First Sea Turtle exit tracks in Katelios Kefalonia

First Sea Turtle exit tracks in Katelios Kefalonia for the year 2013. Happy moments for the team and the volunteers of  Katelios Group for the Research and Protection of Marine and Terrestrial Life in Kefalonia Island, Greece. According to Katelios Group  on 19th  and 20th  May 2013,  the first multiple exit tracks  of sea turtle (Caretta caretta) in the effort to lay, recorded  in Mounda, the most important nesting beach coast of Kefalonia. Mrs Katerina Xenopoulou the manager of the Katelios Group for the research and protection of Marine and Terrestrial life, is waiting for the first turtle exit tracks and together with the team of the volunteers starting their heavy duty once again.  First Sea Turtle exit tracks in Katelios Kefalonia is the first happy sign that team is waiting for and every year is looking forward to get signs of the important turtle life cycle in Mounda – Katelios at Kefalonia Island, Greece.
About Katelios Group
Katelios Group is a Non-governmental, Non-profit Group with very important activities as : Advocacy, Conservation, Education, Monitoring, Outreach, Research, Stranding
The Katelios Group was founded in 1994 and consists mainly of local people with an interest in the long-term future of the Islandof Kefalonia. The Group is concerned with researching and protecting the dramatically declining physical environment and aims through its activities to find solutions to local environmental problems and to promote sustainable development, by working with interested organisations and individuals. The Group has experience in developing and running externally funded projects and currently runs one European Voluntary Service Project, (which are funded by the European Commission and the General Secretary of Youth (Ministry of Education) Greece) The “Kefalonian Conservation Project” – concerning the research and protection of marine turtles, Caretta caretta, on the nesting beaches of Kefalonia andthepromotionof sustainable tourism.
The Group also runs an Environment and Culture Centre that displays environmental information, which is used for holding meetings, presentations as well as evening classes. The Group has experience in developing and running: 1, presentation programs and festivals, in order to raise public awareness; 2, education programs and projects (for both children and adults) and 3, developing and undertaking scientific research projects.

Ontario billion year deep water reservoir found
 
Ontario billion year deep water reservoir found. On article of Nature com http://www.nature.com/news/reservoir-deep-under-ontario-holds-billion-year-old-water-1.12995  refers that Scientists working 2.4 km below Earth’s surface in a Canadian mine have tapped a source of water that has remained isolated for at least a billion years. The water contains high levels of methane and hydrogen — the right stuff to support life.
So far, no source of free-flowing water passing through interconnected cracks or pores in Earth’s crust has previously been shown to have stayed isolated for more than tens of millions of years.
Chris Ballentine, a geochemist at the University of Manchester, UK together with his team carefully captured water flowing through fractures in the 2.7-billion-year-old sulphide deposits in a copper and zinc mine near Timmins, Ontario, ensuring that the water did not come into contact with mine air for at least 1 billion years, and possibly for as long as 2.64 billion years, not long after the rocks it flows through formed.
‘Extremely strange’
“The isotopic compositions that they see in these samples are extremely strange and the findings are “doubly interesting”, Ballentine says, because the fluid carries the ingredients necessary to support life. The isolated water supply, he says, provides “secluded biomes, ecosystems, in which life, you can speculate, might have even originated”. His colleagues are now working to establish whether the water does harbour life.

The findings may also have implications for life on Mars, Ballentine says, as the surface of Mars once held water and its rocks are chemically no different from those on Earth.

source:http://www.nature.com/news/reservoir-deep-under-ontario-holds-billion-year-old-water-1.12995 

Green Energy Wind Farms
An Article from http://rt.com/usa/green-energy-american-eagles-278/ 
Green Energy Wind Farms are killing?  According to RT article  May 15, 2013, each year, Green Energy Wind Farms kill about 83,000 hunting birds that fly into spinning turbines, including hawks, falcons and eagles. The crippled bodies of eagles are often found at the base of the machines after being cut up by the quickly spinning blades.
These birds of prey were once included on the list of threatened and endangered species. Killing or taking the birds or their eggs is a federal offense punishable by a maximum of two years imprisonment and a $250,000 for an individual felony conviction, and $500,000 for a felony conviction of an organization.
Green Energy Wind Farms are killing?   The Obama administration has prosecuted oil companies when birds died in their waste pits and power companies when they were electrocuted, but- despite the mass die-offs, the Obama administration has never once fined or prosecuted a wind energy company.
Across the country, more than 573,000 birds are killed on wind farms each year, 83,000 of which are hunting birds. The number of deaths could be even higher than estimated, since many companies do not disclose the number of birds that become mangled at the blades of their turbines.
Some wildlife enthusiasts have condemned Obama for his hypocrisy in prosecuting oil companies for contributing to bird deaths, while ignoring the faults of the ‘green energy’ industry.
If the US government were to enforce the law regarding the killing of eagles at wind farms, the wind farm industry would slow down, which would contradict the administration’s goal of boosting renewable energy industries, including wind and solar.
It is clear that both eagles and wind turbines cannot co-exist. The effects of climate change that urge for greater investments in wind farms means that the US national bird could once again end up on the threatened species list.
Green Energy Wind Farms and their environmental cost should carefully be considered 
Source: http://rt.com/usa/green-energy-american-eagles-278/

