Ventosa Vineyards has earned top honors at the 2025 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition securing multiple medals that highlight the Finger Lakes winery’s dedication to quality and craftsmanship Recognized as the largest wine competition in North America the event awarded Ventosa Vineyards one gold reinforcing its reputation as a premier producer of estate-grown wines The winery’s 2023 Semi Dry Riesling took home a prestigious gold medal while silver medals were awarded to the 2021 Silver Chardonnay The 2022 Oak Chardonnay earned a bronze medal “We are excited that our wines were recognized among some of the best in North America,” said Jeff Harvey “These awards prove our commitment to crafting high-quality wines that reflect the beauty and character of the Finger Lakes region.” Located on the eastern shores of Seneca Lake Ventosa Vineyards is known for its Old World winemaking techniques and focus on producing high-quality vinifera grapes The recent wins further cement its place as a standout winery in the region Wine lovers can experience these award-winning selections by visiting Ventosa Vineyards’ tasting room or purchasing them online at www.ventosavineyards.com Get the latest headlines delivered to your inbox each morning. Sign up for our Morning Edition to start your day. FL1 on the Go! Download the free FingerLakes1.com App for iOS (iPhone, iPad) FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected]. The sweet smell of cinnamon filled the air as students decorated their arms with artistic designs while listening to Hispanic music The Organization of Latin American Students provided a safe space for students of Hispanic descent to spend their afternoon on Oct said that she wanted the event to be an outlet for Latin American students on campus “We help Latin American students seek higher education because most of them are lower income students and are the first member of their family to go to college,” Perez said.  She said that she went to school in a predominantly white town as a kid and was the only Afro-Latina student there  She said that she felt like she did not fit in with her classmates so she wanted to help others who had similar experiences to find their place on campus.  OLAS distributed churros with chocolate sauce to honor Mexican household traditions The organization wanted to help Latin students who attended their event feel comfortable and at home “It makes me so happy to create a safe space for students who look like me and give them something that relates to their culture,” Perez said “I wanted to help them feel like they belong because it helps make me feel like I belong too.”  Nursing majors and twin sisters Joselle Ventosa and Janelle Ventosa attended the event specifically for the churros They wanted to have something quick to eat after the class they had together.    “Lots of people like free food,” Joselle Ventosa said “If they hear that an event is going to have free food they are definitely going to go to it.”  Janelle Ventosa said that free food is a great incentive to get students involved on campus and break out of their shells so it’s nice that I can get a free snack here,” Janelle Ventosa said.  business administration major Catalina Espinosa decided that the churros were not enough for their event  She suggested that the organization should also provide temporary tattoos of butterflies planets and more to help students express their creative sides “Obviously the majority came for the churros but the temporary tattoos were another thing that could get people interested,” Espinosa said hospitality and event management major Mackenzie Broderick said that she only came to the event to give herself a temporary tattoo.  She chose a bunch of designs that fit her interests: a planet tattoo because she loves astrology and an hourglass because it reminded her of a YouTube channel she used to watch.  “This event gives students a great place to hang out with their friends,” Broderick said “They are able to express themselves with tattoos and have a churro for a nice snack in between classes.”  7 in the Adanti Student Center Ballroom at $10 a ticket All proceeds from this event will go towards a scholarship fund for Hispanic students at the university.  and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Next Saturday, May 4 at 12 noon, the Espai Cultural Can Ventosa will be transformed into a vintage ballroom thanks to the show presented by Ibiza Escènica on the occasion of Mother’s Day: a concert inspired by the Netflix series ‘The Bridgertons’ which combines the best of classical music with current pop hits On stage will be the Ibiza String Ensemble trio formed on this occasion by Ramsés Puente (violin) Carlos Vesperinas (cello) and Assumpció Janer (harp) This formation will perform a careful selection of themes from the soundtrack of the series which has conquered the international audience for its original fusion of period aesthetics and symphonic arrangements of contemporary songs The experience is completed with the special participation of actresses and dancers Raquel Ortiz and Marta Torvisco who will enrich the staging with a theatrical and visual dimension that will evoke the romanticism passion and elegance that define the ‘Bridgerton’ universe The repertoire will include original compositions by Kris Bowers along with versions of songs by artists such as Billie Eilish All this in arrangements specially designed for this string and harp formation designed to thrill and surprise the audience Tickets for this unique concert are already on sale at a price of 18 euros For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Search More Results... powerful performances and theatre that hooks you from the first minute take note of this plan: Thursday 24 of April of 2025 at 20 pm the auditorium of the cultural center of Can Ventosa Directed by Yolanda Veny and with original text by Xesús Ballesteros this work is a free adaptation of “The Devil's Disciple” an intense and current proposal with a cast that includes Neus Guasch reinforces the dramatic tension in a story that explores the power The function is framed within the cycle ““Eivissa on stage” an initiative by Ibiza City Council to offer an overview of the island's theatrical talent The Tickets they cost 10 Euros and are for sale on the web culturaentradesonline.eivissa.es A perfect opportunity to support the island's talent offers and much more every week in your mail Welcometoibiza.com – Ibiza Guide – Copyright 2008 – 2025 © All rights Reserved Complete calendar of parties in Ibiza throughout the year Featured image by Riley Reed It’s been a few years since the ancient Chinese practice of ventosa massage cemented itself in our Western wellness lexicon but it’s still fair to have plenty of questions about the dramatic-looking body therapy cupping pulls the layers of muscle and fascia apart to promote blood flow.) For some expert guidance on cupping (including what exactly those dark circles indicate), we tapped Kurt Laukoter, a Texas acupuncturist who has a master’s degree in Chinese medicine. Kurt is a massage therapist and esthetician at Hiatus Spa in Austin (a favorite of the Camille Styles team!) Kurt shared the what and the why behind all things cupping—plus everything you need to know before making it a part of your wellness routine He received my masters in acupuncture and Chinese medicine at the Texas Health & Science University in Austin Cupping or Ventosa massage became more popular in Western culture when the 2016 Olympics aired and professional athletes like Michael Phelps had markings from cupping on their bodies It seems like that moment created a trend for Western culture and soon after other celebrities and the public began doing cupping as well cupping can be used as an add-on to a massage service and there is a specific treatment called the Suit of Cups massage a 60-minute service that involves cupping and massage I use three different forms of cupping including fire with glass Fire with glass is the strongest form of cupping with the strongest suction which I use on clients who specifically ask for it or if they are seasoned with cupping treatments Cupping can be stationary or the cups can be used in a sliding method I will typically leave them on for 10-15 minutes Ventosa massage or cupping therapy benefits include improved blood flow and lymphatic circulation; promotion of deep relaxation; reduction of swelling and congestion; and deep tissue benefits similar to a massage for relieving pain The different circles post-cupping can be dark purple to red to a lighter skin tone color If you have dark purple marks after cupping it is a manifestation of blood stasis in the body according to Chinese medicine blood stasis can indicate sharp stabbing pain in the body due to the blood being stagnant and not getting proper circulation there is less blood stasis and that area of the body may not need as much cupping I massage an area for five to 10 minutes before cupping because I have noticed that it helps the client have fewer dark marks Cupping is a safe treatment and the dark marks may look like bruises but they are a manifestation of the blood stasis that is coming to the surface to be dispersed for pain relief Clients feel relaxed and lighter after cupping similar to a massage or acupuncture The marks from cupping are not painful and will usually disappear after a week.  