Latest news with #JacquesCousteau
Khaleej Times
20 hours ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Blancpain's new 38mm Fifty Fathoms Automatique reinterprets the world's first true dive watch
In 1953, long before dive watches became 'desk divers' and fashion statements, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms emerged from the abyss — not as a luxury accessory, but as a lifeline. Although Omega's Marine had tested the waters of deep-sea horology in the 1930s, it was the Fifty Fathoms that gave shape and soul to the modern dive watch. It was the first of its kind in many ways, forged by the needs of real divers and driven by the vision of then-CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter, himself a man of the sea. Lockable bezel, luminous markers, automatic movement, anti-magnetic defences, and water resistance that defied convention weren't just flourishes — they were fundamentals. Together, they helped create the blueprint for what would shape the future of underwater timekeeping. The watch soon became the essential instrument for those who dared to go deeper. Among them was the legendary Jacques Cousteau and his pioneering diving team, who were among the first to adopt the Fifty Fathoms in the field — an early, unscripted endorsement that would help seal the watch's place in history. Seven decades later, the Swiss watchmaker has announced a delicate recalibration of the titan born in the marine depths. The new 38mm Fifty Fathoms Automatique, joining the 42mm and the 45mm models, is no mere downsizing exercise. It is a masterclass in proportion, restraint, and reverence — a quiet, confident re-balancing of scale, presence, and purpose. This new 38mm case reintroduces the spirit of the original 1953 Fifty Fathoms, which measured 41mm, not by matching its dimensions, but by echoing its balanced proportions and purpose-driven grace. With this new iteration, the Fifty Fathoms sheds its more imposing modern persona in favour of a slimmer, subtler silhouette, one that bridges modern sensibilities with its pioneering soul. Offered in stainless steel, grade 23 titanium, and 18-karat red gold, the 38mm line embodies three distinct temperaments. The steel model, with its black dial and bezel, honours the original's stoic utility. The titanium version injects a modern, kinetic flair, its sunburst blue dial catching light like ripples across the ocean floor. And the red gold model, combined with the same rich blue dial, introduces a more elevated aesthetic, highlighting Blancpain's ability to balance robust performance with discreet sophistication. All three are unmistakably Fifty Fathoms, with oversized luminescent markers, domed sapphire bezels, and Blancpain's hallmark commitment to functional beauty. Inside, the Manufacture Calibre 1150 hums with elegance: slim, reliable, and generous with its 100-hour reserve. A silicon balance spring ensures resilience against magnetic fields, while the 18k gold rotor — visible through the sapphire caseback — adds a flourish of mechanical theatre, its NAC-coated finish drawing a subtle line back to the watch's origin story. But perhaps the most striking aspect of this watch isn't technical or dimensional — it lies in its depth, in an emotional resonance that reaches well beyond its physical form. This is not a watch 'for men' or 'for women'. It's for those drawn to the sea's most closely guarded mysteries, and to the extraordinary legacy of the Fifty Fathoms. For those who know that true strength often speaks in the quiet language of elegance. With the 38mm Fifty Fathoms, Blancpain hasn't just resized an icon; it has reshaped our expectations. The abyss remains: vast, dangerously beautiful, and unyielding. But now, it calls to discerning wrists of every size.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Working Life: If you like people, you will like geriatric medicine
'My interest in older people started during my medical training, when I was a SHO (senior house officer). I came across all of these older people with fascinating stories. 'One patient had fought in both world wars. Imagine that. Another was a messenger for James Connolly during the 1916 Rising. She told me they used young girls as messengers as they felt the British army wouldn't shoot them. This woman used to run through the back streets of Dublin, behind the GPO. 'If you like people, I mean really like people, you will like geriatric medicine. When I was younger, I was very taken by Jacques Cousteau and wanted to be a marine biologist. In hindsight, I'm not sure I'd have lasted long. 