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Bolsonaro Tells Protesters to End Blockades; Using Oysters to Fight Climate Change; Living Oceans: Turning the Tide; Hurricane Lisa Makes Landfall Near Belize City; Europe's Temperature Rising Faster in Past 30 Years; Pelosi's Security Cameras Not Actively Monitored; American Democracy Under Attack; Voters Cite Economy and Inflation as Top Issues. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired November 03, 2022 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[02:00:00]
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Anna Coren live from Hong Kong. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, more missile launches by North Korea. One of them believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile. What message is Pyongyang trying to send.
Plus, the growing threat of a global recession after the U.S. Federal Reserve raises interest rates for the sixth time at this year.
And later, Benjamin Netanyahu appears set to return to power again in Israel. We'll bring you the latest election results.
Japan is joining the growing condemnation of North Korea suspected intercontinental missile test, which happened just hours ago.
The test triggered emergency alerts in parts of Japan Thursday morning, and people in some areas were urged to take shelter. A South Korean government source tells us the missile is believed to have failed mid-flight before crashing into the waters east of North Korea.
Pyongyang also tested two short range missiles on Thursday. It comes on the heels of an unprecedented barrage of 23 short-range missiles, which North Korea launched the day before.
Will Blake Essig is keeping an eye on developments from Tokyo. He joins us now live. Blake, the North Koreans launched an ICBM but as we just reported, it seems to have failed. What more do we know?
BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anna look, what we're seeing from North Korea really is unprecedented. Earlier this morning South Korea's military says Pyongyang fired another three ballistic missiles including two short-range ballistic missiles. And according to a South Korean government source one intercontinental ballistic missile that's believed to have failed midflight.
Government sources say that the ICBM tested was likely the Hwasong-17. Its most advanced weapon to date that was last tested this past March. As a result of today's launch warning sirens as you just played, were heard and residents were told to evacuate inside a building or underground, not only here in three prefectures in Japan, but also on one island just east of South Korea.
Again, this is where the originally or the missile was originally believed to have flown over Japan. Now take a listen to this. Here's Japan's defense minister addressing exactly what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YASUKAZU HAMADA, PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN (through translator): We detected that the missile that was launched around 7:40 a.m. might fly over Japan. So we put out a J-Alert. But later we have confirmed that the missile did not fly over Japan and disappeared in the skies above the Sea of Japan. So we would like to rectify our announcement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ESSIG: And perhaps the reason that that missile didn't fly over Japan was because it failed mid-flight. Now this most recent launch comes just one day after North Korea fired a record number of missiles. 23 missiles in a single day, a combination of short range ballistic missiles and surface-to-air missiles along with 100 artillery shells that fell under the waters around the Korean peninsula.
Now today's launch marks the 30th time this year that the North has launched missiles. That's the most missiles -- most missile tests conducted in a single year in the country's history and we still have almost two months to go in response to today's weapons tests. The United States, Japan and South Korea have all come out and condemned the launch with U.S. releasing this statement saying the United States condemns the DPRK's intercontinental ballistic missile launch.
The launch is a clear violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions and demonstrates the threat, the DPRK's unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs pose to its neighbors. The region international peace and security and the global non-proliferation regime. Now this most recent series of missiles fired by North Korea shouldn't really come as a surprise after the country's foreign ministry warned of more powerful follow up measures earlier this week if the United States doesn't stop its war exercises around the Korean peninsula.
The U.S. is most recent military exercises with South Korea around the Korean peninsula are currently ongoing and have now been actually extended indefinitely as a result of North Korea's recent provocations. This exercise is called vigilant storm. A large scale drill between the United States and South Korea, which was previously scheduled to have -- just lasted five days. It involves hundreds of aircraft and thousands of service members from each country with the U.S. releasing video of one of its fighter squadrons perform May night operations and, Anna, with the extension of vigilant storm in all likelihood there could likely be an even stronger response from Pyongyang.
[02:05:09]
Perhaps the country's seventh ever nuclear weapons test that many experts believe is imminent. Anna? COREN: Yes. That's certainly what the region is waiting and watching for. Blake Essig joining us from Tokyo. Good to see you. Many thanks.
Well, Russia has now rejoined a vital grain export deal reversing course just days after suspending its participation. Moscow had initially pulled back from the agreement last week. Planning the decision came after Ukrainian drone attacks in Crimea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked his Turkish counterpart for his help in preserving the deal that guarantees safe passage for ships carrying grain export from Ukraine. Still, Russia's president says his country reserves the right to pull out if Ukraine uses the corridor for military purposes.
Well, meantime in Kyiv, authorities a plan to push forward with emergency shutdowns on power supplies just days after power was fully restored following Russian strikes. This comes after a significant spike in electricity consumption in the Ukrainian capital.
