her kitchen, and I was like, 'I don't know who you are or where you are, but you need to be in a music studio, not in a kitchen with a voice like that.'"Finding new South Asian talent is part of Sean's effort to give back to his community."It really was and has been important for the last 20 years for me to try and push that door down so that our rest of our people can come through," he said. "So I was like, 'Nah, I'm not going to rest until I know that we are good here.'"

South Asian music is having a moment. Jay Sean is making sure it's here to stay.  

<ul class="summary-list"><li>North Korea and South Korea are in an intensifying arms race. </li><li>North Korea has launched a series of missile tests. </li></ul>North Korea on Monday claimed it had tested a new weapon capable of far greater destruction than the ballistic missiles in its arsenal.The Hwasong-11Da-4.5, which has a 4.5-ton warhead, follows South Korea's development of multi-ton warhead ballistic missiles, designed as "bunker busters" that can take out North Korean nuclear bases, amid <a target="_blank" href="https://www.iiss.org/publications/strategic-comments/2021/the-arms-race-on-the-korean-peninsula/">an intensifying arms race on the peninsula.</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-says-it-tested-ballistic-missile-capable-carrying-super-large-2024-07-01/">The South Korean military called</a> the announcement a "deception," claiming North Korea had botched a test in which a missile crashed near Pyongyang.The situation could get more dangerous in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin's new security alliance with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.<h3 id="5ff7ce2f-7f8f-41a9-b1b5-bbfbe4fbd3c2">The UN seeks to contain North Korean aggression</h3>For decades, the UN Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member, has sought to restrict North Korea's nuclear weapons program, cutting off access to key technology and the global economy.Russia appeared wary of the potential threat North Korea posed on its eastern border and worked with countries, including the US, to isolate Kim — but the Ukraine war has changed that.Desperate for new supplies of ammunition and artillery for his army, Putin has found a willing new supplier in North Korea.According to reports, North Korea has supplied Russia with<a target="_blank" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/28/jong-un-has-sent-russia-3-million-shells-claims-south-korea/"> up to 3 million shells for its campaign in Ukraine</a>, along with ballistic missiles used to target Ukrainian cities.In turn, Russia is helping North Korea break its diplomatic, economic, and military isolation.It has increased food and fuel exports to North Korea and vetoed the renewal of a UN panel that monitors the sanctions against the country.The Kremlin is also suspected of handing North Korea vital satellite technology that the rogue state could use to monitor US allies in the region and, if there were a war, target their military assets more effectively.So far, Russia seems to have stopped short of providing North Korea with direct military support, though it has pledged to come to its aid if attacked.But analysts at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/new-russia-north-korea-security-alliance">the Center for Strategic and International Studies</a> are concerned that Kim could drive a "hard bargain" and demand more high-end nuclear and missile technology."North Korea would benefit from fielding a nuclear weapons force that could evade US missile defenses with high-end intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear submarines," they wrote in an article published June 20.North Korea may have exaggerated how well Monday's test went, but Russia's alliance is definitely enhancing the threat the country poses to the delicate security balance in East Asia.Improved missile technology could, in theory, enable North Korea to evade US missile defense systems and strike the US mainland, undermining the US's security pledge to South Korea.If North Korea comes closer to being able to strike the US, it could fuel "skepticism about American nuclear guarantees" and, in turn, "spark a renewed push by South Korea to develop its own nuclear deterrent," wrote analysts from the Wilson Center in April.South Korea's government has said it could send weapons to Ukraine in response, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.voanews.com/a/deepening-russia-north-korea-ties-test-us-south-korea-deterrence-strategy-/7681695.html">Voice of America reported Monday</a> that some South Korean politicians are questioning the effectiveness of America's nuclear deterrent.Politician Na Kyung Won said last week that deterrence was "currently working" but "does not guarantee the capacity to respond to the future changes in the security environment," the outlet reported.