'Anyone who knows me will be aware of how much I spoke out on behalf of older people during covid. I was subsequently asked to be an Age Friendly ambassador. A starting point for me is the importance of an age-friendly society. You'd imagine it would be a given, but it's not. 'If you look at it from a tech point of view, there's a real danger for older people that what should be enabling is becoming isolating. It's a real bugbear of mine how any software company can get a licence for tech that hasn't been road-tested on older people. 'My dad, Dermot Collins, is a lifelong GAA fan. Yet when he's going to matches now, he's expected to use an electronic ticket wallet. It's complicated. That's an example of tech dis-enabling people. It starts a pattern of isolation. 'Hospitals need to up their game, too, when it comes to older people. They should be designed with the most vulnerable in mind, but they are not. Elderly patients are expected to book outpatient appointments using online systems. On wards, the most private conversations can be overheard. It's appalling. I know our hospitals are in a rush to go paperless, but we need to be sensible about what we want to achieve. 'Monaghan Hospital is doing a good job of trying to make its campus more age-friendly. Physical improvements include parking spaces closer to the entrance, a new access ramp, improved toilet facilities, and universal-design compliant seats. Age Friendly Ireland is an appointed Shared Service of local government. Each local authority has an Age Friendly ambassador
The Guardian
14-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Is the ocean ‘having a moment'? This was the UN summit where the world woke up to the decline of the seas
The sea, the great unifier, is man's only hope … and we are all in the same boat.' So said Jacques Cousteau, the French explorer, oceanographer and pioneering film-maker, who notably pivoted from merely sharing his underwater world to sounding the alarm over its destruction. Half a century later, David Attenborough, a year shy of his 100th birthday, followed Cousteau's trajectory. In the naturalist's acclaimed new film, Ocean, which highlights the destructive fishing practice of bottom trawling, he says he has come to the realisation that the 'most important place on Earth is not on land but at sea'. This message, backed by undeniable indicators of poor ocean health, has boosted calls for more ocean governance and protection. The mood at this week's UN ocean summit in Nice, which ended on Friday, was that if ever there was a defining 'moment' for the ocean, it was happening here, in France's Côte d'Azur. But there was also a sense of this sentiment being shared in the wider world, where, partly thanks to the summit, many are finally waking up the reality of the serious decline of something that makes up more than 70% of the Earth's surface. By the end of the first day, on the roof of the conference centre overlooking the Mediterranean, Emmanuel Macron, the French president and co-host, declared the summit a success. 'Never before have so many heads of state and governments met to discuss the seas,' he said, citing the figure of 60 world leaders, three times as many as attended the second UN ocean conference in Lisbon in 2022. About 190 ministers were also in Nice. The US did not attend. But what, with the eyes of the watching world, was actually achieved for the future health of oceans? The most important accomplishment was that enough countries either ratified or formally committed to ratifying the high seas treaty. Once ratified, this agreement will help achieve an agreed global target of protecting 30% of the world's seas by 2030. It will provide the first legal mechanism for the creation of protected areas in the high seas, international waters that cover almost two-thirds of the ocean. The treaty is expected to now come into force by 1 January 2026, said Macron. This alone is an achievement: the early stages of the high seas treaty took 20 years of negotiations before agreement was reached in 2023. Now it could be months away from becoming a reality. António Guterres, the UN secretary general, called the pace of progress 'a record'. 'I see a momentum and an enthusiasm that was difficult to find in the past,' he said. The summit does not carry the weight of a climate Cop, the annual UN climate change conference where governments and other stakeholders gather to discuss and negotiate on climate action, nor is it legally binding. But it has come at a critical moment for threats facing the seas. In April, Donald Trump made a move to fast-track deep-sea mining under US law, sidestepping international efforts to regulate the industry. The conference saw four new countries – now 37 – joining France in calling for a moratorium, pause or ban on deep-sea mining, amid warnings of 'irreversible' damage to ecosystems should it go ahead. Trump's actions, which were criticised by China, which also wants to mine, have had the effect of 'strengthening people's commitment to multilateralism' and building alliances at a key moment, says John Hocevar, oceans campaign director at Greenpeace USA. 