Well, then the central Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk. Officials say a drone has damaged and energy facility leaving parts of one city without electricity and water. It's one of the latest strikes by Russia as it targets critical infrastructure across the country and in the capital.
CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER (through translator): Dialysis patients like these need running water for their treatment. So when Russia targeted keeps infrastructure Monday, lives hung in the balance.
VITALIY VLASYUK, VICE GOVERNOR, KYIV REGION: One patient here needs at least four hours and almost 300 liters of water for one passenger.
ABDELAZIZ: Three hundred liters of water.
VLASYUK: For one day, we had no water at all in this unit. This is just to let them (INAUDIBLE)
ABDELAZIZ: For the first time since the start of the conflict. Four of the capital's biggest hospitals were left without running water for most of the day. The Kyiv Regional Clinical Center was among the facilities impacted. Doctors and nurses here scrambled to transfer the most urgent cases.
VLASYUK: So we must be prepared to face even the most difficult challenges.
ABDELAZIZ: For weeks, Moscow has pounded Ukraine's critical infrastructure, but medical facilities had so far been spared, relying on backup generators during blackouts.
This week's strikes were so severe keeps water pumps stopped working, leaving some 1500 hospital patients across the city in limbo. ABDELAZIZ (on camera): This is one of the hospital's sterilization rooms. It's here that staff come to clean surgical equipment. But once the water was cut off, they could no longer do that. That means all non-emergency operations had to be canceled.
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): Hospitals require an enormous amount of water. This one it's official say uses some 15 tons per day. The medical director here says it created a huge challenge for her stuff.
We're ready for emergency situations every day, we can handle power cuts, but the lack of water was absolutely catastrophic for us, she tells me. We had to act quickly.
ABDELAZIZ (on camera): Do you worry that the water system could be cut off again by Russian missiles?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have already every day.
ABDELAZIZ: You were every day?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every day and every morning.
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): For now, the city's water services are restored. But it's a matter of if not when Moscow will strike keys lifelines again.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN Kyiv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Well, let's get more now from Clare Sebastian tracking developments from London. I mean, Claire, we just saw someone's package. And we know that Russia has been targeting energy infrastructure. But is this related to the latest emergency shutdown?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Anna. It's all related. But this is not because of a new strike on any type of energy infrastructure today. This is because the grid has been left clearly very fragile by previous strikes. The energy company in Kyiv saying that they're going to have to institute these emergency shutdowns because otherwise they say there could be major incidents involving power equipment.
So that is a concerning development but I can tell you that this comes after Kyiv was hit on Monday by a barrage of missile strike. That affected the power grid. That left some 270,000 people without power. 40 percent of the city without water because of course electricity is needed there at Salma's piece so clearly showed to pump water. That was then restored on Tuesday after 24 hours of work by a construction crews, repair crews.
But now of course we see that the grid as I said has been left very fragile with this. So this is what the authorities are having to do to try to keep things stable and we can see of course that this may not be the end of it.
[02:10:07]
SEBASTIAN: Russia's tactics in terms of attacking civilian power grid do continue. They're having to make preparations. The authorities in Kyiv are doing things like planning on sort of heating stations. Places where people can go to get warm to charge their phones in the event of an emergency. This is now the reality there for the people of Ukraine.
COREN: Clare, as we reported last week, Iran has been supplying weaponry to the Russians. Now the United States believes that North Korea is also helping Russia. What more can you tell us?
SEBASTIAN: Yes. So this is something that CNN reported on Wednesday that North Korea was sort of secretly sending artillery shells to Russia that they were disguising it as shipments to Africa in the Middle East. This was later confirmed by John Kirby of the U.S. National Security Council. And they are saying that they don't know if the shipments have arrived yet. They don't know exactly what kind of quantity we're talking about.
But they are reading it as a sign that Russia is struggling to resupply its own military. This is something that we were also interpreting through the deliveries from Iran that there is now significant evidence of Iran delivering drones and perhaps other weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine. I think this does speak to the fact that sanctions have severely hurt Russia's industrial sector that it is.
A country which by the way before the war was a major exporter of weapons. It is now struggling to resupply its own military. And I think the other thing to note from this is that Russia is clearly willing to pursue any avenue to keep this special military operation going.
COREN: Clare Sebastian joining us from London. Good to see you. Thanks for the update.
Well, still to come. How pensioners in the U.K. are dealing with the rising cost of living as inflation hits record highs.
And later, supporters of Jair Bolsonaro have been blockading roads to protests his election loss. We'll tell you what Brazil's outgoing president told the demonstrators to do.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COREN: Well, it's costing more to borrow money in the United States and likely soon in the United Kingdom. With the Bank of England expected to raise interest rates on Thursday after yet another aggressive hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve. U.S. Fed Chair Jerome Powell announced that interest rates would rise by three quarters of a percentage point. And now the U.K.'s at central bank is expected to follow suit.