North and South Korea are locked in a dangerous arms race. Putin may be about to make this worse.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Many medical experts were outraged when the US placed a <keyword id="6369388" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="travel-ban" source="Orion">travel ban</keyword> on southern African countries.</li><li>Experts told Insider the travel ban only stigmatizes countries and furthers global <keyword id="12412586" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="anti-blackness" source="Orion">anti-Blackness</keyword>.</li></ul>When the Biden administration implemented a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-restricting-travel-from-african-countries-monday-omicron-variant-reports-2021-11">travel ban against southern African countries</a> following the first detection of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-bad-will-omicron-covid-variant-get-us-winter-cases-2021-12">Omicron coronavirus variant</a>, US medical experts told Insider they were outraged.Fast forward a month later, the White House has heeded calls from frustrated experts and is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-administration-to-lift-southern-african-travel-restrictions-omicron-2021-12">changing course</a>. But some warn the damage has already been done."Stop the travel bans now," Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, the director of <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword> for the city of St. Louis, told Insider. "If there is a good reason for them, release the data so that we can understand why those eight Black, African, low-income countries are continuing to be targeted by them."<keyword id="11992087" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="south-africa" source="Orion">South Africa</keyword> first reported the Omicron variant to the <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/26-11-2021-classification-of-omicron-(b.1.1.529)-sars-cov-2-variant-of-concern">World Health Organization</a> on November 24 — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-southern-africa-detected-omicron-variant-so-quickly-2021-11">largely because the country has one of the most sophisticated surveillance programs in the world</a>. Two days later, after the WHO dubbed Omicron a "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-b11529-coronavirus-variant-of-concern-who-2021-11">variant of concern</a>", the US banned travelers from eight countries in the region: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini, Malawi, and Namibia.The White House announced December 24 that it <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59784259">plans</a> to lift the ban by year-end, but medical experts told Insider the US needs to do more than that.Davis and her colleagues said the US has already perpetuated global anti-Blackness in public health and they want the US to do more to promote global vaccine equity.<h2>Southern African leaders and medical experts called the travel ban 'Afrophobia'</h2>The global medical community has not seen a science-based explanation to ban travel from eight southern African countries, Davis said.Only two of the eight countries banned — Botswana and South Africa — had reported an Omicron case before the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-covid-variant-first-case-reported-in-us-2021-12">US identified its first on December 1</a>.African leaders harshly criticized the US's and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-ban-restrict-travel-from-southern-africa-over-virus-variant-2021-11">European countries'</a> move to limit travel from southern Africa.Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DrLazarusChakwera/posts/4637530143027805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote on Facebook</a> that "Covid measures must be based on science, not Afrophobia."<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/travel-ban-amid-new-variant-unjustified-south-africa-health-official-2021-11">South Africa's Health Minister Joe Phaahla called the bans "unjustified"</a> and said, "We must work together, not punish each other," adding, "Witch hunts don't benefit anyone."And Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, said "travel bans that target Africa <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-variant-who-slams-southern-africa-travel-bans-2021-11">attacks global solidarity</a>.""We will only get the better of the virus if we work together for solutions," Moeti said.<a href="https://www.healthjustice.co/about/">Dr. Oni Blackstock</a>, a doctor with roots in <a href="https://twitter.com/oni_blackstock/status/1468271086613708804?s=20">HIV research</a>, said the travel bans only perpetuate stigma and isolate those countries."This adds to this misconception about Sub-Saharan Africa," Blackstock told Insider. "The United States and other European countries were so quick to institute these travel bans for these countries without waiting to collect more information and see what are the other alternatives that might actually be more effective to limiting the spread of these variants."Botswana-based scientist <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/12/16/1064856213/the-scientist-in-botswana-who-identified-omicron-was-saddened-by-the-worlds-reac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sikhulile Moyo</a> first identified the Omicron variant in travelers from Europe, and he said he was "saddened" by the travel bans against southern African countries.The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-variant-in-europe-earlier-thought-netherlands-2021-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Netherlands</a> said at the end of November that its first Omicron case dated back to November 19 — supporting the possibility that South Africa wasn't where the variant originated.Davis and Blackstock said this is why they question the motive behind the bans. Davis said with the data we have now, travel bans merely "perpetuate Afrophobia, racism, xenophobia, and stigma."<h2>Medical historian says the legacy of colonialism has played out during the pandemic</h2>For Mari K. Webel, a medical African history professor at the University of Pittsburgh, the travel ban gave her flashbacks to the long colonial history of medical <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1869807/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">neglect</a>, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/12chapter5.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">segregation</a>, and <a href="https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/medicine-empires-and-ethics-colonial-africa/2016-07">experimentation </a>on the continent of Africa.She drew a direct comparison between how wealthier countries <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151102131515.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stigmatized</a> Ebola as an African disease to the way the Omicron variant has been <a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/s-africa-dismayed-at-punishment-for-honesty-over-omicron-variant-01638030019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blamed</a> on southern Africa.In 2014, the US implemented travel restrictions for travelers from three African countries ​​— <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/su/su6503a9.htm">Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea</a> — during the Ebola epidemic, and limited travelers from those countries to only fly into select US airports."Even if it's not overtly stated, what you have is this implication that there is something inherently aberrant or non-normative associated with Africanness," Webel said. "That is patently not the case."She was horrified as she watched two French doctors in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-vaccines-france-doctors-say-test-poor-africans-outrage-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April 2020</a> propose using Africa as a testing ground for <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword> vaccines. Webel said that showed how the power dynamics remain between former colonial powers in Europe and the African countries they colonized."They're saying in an African country it would be easier than anywhere else," Webel said. "That tells you something about racism, and how people understand regulations to function and what you can do and what you can't do. And I think that same implication is baked into jumping to immediately think Omicron had something to do with South Africa's general public health system or with Africa."Instead of seeing South Africa as having state-of-the-art science technology with data sequencing for the virus, Webel said, the world penalized them because of the historical perception of disease tied to Africa.<div type="image" title="South Africa Omicron" height="5304" width="7072" msid="88532562" hostid="261"></div>"The effort to really do careful investigative work about the extent of the spread of the new variant and have those sequences available lighting-fast is astoundingly impressive," Webel said. "It's fantastic. And that was the first thing I thought of. Scientists knocked it out of the park here."<h2>Experts call for global vaccine equity</h2>Whether it be the travel bans or the <a href="https://www.afro.who.int/news/africa-clocks-fastest-surge-covid-19-cases-year-deaths-remain-low">African continent's worryingly low vaccination rate</a>, Davis, Blackstock, and Webel told Insider this pandemic has exposed an uncomfortable truth about global public health: anti-Blackness is still deeply embedded in it.Webel brought to light how it took drug companies in wealthier nations <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41541-020-0204-7">five years to bring an Ebola vaccine to market</a> when the COVID-19 vaccines took less than a year.The medical experts told Insider they want the US to end travel bans immediately and do more to promote <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-coronavirus-variant-may-be-result-of-vaccine-inequality-2021-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">global vaccine equity</a>.Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, has also <a href="https://www.insider.com/who-director-general-rich-vaccine-hoarding-inequity-covid-omicron-pandemic-2021-12">raised the alarm about the inequity of COVID-19 vaccine distribution</a>."Narrow nationalism and vaccine hoarding by some countries have undermined equity, and created the ideal conditions for the emergence of the Omicron variant," <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2021/12/22/who-covid-pandemic-countries-hoarding-vaccines/8995307002/">he wrote in an op-ed for USA Today</a>. "And the longer inequity continues, the higher the risks of this virus evolving in ways we can't prevent or predict."

