Latest news with #Canary
11 hours ago
Uruguay confronts a powerful new threat to its palm trees: A tiny red bug
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay -- Palm trees in Uruguay are more than just plants, they are icons, much like olive groves for Greeks or cherry blossoms for the Japanese. The treasured trees lining one of the world's longest sidewalks through Montevideo, Uruguay's capital, and adorn the swanky Atlantic beach resorts of Punta del Este have recently come under ruthless attack. Across the small South American country, palm trees are falling prey to a fierce enemy measuring just 5 centimetres (2 inches) in length: The red palm weevil. First the elegant fronds droop. Then the tell-tale holes appear in the trunk. Soon enough, the tree is tilting toward collapse. The weevil has devoured thousands of Uruguay's palm trees since its unexplained arrival from Southeast Asia in 2022. But authorities are only now waking up to the threat as the landscape of municipalities transforms and fears grow that the country's beloved palms could be wiped out. 'We are late in addressing this,' Estela Delgado, the national director of biodiversity at Uruguay's Ministry of Environment, acknowledged last month. 'But we are doing so with great commitment and seriousness.' The insect and its devastating impact can be found in 60 countries around the world but nowhere else in South America. Authorities first detected it in the town of Canelones, bordering Montevideo, where the insect killed more than 2,000 palm trees in less than a month. Weevils quietly wreak destruction by boring through the open scars of pruned palms and laying hundreds of eggs inside. When larvae hatch, they tunnel through trunks and eat up the trees' internal tissue. Death strikes within weeks. The Uruguayan government set up a task force to combat the plague in March. In May, Environment Minister Edgardo Ortuño declared the fight against the red palm weevil 'a national priority." As of this year, the red bug has proliferated in eight of the country's 19 regions, including Montevideo. Half of the capital's 19,000 palm trees have been infected, estimates Gerardo Grinvald, director of pest control company Equitec, which helps authorities combat the bug. The insect first attacks decorative Canary palms, the tree in so many pictures of Uruguay's sunny landscape, before moving onto its date palms. 'It's an invisible pest,' Grinvald said, explaining the challenge of identifying an infestation when it starts. As a result, landowners fail to isolate and quarantine their trees, fueling the weevil's crawl across the country. The Montevideo municipality this year earmarked $70,000 for chemical pesticide sprays and insecticide injections meant to kill bugs inside infested trunks, with the goal of saving some 850 trees in the city's prominent Parque Rodó, a scenic urban park along the coast. In the southeast corner of Uruguay, home to Punta del Este, a beachy, palm-fringed haven for jet-set elites from all over the world, authorities recently allocated $625,000 for efforts to dispose of infected trees and lure weevils away from affected areas with pheromone traps and other methods. 'We are losing our palm trees,' lamented Montevideo resident Rafael dos Santos as he walked his dog in Parque Rodó. 'They are historic in Uruguay, and a part of us.' As the weevil's march continues unabated, authorities now fear native trees of Uruguay's UNESCO biosphere reserve bordering Brazil will fall victim next, potentially facilitating the spread of the parasite across an unprepared continent.
San Francisco Chronicle
12 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Uruguay confronts a powerful new threat to its palm trees: A tiny red bug
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Palm trees in Uruguay are more than just plants, they are icons, much like olive groves for Greeks or cherry blossoms for the Japanese. The treasured trees lining one of the world's longest sidewalks through Montevideo, Uruguay's capital, and adorn the swanky Atlantic beach resorts of Punta del Este have recently come under ruthless attack. Across the small South American country, palm trees are falling prey to a fierce enemy measuring just 5 centimetres (2 inches) in length: The red palm weevil. First the elegant fronds droop. Then the tell-tale holes appear in the trunk. Soon enough, the tree is tilting toward collapse. The weevil has devoured thousands of Uruguay's palm trees since its unexplained arrival from Southeast Asia in 2022. But authorities are only now waking up to the threat as the landscape of municipalities transforms and fears grow that the country's beloved palms could be wiped out. 'We are late in addressing this,' Estela Delgado, the national director of biodiversity at Uruguay's Ministry of Environment, acknowledged last month. 'But we are doing so with great commitment and seriousness.' The insect and its devastating impact can be found in 60 countries around the world but nowhere else in South America. Authorities first detected it in the town of Canelones, bordering Montevideo, where the insect killed more than 2,000 palm trees in less than a month. Weevils quietly wreak destruction by boring through the open scars of pruned palms and laying hundreds of eggs inside. When larvae hatch, they tunnel through trunks and eat up the trees' internal tissue. Death strikes within weeks. The Uruguayan government set up a task force to combat the plague in March. In May, Environment Minister Edgardo Ortuño declared the fight against the red palm weevil 'a national priority." As of this year, the red bug has proliferated in eight of the country's 19 regions, including Montevideo. Half of the capital's 19,000 palm trees have been infected, estimates Gerardo Grinvald, director of pest control company Equitec, which helps authorities combat the bug. The insect first attacks decorative Canary palms, the tree in so many pictures of Uruguay's sunny landscape, before moving onto its date palms. 'It's an invisible pest,' Grinvald said, explaining the challenge of identifying an infestation when it starts. As a result, landowners fail to isolate and quarantine their trees, fueling the weevil's crawl across the country. The Montevideo municipality this year earmarked $70,000 for chemical pesticide sprays and insecticide injections meant to kill bugs inside infested trunks, with the goal of saving some 850 trees in the city's prominent Parque Rodó, a scenic urban park along the coast. In the southeast corner of Uruguay, home to Punta del Este, a beachy, palm-fringed haven for jet-set elites from all over the world, authorities recently allocated $625,000 for efforts to dispose of infected trees and lure weevils away from affected areas with pheromone traps and other methods. 'We are losing our palm trees,' lamented Montevideo resident Rafael dos Santos as he walked his dog in Parque Rodó. 'They are historic in Uruguay, and a part of us.' As the weevil's march continues unabated, authorities now fear native trees of Uruguay's UNESCO biosphere reserve bordering Brazil will fall victim next, potentially facilitating the spread of the parasite across an unprepared continent.
