New 7 Wonders of Nature: The 7 Winning Wonders!
November 15, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steve in 7 Wonders Series & Geography & Travel & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
The New7Wonders Foundation’s long-running campaign to select (with your help) the world’s seven most outstanding natural wonders officially ended on November 11th, 2011. The highly-publicized process was hugely successful in raising awareness of our planet’s natural beauty and in that respect, everyone’s a winner.
Amazon Rainforest
(images via: Amazon Rainforest, Caoba Lodge, Flickrfavorites and The Guardian)
The Amazon Rainforest first took root, so to speak, around 55 million years ago. Ironically perhaps, its creation was sparked by a period of global cooling that resulted in a moister climate in north-central South America. Known colloquially as “the lungs of the Earth”, the Amazon Rainforest functions both as a critical carbon sink and an oxygen supplier whose beneficial effects are distributed worldwide.
(image via: Love These Pics)
Although its current area of 2,123,562 square miles (5,500,000 km2) does not mark the rainforest’s maximum historical extent, “Amazonia” is still the planet’s largest tropical rainforest and acts an irreplaceable biological reservoir for botanical and zoological diversity.
(images via: TripAdvisor, Dark Roasted Blend and Big Travel Web)
At the present time, approximately 668,000 square miles (1,730,000 km2) of the Amazon Rainforest – nearly one third – is protected to some degree by official conservation measures. The region’s unique pink river dolphins, brilliantly colored “poison dart” frogs and forest-dwelling Amerindian tribes never in contact with the modern world will be happy to hear that.
Ha Long Bay (Vietnam)
(images via: Todd’s Wanderings, Asean Heritages and Desben)
Ha Long Bay means “descending dragon bay” in Vietnamese, and this picture postcard perfect place has charms that could soothe even the most ornery dragon. The bay boasts nearly 2,000 islands, only half of which have been named.
(image via: The Amazing Stuff)
The bay’s otherworldly beauty is a testament to the power of geological processes acting over time… say, 20 million years since the area’s half-billion-year-old Karst limestone began weathering away under the onslaught of tropical storms and salt-water spray.
(images via: World’s Best Places and Baitulong Travel)
Karst limestone formations around the world often feature extensive subterranean cave systems and Ha Long Bay is no different. As such, the area shows another dimension of scenic beauty though the more popular caves have suffered ill effects from human activity associated with increased tourism.
Iguazu Falls (Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay)
(images via: Wikipedia, National Geographic and List After List)
Iguazu Falls has been impressing onlookers for a long time: the name “iguazu” is derived from the native Guarani words for “water” and “big”. Unlike other large waterfalls such as Niagara Falls and Victoria Falls, the irregular basalt plateau over which the Iguazu River plummets divides the flow into as many as 275 separate cataracts.
(images via: Neverending Voyage, Argentina’s Travel Guide and Artist Rising)
Visitors to Iguazu Falls are advised to take the Moonlight Tour, though the ethereal after-hours magnificence of the roaring falls is best taken in under a full moon and clear skies. The sight may seem somewhat muted but the sound? Not a bit!
(image via: eTravelPhotos)
The two nations that share access to Iguazu Falls (Argentina and Brazil) recognized long ago that the falls and their associated ecosystem was both magnificent and fragile. Brazil created Iguaçu National Park in 1939 while Argentina’s Iguazú National Park first opened in 1934.
Jeju Island (South Korea)
(images via: Chic Traveler, Scubaboard and Travionside)
Jeju Island is the largest and most southerly island in South Korea. The 175 mile (282 km) wide island was formed 2 million years ago in a series of massive volcanic eruptions and the island owes much of its unique and striking scenery to its fiery origins.
(images via: Vinhbinh-Share and MohammedAldawsari)
South Korea’s tallest mountain, the 6,400 ft (1,950 m) tall extinct volcano Halla-san, rises from the island’s geographical center. The contrast between Halla-san’s alpine scenery and the palm-fringed tropical beaches at the isle’s fringes results in a wide range of ecosystems.
(images via: VisitKorea)
Known as the “Island of the Gods”, Jeju Island is South Korea’s top honeymoon destination. The island’s relatively small residential population and the unsuitability of much of the rocky, lava-covered land for farming has helped preserve Jeju Island’s primordial character.
Komodo National Park (Indonesia)
(images via: Labuan Bajo and TripAdvisor)
Founded in 1980, Indonesia’s Komodo National Park consists of the three large islands of Komodo, Padar and Rincah, 26 smaller surrounding islands, and a short section of western Flores Island’s coast.
