Interested in learning more about microfinance in the United States? Shaolee Sen of Opportunity Fund explains why Microfinance USA 2010 is this year’s not-to-miss conference for microfinance enthusiasts.
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Seed Bomb Vending Machines Sowing Covert Green Thumbs
[ By Elizah in Animals & Habitats, Home & Garden, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
(Images via: EcoScraps, OriginauxMoose, MemineCaroline, Kathryn Miller)
Would you believe that in some regions of the world, engaging in guerrilla gardening is a somewhat subversive and punishable offense? It hardly seems like a crime to restore the former botanical luster to a now-neglected section of one’s city, but the problem revolves around those who choose to indulge their green thumbs without enduring local legislative loopholes and never ending bureaucratic red tape first. Stepping onto public property without an official a-okay is perceived as a form of veggie vandalism, no matter how herbaceous your intentions are. That’s when seed bombing becomes especially handy, enabling those with a hankering for instant inner-city greenification to take back the streets without risking a trip in the paddywagon.
(Images via: Lush USA, MemineCaroline, Natural Home Magazine, Sustainy, Guerrilla Gardener)
Making quick business of the seeding process, everyone from bright eyed novices to been-around-the-block-a-few-times guerrilla gardeners can easily create their own biodegradable and propel-worthy “grenades” using a basic mixture of seeds, clay, earthworm castings, and water. Stir it all together and what have you got? A moldable mud pie blend that can be formed into individual meatball like orbs which, when strategically flung into barren plots, will sow the seeds of potential floral glory (as long as you revisit the scene of your crime every now and again to coax them along with a little water).
(Images via: CommonStudio)
Ahhh, but all of this may be daunting to a well-intentioned, midnight skulking gardening anarchist…which is why Greenaid’s pre-made versions are so darn nifty! No more dirt under your fingernails…no more shaking down local earthworms for their highly coveted garden gold. Now, residents far and wide can benefit from the simple convenience of no fuss no muss, perfectly civilized eco-criminalistic seed bombs dispensed from repurposed quarter-operated candy machines. Concrete jungles are soooo cruisin’ for a bruisin’.
(Images via: CommonStudio)
Trading gumballs for Cottonwood, Sycamore and Oak-embedded seedbombs may initially make school children scratch their heads and wax poetic for the simpler days of gobstopper-induced sugar rushes, but environmental awareness is inarguably the wave of the present and future. Parents, teachers and eager greenies can easily help Greenaid’s clever seed spreading project catch on among impressionable youth, explaining that their actions will contribute to a greater, greener future for us all (as long as they look in both directions, fling and “Run Forest, runnnn”). Additionally, these dispensing systems can be installed in parks, business lobbies, churches watering holes, offering more wizened individuals the opportunity to make a measurable impact, one covertly chucked seed ball at a time. You’ve really got to seed it to believe it 
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Seed bombs have been a guerrilla gardener’s best friend for almost 30 years. Now they’re getting a facelift for large-scale use. Look out below! 3 Comments – Click Here to Read More
Social Entrepreneurship: Creating Change
In this Tulane University program, David Bornstein, author of How to Change the World, JB Schramm, founder and CEO of College Summit and Susan Davis, chair of the Grameen Foundation USA, discuss the role of the social entrepreneur in addressing social issues. These innovative people have found solutions to many problems by combining their social expertise with business acumen to create new organizations that are, as London School of Business Dean Laura Tyson describes them, ‘a new kind of business hero.’ The 2004 Burkenroad Symposium addresses the issue with three scholars who, having written extensively on the subject, share examples of how social entrepreneurs have changed the world.
Community Development Through Microfinance – ACCION USA
ACCION USA lends support to small businesses, which help to develop communities and create jobs. www.accionusa.org
7 Geological Wonders from the World’s 7 Continents
Will wonders never cease? Probably not, Mother Earth has had 5 billion years to sculpt herself into spectacular splendor and it’s certain she’s not done yet. For now though, let’s take a little trip across the 7 continents to find our planet’s coolest natural wonders.
Landscape Arch, Utah, North America
(images via: E. J. Peiker, Arches National Park and Igougo)
The highlight of Devil’s Garden, a protected area of Arches Natural Park boasting an abundance – over 2,000! – spectacular natural sandstone arches, Landscape Arch soars 290 feet (88 meters) through Utah’s dry desert air. A fun fact about this arch: some say the signs for Landscape Arch and nearby Delicate Arch were accidentally switched. It may be so – the former is visibly more “delicate” than the latter.
(image via: ADDI)
Carved incrementally over untold thousands of years by windblown sand and rare desert rainstorms, Landscape Arch is an ever-evolving testament to the inexorable pace of geologic change – which has its darker side. Visitors to Arches Natural Park should tread easy when observing Landscape Arch as recent rock falls from its underside raise questions as to how much longer this amazing natural wonder will exist to be appreciated.