The Fed's move puts the U.S. benchmark lending rate at up to four percent. Powell indicated the Fed may slow the frequency of interest rate hikes, but suggested more big increases may be coming in an effort to cool off white hot inflation.
U.S. markets didn't like the prospect of more rate hikes with the Dow shedding more than 500 points at close of business on Wednesday. CNN's Richard Quest has more from In New York.
[02:15:02]
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: The decision by the Fed to raise rates by three quarters of a percent had been baked into the market. It was expected and had been well telegraphed. Now the real crunch question, what does the Fed do next particularly at its December meeting? Having given more than 300 basis points of interest rate rises, tripling of rates since the cycle began.
The argument is, you better wait and see. Wait for it to feed through to the economy. The so-called monetary lag, the cumulative effect. The Fed has acknowledged that they don't really fully know what the effect is of such large increases in interest rates in today's modern economy.
Is the economy just waiting to slow down into recession? Or will they have to do more? It's called the pivot point or some people just basically saying, wait and see. We got little indication of that from the chair of the Fed. Initially, the idea was yes, we will wait and see. And the market loved that and roared up into the green. And then at the press conference, more details with the Fed chair acknowledging that rates will be higher at the end than initially expected.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEROME POWELL, CHAIR, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE: At some point. As I've said, in the last two press conferences, it will become appropriate to slow the pace of increases as we approach the level of interest rates that will be sufficiently restrictive to bring inflation down to our two percent goal. There is significant uncertainty around that level of interest rates. Even so we still have some ways to go.
And incoming data since our last meeting, suggests that the ultimate level of interest rates will be higher than previously expected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Put it all together, we're really no closer to knowing what comes next. Richard Quest, CNN, at the New York Stock Exchange.
COREN: I'm joined now by CNN economics and political commentator Catherine Rampell. She's also an opinion columnist at the Washington Post. Catherine, great to have you with us. The Fed raised rates 75 basis points, this was largely expected and yet the stock market fell 2-1/2 percent. Why the reaction? And what was it in Jerome Powell's comments that spooked the market?
CATHERINE RAMPELL, CNN ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, yes, as you point out, everyone was expecting a 75-basis point hike today. That was largely baked in. What markets were looking for, was some clue as to what the Federal Reserve will do in the months ahead. Will it continue raising rates as aggressively as it has been the last few months? And will it lead up at some point relatively soon, because there are signs that the economy is weakening both domestically and globally?
When you raise interest rates, when you tighten financial conditions, if the economy is already fragile then that can toss the economy into a recession.
COREN: So Catherine, how long before inflation is likely to return to the Fed's target of two percent?
RAMPELL: That's a brilliant question. And if only anyone knew the answer to it, the Fed obviously had been hoping that we would have already reached that, you know, normal level of inflation long ago. Of course, that hasn't happened instead, month after month, those inflation numbers have come in much hotter than projected, much harder than the Fed is comfortable with. And if you look at the Fed's forecasts, you know, they periodically released these forecasts that are somewhat optimistic, that suggest that a year in advance or even a few months in advance we will see inflation come down.
Every time they have to release a new one, they end up pushing out that date much further for when inflation will come down to closer to their long run target. I think that most market participants believe we will continue to have elevated inflation through next year, but lower than it is today. So maybe not quite at the two percent target rate but maybe somewhere in the three to four percent range.
But it's been so hard to make any predictions whether you're the Fed or an economist or market watcher of any kind, just because there have been so many different shocks, so many different supply shocks in addition to obviously that huge disruption that we got early on from the pandemic itself.
COREN: As you mentioned, there are signs that the U.S. economy is slowing. Many predict a recession is coming both in the United States and globally. Some would say that it's already here. Would the Fed pause rate hikes to avoid recession?
RAMPELL: Well, that's the message that they were trying to convey today which was they're paying attention to the fact that the economy is slowing. I think they left open the question of what conditions would cause them to outright pause rate hikes? How much would the economy have to weaken? How much would you have to see unemployment go up for example?
[02:20:04]
They left all of that a little bit vague in part because again it's very risky to make these kinds of commitments because they end up boxing themselves in and then they get surprised by some other weird concoction of economic indicators that they're not anticipating. I think that their hope is that they can navigate the so-called soft landing. That is, they can get inflation down by raising interest rates just enough to cool demand without tipping us into recession. COREN: Finally, Catherine, the Bank of England is meeting Thursday. They're in an even more challenging position than the Fed. What are you expecting?
RAMPELL: Well, the expectation right now is that the Bank of England will raise rates by the steepest amount in something like three decades. And they need to -- they need to do something to deal with inflation because inflation is even higher there than it is here in the United States. But it's really -- especially challenging for the U.K. to figure out what to do in terms of monetary policy among other policy decisions because it looks quite likely that Britain is already in a recession.