'In July, the International Seabed Authority meets to discuss, hopefully, a moratorium on deep-sea mining.' More than 90 ministers issued a symbolic statement in Nice reaffirming their support for the strongest possible plastics treaty, to be negotiated when talks resume in August. Rémy Rioux, a former French negotiator on climate finance at the 2015 Paris agreement, and director general of ADF, France's development bank, says that Macron has adopted similar diplomacy at the ocean summit that made Cop21 a success. 'There was significant numbers of heads of state in the room, which represents something,' Rioux says. 'I'm proud that France has provided a voice to those who are not heard.' But, in terms of finance, we 'are still way behind what the UN say is needed'. Pacific nations, who contribute least and stand to suffer most from the effects of the climate crisis, sea level rise and ocean pollution, welcomed the chance to talk to Macron. But they were quick to remind larger, more polluting nations that they needed to do more. Moetai Brotherson, the president of French Polynesia, announced the creation of the largest protected marine area in the world. It will cover 5m sq kilometres, the nation's entire exclusive economic zone and will restrict destructive activities such as bottom trawling and deep-sea mining. A fifth will be designated a highly or fully protected area, where only traditional Tahitian boats, ecotourism and scientific exploration is allowed. 'By doing what we are doing, it will put pressure on other countries, including France, to do more,' he says. 'Turning this area into a marine protected area is one thing. Ensuring that laws are not broken is another. The responsibility of big nations is not to come and lecture us, but to help us.' Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu's environment minister, says: 'The Pacific island states have banned bottom trawling in their national jurisdictions – and so we are calling on all nations to do the same. The EU is full of countries that are still doing this.' At the start of the conference, the French president found himself under fire for failing to ban bottom trawling in protected marine areas. France announced that instead it would 'limit' the practice and seek to protect 4% of its metropolitan waters. One of the strongest critics of France's role in the summit, was the granddaughter of Jacques Cousteau. France 'over-compromised and under-delivered', she says. 'This was the moment for France to lead – and they missed it,' says Alexandra Cousteau, also an adviser to international oceans organisation, Oceana. 'President Macron promised action on bottom trawling in marine protected areas but delivered only artificial limits and empty words. That's not leadership – that's evasion.' Despite its achievements, the summit highlighted how much is yet to be done. A study by National Geographic Pristine Seas and Dynamic Planet found, for example, that in order to meet the global target of 30x30, 85 new marine protected areas would need to be created daily. So far, less than 3% of the ocean is given this extra protection. Yet, overall the mood was high, boosted by a surge of enthusiasm for protecting the world's seas. 'I hate to say it out loud, but it has been better than I expected,' says Hocevar. 'The ocean is having a moment and this was the best opportunity to demonstrate momentum.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Famous birthdays for June 11: Anna Sawai, Peter Dinklage
June 11 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Gemini. They include: -- Writer Ben Jonson in 1572 -- Musician Richard Strauss in 1864 -- Rep. Jeannette Rankin in 1880 -- Undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau in 1910 -- Football Hall of Fame member Vince Lombardi in 1913 -- Writer William Styron in 1925 -- Actor Gene Wilder in 1933 -- International Motorsports Hall of Fame member Jackie Stewart in 1939 (age 86) -- Actor Roscoe Orman in 1944 (age 81) -- Actor Adrienne Barbeau in 1945 (age 80) -- Musician Frank Beard (ZZ Top) in 1949 (age 76) -- Musician Graham Russell (Air Supply) in 1950 (age 75) -- Musician Donnie Van Zant (38 Special/Van Zant) in 1952 (age 73) -- Actor Peter Bergman in 1953 (age 72) -- Football Hall of Fame member Joe Montana in 1956 (age 69) -- Actor Hugh Laurie in 1959 (age 66) -- TV personality/Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, in 1960 (age 65) -- Actor Peter Dinklage in 1969 (age 56) -- Musician Dan Lavery (Tonic/Fray) in 1969 (age 56) -- Actor Joshua Jackson in 1978 (age 47) -- Actor Shia LaBeouf in 1986 (age 39) --Actor Jimmy O. Yang in 1987 (age 38) -- Actor Claire Holt in 1988 (age 37) -- Actor/musician Anna Sawai in 1992 (age 33) -- Musician Kodak Black, born Bill Kahan Kapri, in 1997 (age 28)
