“Patriarchy must be a thing of the past. Our future depends on women and girls being at the table everywhere when decisions are made,” said Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“It was only last year that for the first time in history women were represented in every functioning parliament in the world. Yet today, still only one in four parliamentarians are women”, he continued.
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) is spotlighting women’s participation in public and political life in June as part of its monthly spotlights, marking the 75th year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The High Commissioner urged States, parliamentarians, the media, civil society, the private sector and every active citizen to take action, laying out a series of steps that need to be taken starting with tackling the root causes of gender-based discrimination.
He said there needed to be greater emphasis on education and awareness-raising and called for the greater recognition of the value of unpaid care work which disproportionately falls on women.
He called for consideration to be given to quotas, reserved seats and training opportunities to be expanded for women serving in legislative bodies and other key institutions, as well as the private sector.
Zero tolerance of harassment
UN treaty bodies need to keep the push going for gender parity, and zero tolerance against harassment and violence relating to women in politics, including online, needs to become the norm.
And women role models need to have greater visibility, Mr. Turk said.
“At the current rate of change it would take 155 years for women to close the gender gap. This struggle is even harder for historically marginalized women whose representation lags behind.”
“Simply said, this is a wake-up call”, the UN rights chief declared.
“Parity can’t wait. Equal and meaningful participation of women in practice isn’t just about women’s rights to be heard, it is about our societies’ ability to tackle the most pressing crises confronting our world today.”
Pets are bad for the environment, the boss of a luxury airline has claimed in the Daily Telegraph.
In defense of his own industry, Patrick Hanson, head of Luxaviation, claims that animals are as harmful as private jets.
Speaking at a Financial Times summit, Mr Hanson said one of his clients’ aircraft emits just 2.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, which is about as much as three pet dogs.
Mr Hanson referred to calculations by consultant and author Mike Berners-Lee, who claimed the annual carbon footprint of a single Labrador was around 770kg.
A larger dog, such as a Great Dane, can emit up to 2,500 kg of carbon dioxide per year due to its larger food portions.
A study last year titled “The Environmental Impact of Dog and Cat Diets” found that wet pet food emits eight times more emissions than dry pet food because it contains more meat.
Vet visits and plastic toys also add to pets’ carbon footprint.
Some green groups recommend vegan food for cats and dogs, although there are no conclusive studies on whether animals can stay healthy on a plant-based diet.
Several vegan celebrities, including Joaquin Phoenix and Alicia Silverstone, have switched to a plant-based diet for their pets.
According to consultancy Future Market Insights, the vegan pet food market will grow by nearly seven percent over the next decade.
In 2021, Lewis Hamilton was criticized for his hypocrisy after posting a photo of his vegan dog while apparently flying on a private jet.
Mr Berners-Lee said the figure of 2.1 tonnes of CO2 looked “suspiciously” low and probably only accounted for short flights by small aircraft.
According to estimates from the environmental non-governmental organization “Transport and Environment”, a private jet can emit 2 t of CO2 in one hour, while the average person in Europe emits 8.2 t of CO2 per year.
A 2021 study by the group found that private jets are 5 to 14 times more polluting than commercial jets per passenger and 50 times more polluting than trains.
Emissions from private jets increased by 31% between 2005 and 2019, even as concern about the effects of climate change became mainstream.
Their use has soared since the pandemic, set to grow by 14% between 2019 and 2022, as wealthy individuals seek to avoid the new restrictions and inconveniences of air travel.
Rishi Sunak is among several public figures who have faced criticism for using private jets. Earlier this year, the UK prime minister took £500,000 worth of private jet travel in less than two weeks, prompting criticism from the Liberal Democrats that the government was “breaking its own green promises”.
Pop star Taylor Swift was forced to issue a statement clarifying that her private jet is regularly rented out to other people after a Twitter account appeared to calculate the emissions impact of several celebrities’ flights.
