Casa Folha

Another beach house that caught my attention...by Brazilian architects Mareines & Patalano. For more information go to their website by clicking here.

No Handrails!!

Earth's last dinosaur

Leatherback turtles are critically endangered across the Pacific ocean. Their nesting habitats are disrupted by humans in many ways: light pollution, egg hunting, trash and mere curiosity. These magnificent animals can reach weights of 2,000 pounds and 9 feet from beak to rear flippers. They can travel distances of 4,000 miles in the ocean, spend most of their lives without coming to land and are amazing navigators. They are also capable of the most deep and lengthy dives: 1,000 meters deep for as much as 80 minutes of total duration! For these and many other reasons I feel that we are obligated to protect these animals. Their decline is principally due to by-catch from the fishing industry and egg hunting. There are many scientists working on saving these animals and most of the current effort is located at Playa Grande in Costa Rica, their major nesting grounds. I first fell in love with these animals when reading Carl Safina's "Voyage of the Turtle", a book that describes the Leatherback's habits, biology, conservation efforts and habitats. It also discusses conservation efforts and current research into tracking their movement across the ocean. It is a very inspiring read. 

 "The only surviving species of its genus, family, and suborder, the Leatherback is an evolutionary marvel: a "reptile" that behaves like a warm-blooded dinosaur, an ocean animal able to withstand colder water than most fishes and dive deeper than any whale."

There are lots of information out there on these amazing creatures and if you are curious about them or how to help click here. Or watch the video below

Suspension Bridge!

This bridge was built at The Trift glacier in proximity to the Swiss Susten pass, one of the most quickly melting glaciers in the Alps. Ladders as well as a path along the glacier provided access to the local lodge. In the meantime, however, a lake formed at this location. Since a detour would have been significantly longer and more difficult, the decision was made to cross the gorge with a suspension bridge.

This very delicate structure employs a parabolic underspanned suspension system to stabilize the delicate construction and prevent uplift at extreme wind speeds. Two U shaped steel elements each placed at one third of the entire span provide additional stabilization and also stiffen the suspension cables. After two years of planning and six weeks of construction the new, approximately 170 m long bridge spanning the Trift gorge at a height of almost 100 m above the lake was opened. It simple terms, it just looks amazing, and what a setting!

International Year of Forests - Crisis in the Amazon

"In the Amazon rainforest region, deforestation impacts around 30 million people and 350 indigenous and ethnic groups. Yet the Amazon, and other forests like it, are fast-becoming major casualties of civilization as growing human populations increasingly threaten these important biomes. Forests currently account for approximately one third of the Earth's land mass, and 2011 was declared International Year of Forests by the United Nations."

There has been a lot of attention give to the Brazilian Amazon in the news recently. Unfortunately, most of them are not good. In the past month 5 local activists have been killed over land and logging disputes. The rate of deforestation has risen 5 times in the months of march and april, based on the same period in 2010. A new forest code is being discussed (and has been approved by congress, with only the president now with power to veto it) and it promises amnesty to all illegal logging to date. A new hidro-power plant (Usina Belo Monte) has been approved for construction - big yes for renewable energy - but this project has very serious impacts that may undermine any positive outcome: the displacement of local indigenous populations; flooding of more than 256 square miles; the creation of a huge dam in one of the most important rivers in the area - the Xingu river... the impact list is long and they are expecting its maximum output to be only 33% of the built capacity! It made our most vocal and active indigenous tribe lider Raoni cry.

With this year being declared International Year of Forests by the United Nations I hope that it will bring even more attention to the issues of deforestation, social inequality, labor, energy and land use. The situation in the Amazon is so critical and the area is so huge that it is hard to imagine what really goes on there. Knowing how the Brazilian government can be, sometimes I have to hope for some miracle... but despite it all, many are still fighting and all I can think of is how can I contribute.

For a good source of Amazon related news, click here

For more information on the Hidropower plant and to sign a petition, click here