So when we're talking about the risks of the Fed raising rates, for example, you know, leading to a recession, that's still hypothetical. In the U.K. it looks like it's probably already happening. So the central bank is doing its best to get inflation down, it's going to cause pain, because probably, they're already in a downturn on the -- and besides that, you know, a lot of the causes of inflation are things related to the war in Ukraine and the energy shock.
Rate hikes are now really the best cure for dealing with supply shocks. So they're in a really tricky position. But if they don't raise rates, if it looks like, you know, they're not credibly committed to getting inflation down to what extent they can, that's obviously bad for the path of prices going forward and could potentially threaten further the value of the pound. So they're in a tricky position but I think most people are expecting that tomorrow there will be a big rate hike.
COREN: There are some tough months ahead. Catherine Rampell, as always, great to get your insight. Thanks for joining us.
RAMPELL: Thank you.
COREN: Rising food and energy prices in the U.K. who have been the largest contributor to inflation hitting a record high in the region. And Goldman Sachs warns that number could climb higher next year.
CNN's Scott McLean spoke with pensioners in London trying to stretch their government checks as far as possible amid the rising prices.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: At this senior center in South London, the hot topic isn't about what's on the menu. But it is about.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Food. Food is the biggest thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will say food.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Food when you go to the shop.
MCLEAN: It's precisely why Kenneth Bedford is here. With the price of groceries, he can get a hot meal than a coffee here for less than it cost to make at home.
KENNETH BEDFORD, PENSIONER: You pick and choose a lot more they needed before it was just based on the basket (INAUDIBLE)
MCLEAN: You didn't really think a lot about money a year ago.
BEDFORD: No.
MCLEAN: Bedford, who lives off a state pension spent part of his career working for the circus. Now he walks a tightrope to balance his monthly budget.
BEDFORD: So today, I still got 200 (INAUDIBLE) from my money.
MCLEAN: Yes.
BEDFORD: Because I've been really careful.
MCLEAN: Annual inflation in the U.K. hit more than 10 percent in September with food inflation hitting almost 15 percent. Now former Prime Minister Liz Truss announced state subsidies to help with soaring energy costs this winter. But even with that, 70-year-old Susan Tume says she can't afford to heat her whole house on her state pension of just over $700 per month.
SUSAN TUME, PENSIONER: I've got a little electric fan heater. If we're in one room, then that's where we'll have the heating on instead of doing the whole house. You've just got to get on with it, don't you?
MCLEAN: Across the river in Westminster, newly chosen Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is trying to patch a massive hole in public finances and will soon have to decide if the state can afford to raise state pensions in line with inflation.
Meanwhile, across the table at the Senior Center, 67-year-old Wendy Garwood is pondering what her own budget will allow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, one time you could afford to buy a pair of new shoes, now you've got to think about it over the weeks. I just think that somebody at the top needs to come down and see the grassroots level what's going on, you know.
MCLEAN (on camera): They don't understand how real people --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. No.
MCLEAN (voice over): Back in the kitchen, the senators manager Katrina Jinadu is asking about dessert. But lately, she's also getting a lot of questions about the basics.
KATRINA JINADU, MANAGER, AGE U.K. CENTER: They're asking about food banks, they're asking us if they can pay for their food later, and everything keeps spiraling around them, but their income is not spiraling in line with it. So, it's that. We heard stories of people traveling up and down on the bus because your bus is free as opposed to staying at home because keeping on the heat in that home was too expensive.
[02:25:12]
So it's better I use my free bus pass to go traveling around London. Not that I'm doing anything but I'm traveling on the (INAUDIBLE) and staying in my house.
How can we get here in 2020?
Scott McLean, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Well, the two projections are right. Israel's longest serving Prime Minister looks set to storm his way back to power. Why there are growing concerns about Benjamin Netanyahu's allies in the next government?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COREN: Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Anna Coren live from Hong Kong. With nearly all the votes counted in Israel, the official results could be released in the coming hours. Projection show former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whose party and its ultranationalist allies have expanded their lead and one an outright majority. And concerns are mounting over how much power those allies might wield and what could be Israel's most far-right government ever.
But the president's office released a timetable on Wednesday indicating that a new governments could still be a few weeks away. In consultations over who has the best chance of forming one will begin next week. CNN's Hadas Gold has this report from Jerusalem.
GOLD: Benjamin Netanyahu is poised for a big comeback with as many as 65 seats in the Israeli parliament far more than the 61 seats he would have needed to have a ruling majority and become prime minister. Far better than the opinion polls showed which in the leading days leading up to the Israeli election showed him at just around 60 to 61 seats are best for him and his allies.