Climate activists in Europe targeted the use of private jets, disrupting operations at airports, including in Geneva on Tuesday. Last year, hundreds of protesters stopped private planes taking off from Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. Five months later, the airport announced plans to ban private jets by 2026.
Mr Hansen told the FT summit in Monaco that the use of private jets “is not going away because they provide time” for wealthy people.
He added that the industry was aware of the criticism and was working to reduce the impact of emissions, although a shortage of sustainable aviation fuels meant they were not a practical solution.
However, he said sometimes it’s better not to use planes for shorter trips.
“We tell our customers: don’t fly from Paris to Lyon.”
Mr Hansen told the Telegraph that the comments were made “to put into perspective the actions of each of us when it comes to CO2 emissions”.
“Of course, if nobody flew privately, those CO2 emissions from private jets wouldn’t be emitted. And if nobody had a pet, there wouldn’t be pet food production producing CO2 emissions,” he said. .
The UK Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change, convened by a cross-section of society, called in its 2020 recommendations for a ban on private jets and the introduction of a frequent flyer fee.
Luxaviation did not immediately respond to the Telegraph’s questions about the distance or the number of the miles traveled by the customer used in his example.
Photo by Nancy Guth: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photography-of-three-dogs-looking-up-850602/
Under our changing climate, the weather in Europe is getting more extreme. What could this summer bring in terms of heatwaves, droughts, floods, and forest fires? The overall outlook is pessimistic as we have already seen this past winter and spring. This makes adaptation to climate change and better preparedness crucial, according to a European Environment Agency extreme weather product published today, which explains the top weather-related climate challenges we face.
With the latest data available, the new EEA web product ‘‘Extreme summer weather in a changing climate: is Europe prepared?’ takes a deep dive into the main summer weather extremes that have increasingly impacted the European population, economy and nature. Users can explore interactive maps and charts information on heatwaves, floods, droughts and wildfires, and the rise of climate-sensitive diseases like dengue fever. The briefings on each of these extremes look back at past events, what we can expect in the future according to scientific projections, and how prepared we are to deal with them, including presenting examples and best practices across Europe.
The aim of the web product is to provide up-to-date information and data to raise awareness among decision makers and the public of the urgent need to address climate change and to support ongoing government efforts in putting in place climate mitigation measures and building societal preparedness.
Heatwaves that are dangerous to human health — like the heatwaves of the summer of 2022 — are getting more frequent, longer and more intense and will continue to do so under all climate scenarios. In southern Europe, especially, there may be more than 60 summer days during which conditions are dangerous to human health — meaning higher number of additional deaths and hospital admissions, especially among the elderly and the sick, unless adaptation measures are taken. Heatwaves are the deadliest extreme weather events in Europe and the increasing vulnerability of the European population due to ageing and urbanisation requires urgent implementation of measures to prevent loss of life.
More frequent, extreme flooding
Heavy precipitation events are projected to increase over most of Europe, leading to increased incidence of flooding, especially in north-western and central Europe. Adaptation measures are necessary to protect society from the worst impacts, such as those caused by flooding in July 2021 in Germany and Belgium.
The exposure of population and assets to the risk continues with the ongoing development of floodplains, often putting the more vulnerable populations and facilities such as schools and hospitals at risk. Between 1980 and 2021, damages due to flooding amounted to nearly EUR 258 billion and are on average rising every year by over 2%.
More frequent, severe droughts
Since 2018, more than half of Europe has been affected by extreme drought conditions in both winter and summer. The 2022 droughts substantially reduced yields of crops like maize, corn, soybeans or olive oil. Another dry winter does not bode well for this summer and the outlook is pessimistic. The exceptionally dry and warm winter meant low snow cover and resulted in little soil moisture, low river flows and reduced water storage in reservoirs in most of southern and western Europe.