(images via: The Beauty of Indonesia)
The park as a whole comprises nearly 670 square miles (1,733 km²) of combined land and sea. The park was created specifically to protect the world’s largest lizard, the Komodo Dragon, but its purview has been expanded to cover a number of unique indigenous terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
(image via: Photohome)
Komodo Dragons are a rare example of “island giantism” in which one species gradually evolves to fill an ecological niche, in this case one left empty by the lack of large carnivorous predators. Certainly qualifying as giants among lizards, Komodo Dragons can grow up to 9.8 feet (3 meters) in length and can weigh up to 150 lbs (70 kg). Fun facts about Komodo Dragons touch on their reddish saliva and white excrement, the latter a consequence of the creatures’ inability to digest the calcium in their prey’s bones.
Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines)
(images via: LovePinasPinoy, Puerto Princesa Hotels & Resorts, Eye in the Sky and New7Wonders.com)
The Puerto Princesa Underground (or Subterranean) River was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site on December 4th, 1999, and it’s likely the attention the site subsequently received did much to spur much-needed preservation and protection measures.
(images via: Pinoy Travel Blog, Themenschwerpunkte and TripAdvisor)
Stretching 5.1 miles (8.2 km) from its mountainous headwaters to the South China Sea, the Puerto Princesa Underground River system encompasses a vast range of ecological habitats supporting an intricate web of rare and often interdependent plant and animal species.
(image via: Philippines – Official Gazette)
Puerto Princesa City is the capitol of the Philippines’ semi-isolated, rugged and relatively undeveloped island province of Palawan, and the Puerto Princesa Underground River is situated roughly 30 miles (50 km) north of the city center. This advantageous location is a boon for the limited number of tourists who have and will visit the Puerto Princesa Underground River.
Table Mountain (South Africa)
(images via: African Fiesta and TripAdvisor)
The massive, flat-topped sandstone peak called Table Mountain stands 3,558 feet (1,084.6 meters) tall and looms over Cape Town, South Africa. As the centerpiece of Table Mountain National Park, the long-time landmark attracts visitors from around the world and facilitates their movement via the convenient Table Mountain Cableway.
(images via: Splash and SA-Venues)
Is that Reverend Desmond Tutu up on Table Mountain looking all messianic-like? Why yes, yes it is! Was the revered Reverend calling upon The Big Guy “upstairs” to help boost Table Mountain into the New 7 Wonders of Nature’s final seven? We can let the results speak for themselves.
(image via: Itinaukri)
Table Mountain’s indigenous ecosystem is very different today from what it was when Dutch colonists first founded Cape Town in 1652. Large carnivores such as lions and leopards have been eradicated as have most of the larger herbivores. SANParks has been vigilant (some say TOO vigilant) in rooting out invasive plants and animals from Table Mountain, including a large population of goat-like Himalayan Tahr which descended from a breeding pair of zoo escapees back in 1935.
(images via: Let’s Go Sago! and DavidIcke.com)
The seven winning wonders described above and listed in alphabetical order are stated to be “provisional” based upon the first vote count conducted by the the New7Wonders Foundation and announced by Bernard Weber, project founder, on 11/11/11. Stay tuned for official confirmation of the seven winning sites, due to be announced early in 2012 at the Official Inauguration ceremony!
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
New 7 Wonders of Nature: The 28 Semi-Finalists
The New7Wonders of Nature campaign has winnowed 440 prospects down to just 28 “Official Finalist Candidates” with voting scheduled to end on November 11, 2011.
2 Comments - Click Here to Read More
Cycle Crazy: 14 Smart & Stylish Bike Storage Solutions
August 19, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Home & Garden & Transit & Auto. ]
Once an afterthought, bicycle storage racks, hooks and devices are now seen as part of a home’s decor and as public sculpture on city sidewalks. More than simply getting bicycles out of the way, they turn them from potential eyesores into sculptural objects in and of themselves, especially when starkly displayed against an interior wall. Get inspired for bike storage at home and check out the creative, innovative bike racks that are popping up in urban areas.
Pit In Bicycle Table by Store Muu
(images via: 5magazine)
Japan’s Store Muu Design Studio dreamed up this uber-practical bike storage solution that lets your bike double as a seat at a table. You can ride your bike right into the table’s built-in slot and put your feet up – imagine if these were available at cafes and other public places! Now they just need to create an option that allows the user to cycle in place for fitness while working and – even better – harvest the energy created to power a light or a gadget charger.
Minimalist Wood Bike Rack by Chris Brigham
(image via: knife and saw)
Simple and elegant, this bike storage solution was created by woodworker Chris Brigham of Knife & Saw. The Bike Shelf is a wooden shelf with an angled niche that allows you to slide your bike up onto the wall without disturbing the books or other objects you place atop the shelf. (Too bad it only works with men’s bikes!)