After getting a Ventosa massage or cupping therapy I recommend avoiding extremely hot or cold temperatures and intense workouts I also recommend avoiding deep tissue massages until the darker marks have faded These are the ones we look forward to getting in our inbox How to find your people and stay connected A study led by researchers of the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB) has developed a new pharmacological tool capable of simultaneously administering three oligonucleotide-based drugs, each acting against a different therapeutic target within the cell. The paper, published in the journal Bioorganic Chemistry presents a proof-of-concept of this innovative triple-targeting compound which has been successfully applied to breast cancer cells it is a therapy with “high potential for the treatment of complex diseases such as cancer or diabetes” Ventosa Vineyards is excited to announce two special summer dinner and show events featuring Todd East & Casino Royale and The Alans’ Live: Magic & Mentalism Enjoy a buffet dinner with Tuscan braised beef To purchase tickets, visit VentosaVineyards.com or call (315) 719-0000 located on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake offers award-winning wines and stunning views making it the perfect destination for an unforgettable evening FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected]. vsITA Regionals Plana Ventosa and Sereda Represent Pirates at ITA Regionals10/7/2023 5:25:00 PM | Women's Tennis 3at4Drexel Plana Ventosa and El Khalifi Shine at Drexel3/12/2021 10:59:00 PM | Women's Tennis The Can Ventosa Auditorium will host this Saturday the children’s show ‘From the Earth to the Moon’ It is a black theater play adapted from the novel of the same name by Jules Verne from the Earth to the Moon’ tells the story of Max a girl who has the difficult task of writing an essay for class where she has to explain what she wants to be when she grows up she decides to read a book called ‘From the Earth to the Moon’ a crazy robot who will guide her on a fun journey through space in which Max will learn that her greatest potential comes from what makes her different and original Flesh and blood characters will interact with puppets of different sizes wrapped in the magic of black theater a style of performance characterized by the play of lights on a pitch black stage Councilor of Culture of the City Council of Ibiza encourages everyone to come to this play: “The black theater is not very common and always impress the games they do with lights and colors surely everyone who comes to see the play will be completely impressed,” she says “This will be a family show in which the imagination will be the engine to achieve what the public proposes even the moon,” adds the dossier of the play Tickets are available on the website of the City Council of Ibiza For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here 2at5Bryant Pirates Drop Match to Bryant3/22/2024 9:11:00 PM | Women's Tennis The executive joined Lockton in 2020 as director of energy within the Latin America and Caribbean team You have reached the limit for gifting for this month Insurance Insider US is the premier intelligence solution for the P&C insurance market Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy Metrics details Imaging mass spectrometry techniques have become a powerful strategy to assess the spatial distribution of metabolites in biological systems Based on auto-ionisability of lichen metabolites using LDI-MS we herein image the distribution of major secondary metabolites (specialized metabolites) from the lichen Ophioparma ventosa by LDI-MSI (Mass Spectrometry Imaging) Such technologies offer tremendous opportunities to discuss the role of natural products through spatial mapping their distribution patterns being consistent with previous chemical ecology reports A special attention was dedicated to miriquidic acid an unexpected molecule we first reported in Ophioparma ventosa The analytical strategy presented herein offers new perspectives to access the sharp distribution of lichen metabolites from regular razor blade-sectioned slices Their distribution patterns are consistent with the ecological roles previously proposed for these metabolites ventosa from both sampling sites revealing the different anatomical features alongside a cryosectioned piece of an apotheciate thallus (Tyrol sample) (A) and a hand-cut piece of a non-apotheciate thallus (Styria sample) (B) the lichen cannot be removed from its substratum without being damaged which accounts for the poor integrity of the lower parts of the thallus Two different slicing procedures were applied to the lichen material for samples of both locations: cryosectioning (Fig. 1A) and hand-cutting (Fig. 1B) the use of organic solvents was avoided to circumvent de-localization of hydrophobic metabolites of O ventosa and 40 μm thick transverse sections were cut from frozen pieces of thallus resulting in a significant crumbling of the medulla to afford undamaged slices with a thickness exceeding 100 μm Longitudinal distribution of miriquidic acid in a piece of Ophioparma ventosa thallus (Tyrol sample) Division of a piece of thallus in small fragments (B) Rose patches refer to areas containing miriquidic acid Negative-ion mode LDI mass spectrum of a dichloromethane extract of Ophioparma ventosa displaying ions selected for imaging mass spectrometry with related colors From left to right: Molecular images of haemoventosin, usnic acid, divaricatic acid, thamnolic acid, miriquidic acid and all overlaid ions in a cryosectioned piece of an apotheciate piece of thallus from the Tyrol sample of Ophioparma ventosa. Intensities of ions in the imaged spots are color coded using a heat map with relative intensities given as indicated on the color scale bars. From left to right: Molecular images of usnic acid miriquidic acid and all overlaid ions in a hand-cut piece of an apotheciate piece of thallus from the Styria sample of Ophioparma ventosa Intensities of ions in the imaged spots are color coded using a heat map with relative intensities given as indicated on the color scale bars Molecular images of naphthazarine pigments in the Tyrol sample of Ophioparma ventosa (A): haemoventosin m/z 304 and (B): 4-hydroxyhaemoventosin m/z 320) Non-detection of miriquidic acid from the previous DART-MS investigated pieces of thallus might refer to the uneven allocation of this depside Their occurrence in each slice supports their taxonomic value non-overlapping and constant distribution patterns suggests a specific ecological relevance for each of them It is worth pointing out that usnic acid also occurs in deeper parts of the lichen thallus This secondary distribution pattern can be understood by referring to the brain-like growth of O ventosa thallus: when new squamules are developed on the surface the old surface of the lichen (including cortex and algae) gets buried in a self-overgrowing process The deep furrows of usnic acid might then refer to the former localization of the photobionts hypothecium represents a very valuable tissue for lichen fitness the partitioning of thamnolic acid might be regarded as a further example of the optimal defense theory miriquidic acid might stem from overgrown species containing this depside which are described in both sampling sites such as the squamulose Miriquidica garovaglii LDI-MSI analysis revealed that miriquidic acid was located in the basal medullary layer of the thallus Such a basal distribution appears to be compatible with an acquisition from overgrown lichens analysis of further slices obtained from the same thallus do not reveal the presence of miriquidic acid This validates the uneven longitudinal distribution highlighted earlier and therefore supports the acquisition from a parasitized lichen delineating chemical interactions ongoing at marginal contacts between lichen thalli might advance the understanding of such complex relationships this study highlights the interest of LDI-imaging mass spectrometry as a simple and versatile strategy to assess the distribution of metabolites within lichens and more widely paves the way for its future application to polyphenolic structures in the wider realm of natural products The narrow correlation between the localization of the compounds and their presumed ecological significance demonstrates the relevance of LDI-MSI as a privileged tool for chemical ecology studies Two samples of Ophioparma ventosa of different thicknesses were harvested: a first sample was collected in Tyrol (Austria) 500 meters south of Obergurgl (elevation 1800–1850 m) The lichen was collected and identified by one of the authors (J.B.) in 04/2009 A voucher