Long-term climate projections indicate that southern and central Europe will become even drier and hotter throughout the 21st century with devastating consequences for the agriculture sector. Total economic losses across all economic sectors linked to droughts are expected to rise by the end of this century from the current EUR9 billion per year to EUR 25 billion per year at 1.5 degree Celcius (°C) of global warming, EUR 31 billion per year at 2°C of warming and EUR 45 billion a 3 °C warming based on scientific scenarios.
More widespread wildfires
Most wildfires in Europe are started by human activities but climatic conditions — dry and hot periods with strong winds – determine their intensity and impact. Forest fires largely affect southern Europe, but also increasingly central and even northern Europe. Since 1980, 712 people lost their lives across Europe as a direct impact of wildfires. The 2022 wildfire season was the second worst since 2000, with over 5,000 km2 (twice the area of Luxembourg) burnt during the summer months (June, July, August) and a record area of Natura2000 nature protection sites affected.
Under the high emissions climate change scenario, the south of Europe, in particular the Iberian Peninsula, will experience a marked increase in the number of days with high fire danger. The number of people living near wildland and exposed to high-to-extreme fire danger levels for at least 10 days per year would grow from now by 15 million (+24%) under the 3°C global warming scenario.
Rise in climate-sensitive diseases
Some disease-carrying species are widespread in Europe (such as ticks which can spread Lyme borreliosis or tick-borne encephalitis), while others are invasive (like Aedes albopictus also known as the tiger mosquito which can spread dengue fever). A warmer climate means both endemic and invasive species can spread further north or be present at higher altitudes than in the past. The climate suitability for the tiger mosquito is projected to increase in large parts of Europe, especially in western Europe which could become a hot spot for the mosquito by the end of the century.
Malaria could also re-emerge in Europe due to the widespread presence of the Anopheles mosquito species which can carry the disease. Increased rainfall and presence of stagnant water creates more habitat for mosquitoes, and warmer temperatures increase the mosquito bite rate and the development of the Plasmodium parasite that causes malaria.
What is being done to prepare and adapt?
Preparing our societies for climate change in Europe is driven by an EU policy framework (mainly EU strategy on adaptation to climate change and the EU Climate Law) and national policies. All EU Member States, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Türkiye (EEA member countries) have national adaptation policies already in place. The EEA monitors country adaptation planning and implementation by using reported information from Member States and other sources.
However, more could be done to link adaptation policies with sectoral policies, for example on health. Most national adaptation policies and health strategies recognise the impacts of heat on cardiovascular and respiratory systems. But less than half cover direct impacts of heat like dehydration or heat stroke.
There is an urgent need to upscale the implementation of adaptation measures such as heat-health action plans, boosting the number of green and blue spaces (trees and water) in cities which can lower temperatures and reduce the risk of flooding, or surveillance and early warnings for climate-sensitive infectious diseases.
Adaptation is urgently needed in agriculture. Farmers can limit adverse impacts of risking temperature and droughts by adapting crop varieties, changing sowing dates and with changed irrigation patterns. Without more adaptation, yields and farm incomes are projected to decline in the future.
The implementation of measures in practice often happens at the subnational level, therefore the commitment of local and regional authorities to adaptation is crucial. Over 4,500 cities, towns and municipalities are signatories to the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, committed to action on adaptation and more than 300 regions and local authorities have signed the Charter of the EU Mission for Adaptation to Climate Change. This latest EEA tool includes numerous examples of adaptation measures put in place across Europe, which are sourced from the EEA’s Climate-ADAPT portal.
Are you a journalist? And do you have questions about this product? Contact our press officers.
The agency’s flagship annual report, Global Trends in Forced Displacement 2022, found that by the end of 2022, the number of people displaced by war, persecution, violence, and human rights abuses stood at a record 108.4 million, up 19.1 million on the previous year – which was also a record increase.
“These figures show us that some people are far too quick to rush to conflict, and way too slow to find solutions. The consequence is devastation, displacement, and anguish for each of the millions of people forcibly uprooted from their homes,” High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said.