Hamilton Spectator
12 hours ago
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Uruguay confronts a powerful new threat to its palm trees: A tiny red bug
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Palm trees in Uruguay are more than just plants, they are icons, much like olive groves for Greeks or cherry blossoms for the Japanese. The treasured trees lining one of the world's longest sidewalks through Montevideo, Uruguay's capital, and adorn the swanky Atlantic beach resorts of Punta del Este have recently come under ruthless attack. Across the small South American country, palm trees are falling prey to a fierce enemy measuring just 5 centimetres (2 inches) in length: The red palm weevil. First the elegant fronds droop. Then the tell-tale holes appear in the trunk. Soon enough, the tree is tilting toward collapse. The weevil has devoured thousands of Uruguay's palm trees since its unexplained arrival from Southeast Asia in 2022. But authorities are only now waking up to the threat as the landscape of municipalities transforms and fears grow that the country's beloved palms could be wiped out. 'We are late in addressing this,' Estela Delgado, the national director of biodiversity at Uruguay's Ministry of Environment, acknowledged last month. 'But we are doing so with great commitment and seriousness.' The insect and its devastating impact can be found in 60 countries around the world but nowhere else in South America . Authorities first detected it in the town of Canelones, bordering Montevideo, where the insect killed more than 2,000 palm trees in less than a month. Weevils quietly wreak destruction by boring through the open scars of pruned palms and laying hundreds of eggs inside. When larvae hatch, they tunnel through trunks and eat up the trees' internal tissue. Death strikes within weeks. The Uruguayan government set up a task force to combat the plague in March. In May, Environment Minister Edgardo Ortuño declared the fight against the red palm weevil 'a national priority.' As of this year, the red bug has proliferated in eight of the country's 19 regions, including Montevideo. Half of the capital's 19,000 palm trees have been infected, estimates Gerardo Grinvald, director of pest control company Equitec, which helps authorities combat the bug. The insect first attacks decorative Canary palms, the tree in so many pictures of Uruguay's sunny landscape, before moving onto its date palms. 'It's an invisible pest,' Grinvald said, explaining the challenge of identifying an infestation when it starts. As a result, landowners fail to isolate and quarantine their trees, fueling the weevil's crawl across the country. The Montevideo municipality this year earmarked $70,000 for chemical pesticide sprays and insecticide injections meant to kill bugs inside infested trunks, with the goal of saving some 850 trees in the city's prominent Parque Rodó, a scenic urban park along the coast. In the southeast corner of Uruguay, home to Punta del Este, a beachy, palm-fringed haven for jet-set elites from all over the world, authorities recently allocated $625,000 for efforts to dispose of infected trees and lure weevils away from affected areas with pheromone traps and other methods. 'We are losing our palm trees,' lamented Montevideo resident Rafael dos Santos as he walked his dog in Parque Rodó. 'They are historic in Uruguay, and a part of us.' As the weevil's march continues unabated, authorities now fear native trees of Uruguay's UNESCO biosphere reserve bordering Brazil will fall victim next, potentially facilitating the spread of the parasite across an unprepared continent. ___ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at .