specimen was deposited at the herbarium of laboratory PNSCM with the reference JB/09/158 Sample 2 was harvested in Styria (Austria) at the south of the lake Grosser Winterleitensee (elevation 1950–2000 m) The specimen was collected and determined by one of the authors (W.O.) in 09/2014 13218a) was deposited at the herbarium GZU Fourty microns-thick transverse frozen sections were cut using a cryostat (Leica UK) and fixed on a carbon-conductive adhesive tape which was in turn fixed on an indium tin oxide (ITO) slide (Bruker Daltonics All MSI measurements were performed using an Autoflex-Speed MALDI-TOF/TOF spectrometer (Bruker Daltonics Germany) equipped with a Smartbeam laser (355 nm 1000 Hz) and controlled using the Flex Control 3.4 software package The mass spectrometer was operated with a negative polarity in the reflectron mode Spectra were acquired in the mass range of m/z 100–600 for all (x y) coordinates corresponding to the imaged tissue The laser raster size was set at 50 microns The signal was initially optimized by manually adjusting the laser power and the number of laser shots fired full-scan MS experiments were run by accumulating 400 satisfactory laser shots per raster position and using the laser power leading to the best signal-to-noise ratio Image acquisition was performed using the Flex Imaging 4.0 (Bruker Daltonics) software package The correlation of the target plate with the optical image was performed from three distinct teaching points following the procedure of the Flex Imaging software (Bruker Daltonics) Spatial mapping of lichen specialized metabolites using LDI-MSI: chemical ecology issues for Ophioparma ventosa Publisher's note: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Phenols in reproductive and somatic structures of lichens: a case of optimal defence doi: 10.1034/j.1600-0706.2000.910217 (2000) Determination of the distribution of lichen substances in the thallus by fluorescence microscopy In Annales Botanici Fennici 189–202 (JSTOR Mass spectrometry imaging of plant metabolites – principles and possibilities Matrix-free UV-laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry as a versatile approach for accelerating dereplication studies on lichens Matrix-free UV-laser desorption/ionization (LDI) mass spectrometric imaging at the single-cell level: distribution of secondary metabolites of Arabidopsis thaliana and Hypericum species: Matrix-free UV-LDI mass spectrometric imaging at the single-cell level doi: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2009.04012.x (2009) In situ dart-ms as a versatile and rapid dereplication tool in lichenology: chemical fingerprinting of Ophioparma ventosa Ophioparma lapponica - a misunderstood species Notes on the chemical and morphological variation of the lichen Ophioparma ventosa in east fennoscandia In Annales Botanici Fennici 291–297 (JSTOR Rusty coloured species of the lichen genus Miriquidica (Lecanoraceae) doi: 10.1111/j.1756-1051.1990.tb01757 (1990) Minor pyranonaphthoquinones from the apothecia of the lichen Ophioparma ventosa Haematomma and Ophioparma: two superficially similar genera of lichenized fungi Fungal diversity in rock beneath a crustose lichen as revealed by molecular markers Forest successional stage affects the cortical secondary chemistry of three old forest lichens Chemical defence strategies of higher fungi Photoautotrophic symbiont and geography are major factors affecting highly structured and diverse bacterial communities in the lichen microbiome: Prokaryotic communities of the lichen microbiome doi: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2011.02560.x (2012) Microbial consortia of bacteria and fungi with focus on the lichen symbiosis comparison between natural and synthetic thalli of Usnea strigosa In situ imaging of usnic acid in selected Cladonia spp Lichenic extracts and metabolites as UV filters Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology 120 doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2013.01.009 (2013) Effects of ultraviolet radiation and PAR on the content of usnic and divaricatic acids in two arctic-alpine lichens Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences 1 The effects of usnic acid on the physiology of two cultured species of the lichen alga Trebouxia puym The influence of pH and lichen metabolites (vulpinic acid and (+) usnic acid) on the growth of the lichen photobiont Trebouxia irregularis Factors affecting the toxicity of several lichen acids: effect of pH and lichen acid concentration Site of inhibition of usnic acid at oxidizing side of photosystem 2 of spinach chloroplasts doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1986.tb00854 (1986) The occurrence of lichen phenolics in the photobiont cells of Evernia prunastri Comparison of the phytotoxic effects of usnic acid on cultures of free-living alga Scenedesmus quadricauda and aposymbiotically grown lichen photobiont Trebouxia erici Physiological changes in the lichen alga Trebouxia during cultivation Toxicity and antifeedant activity of lichen compounds against the polyphagous herbivorous insect Spodoptera littoralis Lichen chemistry and selective grazing by the coleopteran Lasioderma serricorne doi: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2004.10.011 (2006) Dissociation and metal-binding characteristics of yellow lichen substances suggest a relationship with site preferences of lichens Parietin in the tolerant lichen Xanthoria parietina (l.) th increases protection of Trebouxia photobionts from cadmium excess The genus Ramboldia (Lecanoraceae): a new species The chemical constituents of Haematomma ventosum (l.) massal in the british isles herkunft und Ökologie anthropogen geförderter rinden-und holzflechten Usnic acid controls the acidity tolerance of lichens High acidity tolerance in lichens with fumarprotocetraric perlatolic or thamnolic acids is correlated with low pKa1 values of these lichen substances Marginal bleaching of thalli of Rhizocarpon as evidence for acid rain in the norra storfjället The occurrence of biomineralization products in four lichen species growing on sandstone in western norway The pedogenic action of Parmelia conspersa Rhizocarpon geographicum and Umbilicaria pustulata The occurrence of copper—norstictic acid in lichens from cupriferous substrata The occurrence of copper-psoromic acid in lichens from cupriferous substrata Cellular impact of metal trace elements in terricolous lichen Diploschistes muscorum (scop.) r sant.–identification of oxidative stress biomarkers doi: 10.1023/B:WATE.0000015332.94219.ff (2004) Comparative studies of the lichen–rock interface of four lichens in vingen Susceptibility to acidic precipitation contributes to the decline of the terricolous lichens Cetraria aculeata and Cetraria islandica in central europe Zn/pb-tolerant lichens with higher content of secondary metabolites produce less phytochelatins than specimens living in unpolluted habitats doi: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2010.07.002 (2011) Lichen substances affect metal adsorption in Hypogymnia physodes Lichen substances prevent lichens from nutrient deficiency with remarks and a key to species of the M Chemical communication between the endophytic fungus Paraconiothyrium variabile and the phytopathogen Fusarium oxysporum Intraspecific chemical variation within the crustose lichen genus Haematomma: anthraquinone production in selected cultured mycobionts as a response to stress and nutrient supply A single-cell view of ammonium assimilation in coral–dinoflagellate symbiosis Advanced methods for the study of the chemistry and the metabolism of lichens Download references This work was supported by the University of Rennes 1 through Project “Défi emergent LICHENMASS” and through the use of the mass spectrometry facilities of the BIBS platform of INRA UR 1268 Boustie Joël and Le Lamer Anne-Cécile contributed equally to this work Institut d’Électronique et de Télécommunications de Rennes UR 1268 Biopolymers Interactions Assemblies collected and identified the lichen material The authors declare no competing financial interests Download citation Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry (2020) Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science A Day in the Life with Hiba El Khalifi and Aina Plana Ventosa4/22/2021 9:18:00 AM | Women's Tennis service directory and conferences for the R&I community One of Diego Ventosa’s clients is a global firm with legacy interests in traditional energy and power industries and a growing portfolio of renewable energy “We bought some operations in Latin America from a major utility and while they represented a large base of assets we needed to replicate the insurance program that they enjoyed as part of the big utility,” said its operating director and then the parent company added further operations that effectively did bring its portfolio up to a size comparable to that of a major utility “We now have assets all over the world and are constantly adding more,” said the operating director All the assets are being