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, South America
(images via: Marco Teodonio, Somethin’ Beautiful, POPFi and Viajejet)
The Salar de Uyuni is a dried salt lake lying 10,000 feet high in Bolivia’s Andes Mountains that is 25 times the size of the Bonneville Salt Flats in the USA. An estimated 10 billion tons of salt attest to the size of ancient Lake Minchin, now mostly evaporated into the dry mountain air. Salt isn’t the Salar de Uyuni’s main claim to fame, however. When the rains do come, the salt flat becomes the world’s largest natural mirror!
(image via: XRV)
The shallowness of the standing water combined with the stillness of the thin mountain air can disconcert visitors suddenly forced to wonder which way is up. Despite its remoteness, Salar de Uyuni plays host to a significant number of tourists who can stay at a Salt Hotel. This is one place you don’t want to forget to bring your camera – or remove the lens cap when you start snapping away!
Eye of the Sahara, Mauritania, Africa
(images via: Free Wallpapers, TurkceBilgi and The Sleeping Pharaoh)
Also known as the Richat Structure, this eerie, eye-like outcrop in the western reaches of the Sahara was virtually unknown until the Space Age when orbiting astronauts spied what appeared to be a huge eye staring back at them! At first thought to be a meteor crater, the 30-mile (50 km) wide feature may actually be nothing more exciting than an eroded rock outcrop.
(images via: Earth Snapshot and Viva NOLA)
Whatever it is, the Richat Structure has caught the imagination of artists, environmentalists and naturalists who see the gigantic “eye” as a symbol of our living planet and its ongoing ability to shock, surprise and amaze its very recent tenants, humanity.
The Gateway To Hell, Námaskarð, Iceland
(image via: Hottnez)
It may be called The Gateway To Hell, but Námaskarð is simply heavenly to those who seek the unearthly while still staying on Earth.
(image via: Hottnez)
Iceland is one of the world’s most volcanically active countries, which seems ironic considering its chilly name. One of the most powerful and wide-ranging volcanic events in modern history, the 1783 eruption of the Laki volcanic system, caused the deaths by famine of up to 25 percent of Iceland’s population and the loss of most of the island’s livestock. Things are calmer nowadays… enjoy Iceland’s wonders but keep your options (and travel arrangements) open!
Reed Flute Cave, Guilin, China
(images via: China Connection Tours and Vrodkaraf)
The magnificent underground cave system traditionally called Reed Flute Cave and known today as the Palace of Natural Art lies beneath the city of Guilin, China, and is over 750 feet (240 meters) long. The first recorded visits to the cave took place over 1,000 years ago during China’s Tang Dynasty. Artificial lighting is used to enhance the stunning rock formations in the cave, which has been officially open for visitors since 1962.
(image via: UNI Study Abroad)
One of the largest parts of the cave system is the Crystal Palace of the Dragon King, which can hold up to 1,000 people and was used as an air raid shelter during World War II. The grotto features a solitary stalagmite that resembles a human being – it’s said that a visiting poet attempted to write about the beauty that greeted his eyes but took so long to find the right words he turned to stone.
The Devil’s Marbles, Northern Territory, Australia
(images via: JPG, Travel Webshots and DomBea)
Known as Karlu Karlu to Australia’s aboriginal people and one of their most sacred sites, The Devil’s Marbles are huge blocks of 1.7 billion year old granite rounded by countless centuries of weathering. Wind, water, temperature and sunlight conspire to erode and, on occasion, split the massive ovoids which sit, individually or in groups, in a desolate Outback valley.
(image via: University of Michigan)
As can be seen above, some of the Devil’s Marbles are of a staggering size… which gives one a hint as to the proportions of ‘ol Satan himself!
Ice Towers of Mount Erebus, Antarctica
(images via: Neatorama and T.E.A.)
Hundreds of ice towers stud the flanks of 12,500ft. high Mount Erebus like day-old stubble on the face of a giant. The constantly active volcano is perhaps the only place in Antarctica where fire and ice meet, mingle and create something unique encompassing both their natures. The towers can be as much as 60 feet (20 meters) high and look almost alive as they huff and puff streamers of steam into the south polar sky. Some of the volcanic steam freezes onto the inner part of the towers, expanding and extending them.
(image via: Life In The Fast Lane)
If Antarctica’s ice towers look otherworldly, it’s no accident – similar structures may exist on Mars and the moons of Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. Of course, those interplanetary ice towers don’t have penguins (or something like them) idly surveying the scene… of course they don’t.
Steve
10 Magnificent Maelstroms
Water can grant life but it can also be a dangerous force depending upon its intensity and form. Very small whirlpools can be seen spinning when a sink drains, but the powerful whirlpools in nature are magnificent and destructive. A whirlpool of extraordinary size or violence is a maelstrom. The swirling vortex is deadly. Here are 10 exquisite yet lethal maelstroms.