The US is lifting its travel ban against southern African countries, but medical experts say stigmatization has already perpetuated anti-Blackness

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new study showed that mammals in the savanna are more scared of human voices than lions growls.</li><li>The scientists discovered this by playing sounds from humans, lions, and birds from hidden speakers. </li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neanderthals-hunted-cave-lions-feasted-meat-study-2023-10">Lions,</a> sometimes considered the king of all beasts, aren't the scariest things on the savanna. Humans are.<a href="https://www.insider.com/mistakes-tourists-make-africa-safari-according-to-expert-2023-2">Mammals in South Africa</a> were twice as likely to abandon their watering hole when they heard human voices than when they heard lions growls, according to a new <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)01169-7?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982223011697%3Fshowall%3Dtrue#supplementaryMaterial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study in the journal Current Biology</a>.The study revealed that humans are the "super predator" of the savanna, Liana Zanette, a biologist at the University of Western Ontario who studies the ecology of fear and led the research, told Insider. The researchers planted camouflaged cameras and speakers at different watering holes across the ecosystem. They'd then play the sounds of humans, lions, dogs, gunshots, or birds, and record the animals' reactions.In the over 4,000 times that they ran this trial, Zanette and her colleagues found that animals' reactions to humans compared to other sounds that might signal danger was, "pretty remarkable. I think it still freaks me out."The videos below show <a href="https://www.insider.com/giraffe-born-brown-without-spots-at-tennessee-zoo-photos-2023-8">giraffes</a>, warthogs, leopards, and more <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/safari-tip-how-to-pick-safari-visit-multiple-parks-tanzania-2019-3">safari favorites</a> running from their watering holes after the scientists begin playing recordings of humans speaking. <h2>The environmental cost of fear</h2>Even though fear is helpful for animals to know when to run from a predator, it also comes with a cost, Zanette explained. Animals who fear a predator nearby eat less, run more often, and have more <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/great-labor-shortage-looming-population-decline-disaster-global-economy-2022-10">trouble reproducing</a>. Fear can therefore lead to a reduction of overall population numbers, Zanette said. Classical studies in the field looked at this phenomenon by considering apex predators like lions as the top of the line. But eventually, Zanette explained, scientists realized they needed to account for humans, because they kill prey at much higher rates globally than predators do.Naturally then, the hypothesis is that prey animals would fear humans much more than any other animal. Previous studies have held up that hypothesis, looking at <a href="https://news.ucsc.edu/2017/06/puma-fear.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cougars</a> in California and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/27/6/1826/2453490?keytype=ref&amp;ijkey=wa0QsIgRcYjzRlz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">badgers</a> in the United Kingdom.But this is the first study to establish that fear of humans exists in species across the savanna, Zanette said. <h2>The possible applications of it</h2>Zanette said that the results of her study are, "kind of depressing." But, they might be useful in inventing new ways to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elephant-poaching-economic-value-millions-dollars-2016-11">prevent poaching</a>.By playing human voices in areas known for high animal trafficking, you might be able to keep new animals away, and save them from being picked up."It's possible that we might be able to use fear of humans as sort of a mitigation tool to encourage <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-world-would-be-like-without-humans-2015-8">management and conservation</a>," she said.