Aquaponics farms in the desert
The 55-year-old entrepreneur Jabber Al Mazroui, has succeeded in building and managing one of the world’s largest aquaponics farms in the desert climes of the United Arab Emirates.  The facility relies on a relatively new agricultural method that uses the water in which fish are bred to provide irrigation and nutrition to a wide array of plants.
This process saves a lot of water – making it especially relevant in arid regions like the United Arab Emitates where Al Mazroui’s 4,000 square meter f manmade oasis farm is based.
 Al Mazroui, he has already begun to reap the fruits of his labor and hopes aquaponics can boom, if local farmers are ready to adjust.
 
Fruit and fish
Al Mazroui proudly points vs the aquaponics farms in the desert  to a wide variety of produce that’s grown inside the facility, such as  watermelon , broccoli, lettuce, aubergine, cabbage and cucumber and he is even experimenting with a papaya tree and 180-220 kilograms of tomatoes every day.
The vegetables are all-natural and pesticide-free. They are sold in big supermarkets across Abu Dhabi and some five-star restaurants in Abu Dhabi.
What makes this system even more remarkable at aquaponics farms in the desert, is the fact that it’s fully self-contained. After the water becomes too dirty for the fish, it’s moved on and broken down. The plants act as a natural filter for the water, while at the same time extracting the nutrients they need. At the end of it all, clean water moves back to the fish tanks to complete the cycle.
Looking for alternatives
When asked why he became interested in aquaponics, Al Mazroui explained that as he never liked chemical-based agriculture, he had started looking for alternatives. The small man, dressed all in white, admits that his interest in supplying sustainably-grown food did not take root during his formal schooling.
“In my youth I finished seventh grade and stopped studying, believe it or not,” Al Mazroui says. “I’m proud of what I’ve been able to achieve, studying on my own, learning a lot of things.”
Al-Mazroui sees himself as an entrepreneur, not an expert. But his hunch about the potential of aquaponics is supported by scientists in the region.
Minimising environmental impact
Jean Yves Mervel, professor of aquaculture at Al Ain University in the United Arab Emirates, says the impact of aquaponics farms in the desert on the environment is very minimal, as “there are no chemicals, no artificial fertilization, and you are re-using the water and re-using the fish waste”. He also says that aquaponics may offer an environmentally-sound source of food for a place like Abu Dhabi which currently imports nearly 90% of its food produce.
But, while aquaponics may seem to offer a fool-proof, seemingly never-ending, food source, Mervel warns that success on a large-scale has yet to be seen.
“Another issue here is that a lot of traditional farmers don’t want to change to a new system where they have to reinvest in infrastructure. Thus, the traditional agriculture is slowing down the development of this activity.” Mervel said.
 
Potential for the Gulf
Jabber Al Mazroui says he truly believes that aquaponics facilities like his are the future of agriculture for his country anf hopes that farms like his will develop at the same speed as the business center of Abu Dhabi, which, at the moment at least, seems to be sprouting more skyscrapers than leafy greens.
“You can use this system anywhere in the world,” he says. “You can use it in the desert, you can use it in the most severe areas of the world, because you are re-using the water. And, you are producing fish and plants together.”
Source: http://www.dw.de/aquaponics-expert-brings-sustainability-to-the-desert/a-16808762

photo by 30-fish-shapes-Shapes4FREE-150×150.jpgaquaponicsuniversity.com

Sunday May 19^th, was a great day for the Friends of Syggros Forest.  With the chance of ten years from the founding of the Association of Friends of the Syggros Forest, on Sunday May 19th took place in the Villa of Andreas Syggros at Syggros Forest an anniversary celebration.

The celebration was about the ten years of love and respect for the forest and the environment. The ceremony followed by a tour of the Andreas Syggros Building, a beautiful villas and the forest. Friends of  Syggros Forest working hard to keep forest clean and alive, actually is a remarkable volunteer job what they offer.   A great number of volunteer’s offer they love and through the hard work giving the chance to visitors, to enjoy forest every day of the year.

Congratulations to Friends of Syggros Forest, happy anniversary, and a big thank you for they love and volunteer job they offer to the Andreas Syggros Forest. Keep Going!