Of the global total, 35.3 million were refugees, people who crossed an international border to find safety, while a greater share, 58 per cent, representing 62.5 million people – were internally displaced due to conflict and violence.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was the top driver of displacement in 2022. The number of refugees soared from 27,300 at the end of 2021, to 5.7 million at the end of 2022 – representing the fastest outflow of refugees anywhere since World War Two.
Estimates for the number of refugees from Afghanistan were sharply higher by the year’s end, due to revised estimates of Afghans hosted in Iran, many having arrived in previous years.
Similarly, the report reflected upward revisions by Colombia and Peru of the numbers of Venezuelans, mostly categorized as “other people in need of international protection,” hosted in those countries.
Urgent funding for host countries
The figures also show it remains the world’s low and middle-income countries, not wealthy states that host most displaced people.
The 46 least developed nations, account for less than 1.3 per cent of global gross domestic product, yet they hosted more than 20 per cent of all refugees, UNHCR said.
Funding for displacement and to support hosts, remained inadequate for 2022 and the same applies so far this year, the agency added
‘Responsibility sharing’ needed
“People around the world continue to show extraordinary hospitality for refugees as they extend protection and help to those in need,” Mr. Grandi added, “but much more international support and more equitable responsibility sharing is required, especially with those countries that are hosting most of the world’s displaced.
At the end of 2022, an estimated 4.4 million people worldwide were stateless or of undetermined nationality, a full two per cent more than at the end of 2021.
The Global Trends report is being launched six months ahead of the second Global Refugee Forum, a major gathering in Geneva bringing together a range of actors to find new solutions for people forced to flee and their hosts, and to emphasize the importance of global solidarity in confronting the problem.
Addressing a conference to take stock of action since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) 17 years ago, he urged countries to “do much, much better” to achieve greater inclusion and accessibility.
There are more than one billion persons with disabilities worldwide, most of whom are of working age and live in developing countries.
Mr. Guterres said the treaty marked “a landmark moment in our shared journey towards a more just and inclusive future for all.”
It has been ratified by 186 countries, and some 75 per cent of State Parties have passed laws to guarantee the integration of students with disabilities in mainstream schools.
Nearly 80 per cent now prohibit discrimination in hiring against persons with disabilities, and over 90 per cent have adopted national disability laws.
Hit hard by crises
“Today, however, the progress we achieved is at risk of reversing,” he said, referring to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the worsening climate emergency, conflicts, soaring humanitarian needs, and the global cost-of-living crisis.
Mr. Guterres noted that persons with disabilities “are often hit first and worst” when crisis strikes. “In every emergency – from natural disasters to pandemics to armed conflicts – persons with disabilities lose their lives at vastly higher rates,” he said.
Furthermore, workers with disabilities – who already suffer exclusion and marginalization – are often the first to lose their jobs and the last to be re-hired. Meanwhile, women and girls with disabilities are more likely to suffer violence and abuse, face discrimination, and remain trapped in poverty.
Everyone wins
“We must do much, much better,” he said, underlining that everyone has the right to live lives of dignity and opportunity, in societies that are peaceful, prosperous, and just.
“Because a world in which persons with disabilities can realize their full potential is a world that is more equal, more inclusive, more vibrant, fairer and better for all,” he added.
Areas for action
Mr. Guterres said the conference highlights three areas where progress must be made now, starting with improving digital accessibility for persons with disabilities, as “leaving no one behind, means leaving no one offline.”
Persons with disabilities must also have equal access to sexual and reproductive health services, an issue that has been “so deeply neglected”, he continued.
“It is not only a matter of justice and rights, including fundamental reproductive rights – for women with disabilities, access to sexual and reproductive health services can be the difference between life and death,” he said.
Finally, countries must ensure the full inclusion and active participation of persons with disabilities in all their diversity.
“Specifically, that means shifting mindsets to ensure persons with disabilities are fully included in decision-making processes on all issues that affect them,” he said. “And it means realizing the powerful call of the disability movement: ‘Nothing about us, without us.’”