Animals in the savanna are more scared of the sound of a human voice than lions, dogs, or guns, a study found

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12037021" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cop26" source="Orion">COP26</keyword> delegates, <keyword id="12168001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="activists" source="Orion">activists</keyword>, and event workers explain how they feel about the last two weeks of negotiations. </li><li>Climate financing remains a sticking point, and many from the <keyword id="12539104" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="global-south" source="Orion">global south</keyword> and <keyword id="12125934" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="indigenous-communities" source="Orion">indigenous communities</keyword> continue to feel underrepresented. </li></ul>On Friday, November 12, COP26 negotiations entered their last official day in <keyword id="12216950" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="glasgow" source="Orion">Glasgow</keyword>, and officials wrapped up the final drafting of the summit's texts. Attendees of the event, workers, and those stationed outside, expressed their thoughts on how much the summit has actually achieved.<div type="image" title="Ta’Kiya Blaney Chegajimixw, Tla’amin Nation Canada, Environmental Activist" height="1199" width="1599" msid="87722895" hostid="261"></div>Ta'Kiya Blaney Chegajimixw, Tla'amin Nation Canada, Environmental ActivistWhat they are doing at COP26: Advocating for her grandparents and indigenous peoples from the Tla'amin Nation in Canada"I've been inside these spaces since I was eight. Back then, I ripped up the COP declaration, and I will rip up today's. Nothing has changed inside this space; it is a performance; it's an illusion; it's for convincing the public that something is happening. The climate agreements are actually trade agreements. It's a way of salvaging global economies based upon colonialism and the extraction of our territories without interrupting them.""I came here to expose Canada for the truth of what they're doing, which is raping our lands, arresting our people for protecting our lands, taking indigenous children out of their homes. Still assimilating and actively erasing our culture and then trying to position itself as a climate leader. Our rivers are being gated off for pipelines to root themselves in our territories and provide an energy corridor for further extractive industries. There is a complete dissonance between climate agreements and the Canadian political leaders actions."Azrael*, Indonesia, StudentWhat they are doing at COP26: Working as catering staff"We are using a lot of plastic and non-biodegradable packaging, which is a bit hypocritical in my opinion. We give the guests wooden forks, but the packaging we have for those forks is plastic. That packaging is hidden from the view of the customers. Then we promised we would recycle all the food, but we just throw it in the bin. I'm very worried about <keyword id="11896311" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-change" source="Orion">climate change</keyword>, but I guess the food sector doesn't actually affect the outcome of the conference or what they are all talking about. I just hope for the best."A COP26 spokesperson said the menu was designed to ensure food waste is kept to a minimum, with the aim of having less than 1% food waste from the event. "Where there is surplus in relation to non-perishable food, the SEC will provide this to both Fareshare and also Launch Food Children's charity," they said.* Pseudonym to protect the speaker's identity.<div type="image" title="Mokoena France, Lesotho, Meteorologist" height="1500" width="2000" msid="87722897" hostid="261"></div>Mokoena France, Lesotho, Meteorologist What they are doing at COP: Negotiating on behalf of Lesotho"We have made a lot of progress, although there are still a lot of important issues that have not been agreed upon. Crucially, finance and technology, as well as Article 6. I am hopeful, though. We still have a bit of time until the final document is submitted. Ideally, by the end of the day when the closing ceremony starts, we will come to decisions on those final points."<div type="image" title="Jim Bowen, Wales, Managing Director of Clynfyw Care Farm" height="1500" width="2000" msid="87722900" hostid="261"></div>Jim Bowen, Wales, Managing Director of Clynfyw Care Farm What they are doing at COP26: Protesting outside the venue"COP26 has been business as usual. Having JPMorgan and other, similar organizations funding stands inside means it was always going to be a greenwash. What's exciting is what's been happening outside, with different groups around the world coming together, sharing experiences, sharing information about the challenges they've faced, and how they've built resilience. That's where the hope lies. We've got disasters coming, but community resilience is being built now for a better future. We've been failed by our leaders, and we need our grassroots organizations to work together. It's in the grassroots that there's hope. There is no hope from the leadership."