Forbes
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Cousteau Condemns France's Failure To Curb Bottom Trawling
Alexandra Cousteau is calling out the French government for what she refers to as political inaction ... More on bottom trawling In a powerful condemnation of what she calls 'political inaction,' ocean advocate Alexandra Cousteau— granddaughter of legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau— has joined forces with Oceana to shine a light on France's failure to curb one of the most destructive forms of industrial fishing— bottom trawling. 'The ocean is my life's work— it's in my blood,' says Cousteau. 'My grandfather Jacques-Yves Cousteau helped the world fall in love with the sea, and I've dedicated my life to building on that legacy. It's not just about protecting what remains but also restoring what has been lost.' Bottom trawling is a destructive fishing method that involves dragging massive, weighted nets across the seafloor, unselectively scooping up marine life. Despite France positioning itself as a steward of marine protection and preparing to host the third United Nations Ocean Conference from June 9–13, a new Oceana report reveals that bottom trawling continues unabated in 42% of France's marine protected areas (MPAs) in European waters, including some of the nation's most prized Marine Nature Parks. This controversial practice— likened to razing a forest just to catch a few birds— tears up fragile seafloor habitats, indiscriminately kills marine organisms, releases carbon stored in ocean sediment, and undermines the very ecosystems these protections were designed to defend. 'Political inaction has allowed destructive activities to continue in places that should be off-limits,' says Cousteau. 'This is the time for President Macron to lead by example and end bottom trawling in France's marine protected areas.' At the 2022 UN Biodiversity Conference, over 190 countries pledged to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 to safeguard marine biodiversity, restore fish populations, and boost climate resilience. France, long seen as a champion of ocean conservation, claims it has already met the 30x30 target by designating 30% of its waters as protected. A trawl net is hauled up and the fish are poured into the bin for sorting aboard a Boulogne-sur-Mer ... More based trawler after a fishing campaign off the coast of northern France (Photo by) But according to the ocean advocacy group, the reality tells a different story. Despite possessing the world's second largest Exclusive Economic Zone, France has placed just 0.03% of its marine protected areas under full protection from extractive activities. Using satellite tracking data from Global Fishing Watch, Oceana found that roughly 70% of trawlers operating within these so-called protected zones fly the French flag. Among them are vessels using 'beam trawls'— massive nets held open by steel beams and dragged across the seafloor— infamous for causing some of the most severe damage to vulnerable marine habitats. One of the marine national parks in the study, the Picardy Estuaries and Opal Sea, saw nearly 60 trawlers log close to 7,500 hours of fishing in 2024. Most were French-flagged, including small boats targeting shrimp and scallops, while 21 were large industrial vessels using heavy beam trawls to scrape the seafloor for flatfish. Cousteau has seen the impacts firsthand. 'Throughout my life, I've traveled the globe exploring the oceans and I've seen firsthand what's at stake… To see destruction happening in places that are meant to be safe havens is heartbreaking.' The Oceana report highlights that healthy coastal ecosystems are essential not only for food security and local livelihoods but also for climate resilience. They buffer communities from rising seas and act as powerful carbon sinks— oceans have absorbed 20 to 30% of all human-generated CO₂ since the 1980s, according to the The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Yet bottom trawling threatens this critical role, disturbing sediments and releasing an estimated 0.58 to 1.47 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the water each year, weakening one of the planet's most vital climate defenses. 