Pick up the pace
The Secretary-General underlined the UN’s commitment to take ownership and show leadership.
Four years ago, he launched a strategy on disability inclusion across all pillars of the Organization’s work in peace and security, human rights, and development. Since then, UN entities and country teams have met 30 per cent of benchmarks.
Mr. Guterres acknowledged that “while this is progress – it is neither fast nor broad enough”, adding “we must pick up the pace.”
“My commitment is ironclad: guided by persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, we will not stop until disability inclusion and accessibility are fully built into every aspect of our work – across every policy, programme, and operation; from headquarters to the field,” he said.
Accurate data is critical
The President of the UN General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi, noted that there is still much to do to translate the CRPD’s landmark provisions into real change on the ground.
He highlighted the crucial need for accurate data which will help policy makers with allocating resources to support persons with disabilities.
“These efforts will be particularly important for overcoming the barriers to digital inclusion. Persons with disabilities often have lower incomes than others, making the cost of adaptive technology or connectivity services a burden,” he said.
Justice for all
Mr. Kőrösi also voiced his commitment to building more just and inclusive societies.
He said the General Assembly held a meeting on Tuesday on the role of “easy-to-understand communication”, helping people with disabilities to engage fully in UN life, he added.
On Thursday, the Assembly will hold a High-Level Meeting on ‘Equal Access to Justice for All’, he added.
Among the speakers is an activist who is helping other persons with disabilities to navigate the complexities of legal systems around the world.
WFP took the decision, after exhausting all other options, to prioritize the three million Syrians who are unable to make it from one week to the next without food assistance, the agency said in a press release, rather than continue providing aid to 5.5 million people, which would mean running out of supplies completely by October.
“Instead of scaling up or even keeping pace with increasing needs, we’re facing the bleak scenario of taking assistance away from people, right when they need it the most,” says WFP Representative and Country Director in Syria, Kenn Crossley.
After 12 years of conflict, massive displacement, a global pandemic pushing prices to record highs, and most recently, devastating earthquakes, Syrians have been living in a perpetual state of emergency, said WFP.
Currently, an average monthly income covers only around a quarter of a family’s food needs.
Over the past couple of years, WFP said it had taken every measure possible to stretch available resources, including the gradual reduction of the size of the monthly food ration, to half its former size.
And now, WFP is facing the challenge of increased needs at a pace that funding has not been able to match, amidst rising food and fuel prices.
Impossible ask
“Further reductions in ration size are impossible. Our only solution is to reduce the number of recipients”, said Mr. Crossley. “The people we serve have endured the ravages of conflict, fleeing their homes, losing family members and their livelihoods. Without our assistance, their hardships will only intensify”.
Even before last February’s earthquakes that hit the north and west of Syria causing widespread damage, loss of lives and displacement, 12.1 million people across the country were in the grip of hunger.
Malnutrition rates are at an all-time high too, the agency said, with one in four pregnant and nursing mothers acutely malnourished, and one in four children stunted in some parts of the county.
Future at risk
Without adequate and timely food assistance, Syria’s next generation and its entire future are at risk.
“We have the capacity and solutions to reduce dependency on humanitarian assistance and make a lasting difference in people’s lives,” Mr. Crossley said. “It’s critical that we keep providing life-saving food assistance to help families get through each week and each month, while we work on interventions that help people rebuild their lives and get back standing on their feet.”
He added that aid partners “have been instrumental in preventing such cuts before, particularly over the past two years. Now, we count on them to prevent irreversible harm to the Syrian people’s future. The time to act is now,” he urged.
Persons with the condition – which is caused by a lack of melanin pigmentation, affecting skin, hair and eye colour – continue to face an uphill battle to attain a life with dignity and equality, said Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond, the UN Independent Expert on albinism.