Their result was much better than really anybody expected at 65. But one of the biggest stories from election date this week in Israel is the rise of the far-right. Part of Netanyahu his allies for his next coalition will be made up of a far right-wing bloc of parties called Religious Zionism and Jewish Power. And this party could gain as many as 14 seats in the next Israeli parliament. That would make them the third largest party in parliament just behind Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and the current caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid Party.
Now this group of parties, they are made up of people who were once considered the far-right fringe extreme of Israeli politics. One of the ways theirs was in the past convicted for inciting racism and supporting terrorism. Another one of their leaders once from the Israeli parliament told other Arab Israeli members of the Israeli parliament that they don't belong there and that they should have been kicked out in 1948 when Israel was created.
But now, these types of people will have potentially quite a bit of power in the next government because of their numbers in the parliament. The question will become, what sort of ministerial positions might they get? They made public demands for things like public security or even minister of defense, but Benjamin Netanyahu, when asked about this, he says that he will become the prime minister, that he will have the largest parties, and they will set the policy and make the decisions.
But there also is a big question about how Israel's allies around the world, especially the United States and newer allies like those from the Abraham Accords, the United Arab Emirates, how -- what their relationship will be like with the Israeli government if these new right-wing politicians have positions of power. Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Well, Brazil's outgoing president is calling on protesters to stop blocking traffic on major roadways across the country. Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro have been in the streets since he lost his reelection bid to Former President Lula da Silva on Sunday. He was part of his message.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAIR BOLSONARO, OUTGOING BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I know you are upset. You are sad. You expect to something else. So, did I. I'm just as upset, as sad as you, but we have to keep our head in place, the protests, the demonstrations are very welcomed, they are part of the democratic gain, and over the years, much of this has been done by Brazil.
I'm with you and I am sure you are with me. The request is highways, let's clear them for the good of our nations and so that we can continue fighting for democracy and freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Well, CNN's Paula Newton has more now from a Sao Paulo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Supporter of President Jair Bolsonaro were out on the streets for a third day. And in some cases, they were violent yet again. Now, federal officials are ordering military police to use force when they need to clear these demonstrations. That's why you continue to see in sporadic events, you will see tear gas being used, you know will see water cannons.
Having said that, protesters by and large that we've seen have been moved to the side, they have not actually been moved off their protest sites. And for that reason, these protests keep popping up. Having said that, all of this is motivated by the fact that Bolsonaro gave really what was a terse and vague statement. He didn't concede the -- that he had lost the election. All he said was that he would follow the law and follow this process of really transfer of power.
Protesters that we've spoken to say that gives him the green light to stay out on the streets for as long as the takes, and they are still waiting for him to decide whether or not he will accept those results. Now, having said that, that makes an already tense transfer of power much more contentious here in Brazil at a time when it is not needed.
President elect Lula da Silva continuing to do -- take meetings and do calls with international leaders and now, working towards Brazil's environmental policy, as that environmental conference comes up in Egypt. Through all of this, investors are keeping a wary eye on Brazil. They do want this economy to try and restart itself, especially when it comes to the issues, the entrenched issues of poverty and inequality.
Paula newton, CNN, Sao Paolo, Brazil.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Well, for most people, oysters are simply a source of food. But in the waters of Hong Kong, conservationists are using oysters to help fight climate change. That story ahead on our call to Earth Day coverage.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:35:00]
COREN: Well, from our biggest cities is to our most remote communities, we all rely on our oceans. And right now, they are under threats like never before. But across the globe, incredible individuals are working to reverse the damage.
So, today, CNN is hosting our second annual Call to Earth Day. A 24- hour global day of action aimed at raising awareness of environmental issues and engaging with conservation education. Well, this hour, we have our Steven Jiang in Beijing, Kristie Lu Stout here in Hong Kong. But we begin with Steven. And we Vedika. That's good to see. We have Vedika Sud in Mumbai.
But, Steven, let's begin with you. What is happening where you are at the British School of Beijing?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes. Anna, this is one of the city's leading international school. So, they have a very diverse student body. But there is a common theme running through their curriculum and activities that is helping our planet. So, let's find out a little bit more, in this classroom. I was told these are year- six students, 11 years old.
So, tell me, what are you been talking about here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are learning about climate change and how that affects the oceans and marine life.
JIANG: Right. I saw the topic on the boards. So, does pollution of the oceans affect climate change?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The pollution of the ocean affects climate change because the whales die because of the plastic and the whales are a major producers of decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide and maintain.
JIANG: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Averagely, a whale decreases --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Throughout its lifetime about the same carbon -- same amount of carbon dioxide as 1,000 trees.
JIANG: Wow. So, that's a lot of things I didn't even know before. But they are not only learning about this topic, they are also trying to get more involved through some hands-on experience. And this is what these kids here are dealing with. So, can you tell me a little bit about what you are doing here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We our painting our coral models.
JIANG: Right. And why are corals important for the health of our oceans?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because coral reefs are protecting homes to many marine creatures.