Bike Rack Shaped Like a Comb
(image via: knowhow shop la)
This one-of-a-kind, 400-pound comb-shaped bike rack was made by Knowhow Shop in Los Angeles; it’s now a public art piece in Roanoke, Virginia.
Rotating Vertical Bike Rack for Korea
(image via: archdaily)
Could The Bike Hanger be a smart solution to bike storage in the city? Designed for Seoul, South Korea, this rotating hanger can store 20-36 bicycles and attaches to the sides of buildings to avoid interfering with traffic below. It’s made from recycled plastic bottles and stainless steel, and would only need a little lubrication now and then to keep it running.
Racor Bicycle Hoist
(image via: racor)
Storing your bike up high is a great way to free up room in your home, but sometimes – especially if you have high ceilings – getting it down can be a pain. The Racor Bicycle Hoist ceiling mount bike lift uses a pulley and steel hardware to lift and lower your bicycle when you need it.
Gladiator Claw Bike Hook
(image via: gladiator garageworks)
Prettier and more secure than a simple hook, the Gladiator Claw makes hanging a bike incredibly easy. This bike storage hook, featured on ABC’s American Inventor, automatically grabs and releases your bike’s tire by putting pressure on a button.
Futuristic Marguerite Bike Rack
(image via: coroflot)
A fanned design of white ‘daisy petals’ secures bicycles in the ‘Margeurite’ design by Yoann Henry Yvon, who wanted to bring “a touch of color and design inside the boring background of the city.” Yvon created a five-petaled prototype which was photographed in Valencia, Spain.
Cycloc Colorful Bike Storage
(image via: cycloc.com)
This wall-mounted bike storage solution, designed by Andrew Lang, won the Consumer Product Design of the Year Award for its simple yet ingenious method of hanging a bicycle. Available in white, orange, green or black, the Cycloc can hang a bicycle either vertically or horizontally, can be locked into place and provides storage for accessories like gloves.
Petal Vertical Bike Rack
(image via: mlive.com)
While it’s not super space-efficient, this tree-like bicycle rack is certainly a beautiful way to store bikes in public places. Designed and built in West Michigan by Vern Ohlman, the Bike Petal functions as both a practical bicycle rack and as an outdoor sculpture.
Bike Shed for Outdoor Storage
(image via: bikemania.biz)
What if you’ve got outdoor space, but no garage? Bike storage sheds allow you to keep your bike secure and out of the elements. You can build one if you’re handy, or buy one of the many prefabricated options available like the ‘Bike Cave’ by Tidy Tent.
Piano Park Bench/Bike Rack by ADD Innovation
(image via: add innovation)
Space comes at a premium in urban environments, especially on sidewalks. This brilliant design combines a bench and a bike rack in one; altering the design just a little bit to include a bench back would enable bicyclists to safely lock up their property.
Sleek Wooden Wall Rack
(image via: new york markt)
Another handy modern interior or exterior wall hanger for bikes is this sleek wooden design by 718 Made in Brooklyn. The curved design fits between the bars on men’s bicycles to keep them high on a wall, and looks beautiful even when not in use.
New York’s Stylish CityRacks
(image via: inhabitat)
A competition to design a stylish modern bicycle rack for New York City produced 10 beautiful, colorful finalists and a winning design that has been used as the new standard bicycle rack installed on the city’s sidewalks. The winner is the simple silver wheel shape, created by Maarten De Greeve and Ian Mahaffy.
Solar-Powered Bike Parking Pods
(images via: ecofriend)
Worried about biking to work only to arrive looking sweaty and unprofessional? If only these solar-powered bike parking pods would catch on, nobody would have such an excuse anymore. Designed by Penny Farthings Pushbikes, these pods not only provide a storage spot but also contain showers and changing rooms.
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
Vertical Parking Lots: Brilliant Urban Bike Hanger System
Sick of hunting for a space to park your bike? This brilliant concept utilizes unused vertical urban areas (and some people power) to create plenty of parking.
1 Comment - Click Here to Read More
Spectacular Steel Reclamation Center Building Design
August 12, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Science & Research & Transit & Auto. ]
Sleek and futuristic, this wing-like structure is a research and education facility for the promotion of steel recycling – perched right over a junkyard where this recycling is carried out. The American Institute of Steel Reclamation in Sun Valley, California takes a close look at one of the most sustainable industries in the United States.