“My clarion call today is for Governments, UN counterparts, civil society organisations, influencers, community members and all stakeholders to reach out to persons with albinism and ensure their voices are heard – to form new partnerships and strengthen existing ones,” she said in a message to mark International Albinism Awareness Day on Tuesday.
Albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited condition that is present at birth. It is found in both sexes regardless of ethnicity and in all countries worldwide.
Albinism is much more prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, with estimates of one in 1,400 people being affected in Tanzania, according to the UN.
Prevalence as high as one in 1,000 has been reported for select populations in Zimbabwe and for other specific ethnic groups in Southern Africa.
Cancer and other dangers
Almost all people with albinism are visually impaired and prone to developing skin cancer.
They also face discrimination due to their skin colour, meaning they are often subject to multiple and intersecting discrimination on the grounds of both disability and skin colour. In some cultures, they have been killed for their body parts.
Over the past decade, UN human rights entities have received reports of more than 600 attacks against children and adults with albinism. Witchcraft was identified as one of the root causes of these attacks, as some believe that the body parts of people with albinism can bestow good luck or wealth.
Diversity and collaboration
This year, the International Day is being celebrated around the theme of “Inclusion is Strength”, which upholds the importance of diversity – both within and outside the albinism community.
Specifically, it highlights the value and benefits of including a broad spectrum of persons with albinism in albinism-related discussions, such as young people, women, children, older persons and LGBTQ+ persons of all races and ethnic backgrounds.
It also calls for collaborating and embracing albinism within the disability movement, and in other sectors where decisions affect persons with the condition, as well as teaming up with other groups outside the albinism movement, such as those working to advance human rights.
Translate policies into action
“Today, we have the opportunity to pause, reflect and remember that not all persons are treated equal, and that many persons with albinism continue to suffer human rights abuses and violations, often invisibly and in silence,” Ms. Miti-Drummond said.
She was adamant that persons with albinism cannot be excluded or left behind when it comes to decisions affecting them, stressing that human rights laws, policies and dialogue, must include issues relating to albinism.
“More critically, these must translate to actions and tangible results,” she said.
“Such a journey for inclusion should not be difficult given the myriad of human rights commitments States and stakeholders have undertaken at the international, regional, and national fora,” she added.
“Human rights mainstreaming is a common mantra, and the challenges faced by persons with albinism can be eliminated through strengthened partnerships and collaboration.”
WHO’s representative in Ukraine Dr. Jarno Habicht told reporters that after the collapse of the dam caused severe flooding and massive displacement, the agency’s primary concern was the potential outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid, as well as rodent-borne diseases.
The agency’s teams were monitoring the situation on the ground and were ready to scale up support, he said.
Dr. Habicht noted that back in the spring, WHO had provided cholera kits to people in the Kherson region and neighbouring areas “as a preventive measure”. Water safety messages were being shared in collaboration with the Ukrainian Ministry of Health on social media, along with information materials on how to avoid getting sick from contaminated water.
But the situation was evolving fast, Dr. Habicht said, and hundreds of thousands were in need of drinking water.
He also pointed out that WHO and partners in the field were monitoring the long terms impact of the release of hazardous chemicals into the water. Food security was another major concern in the flooded settlements.
Dr. Habicht also informed of ongoing discussions with the authorities on pipelines to support neighbouring cities like Kryvyi Rih and Mykolaiv, which are experiencing water shortages.
‘Emergency within the emergency’
The WHO representative described the mental health toll of the devastation on the population as “significant”, explaining that the Dnipro River was very frequented by locals in the summer and that the humanitarian disaster in the area “ruptured people’s memories”.
The situation has compounded the population’s distress following months of attacks on civilian infrastructure and a “dark and cold winter” amid power cuts, Dr. Habicht said.
Overall, there were more than 10 million people in the country with mental health needs. “It is an emergency within the emergency,” he stressed.