JIANG: OK. Wow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they help suck up the carbon dioxide in the ocean.
JIANG: Right. And what about this group? And what are you guys doing here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are watching a lecture from a blue whale to humans, because --
JIANG: What does your whale try to say to humans?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because there's too many rubbish and trash in the ocean, and it causes them to die.
JIANG: Right. And what is this art piece in the middle of the table?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a whale tail.
JIANG: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Filled with trash, representing how the ocean is polluting too much trash with making it intolerable.
JIANG: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whale tail is also made of material, which is similar to what (INAUDIBLE) use. JIANG: Right. So, you're really learning about this through every detail here, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To prevent (INAUDIBLE).
JIANG. Right. I see. So, the message here is clear, Anna, they are learning how the oceans are really the world's lungs. Really, the planets carbon sing (ph). So, even though these kids live in a landlocked city like Beijing, but the choices they make in their day life actually does affect the health of our oceans, which in turn, affects climate change. So, they are really, through their knowledge and experience, trying to make a more positive impacts in their daily lives. Anna.
COREN: They are also clever. I feel the planet will be unsafe hands if these kids are in charge. Steven Jiang, joining us from the British School of Beijing. Many thanks to you and the kids.
Kristie Lu Stout here in Hong Kong is at Harrow International School. Kristie, good to see you. What are students doing where you are?
[02:40:00]
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Anna. We are indeed at Harrow International School here in Hong Kong, one of hundreds of schools across the world marking this Call to Earth Day, a day of action to protect the planet. And this year, we are putting special focus on ocean conservation. And that's you're seeing an ocean theme and all these art projects happening in this year one classroom. They are taking found objects like CDs, like old plastic bottles, pieces of string and paper, and turning them into these beautiful works of art.
Earlier, we went to a year-three classroom where we saw students practice and perform ocean conservation themed poetry. Also, we witnessed a big charity drive that was underway, selling used objects like books, even Christmas jumpers and sweaters, seedlings, games, all in a bid to raise funds for environmental NGOs, especially ocean conservation NGOs.
Now, about a half an hour from here in the new territories is an area in Hong Kong called Pak Nai, known for its stunning coastline and beautiful sunset, but it is also turned into a hotspot for marine diversity thanks to a groundbreaking oyster restoration project there. Take a watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT (voiceover): Tucked away northwest corner of Hong Kong with that high tech Chinese mega city of Shenzhen in sight is a rich habitat that is home to mangroves, soft muddy shores and oyster reefs that date back centuries.
STOUT (on camera): For over 700 years, local farmers cultivated oysters here in the mud flats of Pak Nai. In recent decades, traditional oyster farming has declined due in part to coastal reclamation and over harvesting. STOUT (voiceover): But conservationists like Marine Thomas have discovered that reintroducing oysters to the abandon reefs can boost biodiversity and strengthen these shores.
MARINE THOMAS, SENIOR CONSERVATION PROGRAM MANAGER, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY: Usually, people will associate oysters with food, but less known is that oysters and other shellfish create habitats. They create reef habitats. In fact, just like coral reefs, they will bunch together and create these hard structures that you can actually walk on.
STOUT (voiceover): In a survey of the city's coastlines, researchers from The Nature Conservancy at the University of Hong Kong discovered existing reefs like these old farms could potentially act as a source of oyster larva. They also found that a single Hong Kong oyster can filter up to 30 liters or eight gallons of water an hour. One of the highest filtration rates recorded for the species.
Another finding? The reefs host six times more species and bear mud flats as the piles of shelves provide shelter for worms and small crabs, attracting a variety of animals, including birds like this a little ingrid.
STOUT (on camera): And yet, another benefit, mitigating the effects of climate change. So, how does the humble oyster do that?
THOMAS: So, the humble oyster will also help us fight climate change if it's in a reef structure. So, if it's in a hard reef structure that is creating a barrier, think of it as a natural seawall, then it's going to be creating friction on the sea bottom that well attenuate wave action. And therefore, also flooding at the back of it.
STOUT (voiceover): Since 2020, Thomas and a team of volunteers have been at work restoring this abandoned oyster farm. They dry old shells in the sun before returning them to the water to form a base for oyster larva to attach to. They hope to introduce millions of oysters to help revitalize the area over the next few years.
ASHLEY HEMRAJ, MARINE BIOLOGIST, THE SWIRE INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE, THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: One of the biggest things that always amazes me and makes me happy is seeing all the number of crabs here, especially here. As you walk, the crab walk away. It's -- if you fix all it, it's quite amazing to see this. It is really, really beautiful.
STOUT (voiceover): As new oysters grow, they clean the water, provide shelter and food for wildlife and joined forces with the mangroves as a coastal buffer. A spectacular sunset descends on Pak Nai as these small briny creatures work to build an ever more vibrant ecosystem.