managed under one master program “Diego has been able to get us a savings of about 50% on the premium over what the same assets were paying as parts of their previous owners He has also been able to get us better terms and conditions “It’s a very dynamic program that Diego has to stay on top of,” the client continued “We’ve expanded wind power in one country and added thermal power there as well we have sold one operation and bought another “We just got back from a road show in Europe where the market remained soft for longer than it had in the U.S. “We got commitments from our lead underwriter and about half the following carriers at about a 5% discount to last year.” All 2020 Power Broker Winners 2020 Renewable Energy Power Broker Winners and Finalists A Risk & Insurance Power Broker® is an individual who stands out among their peers for the exceptional client work they delivered over the past year While brokers play many key roles in the insurance industry and risk profession a Power Broker® award recognizes problem solving Our goal is to broadly recognize and promote outstanding risk management and customer service among the brokerage community Power Brokers are selected by risk managers based on the strength of the testimonials they provide to a team of 15 Risk & Insurance editors and writers Commercial auto insurers continue to face mounting losses and challenges despite years of rate increases and underwriting initiatives Here's our conversation with 2023 Private Client Power Broker Mike Summers who was recently hired as strategic account executive with HUBPrivate Client group The latest people news in the industry today Topicals can be a costly specialty medication in workers’ compensation it’s important payers have a resource that works with them to reduce their overall cost Cyber risk remains a top exposure for companies of every shape and size the opportunities for system failure continue to multiply Though coverage terminology is shifting to adapt to evolving threats capacity remains plentiful as insurers and brokers work to meet the needs of their clients Here are the key trends shaping the cyber landscape today and how businesses and their insurers can work together to mitigate the risks: “Ransomware and business email compromise remain significant threats The increased utilization of technology in our world particularly with the hybrid working model and the reliance on cloud sharing presents potential weaknesses if cybersecurity measures are not robust enough,” said Siobhan O’Brien According to the Cyber Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) 90% of successful ransomware attacks in the US start with a phishing attack These attacks open the door for bad actors to plant malware within a targeted organization’s system Not all companies have the financial resilience to survive the downtime and reputational damage resulting from such an attack Employee training is critical to mitigate this risk Employees should not only be able to recognize the characteristics of a fraudulent email but also appreciate their role in protecting their company as a whole “Taking the time to train employees is vital because phishing scams can harm individuals and companies in many ways Phishing training emails and videos may seem simple but they highlight the importance of being vigilant Employees must understand the implications of clicking on malicious links to prevent harm to the company and ensure its survival,” O’Brien said Increasing interconnectivity and reliance on cloud services mean that an outage can disrupt millions of businesses The CrowdStrike outage of 2024 exemplifies this A flawed software update caused a system failure that affected Windows users around the world financial services to emergency services and more Disruptions like this have the potential to bring the global economy to a halt Cyber policies are not consistent in how they respond to these unintentional failures “The biggest headline event in the cyber world last year was a non-malicious event which some risk models didn’t anticipate Some policies have responded positively to such incidents Purchasers of cyber insurance will likely seek clarification on the intent of policies to cover non-malicious events without limitations,” O’Brien said this underscores the importance of keeping technology systems up to date and having backup processes in place but it also highlights the unpredictability of cyber risk brokers and clients will have to work closely together to identify vulnerabilities and clarify coverage terms and conditions so everyone understands the potential impact of an outage Emerging capabilities of artificial intelligence have both positive and negative potential for insurers and insureds alike “AI can be very positive from a cybersecurity perspective enabling better protection through enhanced threat detection and rapid response allowing for an increased frequency of attacks on companies New technologies often come with both benefits and challenges so it is important to find the right balance,” O’Brien said Companies can employ AI to streamline processes But AI platforms also represent another potential entry point for cyber criminals Perpetrators can also utilize AI themselves to commit fraud leveraging “deepfake” technology to execute social engineering schemes There are also broader questions around liability when it comes to decisions made based on AI-driven algorithms many questions remain around the utility of AI platforms and how best to keep them secure Insurers and insureds will have to grapple with these questions together as the technology continues to evolve “We must continually work with partners to assess the current and future risk landscape The past is not always a predictor of the future in cyber as it’s a unique universe with different needs compared to property or casualty insurance,” O’Brien said The US cyber insurance market is currently robust with plenty of capacity available for both primary and excess positions The number of cyber insurance policies being purchased is increasing year over year as reported by the 2024 NAIC Report on the Cyber Insurance Market “According to recent reports from global insurance and reinsurance brokers the cyber market experienced single-digit decreases in pricing in Q4 in the US,” O’Brien said with insurers seeking clients who have strong cybersecurity measures in place regular updates to software thorough employee training “Insurers want to understand the security posture of the company their actual utilization of multifactor authentication strength of the firewalls and ultimately their capability to recover from an incident,” O’Brien said “We want to know that the risks being brought to us are well managed and well protected,” O’Brien said where the client is seeking an insurer who can bring their expertise in cyber protection and ultimately bring partnership in managing the claims handling process clients want to know that their insurer is there partnering with them and providing the necessary support through a combination of their in-house capabilities and trusted vendors.” As a new entrant in the cyber insurance market MSIG USA has the advantage of a fresh perspective without any legacy issues “While we have the robust infrastructure and financial strength of a 350-year-old company behind us our team is equipped with the expertise and capabilities to innovate and respond to clients’ cyber needs,” O’Brien said This supports the type of collaborative partnership that will be necessary to address cyber risk exposures for years to come we are assembling a team with deep expertise and a holistic view of our clients’ risks across all lines of insurance to enhance the capabilities of our in-house claims team we are partnering with vendors who can help us respond rapidly and diligently to get our clients back up and running,” O’Brien said And then there is the sheer scope of MSIG USA’s reach MSIG USA currently serves approximately 40+ regions and countries around the globe “MSIG USA is uniquely positioned to provide comprehensive strategies that protect clients and help them achieve their goals in today’s technology-driven world Our aim is to enter the market in the mid-excess capacity but with a view to developing a primary product offering bringing innovation to our products based on client needs,” O’Brien said To learn more, visit https://www.msigusa.com/commercial-insurance/ This article was produced by the R&I Brand Studio a unit of the advertising department of Risk & Insurance The editorial staff of Risk & Insurance had no role in its preparation Download our new white paper to see how an engaged PBM can help advocate for clients and control costs of treatment Brokering for the homeless takes a strong insurance mindset and a gracious soul chief underwriting officer for middle market life sciences at Liberty Mutual and 2024 Executive to Watch discusses the evolving pharmaceutical and life sciences sector Carriers that have the depth of experience and the vision to create and maintain stable