'The ocean floor stores an enormous amount of carbon, and when trawlers pass through, they churn up the seafloor, remobilizing that carbon,' says Cousteau. 'So while the ocean has helped us reduce the worst impacts of climate change, this extremely destructive activity could imperil the ocean's ability to absorb even more carbon dioxide in the future.' Cousteau refers to Oceana's findings as 'deeply troubling,' pointing to data showing that in France's Marine Nature Parks— some of the country's most iconic marine protected areas— more than 100 bottom trawlers collectively spent over 17,000 hours fishing. 'That's like one boat trawling non-stop for nearly two years straight,' she says. 'These are supposed to be sanctuaries for marine life and important ocean ecosystems, but instead these fragile habitats are being bulldozed, wildlife is being decimated, and the very idea of protection turns out to be mere lines on a map.' Cousteau emphasizes that the problem isn't isolated to France. The problem is widespread across Europe, where EU waters are the most heavily trawled in the world, with 92% of discarded fish linked to the practice, according to WWF. A 2025 analysis found bottom trawling occurs in 77% of France's protected marine areas, 85% in Germany, and 44% in Italy, totaling over 1.7 million hours annually. A recent study estimates the economic toll to the EU could reach €10.8 billion a year, mainly from carbon released by disturbed seafloor sediments. Crab Fishing Trawler in German North Sea 'Allowing bottom trawling in marine protected areas makes a mockery of the very concept of protection,' Cousteau states. In May, Oceana and a coalition of groups— including Patagonia, WeMove Europe, ClientEarth, Bloom Association, and Protect Our Catch— delivered a petition with over 250,000 signatures to EU Fisheries Commissioner Costas Kadis, urging a ban on bottom trawling in marine protected areas. The move highlights rising public concern, with polls showing 82% of Europeans support tougher rules and 73% favor a total ban in MPAs— putting growing pressure on EU decision-makers to act. Calls to ban bottom trawling have grown louder in recent weeks, fueled by a surge in public outrage following the release of Ocean, a powerful new film by Sir David Attenborough. The documentary exposes the devastating impact of trawling on fragile seafloor habitats, showing how massive nets gouge deep scars into the ocean floor, where recovery can take decades, if it happens at all. Cousteau asserts that if nations are genuinely committed to achieving the 30x30 conservation target, they must implement comprehensive bans on bottom trawling within all marine protected areas— not partial restrictions that permit the practice in some zones while prohibiting it in others. Given France's longstanding reputation as a leader in ocean governance, taking decisive action to eliminate bottom trawling from its protected waters would set a compelling precedent for the international community. 'Banning bottom trawling in all French marine protected areas would not only help marine life and habitats, but also the coastal communities that depend on a healthy ocean,' she says. 'Science has shown time and time again that when we give the ocean space to recover, fish populations rebound, ecosystems recover, and small-scale fisheries benefit economically.' Cousteau's collaboration with Oceana is rooted in a mutual commitment to science-driven, results-oriented advocacy. 'I work with Oceana because I admire their effectiveness,' she says. 'They are science-based and results-driven. Oceana understands that saving the oceans requires real action.' Having spoken with leaders across the globe, Cousteau believes the knowledge is there. 'The real question is: are they willing to act?' She sees France as uniquely positioned to lead. The responsibility, she says, rests squarely with the French government— particularly the president and the ministers of environment and fisheries. 'It's up to them to ensure that marine protected areas live up to their name.' Taking meaningful steps to end destructive practices like bottom trawling, she adds, would bring France in line with its international commitments and set a powerful precedent for other nations. 'France gave the world Jacques Cousteau, and it must do better than to allow destructive activities like bottom trawling in its marine protected areas,' she says. 'The time for action is now.'