Access to care
Dr. Habicht also flagged the lack of care for non-communicable diseases, with many health facilities flooded and water and electricity supply issues impacting the cold chain. He said that the water damage had similar effects on health facilities as last October’s Russian strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure. Many elderly people in the area were at particular risk due to the lack of care.
Medical supplies, including pneumonia kits and pediatric kits, were part of the humanitarian convoys to Kherson last week and this week, Dr. Habicht said. WHO and partners were also assessing needs related to the restoration of health facilities.
Working as one
Describing the organization of operations on the ground, Dr. Habicht underscored that the whole UN was working together under the leadership of Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown, and that every day a coordination meeting was held on how to best support hundreds of thousands of desperate civilians together with the Government of Ukraine and partners.
He also recalled that there was still no humanitarian access to the parts of the affected areas occupied by Russia, and that security guarantees needed “to go there and save lives” were currently being discussed.
Attack on Kryvyi Rih
Meanwhile, a Russian missile attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region hit a residential building on Tuesday according to media reports, killing at least 11 civilians.
The central Ukrainian city is the home town of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Denise Brown condemned the attack, saying that “Russia’s invasion has, once again, claimed lives and brought suffering to the people of Ukraine”, and insisting that civilians and civilian infrastructure should never be a target, in line with international humanitarian law.
The city has also been impacted by the Kakhovka dam destruction as water supply to residents has been severely limited.
Stretching 111 miles into the open ocean, this engineering marvel connects the outlying islands of the Florida Keys to the mainland and forever changed more than just Florida
Traveling from Miami to Key West, Florida wasn’t always as carefree as it is today. In the early 20th century, the only way to reach the southernmost point of the continental United States was a day trip by boat, which depended on weather and tides.
But thanks to the stunning engineering marvel known as The Overseas Highway, which stretches 181 km miles from the southern tip of the continent through 44 tropical islands across 42 bridges, travelers seem to float along a necklace of mangroves and bays as they drive to the place, where North America and the Caribbean meet.
The Oversea Highway actually began construction as the Over-Sea Railroad and was the work of visionary Henry Morrison Flagler (known as the “Father of Modern Florida”).
In 1870, Flagler co-founded the Standard Oil Company with business magnate John D. Rockefeller, and it became one of the largest and most powerful corporations in the world at the beginning of the 20th century.
After visiting Florida and recognizing the tourist potential of the “Sunshine State”, Flagler poured much of his wealth into the region, building luxury resorts that turned one of the poorest states in the US into a winter paradise for tourists from the US Northeast from The Golden Age. However, guests have not been able to reach Flagler’s rich but remote resorts.
Thus, in 1885, Flagler connected a series of broken railroads along Florida’s Atlantic coast from Jacksonville, at the northern tip of Florida, to Miami, near the southern tip of the state. Miami was supposed to be the terminus of the line, but when the United States began construction of the Panama Canal in 1904, Flagler saw enormous potential for Key West, the closest American piece of land to the canal and the deepest port in the southeastern United States.
The bustling center was already thriving thanks to the production of cigars, mushrooms and fishing (by 1900 Key West was the largest city in Florida), but the island’s remote location made it difficult and expensive to transport goods north.
So Flagler decided to extend his route 150 miles (251 km) south to Key West, mostly over open sea. This so-called expansion was considered impossible by many of his contemporaries, and his vision was called “Flagler’s Folly” by his critics. Between 1905 and 1912, three hurricanes hit the construction site, killing more than 100 workers. Undeterred, Flagler pressed on.
The railroad took seven years, $50 million ($1.56 billion today) to build, and 4,000 African-American, Bahamian, and European immigrants who had to battle alligators, scorpions, and snakes while toiling in harsh conditions.
When the railway was finally completed in 1912, it was called the “eighth wonder of the world”. During the first launch of the Key West train from Miami, the then 82-year-old Flagler stepped out of his personal luxury carriage (which can be seen at the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach) and allegedly whispered to a friend, “Now I can die happy. My dream is fulfilled.”
