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This is an incredible video on the progression of information technology…

Global Hertitage Fund – MIRADOR

Mirador Archaeological and Wildlife Preserve is a proposed 525,100 acre protected area located in the heart of the Maya Biosphere in northern Guatemala. Mirador is home to the earliest and largest Preclassic Maya archeological sites in Mesoamerica, including the largest pyramid in the world- La Danta. Experts describe the Mirador as the Cradle of Maya Civilization.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, the Maya Biosphere has lost 70% of its forests in the last ten years. Establishment of the Mirador Archaeological and Wildlife Preserve is our last chance to protect the last remaining forests of the Maya Biosphere from total environmental catastrophe (see cover showing 2000-2005 fires in red).

Global Heritage Fund (GHF) is working with the Guatemalan government, community leaders, the Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies (FARES) and the U.S. Department of the Interior, to create an economically sustainable park based on the successful model of nearby Tikal National Park.

GHF’s primary conservation goals for Mirador are:

1. Establish a 525,100 acre archaeological and wildlife preserve
2. Secure UNESCO World Heritage designation
3. Become a sustainable protected area within 10 years

Source: GHF 

UTPMP Guatemala

This past weekend I had the opportunity to be a volunteer in “Un techo para mi Pais” and I wanted to share my experience with you guys.

More than one hundred volunteers showed up for the event.  Our objective was to build 20 wooden houses for the people of Palencia, Guatemala. In order to achieve this we were dividend in two camps and then divided into teams of 5 to 6 persons. Each team was responsible of building their house with the new home owners, who welcome us to their ordinary house and treated us like another family member.

They shared their amazing stories about their lives, their work and their family…truly exceptional people who can teach us a great deal about life and who deserve a worthy home.

Now I want to share some gratifying moments:  

| View Show | Create Your Own

Un Techo para mi País

Misión

Buscamos mejorar la calidad de vida de las familias que actualmente viven en situación de pobreza, a través de la construcción de viviendas de emergencia y planes de habilitación social implementados en un trabajo conjunto entre voluntarios y pobladores. Queremos denunciar la realidad de los asentamientos en que viven millones de personas en Latinoamérica e involucrar a la sociedad en su conjunto, logrando que se comprometan y unan con la tarea de construir un continente más solidario y sin la injusticia de la pobreza.

Guatemala

Actualmente en Guatemala se han construido 16 casas. Las próximas construcciones van a ser en Octubre (15 casas), Noviembre (40) y Diciembre (60) aproximadamente.

 

 

International Institute of Sustainable Development

IISD is a non-for-profit organization with a team of more than 150 people. They promote change towards sustainable development. Take a look at their Annual Report.

 

 

 

 

The Green Wall of China

The Green Wall of China or Green Great Wall is a project to plant 2,800 miles of forest strips across the northwest rim of China skirting the Gobi Desert. It is consider one of the biggest ecological projects in history. The project will take 73-years of forestation and will cost 96.2 billion over the next decade.

The Director of the State Administration of Forestry, Zhou Shenxian, said ”The project will greatly reduce the sandstorm thread to Beijing, upon completion.” The Gobi Desert has been taking grassland over the year, which is a great threat to China agriculture economy. 

 

Some Examples o Environmental Engineering

1996

Italian army blows up 15,000 pounds of explosives to block lava flowing from Mount Etna to villages below.

1999
Mexico City installs 20,000 air filters on streetlights in the smog-choked central district.

US approves an $8 billion project to rechannel a river as part of reengineering the 4 million-acre Florida Everglades.

Los Angeles builds a massive ground-based sprinkler system to control dust pollution in nearby Owens Valley.

2001
New York City Transit dumps some 1,000 subway cars in the ocean off Delaware and South Carolina to serve as artificial reefs.

2002
Construction begins on Italy’s $3 billion plan to build hinged dams around Venice to keep the city from sinking.

2003
First generators go online at China’s Three Gorges Dam, a $24 billion project that will provide 18.2 million kilowatts of power by 2009.

Source: WIRED, BBC News

 

 

 

Blue Ocean Stategy

Blue Ocean Strategy is a business strategy book that promotes a systematic approach “for making the competition irrelevant.” Check it out:

 

 

Gorlov Helical Turbine

The Gorlov Helical Turbine (GHT)developed by Alexander Gorlov, a Russian civil engineer, is a newly developed technology that provides a reliable source of electricity by extracting kinetic energy form flowing water.

 Whats most important is that GHT is not as expensive as wind or hydro turbines. Also, has great advantages:

• No flooding from dams
•  Minimal obstructions of water flows
• Reliable
• Low cost, etc.

It is a great alternative!  Take a look at this example:

 Project Goal: Use Tidal Energy to generate electricity.

Scenario: In the amazon, rural residents are not able to access power lines due to their locations. The only options available to the are solar panels and diesel generator.

 Equipment Needed:

The Helical Turbine rotates on a shaft with a pulley that runs an alternator by means of belt. The alternators chargers batteries when used off the grid.

Results:

• Accessible Technology
  • About 90% of Tide Energy stations can be built using locally available labor, materials, and equipment.
  • Only the technically refined helical turbine blades are outside components

Benefits:

• Sufficient to meet basic need of 10 households.

Biotech Crops

Genetic Modified crops might be a solution for world hunger, however, opposition exist that these crops are a health risk and environmental threat.

Some arguments:

• Many GM crops are not filed tested or regulated in the U.S.
• Most GM crops are engineered to fight pest, improve nutrition, or to prevent disease or pollution,  
• The top arguments used by BM proponents: Gm crops will feed the worlds growing population,

 

Source: The Economist

Since genetic modified crops were first planted 10 year ago, the use worldwide has been growing at double digit rates.  It has been growing, specially, in middle-income countries such as China, India and Brazil.