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STOUT (on camera): You know, and according to The Nature Conservancy, 85 percent of the world oyster reefs have disappeared, making them one of the most endangered and at-risk habitats in the world, which is why raising awareness is so important, especially even with arts, with these activities like these year-one students are doing here at Harrow International School.
Come on, show us your artworks. They're so beautiful. Wave them up high in the air. We were talking about this earlier. What is your call to earth? You want to save our seas.
CROWD: Save our seas.
STOUT: Thank you so much. Anna, these children are so beautiful. They will save us. They will save us all. Anna.
COREN: You are loving it. You are loving. Please say hello to Arabella (ph) for us. Well done, kids Kristie Lu Stout, thank you.
Well, let's now bring in a Vedika Sud at Versova Beach in Mumbai. Vedika, tell us what's happening behind you?
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VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: Anna, it's an exceptionally hot day here in Mumbai, one of the hottest that I've been here for, and I've been in Mumbai for about nine years, you know about 10 years back. But it's a hot day. It hasn't thought these people right behind me from doing what they do every week for two hours, which is cleaning up the Versova Beach. And they are part of, Afroz Shah's team, by profession he's a lawyer but he is someone who is the face and the man behind cleaning up this speech.
Anna, this beach didn't look the way it did until about seven years back. It's an initiative that has made as clean as it is today. I spoke to him about it, he said they've collected, believe it or not, 65 million kgs of plastic over the last seven years. And they continue to clean this beach up every week. They made it easy for children to come here and play, they've made it easy for adults to come here, for tourists to come and see this beach, all credit goes to him and his team.
I spoke to him about the challenges. There are two here, Anna, one is open defecation. It's a huge problem in this beach, along with the others in Mumbai. And the other, which is so important, is behavioral change. Here's what he has to say about it:
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AFROZ SHAH, ENVIRONMENTALIST: There are a lot of people who pay checks (ph) and wants the environment to be clean or plastic pollution to be reduced. So, (INAUDIBLE) to be implemented. But to my mind, after what we've seen for so long at the ground level, I must tell you, it has to be behavioral change.
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SUD: Behavioral change making people aware that every effort counts. So, what do they do? They clean this waste up, it's segregated, and then, they make tiles like these, Anna, believe it or not, this is made with marine debris. And this is used around the beach, on foot paths, on platforms, for people to stand on while they sell. The vendors who sell stuff there have this right under them, something that's really help keep this beach clean, it's made from recycled material and it's ecofriendly.
It is just stunning to see the effort these people put in every week, two hours is what they need to clean this beach up. And it's made it so easy for people to come here and say, wow. People like me, who are here in maybe 2010, for a couple of years, when I walk into this beach today, I am stunned, Anna. And I'm so happy to see that people are taking their initiatives so seriously. Anna.
COREN: So good to know that a transformation has taken place thanks to this amazing initiative. Vedika Sud, great to see you. Many thanks for that.
Well, you can follow along on the coming hours of our global day of action. Log on to our special website at cnn.com/calltoearthday. There you'll see what other people are doing to answer the call and what you can do to help.
Well, time for a short break. More news on CNN in just a moment.
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COREN: Well, the remnants of Hurricane Lisa are bringing heavy rains to Southern Mexico and other parts of Central America. Lisa is now tropical storm after making landfall in Belize as a category one hurricane. The storm surge was predicted to be up to several feet in places. CNN's Derek Van Dam is tracking it for us. Derek, where are we at?
[02:50:00]
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Anna, you know, that footage you saw there in the picture, I'm showing you behind me is exactly that. Storm surge that inundated parts of Belize City as Lisa made landfall. It was a very difficult past six hours for these people because the water rose a couple of feet into businesses and homes. Just looking at some of the social media reports out of that area, and there were several verified accounts that talked about the inundation from the storm surge that occurred right along the coastline of Belize, in Belize City.
In fact, the landfall of Hurricane Lisa was just of the south and west of Belize City. So, that puts that particular location at a disadvantage because it had more of a northerly flow wrapping around the low-pressure system. So, it's drawing in all that ocean water from the Caribbean Sea, really. 140 kilometer per hour sustained winds when that made landfall earlier yesterday evening. That's Wednesday evening, local time.
It is now since moves inland. It is raining itself out, weakening as it does so, but still a formidable tropical storm causing all kinds of problems from flooding to, of course, the coastal storm surge that is still ongoing with more of an onshore push, even though the center is inland, we still have tropical storm warnings to the effect from Chetumal southwards to the entire border of basically the entire country of Belize, stretching into portions of Guatemala.