The fact that Flagler funded more than $30 million out of his own pocket is remarkable,” says Florida historian Brad Bertelli. “Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates could do it today. Elon Musk with his SpaceX may be the best modern comparison.”
The railroad operated until 1935, when the deadliest hurricane in a century swept away miles of tracks. Instead of being restored, Flagler’s masterpiece was reshaped to accommodate America’s newfound love of cars.
In 1938, the US government set out to build one of the world’s longest causeways, relying on Flagler’s seemingly indestructible bridges that could withstand 200 mph winds. Crews laid the tracks so cars could run, and the newly opened Overseas Highway forever transformed the remote islands of the Florida Keys into the thriving tourist destination they are today.
More than a century after the railroad was completed, 20 of the original bridges still carry passengers from Miami to Key West. You can cover the distance in less than four hours, but getting around on the way is part of the fun. A series of fascinating, unusual stops help travelers better appreciate how this engineering marvel came to be and its lasting impact on the Florida Keys.
Key Largo is the northernmost part of the Florida Keys, 70 miles south of Miami, and is a great first stop. Alligators, snakes and other aquatic life may have terrified Flagler’s construction crews, but these days travelers come to Key Largo (the self-proclaimed “diving capital of the world”) to marvel at the abundant marine life. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, adjacent to John Pennekamp State Park, attracts scuba divers looking to dive into North America’s only living barrier reef.
The seagrass here is vital for fish, manatees and sea turtles, but the main attraction is swimming in the outstretched arms of Christ of the Deep, a submerged three-metre bronze statue of Jesus that has watched over visitors since 1965.
After this adventure, visitors head to Islamorada, a community located halfway between Miami and Key West that once housed a Marine Railroad station. Here at the Keys History and Discovery Center, a 35-minute documentary tells the story of the railroad’s construction and the many obstacles it encountered. The museum also displays artifacts from the train’s golden era, including dishes from the dining car, as well as an original menu where a steak cost $1.60.
From 1908 to 1912, about 400 workers lived in a camp on Pigeon Key, a small coral island located 56 km south of Islamorada, while they built the most difficult part of the Oversea Railway – the famous Seven Mile Bridge (colloquially called ” The old seven”), which connects Middle and Lower Key.
In 1909, civil engineer William Jay Krum was tasked with the daunting task of crossing 10 kilometers of open water. Construction crews are working around the clock, driving more than 700 piers into the middle of the ocean, sometimes almost 9 meters below sea level, to build the world’s longest bridge. They are assisted by divers who help create underwater concrete footings to support the weight of the railway.
The remains of the old construction camp can be reached by taking a tourist train over the old bridge from the town of Marathon to Pigeon Key. A 3.5 km section (the only accessible section) reopened in January 2022 after a five-year, $44 million renovation. Closed to other vehicular traffic, the once crumbling bridge is now a safe playground for those who want to ride a bike or rollerblade 19 meters above the crystal clear water or watch marine life such as sea turtles and sharks.
Today, only four permanent residents live on Pigeon Key. The five-acre island is now a National Historic Landmark and is powered primarily by solar energy. It’s also home to a museum that offers guided tours of several buildings that once housed the workers and tells the story of what daily life was like for the crew who built the Seven Mile Bridge.
Travelers along the length of the Overseas Highway today know the trip is over when they see US Mile 1 in Key West.
The sign marks the southernmost point in the contiguous US, meaning travelers are now closer to Cuba (144 km south) than Miami (212 km north). But while many visitors head straight for the city’s main drag, Duval Street, or the Ernest Hemingway House and Museum, the small but informative From Sails to Rails Museum is worth checking out.
Next year, Parliament is scheduled to hold 14 plenary sessions, of which eleven are four-day sessions in Strasbourg, two are two-day sessions in Brussels, and a single one-day session commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day in Brussels.
European Parliament elections will take place between 6 and 9 June 2024.