portfolios will be better partners to buyers and distributors of insurance in the long run Working with multiple partners and handling sensitive financial data exposes payers to significant cyber risk centralized platform helps to manage this risk while enhancing efficiency Sign up for our R&I One weekly newsletter Lockton has recruited Diego Ventosa Dünwald previously a Marsh energy managing director to its rapidly expanding Latin America and Caribbean team in Miami Insurance Insider is the premier intelligence solution for the London and global (re)insurance markets Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy This week’s mover has been a fashion force at major glossies who is fashion director at Travel + Leisure is gearing up to take on the same role at Departures From where she gets her fashion inspo and her Morrissey obsession to styling stuffed animals and what’s next Kristen Heinzinger is the Senior Editor of The Daily Front Row/Daily Summer document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a1a94bf35cfd7bb69f6e289211a59b51" );document.getElementById("d628b68082").setAttribute( "id" GET OUR HAUTEST STORIES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX This image from ESA’s Mars Express shows part of possibly the largest single source of dust on Mars: a wind-sculpted feature known as the Medusae Fossae Formation The MFF is not only a veritable dust factory, but also remarkably extensive – it is the largest sedimentary deposit on the planet and stretches out discontinuously for more than 5000 km, covering an area about the size of India. It is named for the Greek mythological Gorgon Medusa who was able to turn those who looked into her eyes to stone with the suffix ‘fossae’ being Latin for trenches or hollows the edges of which can be seen in the gentle elevation extending out of the bottom right of the frame (northeast) This change in elevation can be seen especially clearly in the accompanying topographic map of this slice of martian surface the edges of Eumenides Dorsum can be seen in shades of red climbing above the lower-lying surrounding terrain Many different surface features comprise the MFF, which appears to be easily eroded by wind. Its surface alternately appears to be smooth and gently undulating, as seen to the upper left of the frame (southwest), wind-sculpted into kilometre-long ridges and grooves known as yardangs as seen to the centre and lower-left (southeast) In fact, this region likely formed as a result of wind moving material around on Mars’ surface. The MFF is thought to consist of ash released by the volcanoes in the nearby Tharsis region – including Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the Solar System – that has been deposited either through the air or via fast-moving ‘pyroclastic’ flows of lava The aforementioned crescent-shaped depressions are also the doing of martian winds are apparently carved into the sand by wind erosion sand-laden wind whips along and erodes the smooth surface until it hits an obstacle – a buried object such as a rock or more resistant patch of sediment The wind is then forced around and beneath the object Wind erosion is thought to be the latest stage of erosional processes acting on the MFF This is evidenced by the general lack of craters seen on the formation’s surface; if wind erosion had occurred long ago only we would expect to see more recent craters atop the wind-sculpted terrain the fact that only a few craters are visible here sitting alongside underlying older rock that has subsequently been covered and draped in dust implies that the region’s surface is young this fleet of martian explorers is working towards a fuller understanding of Mars and its intriguing landscapes Find out more Our amazing network of supporters and activists have played a pivotal role in everything we’ve achieved over the past 50 years Eight trucks were knocked over on highways in Oaxaca within 24 hours by gusts of wind up to 240 kilometers per hour comparable to those which produce Category 3 hurricanes The strong winds arrived on Friday night as part of a cold front and toppled three trucks five more trucks were felled by winds on the La Ventosa-La Venta highway said the gales knocked down trees and billboards on the highways destroyed corrugated roofs and left a truck’s cargo box stranded on a bridge said the agency prevented cars and trailers with empty cargo boxes from driving on part of the road well known for its windy conditions at this time of year The agency also restricted fishing and maritime activities after the winds provoked two to three-meter waves in the Gulf of Tehuantepec Santiago Niltepec and Asunción Ixtaltepec roofs were damaged; in El Espinal San Pedro Comitancillo and San Blas Atempa there were power cuts La Ventosa is a region well known for its blustery conditions: it is home to wind farms and its name means “the windy one.” With reports from Milenio and El Universal Oaxaca ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC Our annual Speexx Exchange conference is almost here and this year is particularly special for us for a few reasons this is our 10th anniversary of the annual Speexx Exchange event we are delighted to open the event up to our attendees online this is a leading industry event on best practices in the HR industry bringing learning and development (L&D) leaders together from around the world for a productive day of sharing we’ll be hearing from different leaders in the industry on how they have successfully accelerated digital transformation in the new normal for HR and L&D we are pleased to share a preview of the upcoming event with this interview post We spoke with Monserrat Ventosa—As VP Talent to get her take on how organizations can accelerate the necessary changes to their departments by utilizing technology and breaking down silos I don’t like to use the word normal as you have heard but I think it’s a new reality and the new reality is here to stay and it’s going to be much more changeable so it’s better we don’t interpret it as a normality that is going to be always the same I think we’re going to come in now in a period of lot of change so I will say that are three main shifts in the focus of L&D and in the “why we learn” and “who we learn” And I think the “why” is- we have to shift from learning solutions to problems that somebody has done before- to really learning together solutions to problems we never had before what we have to do is see how we equip our learners together to find solutions to these problems the solution to why the solution to communication There is no formula because it’s so new The content of what we learn has to move from content being the king to really how we use that content being the king but how we use that in order to create those solutions that involves that who learns is not just one person on its own circles of learning where people share and learn together how to face this unique and huge problems it’s impossible for just one person in any role or position to really find a solution to this because it’s very systemic is not a simple linear problem but it got me thinking about all these conversations That’s why I love talking to you guys because it’s the rate of learning that always has to be equal or bigger to the rate of change it’s not me saying that many academics of learning have said this before and when this doesn’t happen in the case of a person who gets depressed it translates into the inability to respond and the priority for L&D has to be: to accelerate the pace and the velocity of change by accelerating the speed And learning has always been seeing the return of investment of the learning as something in the long term you will train these people and in the long term Everything we knew from the past is almost not applicable anymore So I think the priority is accelerate the speed exponentially now and for that to incorporate machine learning I’m very sad to see how all these new technologies are not always in our agendas as professionals because it’s too disruptive to what we’ve been doing in the past And obviously additionally to the speed and velocity with the machines coming to help us and the third point I want to make is to prioritize culture We have to create a learning culture because we know culture eats strategy for breakfast and we know it companies still have cultures that they are not productive and they are not efficient or effective and sometimes they become a burden more than an accelerator and now it’s not time for that So learning and development departments have to become the engine of how we shift this culture into more positive ones where people can flourish I think the resistance to change is a natural mechanism and my 7-year-old yesterday was saying he didn’t want to try something to eat and he was crying then at the end he tried it and then came and said I realized I didn’t like to get out of my comfort zone and I was like wow And then he was eating and we were asking and I said I think that the resistance to change is natural because we are afraid of