Now, you could see the forecast track from this particular system as it exits into the Bay of Campeche. Water temperatures here are very warm. You think, maybe storm this storm would actually start to reform and regain some strength. Well, the good news is, there should be some shear to kind of help keep this storm from intensifying as it reenters the open ocean waters there and it should just be more of a rainmaker as it enters that area, eventually falling apart as it does so. But nonetheless, still considerable amount of precipitation that could lead to localized flash flooding.
Still through the weekend, Guatemala, Belize, the Yucatan Peninsula, anywhere across southwestern portions of Mexico getting the influence of what was Hurricane Lisa.
Very interesting to note too, there were two simultaneous hurricanes. This is when Hurricane Lisa was still a hurricane, now tropical storm. But just amazing across the Atlantic basin, this has only occurred three times since records began. And this is the first time it's happened since 2001, Anna. So, we're really starting to etch some new history making things into the history books, right?
COREN: Absolutely. Climate change, I'm sure, it has something to do with that. Derek Van Dam, good to see you. Thank you.
VAN DAM: All right.
COREN: Well, temperatures in Europe have risen faster than any other region over the past 30 years according to the World Meteorological Organization. And a new report issued ahead of the U.N.'s International Climate Summit in Egypt starting Sunday.
The data shows a gradual increase since the early 1900s but a rate more than twice the global average in the last three decades, about half a degree every 10 years. The trend is fueling extreme weather as well with more than $50 billion worth of damages in 2021 alone.
Well, U.S. Capitol Police say security cameras at the home of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were not being actively monitored when her husband was attacked last week because she was in Washington at the time. In a statement Wednesday, Capitol Police saying officers did notice the police activity on the live feed at the time and provided assistance went to investigators.
Security at the home was tight as Speaker Pelosi left the residents on Wednesday. Her husband, Paul Pelosi, remains hospitalized with serious injuries he received in the home invasion. The suspect has pleaded not guilty to numerous charges, including attempted murder. Prosecutors now allege the attack was politically motivated and say hate crimes could be added to the charges.
San Francisco's district attorney says the attack underscores the threats now facing many public officials and their families. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BROOKE JENKINS, SAN FRANCISCO DISTRICT ATTORNEY: This is the person who was willing to go to extreme lengths to plan out this attack, to figure out how to get in their house and then, to enact violence even in the presence of the police. And so, we know that he presents a level of danger that's really, you know, as high as it gets.
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COREN: San Francisco's district attorney there.
Well, the rise in political violence is prompting a stark warning from the U.S. president. Joe Biden says the future of American democracy could rest on next week's midterm elections. He was speaking at Union Station in Washington just blocks from where a mob of Donald Trump supporters tried to stop the certification of the 2020 election.
[02:55:00]
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JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: You know American democracy is under attack because the defeated former president of the United States refuses to accept the results of the 2020 election. He refuses to accept the will of the people, he refuses to accept the fact that he lost, he has abused his power and put the loyalty to himself before loyalty to the constitution. And he has made a big lie, an article of faith in the MAGA Republican Party, the minority of that party.
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COREN: Well, President Biden has often spoken about protecting the soul of the nation. But as Phil Mattingly explains, this speech emphasizes what is at stake heading into next Tuesday's critical vote.
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PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Just six days out from the moment votes start to be counted, most Democrats around the country are talking about the economy, are talking about health care, are trying to find some way to hold back what increasingly looks like a red wave in these midterm elections. President Biden taking a very different approach on Wednesday night. It was something that was driven, according to several advisers by several weeks, of the president grappling with the moment the country currently finds itself in. It was really crystallized in the wake of the attack on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul.
Now, the president is obviously very close with the speaker and knows her husband, Paul Pelosi, but it was the broader repercussions of what that attack meant and what it could portend in the future that will really the driving factor that drove the president to give these remarks that he has been considering for several weeks. They were sharper than very similar remarks he gave back in September 1st. They were more urgent and they were more clear that this is a decision for voters to make a decisive one, according to the president. For him, the stakes couldn't be higher. BIDEN: This is no ordinary year. So, I ask you to think long and hard about the moment we are in. In your typical year, we're often not faced with questions on whether the vote we cast will preserve democracy or put us at risk. But this year, we are.
MATTINGLY: Now, the reality here is this, as we look towards those midterm elections, White House officials know this is not the issue that is driving voters. That is the economy. That is inflation. The president, however, still felt it was critically important to make these remarks and cast them in a very political light.
They do say though, when you talk to White House advisers, the Democrats will pay attention to these remarks. This does breakthrough for the Democratic base, a Democratic base that has seen its enthusiasm drop over the course of the last several weeks, perhaps electorally, that has an impact. For the president, the broader message is what was important, the message he delivered in very stark terms, very urgent terms and terms that made very clear he's very concerned about the direction of the country.
Phil Mattingly, CNN, Washington.
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COREN: Well, thanks so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren from Hong Kong. I'll be back with more "CNN Newsroom" after this short break. Stay with us.
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