More about Andreas Syggros Forest  -  Andreas Syngros Park – An Oasis in the Heart of Athens http://www.ecoglobalsociety.com/andreas-syngros-park/

Sycamore High School in environmental competition
Sycamore High School in environmental competition, won the regional Area IV Envirothon May 7, in Maria Stein, Ohio. The team will compete in the State Envirothon June 9-June 11 at Deer Creek State Park in Fayette County.
This victory of the Sycamore High School students in the regional Area IV Envirothon May 7, in Maria Stein, Ohio, has given them access to state competition, that drew schools from 18 counties within Area IV, going through physically and mentally straining tests, that range from conducting tests in soil pits to answering questions on paper.
The questions are designed by experts in the fields which include Soil Scientists from NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Services) and experts from the ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) Division of Forestry and Wildlife

Sycamore High School in environmental competition with more than 70 teams that competed for the top four places, in the areas of aquatics, wildlife, forestry, soils and current environmental issues. The victory will give them access to the State Envirothon.
The culmination of these events is the North American Envirothon which will be conducted in Bozeman, Montana this year.

source:http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130508/NEWS0102/305080103/Sycamore-High-School-wins-entry-into-state-enviromental-competition?nclick_check=1  and photo from the article  Members of Sycamore High School’s Area IV Envirothon team, from left: Jessica Hill, John Grossheim, Jimmy Ekstedt, Ron Hochstrasser (teacher/coach), Hanna Suggs and Emily Winchell. / Provided

Leaf Art

Leaf Art an inspiration from Nature. Have you ever imagine what you can do with just one Leaf?  The answer is very simple. If you Love Nature, enjoying walking around gardens, farms, forest just select carefully leafs you like most due to their shape, size, color, use your imagination and soon you will be able to be a Leaf Artist. 
Leaf Art means that a leaf can be your canvas and it up to your imagination to curve your ideas on it.
Even Leaf Art  is a recent art, a great number of funs around the world express themselves through this art offering amazing results. 

Enjoy a short video with some beautiful samples of Leaf Art.

Isn’t this an incredible idea? What are you waiting for then?  It’s time for your inspiration moments !

Eco Space Tourism

Eco Space Tourism, is it true?  British billionaire Richard Branson stated in Singapore during a summit, organized by the Carbon War Room, his own charity organization, that rocket-powered space tourism flights by his firm Virgin Galactic would have only a minor impact on climate change, because of the reduction of the carbon emission, which is less than the cost of two weeks of New York’s of electricity supply.

A minutes-long suborbital flight on the SpaceShipTwo (SS2), set to begin by the end of this year, has raised the interest of more than 500 people, who have made reservations and paid deposits on the $200 000 ticket price.

“The Aviation industry could do more to cut its carbon output and shift to cleaner fuels . The new technology can dramatically reduce the carbon output while the SS2′s lightweight carbon-fibre body reduces fuel burn dramatically” added Branson.

“If you have clean fuels, you could hopefully reduce the cost of the fuel, which means you can reduce the price of the ticket,” he said.

Branson’s Virgin Group and Virgin Green Fund announced plans to form a $200-million emerging markets fund with Russia’s Rosnano Capital to invest in innovations and green technologies.
Again my question remains, is Eco Space Tourism a reality?  How much Eco a Space Tourism can be? 
source:http://business.iafrica.com/worldnews/858696.html

Global Wind Day June 15th 2013

The events for Global Wind Day June 15th  2013 (GWD2013) organized around the world by the Global Wind Energy Council GWEC and the European Wind Energy Association EWEA coordinate the special Global Wind Day in more than 75 countries around the world, through  partner’s network.

 The Global Wind Day is designed to inform and familiarize the public with the idea and technology of wind energy and wind turbines, which offer a viable solution to effectively address the number one problem of the planet, which is the climate change and threats to life, to humans and the environment.

Global Wind Day June 15th 2013 strarded in 2007 as European and in 2009 went Global. Since then a great number of public events are organzed around the world.

Global events include international photography contest, the deadline of which was completed on 12 May

more info on photography contest and deadlines on global wind day org: globalwindday.org

Also Global Events  around the world you can found at the website of the GWD2013:

source:globalwindday.org  and econews.gr/2013/05/13/eletaen-ekdiloseis-2013-99868/

Agua Azul Waterfall

Agua Azul Waterfall (Blue-water Falls) is located in the Mexican state of Chiapas, about 42 miles from the Mayan Ruins of Palenque. The exquisite turquoise color occurs because the water is heavily laden with minerals like calcium, which coat the surrounding vegetation and deposit in the stream to create calcified stepping stones. In many places the water descends in two streams, with small islands in the middle. Follow the path up the hillside to a narrow dirt path that branches off to the right. This leads to an overlook (look for the sign tacked to a tree that says “mirador”) that offers a spectacular view of the entire cascade as it tumbles down the mountain. Swimming is allowed in the lower pools and restaurants and vendors provide meals and snacks.

Most tourists visit Agua Azul Waterfall on a day tour from the Mayan Ruins of Palenque. Taking a tour is recommended because this area of Chiapas still experiences Zapatista resistance and the locals hold ropes across the road in an attempt to extort money for crossing into their territory. Most tours combine Agua Azul with a second waterfall, Misol Ha, which is worth seeing but pales in comparison to Agua Azul Waterfall. Read more about round-the-world travels on blog: http://holeinthedonut.com.

source:Youtube