what we don’t trust But now this new reality has given the unique opportunity to really learn that it’s actually better I mean people now and companies are finding out people don’t want to go back to the office we have realized that when making things different how we are learning to communicate more straightforward at the end we learn that it’s not that bad We are digitally native because we were born in 2002 but really it’s not that you have a more of a flexible culture but it is not there yet in 48 hours we had to move 60,000 students to 100% virtual we were not fully virtual and we did it in 48 hours And we had 2,000 employees in Tecmilenio and around 7,000 teachers we have to really give them the support to students to their families the tranquility knowing this was under control to the employees and also to teachers and Tecmilenio is addressed to a level of students Our objective is social mobility and a very inclusive education so it means we were very concerned that many of our students will not have the resources and one of the first things we did was that We made sure everybody had what they needed Some people didn’t have computers at home (some other employees) and we let them take the ones from the office the first thing we did with this was make a survey for all our employees students or teachers and asked them how they were One in that they are going to be impacted positively by how we accelerate our rate of learning by talking to everyone The second was creating teams that were transversal we break them quickly because in these teams they needed to be people from all departments and hierarchy didn’t matter as much from those conversations with our employees Sometimes the relationship with their leaders we’d find out that 80% of their experience at home was determined by the quality of the leader we rapidly (in less than a month) put together a training for leaders “Virtual leadership- Leadership in the Distance” to give them also the tools to manage the people in a context they’ve never been in before I think that here the answer would be very quick It’s really about changing your mindset and moving to a startup mindset with many things that aren’t useful anymore but we keep them because they’ve always been there and at the end And now is the opportunity to get back to the roots to the essence of our busines we are we serving someone with a startup mindset there lots but either you are a startup or you are stop down and if you are stop down You’re stopped and you’re down and you need to be starting and very up so the only solution is startup mindset everybody’s here and learn to fail fast Learn what you don’t need and get rid of it This is the perfect excuse for all the things that are not useful Like we broke the silos working in a different way and that’s what we can do It’s a great opportunity to do what we always wanted Wellbeing 360º is a summit we’ve done virtually but really the objective for us is the well-being if we continue with the words it will be “bad-being” In English doesn’t exist but in Spanish it does we always have two lines where our learners are going parallel and learning the content- the what But really also going through another path of learning to increase your well-being because if not if we want to accelerate the speed of learning in order to be bigger than the speed of change the only way of doing it is through well-being Your people need to be in a well-being state like the homeostatic point where people can really grow from there and training and learning plays a very important role because it needs to incorporate that component into their practices into the way of being equals a higher well-being of our objectives and our profit and loss I think technology and AI has always had a strange relationship everybody talks about it and everybody says but they don’t integrate well with the systems of of these companies it’s one of these new fields and we always had a love-hate relationship from HR with it we even need to change the name we cannot talk about human resources anymore that’s a second industrial revolution concept And the first thing we need to change is to learn to really measure the impact of what we’re doing everything we can to make our job easier and focus in what we can do I think we have to move now to a love relationship with artificial intelligence and technology we need to accelerate the rate of learning and there is no other way without it with artificial intelligence supporting you to make better decisions The other great thing is that you can just start bit by bit Montserrat is passionate about turning workplaces into engines for change with their people by elevating an organization’s talent she heads a team that aims to build extraordinary places to work based in the Universidad Tecmilenio’s (UTM) Wellbeing & Happiness Ecosystem (part of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education At Speexx Exchange she’ll be introducing specific tools that HR and talent managers can apply to their organizations to ensure a happier and healthier workplace of the future – especially crucial at an uncertain time in modern history Beate Gallist is Head of Product Management at Speexx Beate coordinates the developer team and she is directly involved in designing and creating new learner tools and next generation features for all Speexx solutions You need to load content from reCAPTCHA to submit the form Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers You are currently viewing a placeholder content from X If you are a Speexx student from Mexico just click the Login button authoritative news and information source for executives focused upon risk management Never miss important news: Become a Business Insurance Online subscriber today Create your free Business Insurance account now Sign up for unlimited free newsletters from BI and get introductory access to all content on the new Business Insurance online NanoGLA — a potentially more effective version of enzyme replacement therapy that delivers the missing enzyme in Fabry disease through tiny fatty vesicles — has been designated an orphan drug by the European Commission The decision was based on a positive recommendation by the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products Orphan designation is given to investigative therapies with the potential to be safe and effective for rare or chronically debilitating conditions that have no approved treatments or where the potential therapy is showing significant benefit over existing treatments It is meant to accelerate the treatment’s clinical development and review by providing regulatory support and financial benefits and to ensure marketing exclusivity for 10 years in Europe upon regulatory approval “With this designation we have made a major achievement, not only for Fabry patients, but also for other [diseases] that can benefit from this same approach, made possible by nanotechnology,” Nora Ventosa, PhD, the coordinator of the European Smart4Fabry project responsible for nanoGLA development, said in a press release Ventosa is a researcher at the Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN) and the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) and the co-director of the Center of Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials (NANOMOL) In an informative video about the new therapy Ventosa estimated that nanoGLA may be available to patients by 2026 should it succeed in all required clinical tests the current gold standard treatment for Fabry involves delivering to patients a lab-made version of alpha-galactosidase A (Gal A) — the missing enzyme in Fabry disease —  restoring its normal function ERT is given directly into a person’s bloodstream these Gal A versions have a relatively short half-life — the time it takes for the levels of a compound circulating in the body to drop to half of the original amount given A large number of patients also develop antibodies against these proteins while Fabry disease also affects the central nervous system (CNS; the brain and spinal cord) existing ERTs cannot reach it due to their inability to cross the blood brain barrier This semi-permeable barrier is intended to protect the brain preventing potentially harmful and large molecules in the circulating blood from entering was to develop a new ERT that delivered Gal A through liposomal nanocapsules promote fewer immune responses (antibodies) and more effectively target affected cells and organs than do current ERTs The nanoGLA product was created based on DELOS Nanomol Technologies’ proprietary platform for the development of green and sustainable nanomedicines The nanovesicles surrounding Gal A are expected to protect the enzyme; improve its movement in and out of the body; provide better delivery to target tissues including the CNS; and reduce its toxicity and immune responses against it Notably, the project’s objective was to develop a new formulation with a 30–80% higher effectiveness compared with current free Gal A-delivering ERTs nanoGLA is anticipated