<div type="image" title="Pius Agaji Oko, Nigeria, Project Manager of Climate and Sustainable Development Network of Nigeria" height="1199" width="1598" msid="87722903" hostid="261"></div>Pius Agaji Oko, Nigeria, Project Manager of Climate and Sustainable Development Network of Nigeria What they are doing at COP26: Presenting the voices of those vulnerable to climate change in Nigeria"The more COPs we have, the more issues pile up. The environment will not wait for us. The erratic rainfalls, the droughts, won't wait. What we are clamoring for here is not on the table. Rural people in Nigeria contribute little to climate change but will suffer the most. These people need the utmost care. They need finance to cope or to transition into alternative livelihoods, but the major decisions at COP26 are mostly coming out of the private sector surrounding net-zero. Issues of investment, businesses, and loans are not touching our reality. We hope that, at the last moment, COP will deliver, and listen to the voices that need to be heard."Ji-an*, South Korea, Economics Student What they are doing at COP26: Working as a translator"It's really inspiring to meet so many people who have all come here to protect our planet. I'm glad all countries are trying to participate in the process, but on the other hand, China and India don't have official pavilions here. I had hoped they could be a part of the conference in that way. But hopefully next year things will be better, and we'll have more participants coming together."* Pseudonym to protect the speaker's identity.<div type="image" title="Nada Abdelaziz Babikir Mohamed, Sudan, Member of the High Council for Environment, Urban and Rural Promotion, Khartoum Estate" height="1198" width="1598" msid="87722905" hostid="261"></div>Nada Abdelaziz Babikir Mohamed, Sudan, Member of the High Council for Environment, Urban and Rural Promotion, Khartoum Estate What they are doing at COP26: Assisting negotiators"The conference has been informative. Through hearing about projects other countries have undertaken to adapt to climate change, we've received details of many ways we can mitigate the effects of climate change in Sudan, ways to reduce carbon dioxide levels. Some areas in Sudan are uninhabitable, with little groundwater and no agriculture. In the future, In sha'Allah, we will get the funding to make similar schemes to reduce climate change in certain areas, but this is the first step."Yakubu Sini, Nigeria, Developing and Evaluating Interventions Student What they are doing at COP26: Working as technical personnel to keep the venue clean, and assisting attendees with directions"The conference is good! As I'm working, I look around me and I see active participation, I see passion, I can see people are committed to this. I just hope there are active frameworks with milestones so that it's not just another annual event with all talk and no action. I really want to see drastic action being taken by multinationals in different countries, and especially want to see clear action for Nigeria."<div type="image" title="Saxon Bosworth and Nicolas Bergounioux, England and Biarritz, Documentary Filmmakers" height="1200" width="1600" msid="87722907" hostid="261"></div>Saxon Bosworth and Nicolas Bergounioux, England and Biarritz, Documentary Filmmakers What they are doing at COP26: Interviewing attendees for their upcoming documentary, Mission: Find AralNicolas: "Optimism is key for being successful here. This is my first COP, so perhaps I have an innocent way of seeing it, but we've met so many people working at the grassroots level in their own countries, and there is so much collaboration. All the countries of Central Asia came together in one booth, under 'one region, one voice', and pacific islands have done this too."Saxon: "They're hoping to address the pledges made now by the end of next year, which is disappointing. It's strange to think there will be another COP before pledges are acted upon. But it is what you make of a situation. By speaking to people and soaking up different stories, we gain global insights into different topics. I would hope this mixing of people, outside the negotiation rooms, will enable collaborative work and bring about positive changes - the summit is a mosaic of different possibilities."* Pseudonym to protect the speaker's identity.

You Searched For "voice of the global south" and got 9 results

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