Winnipeg Free Press
12 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Uruguay confronts a powerful new threat to its palm trees: A tiny red bug
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Palm trees in Uruguay are more than just plants, they are icons, much like olive groves for Greeks or cherry blossoms for the Japanese. The treasured trees lining one of the world's longest sidewalks through Montevideo, Uruguay's capital, and adorn the swanky Atlantic beach resorts of Punta del Este have recently come under ruthless attack. Across the small South American country, palm trees are falling prey to a fierce enemy measuring just 5 centimetres (2 inches) in length: The red palm weevil. First the elegant fronds droop. Then the tell-tale holes appear in the trunk. Soon enough, the tree is tilting toward collapse. The weevil has devoured thousands of Uruguay's palm trees since its unexplained arrival from Southeast Asia in 2022. But authorities are only now waking up to the threat as the landscape of municipalities transforms and fears grow that the country's beloved palms could be wiped out. 'We are late in addressing this,' Estela Delgado, the national director of biodiversity at Uruguay's Ministry of Environment, acknowledged last month. 'But we are doing so with great commitment and seriousness.' The insect and its devastating impact can be found in 60 countries around the world but nowhere else in South America. Authorities first detected it in the town of Canelones, bordering Montevideo, where the insect killed more than 2,000 palm trees in less than a month. Weevils quietly wreak destruction by boring through the open scars of pruned palms and laying hundreds of eggs inside. When larvae hatch, they tunnel through trunks and eat up the trees' internal tissue. Death strikes within weeks. The Uruguayan government set up a task force to combat the plague in March. In May, Environment Minister Edgardo Ortuño declared the fight against the red palm weevil 'a national priority.' As of this year, the red bug has proliferated in eight of the country's 19 regions, including Montevideo. Half of the capital's 19,000 palm trees have been infected, estimates Gerardo Grinvald, director of pest control company Equitec, which helps authorities combat the bug. The insect first attacks decorative Canary palms, the tree in so many pictures of Uruguay's sunny landscape, before moving onto its date palms. 'It's an invisible pest,' Grinvald said, explaining the challenge of identifying an infestation when it starts. As a result, landowners fail to isolate and quarantine their trees, fueling the weevil's crawl across the country. The Montevideo municipality this year earmarked $70,000 for chemical pesticide sprays and insecticide injections meant to kill bugs inside infested trunks, with the goal of saving some 850 trees in the city's prominent Parque Rodó, a scenic urban park along the coast. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. In the southeast corner of Uruguay, home to Punta del Este, a beachy, palm-fringed haven for jet-set elites from all over the world, authorities recently allocated $625,000 for efforts to dispose of infected trees and lure weevils away from affected areas with pheromone traps and other methods. 'We are losing our palm trees,' lamented Montevideo resident Rafael dos Santos as he walked his dog in Parque Rodó. 'They are historic in Uruguay, and a part of us.' As the weevil's march continues unabated, authorities now fear native trees of Uruguay's UNESCO biosphere reserve bordering Brazil will fall victim next, potentially facilitating the spread of the parasite across an unprepared continent. ___ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
NDTV
a day ago
- Health
- NDTV
How Tobacco Companies Are Using Gaming, Metaverse And NFTs To Target Young Smokers
Tobacco and alcohol companies are finding new ways to reach young audiences through the metaverse, bypassing traditional regulations, according to The Guardian. A report presented at the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin revealed how virtual spaces are becoming a fresh marketing battleground. The findings show that tobacco companies are using digital tokens, while vape brands are sponsoring online games to subtly promote smoking and vaping habits among younger users, as per the news portal. The research comes from Canary, a global monitoring project by public health group Vital Strategies. Named after the "canary in a coal mine," the project aims to alert the world to emerging public health risks. Health campaigners say these virtual promotions pose a serious threat as they operate in largely unregulated environments, making it easier for companies to influence impressionable audiences. Experts warn that without stronger oversight, the metaverse could become a powerful tool to normalise smoking and vaping for a new generation. "Tobacco companies are no longer waiting for regulations to catch them up. They are way ahead of us. We are still trying to understand what we're seeing in social media, but they're already operating in unregulated spaces like the metaverse," Dr Melina Magsumbol, of Vital Strategies India told The Guardian."They're using NFTs [non-fungible tokens]. They're using immersive events to get our kids to come and see what they're offering." In India, one tobacco company made and promoted an NFT, which represents ownership of digital assets, to celebrate its 93rd anniversary. Canary scans for and analyses tobacco marketing on social media platforms and news sites in India, Indonesia and Mexico. It is expanding to more countries, including Brazil and China, and to cover alcohol and ultra-processed food marketing. In an another interviews Melina Samar Magsumbol told "Social media is where the youth are - and that's exactly where the tobacco industry is going. "Instagram, TikTok, YouTube - these platforms are being used to glamorise tobacco through indirect marketing, often slipping through policy loopholes undetected." Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death, killing 8 million people every year, according to the World Health Organization's 2025 report on the global tobacco epidemic, released Monday (23 June), with poorer countries bearing the highest burden.