to lower the doses needed and their total cost “The third-generation liposomal product we have developed in the project has demonstrated compared to authorized enzyme replacement treatments demonstrating that the strategy of supplying the affected cells with the GLA enzyme via the smart nanoliposome is highly successful,” said Ibane Abasolo a researcher at CIBER-BBN and Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research Data from preclinical proof-of-concept studies showed that nanoGLA has a better pharmacological profile and higher efficacy than free Gal A in animal models. The therapy is now in the preclinical regulatory phase, an evaluation necessary to advance it into testing in people. The four-year project, financed with €5.8 million from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, involved the participation of a consortium of 14 academic institutions and private companies from Spain, Denmark, Austria, the U.K., and Israel. This site is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Reporting by Sergio Goncaleves and Miguel Pereira; writing by Andrei Khalip; editing by Charlie Devereux and Sharon Singleton Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Seok-Woo Song — Photos exploring the pressures and loneliness of life in Korea Federico Borella & Michela Balboni — Photographing rural Italy’s “tree men” AikBeng Chia — Recreating vivid scenes from 1970s Singapore with the help of AI WePresent is the arts platform of WeTransfer.The simplest way to send big files A platform to empower creatives while using business as a force for good In the 1980s, Theo Jansen wrote a regular column for a Dutch newspaper these stories were excursions in imagination,” he says One of them involved an idea to help protect The Netherlands’ coastline from rising sea levels Theo imagined wind-powered skeletons placed on a beach Driven around by the wind they would gather sand to create dunes which would act as dams “That was just a sort of fantasy,” he admits It remained a fantasy until six months later when he passed a tool shop and saw PVC tubes used to cover electrical wires He played with them for a day and saw so many possibilities that he promised to spend a year working with them Stunning PVC lifeforms that move of their own accord they’ve been seen by millions of people across the internet and exhibited around the world Born in The Hague near the beaches he wrote about having studied applied physics at Delft University of Technology But he admits he was never too dedicated to his course; he was already dipping his toes in the art world and one day he decided he liked painting more than studying Despite his interests moving away from science his background helped him as he began work on the beasts Looking back it was a bit optimistic,” he says The joints were made of sellotape.” Despite this disappointment What fascinated him most was the idea that his creations could be improved He had just read Richard Dawkins’ The Blind Watchmaker  which tries to counter the main arguments against Darwin’s theory of evolution It gave me so much information about our origin,” Theo says “I had sleepless nights thinking about all the animals in the world and how they came about.” With the theory of evolution firmly in his mind Theo learned to take early disappointments in his stride “There always comes a moment when something will happen You’ll make a mistake and you’ll learn something very useful The early beasts were stiff enough to stand up to the wind Theo would often overestimate the strength of these joints and sometimes their backbones would even break “I had to adjust my imagination and wonder how to make things stronger,” he says You can see the parallels between real-world evolution and Theo’s practice and there comes a moment when they don’t break anymore,” he says Theo has a complicated relationship with the beasts “I’m not a god who has a very intelligent design in my head,” he says and these tubes always seem to want something else “The path I walk is very capricious and unpredictable it turns out the tubes have better ideas than I do.” He is the maker The tubes start talking to you after a while if you listen.” This listening process has now been going on for three decades Theo works on them throughout the autumn and winter while the summer is reserved for testing on the beach “At the end of the summer I declare the animals extinct and I become a little bit wiser about how the next ones can best survive,” he says When he does test them in the summer months Some feel romance as they float across the beach on YouTube; others are obsessed with the technical details and the way they work Having been fixated on this project for such a long time has Theo’s feeling towards his beasts changed Still I am expecting a lot and I’m seeing a lot coming back in return “In 1990 I was an irrational optimist,” he says And even though he has assistants who take on some of the technical work if someone drops by his studio it’s always Theo who shows them how the beasts work I’m still very intrigued by both the existing beasts and the future beasts.” Theo is not sure if his creations will ever fulfil the original purpose he mapped out in his column all those years ago “I became so intrigued with the evolutionary process that I forgot to save the country,” he laughs “Studying the principles of life and evolution is so much bigger than just saving the country I would like to put all of this knowledge into one group of animals that can survive on their own and there will be a new species on Earth.” Want (even) more WePresent?Sign up to our monthly newsletter EDF’s wind farm is in limbo after residents in the state of Oaxaca sought a court-ordered injunction an SUV carrying four men screeched to a halt in front of the house of German Valdivieso Diaz where he still lives with his parents and two nephews They demanded to know how to find Valdivieso Valdivieso said his terrified mother called urging him to stay in Mexico City where he was taking a course—more than 700 kilometers (435 miles) northwest of their rural home in La Ventosa near the Pacific coastline La Ventosa means “Suction Cup” in Spanish—aptly named given it’s home to some of the most powerful wind gusts in the world That also explains why the spot caught the attention of energy giant Electricite de France SA which chose the location for its first wind power project in Mexico The Valdiviesos are among the families who leased land to EDF and now find themselves at odds with both other residents and the company over the giant towers and turbines it’s proposing to build on their properties Disputes about the project help explain why the men showed up at his home that day “The death threats left my mom in a very bad state,” said Valdivieso nobody is accusing EDF of paying the men who threatened Valdivieso What he and others in the community do blame EDF for is failing to act on and foresee that their wind projects would drive some local residents—desperate for money from land leases—to the brink of violence it’s emblematic of how renewable energy developers are creating rifts between those trying to preserve their ancestral lands and those who will do almost anything for much-needed cash EDF officials said the company hasn’t made threats against anyone and added that it strongly condemns such practices The French state-controlled utility said in a statement that it has “scrupulously complied” with Mexican laws and said it recognizes a United Nations-supported position that indigenous people have the right to give or withhold their consent to projects that may affect them or their land Since EDF erected its first wind turbine in 2009 in southern Mexico the company has been sued by indigenous and human rights groups and accused by residents of taking over their land with no warning Valdivieso’s family joined forces with local activists to seek an injunction against the company and a judge suspended operations at EDF’s Gunaa Sicaru site in La Ventosa due to incomplete community consultations the turbines are just as invasive as the mines that have sprung up in La Ventosa’s mineral-rich hills the men who pressured his family over Gunaa Sicaru also requested that he abandon opposition to local mining concessions EDF said the future of the project will depend on the outcome of these deliberations Gunaa Sicaru would be EDF’s fourth wind park in the area almost doubling its installed local capacity if completed Valdivieso and other residents said the company assured them the projects would bring jobs and investment the wind parks have splintered the community that descends from pre-Columbian tribes Some opponents like Valdivieso said they have been criticized at public meetings for being “anti-wind” by other residents who are supportive of the industry What’s happening in La Ventosa is part of a broader trend where wind solar and hydroelectric companies have pursued projects that have led to land grabs in underdeveloped rural communities an independent group focused on energy security is calling for $1 