Designed by Jeffrey Dahl and Jan Lim, the building features three columns supporting an arc that give occupants, including the public, unobstructed views of the activity going on in the auto scrapyard below. Providing such education opportunities around what Dahl and Lim consider a fascinating topic could help spur public interest in recycling.
Because the population of cars in the U.S. is expected to grow to 1 billion by the year 2050, a 40% increase over 2008, more and more cars will end up in these junkyards, ready to be turned into new steel. Dahl and Lim designed the institute to be elevated four times above the current car height to represent this anticipated growth.
“The boomerang shape really highlights the machinery and technical beauty of a scrap yard, educating visiting in a first-person experience rather than pictures in a book or on a computer screen,” Dahl told EnviroMetal, a steel recycling blog. “There is always the library, the internet, or a local chapter of a steel organization, but just like the concept of my design, getting out and seeing steel in action first-hand is the best way… Today it may be a 10 year old car, but 1 week from now it can be the steel structure for a new school. This is a truly amazing process.”
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
Green Your Mind: South Korea’s Ecosystem Research Utopia
South Korea’s planned Ecorium Project consists of huge greenhouses, beautiful nature preserves, and high-tech research and education facilities.
1 Comment - Click Here to Read More
The Urban Jungle: Tiny Ecosystems Take Over Madrid
June 5, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design & Home & Garden & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
If you believe, as many of us do, that nature needs to be nurtured and protected in order to survive, then you may appreciate the small things that each of us can do every day to protect the Earth. Spanish artistic group Luzinterruptus, already known for literally shining a light on urban problems in Madrid, came up with a truly beautiful way of encouraging nature to gain a foothold – or roothold, rather – in the most unforgiving urban spots.
The Implanted Nature project was implemented in May 2011 by Luzinterruptus on an overnight journey from Malasaña to Lavapiés. The group created 50 tiny ecosystems, complete with plants, plastic animals, lovely lights and miniature greenhouses, and left them in the darkest and least plant-friendly parts of the city center.
Initially the project was going to be about preserving already-existing weeds and stubborn plants that always seem to poke their way through cracks in the sidewalk somehow. But in the busy city center where feet and cars constantly trample the ground, the group knew they would have a hard time finding even the most hardy of plant life.
They decided to bring their own plants, along with growing medium and a growth aid to help them survive. After creating the tiny ecosystems, the anonymous members of the group simply left all 50 of them there as a reminder to passers-by of the true beauty that nature can bring to even a city environment.
(all images via: Luzinterruptus)
The hope is that some (or ideally all) of the plants will take root and actually grow where they have been planted, bringing a semi-permanent splash of cheery green to the otherwise dull, grey streets of a busy urban community.
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
Green Your Mind: South Korea’s Ecosystem Research Utopia
South Korea’s planned Ecorium Project consists of huge greenhouses, beautiful nature preserves, and high-tech research and education facilities.
1 Comment - Click Here to Read More
Solar Trees Light Up Angkor Wat
September 14, 2010 by admin · View Comments
New solar powered street lights installed in Angkor Wat, Cambodia add much needed public lighting to the area, in a fun, low-energy design that increases night-time safety and facilitates greater earnings for local businesses. Nothing Design Group conceived of the tree-like design, and developed the lights in partnership with Asiana Airlines and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The project team wished to create lights that would both increase night-time safety and help elevate Cambodia’s image.
As a UNESCO World Heritage site, Angkor Wat attracts many tourists, but before the lights were installed, many did not venture out at night. Now, the added lighting encourages both tourists and residents to be out at night, which creates benefits for both: tourists can integrate more with the local community and locals can generate more income by keeping markets and other businesses open later.
So far, 16 solar streetlights have been installed, and the team plans to install 5 to 10 more a year until 2015.
Source: World Changing
Beth
Got Vertigo? Terrifying Towers where minutes feel like hours.
November 3, 2009 by admin · View Comments
All of your instincts may be screaming for you to avoid looking down at all costs, but when you’re this high in the air, the view is just irresistible. Whether you’re clinging for dear life to a rickety wooden rainforest observation tower or staring straight down through a glass floor at city streets thousands of feet below, frighteningly tall spires and lookouts give us humans a look at our environment that our ancestors would never have imagined possible.
CN Tower, Toronto, Canada
(image via: shidairyproduct, ilkerender)
Do you trust a piece of glass about the thickness of two fingers to keep you from crashing thousands of feet to the ground below? Toronto’s CN Tower, which stands over 1,815 tall, offers stunning 360-degree views of the city – and a stomach-turning view straight down to the street through a glass floor.
Forest Tower, Schovenhorst Estate, Netherlands
(images via: Arplus.com)
The thoroughly modern Forest Tower is just as visually stunning as the views it provides of the conservation area at the Schovenhorst Estate in the Netherlands. The design includes spaces and features for various activities including peepholes, a climbing net and even a small performance space.
Willis Tower Skydeck, Chicago, Illinois
(images via: Charlotte Speaks)
If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to float 110 stories over Chicago, the Skydeck at the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower is the closest you’re likely to get. With a glass floor and glass walls on three sides, these “glass balconies” provide unparalleled views that will give the acrophobic nightmares.
Bird Watching Towers, Ecuadorian Amazon
(images via: JackMaryEtc)
There’s no way to enjoy the birds of the Amazon quite like observing them from one of Ecuador’s many extremely tall bird watching towers – if you’re brave enough to climb them. But finally getting to the top and finding it twisted from the wind and held together with a string, like one traveling couple did, might be enough to sway your confidence in the structure’s sturdiness.
Eureka Skydeck, Melbourne, Australia
(images via: EurekaSkydeck.com)
Like the Willis Tower Skydeck, Eureka Skydeck 88 in Melbourne, Australia offers views you just can’t get anywhere else in the city. But, it’s not for the faint of heart. 940 feet above the ground, “The Edge” is a glass cube that juts out nine feet from the building. It’s the highest public vantage point in a building in the Southern Hemisphere.
Korkeasaari Lookout Tower, Helsinki, Finland
(images via: arcspace)
The shell-like wooden Korkeasaari Lookout Tower at Helsinki’s Korkeasaari Zoo mimics the large natural enclosures that the animals are held in, and is made of 72 long curved wood battens fastened with over 600 bolted joints. Ville Hara’s concept for the tower was the winning entry in a competition to design an innovative, artistic tower for the zoo.
Blackpool Tower ‘Walk of Faith’, Lancashire, England
(images via: Wikipedia)
With a design inspired by the Eiffel Tower, the 518ft Blackpool Tower in Lancashire, England was constructed in 1894 after Blackpool Mayor John Bickerstaffe visited the Great Paris Exhibition. Among its most popular features is the “Walk of Faith”, a glass floor panel added in 1998.
Burj Dubai Observation Deck, Dubai, UAE
(images via: Dubai Chronicle, WeeklyDrop)
Set to become the world’s tallest free-standig structure, Burj Dubai will feature a 124th-floor observation deck called ‘At the Top’. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls will provide unobstructed views of the city, but anyone who’s not paranoid about being swept away by a gust of wind can venture out onto the open-air deck. This mixed-use tower is set to open in late 2009.
Killesberg Tower, Stuttgart, Germany
(image via: structurae)
This double-helix shaped tower in Stuttgart, Germany features what are essentially two gigantic intertwined spiral staircases suspended by cables around a central support. Getting to the top is no easy feat, but the reward is great.
Shanghai Expo Tower, China
(image via: Expo 2010)
A 495-foot tall chimney at the oldest power plant in China is getting a dramatic makeover for the World Expo 2010. It is set to be transformed into an observation tower called the “Expo Harmony Tower”, its exterior wrapped with tracks and cars similar to a rollercoaster to transport passengers to the top. The entire former high-pollution plant is being revamped into an eco-friendly attraction that uses electricity generated by tide, wind and solar energy.
Glasgow Tower, Scotland
(images via: Wikipedia)
The tallest tower in Scotland is also the only tower in the world that can rotate 360 degrees from its base to its top. It’s shaped like an aerofoil, or an airplane wing seen in cross-section, and has computer-controlled monitors that turn it in the wind to reduce wind resistance.
Green Observation Towers Concept
(images via: HumanShelter.org)
Could we replace smokestacks with eco-friendly, green power-generating towers that also serve as public spaces with observation decks? Designer Michael Jantzen thinks so, and has created several designs that would do just that. The Wind Turbine Observation Tower has five wind-activated segments that rotate in different directions to produce energy, while the Eco-Tower is a public gathering space equipped with seven platforms and a custom wind turbine.
Cheongna City Tower, South Korea
(images via: Bustler.net)
South Korea is getting a new landmark tower that will serve as the cultural hub and centerpiece of a large new town development. The 1,476-foot observation tower appears to jut sharply into the sky like an inverted icicle, with the second-highest observation deck in the world. It’ll also be pretty high-tech, becoming the world’s first “invisible tower” with a skin system that uses optical cameras to capture the views from the opposite wall and project those images on each part of the skin. This effect will make the tower itself seems to disappear when you’re inside, leaving nothing but sweeping views.
Steph
Featured Video