trillion a year in clean energy investments for developing countries by 2030 businesses and governments will need to become better at cooperating with local communities and that isn’t happening in Mexico and other parts of the world the mining of lithium and copper is drying up pastures and depleting drinking wells operations at a $3.6 billion hydroelectric dam have been stalled since 2011 because of the lack of a proper environmental assessment.READ MORE: Saving the Planet With Electric Cars Means Strangling This Desert “There’s no difference to the way extractive industries operate: taking land belonging to populations destroying their crops,” said Michel Forst who traveled across Mexico in 2017 to write a report for the UN on human rights their way of life is destroyed all of a sudden.” The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre a London-based nonprofit that tracks rights abuses globally ranks EDF among the companies with the most alleged incidents of rights abuses among international renewable energy companies in Latin America Honduras was singled out as the country where the most offenses are occurring Latin America accounted for almost two thirds of the allegations of rights abuses in the renewable energy industry according to the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre which has funding from groups including the Ford Foundation and billionaire George Soros’s Open Society Foundation Wind energy ranked second after hydroelectric in terms of alleged human rights abuses Read More: A Murder in Honduras Reveals the Dark Side of Clean Energy The Business and Human Rights reporting emerges as publicly traded companies have been burnishing their environmental and social credentials to attract investors While the wind farms in southern Mexico represent 3% of the Paris-based utility’s installed wind capacity have indicated they won’t stand by idly when human-rights abuses are occurring at companies they invest in BlackRock is EDF’s largest shareholder after the French government BlackRock said in March that it will vote against corporate directors who fail to effectively address “material human rights-related risks.” The New York-based firm declined to discuss its position on EDF “Companies can no longer afford to sweep these issues under the rug,” said Kristin Hull a $400 million sustainability investor in Oakland “Justice issues have to be part of due diligence It may look to a western businessman that no one is pushing back Dial back the clock to more than a decade ago and EDF was part of a rush of wind companies including Enel SpA and Spain’s Iberdrola SA Just like the international oil companies that arrived in the country a century earlier and went straight to oil seeps along the Gulf Coast to drill gushers EDF and other wind producers made a beeline for the wind money on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec The area is so windy that trucks are known to have been blown off the road near La Ventosa where row after row of wind turbines sprout from the town and the surrounding countryside Mexico ranked as having the fifth-cheapest costs for onshore wind producers of 27 countries reviewed by BloombergNEF and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the state of Oaxaca is the most attractive spot in the country to set up shop Renewable power companies are directly responsible for creating societal strains a coordinator at Mexico City-based human rights group ProDESC which has led legal challenges against wind projects in Oaxaca state A common mode of operation is converting communal land into private property to sidestep lengthy negotiations with the indigenous communities known as ejidos The result is local residents are often surprised when they see wind towers go up on their ancestral lands and then get little to nothing in the way of compensation “The land belongs to everyone,” Lopez said “They needed to negotiate with the whole community.” the Valdivieso family receives 15,000 pesos ($750) a year from EDF for leasing 10 hectares equal to roughly 16% of what the household earns each year from selling cheese and mutton from their farm “What happened initially is that the farmers immediately signed papers to rent their lands to the wind parks without realizing that it was almost like selling their land,” said Delfino Morales Felipe municipal secretary for the city council of Juchitan de Zaragoza which comprises several communities including La Ventosa the municipality hasn’t received taxes from the wind companies for the past three years funds that could be used to put electricity in homes and repair roads and drainage systems damaged by an earthquake in 2017 farmers continue to be threatened for opposing the wind parks “The city council is raising the voices of the people who have been disassociated because we would like the wind parks to generate a lot of resources,” Morales said More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com By subscribing, you agree to the processing of your personal data by dmg events as described in the Privacy Policy. In the next episode of the Energy Connects podcast Chiranjib Sengupta sat down with Gauri Singh Deputy Director-General of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) In an exclusive Energy Connects studio discussion Chiranjib Sengupta sat down with Nobuo Tanaka Executive Director Emeritus of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the… In the next episode of the Energy Connects podcast ahead of Japan Energy Summit & Exhibition The listing agent of 8 Ventosa Way, Werribee, Kiarah Bagnato of YPA Estate Agents Wyndham City, says she was not surprised by the result, which was $30,000 above the reserve price. “We had so many people coming back for second and third inspections, and we also had a lot of people wanting to put in offers before [the auction], but the vendors believed in their price and it worked out really well.” The property, which had a price range of $400,000 to $440,000, was eventually snapped up in a fast-paced auction by a first-home buyer. “It all wrapped up within 10 minutes or so; the bids were so quick,” Bagnato says. 1 Bath1 ParkingView listing The property had been built and owned by one family and was structurally in great condition, which appealed to prospective buyers. However, it was the rarity of the property type (a standalone house), the block size (300 square metres) and its affordable price tag that attracted in the crowds. Springvale shocks as Melbourne’s best-performing unit market Incredible Preston time capsule retro house for sale Here’s where you can buy in Melbourne for under $700,000 within 15km of the CBD “You can’t really get a whole lot obviously for that kind [of property] for under $500,000,” Bagnato says. “The most obvious thing we get from buyers is, ‘We’ve got $500,000 to $550,000 to spend, what can we buy?’ and there’s very rarely a lot that they can buy [so they] end up buying units. “Whereas this one wasn’t a unit, it was a standalone home. It was on 300 square meters. It did have kind of everything that a first-time buyer or downsizer would want, so it definitely appealed to a lot of the market.” 1 Bath1 ParkingView listing Domain’s auction results for the weekend reveal 2786 auctions were scheduled and 1251 homes were sold across the nation. The five most affordable properties were the house at 8 Ventosa Way, Werribee ($472,000), and units in Fairfield ($335,000), Tullamarine ($360,000), Elsternwick ($375,000) and Sunshine West ($440,000).  The most affordable property sold nationwide was a one-bedroom unit for $335,000 at 10/11 Rathmines Street, Fairfield, in Melbourne’s north-east. Fairfield flanks some of Melbourne’s most tightly held neighbourhoods, including Kew, where the median house price is $1.4 million and the median unit price is $540,000. 1 Bath1 ParkingView listing The unit was snapped up by a first-home buyer couple who were drawn to the property for its location and the natural light that pours into the apartment, the latter of which is typically rare for one-bedroom units, says listing agent Brad Pearce of Miles Real Estate Ivanhoe. “When you’re buying an apartment, it’s incredibly important that it’s north facing so that you can capture the light – because one-bedroom apartments can be quite dark sometimes, and [this one] had good light coming in the meals area as well as the lounge room,” Pearce says. 1 Bath1 ParkingView listing The buyers had not inspected the property before the auction. “They turned up on the day and thought that it was a good one, and thought they’d buy it,” Pearce says. The apartment’s location was also key when it came to the sale. It’s a six-minute walk from Fairfield station and the suburb’s much-loved strip of shops on Station Street. “It’s near parkland, Yarra Park, Fairfield boathouse and the train; it’s a good convenient spot,” Pearce says. The information on this website is intended to be of a general nature only and doesn't consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. where we are privileged to live and operate