Mightiest Maelstrom in the World
(image via:Visit Norway)
Whirlpools are caused by a turbulent flow of water. When moving river water is forced to twist around an object or to stream into a narrower riverbed, the water flows faster and is more likely to create an energetic swirling turbulence. In the ocean, depending upon the geology of the sea bed, driving currents can collide and create conflicting tidal flows. Water spins counterclockwise north of the equator and clockwise south of the equator. The destructive interaction forms a whirlpool, a powerful circular current of water. A maelstrom, the vortex of a violent turbulence, is the most deadly of all.
As we believe a black hole in the depths of uncharted space would suck us in if we venture too close, so did ancient seafaring folk believe a giant whirlpool, a spinning vortex, would suck down ships and sailors to their watery demise. When they sailed the largely unexplored seas, tales were exaggerated of maelstroms and the certain doom of impenetrable ocean depths. Even now though, small boats could be pulled down and sailors are warned to avoid these treacherous waters when the tide is running. Currents speeds increase when the tides change, so even a large boat may find steering impossible until the maelstrom subsides.
Maelstrom of Saltstraumen
(images via:Flickr,Wikipedia,Flickr)
The Maelstrom of Saltstraumen is located next to Norway. Positioned near the Arctic Circle, the mightiest maelstrom in the world creates the strongest tidal currents on the globe. Every six hours, vigorous ocean currents can run up to 25 miles per hour as more than 105,668 gallons of water surge through the narrow strait that connects Skjerstadfjord and Saltenfjord. When the tidal currents turn, there is a “time window” when larger ships can sail through the sound. In fact, currents appear essentially calm during that time. Nevertheless locals and tourists are advised to use great caution when down by the sea or in a boat since the underwater currents are constantly churning, the water twisting, making the Maelstrom of Saltstraumen the most dangerous maelstrom on the planet.
Moskstraumen Maelstrom
(image via:Wikipedia)
While the Saltstraumen is the strongest maelstrom, the Moskstraumen is the most famous. Perhaps infamous thanks to Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne. Poe penned a story called A Descent into the Maelstrom and then Verne referred to it at the culmination of the book 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Herman Melville wrote about it through his character Captain Ahab in Moby-Dick. Moskstraumen is thought to be the first mentioned maelstrom in history.
Referred to as simply Maelstrom, it has the dubious honor of 1500 years worth of descriptions about seafarer’s who met sea monsters and their doom in the treacherous whirlpool. Located off the Lofoten islands, Moskstraumen is the second strongest whirlpool in the world. However there are many people who would dispute the powerful circular currents of water that reach speeds of 17.27 mph as the most destructive maelstrom. Its forceful tidal currents, about five miles wide, flow along a deep marine channel between the Norwegian coast and the open sea.
Corryvreckan Whirlpool
(image via:Flickr,Craignish Cruises)
The third largest maelstrom in the world is located in the relatively narrow Strait of Corryvreckan. Extreme tidal currents surge into whirlpools swirling round and round due in part to its location between two islands off the west coast of Scotland and the pyramidal rock on the sea floor. 30 foot waves swell from a depth of 100 fathoms and the reverberation of nature’s fury is heard from as far as ten miles away. Bewitching and bizarre legends were told by Celtic people about the ominous vortex of churning water that at times appears more green than blue. Corryvreckan was once classified as unsafe for voyage, then “very violent and dangerous,” but writer George Orwell journeyed across the water just the same. Orwell was shipwrecked for a short time.
Some Scottish producers tossed a mannequin with a life jacket into the Corryvreckan or “Brecan’s Cauldron” during a documentary called “Lethal Seas.” The life-size dummy disappeared into the dangerous vortex. When the mannequin was later found far away, there was evidence of it being scraped along the bottom and 262 feet showed on the depth meter. The Discovery Channel picked up the film and aired it as “Sea Twister.”
Old Sow
(image via:Eastern Maine,Bay of Fundy)
The largest whirlpool on the Western Hemisphere is called Old Sow. This maelstrom is situated between the shores of Deer Island and Moose Island in-between New Brunswick and Maine. Old Sow derives its name from the “pig-like”sucking sounds that occur when the whirling streams and vortex seethes. Considered one of the five most meaningful maelstroms in the world, this intensely violent whirlpool creates a mighty roaring when the tides back up against a strong wind. Old Sow maelstroms that form between the bays of Fundy and Passamaquoddy have a diameter of about 250 feet, swell up to 20 feet high, and reach speeds of 17.15 mph.
Small to medium whirlpools on every side of Old Sow are called “piglets.” Dreadful and deafening disturbances aside, only smaller sailboats and other boats with keels are considered in danger to steer Old Sow while the tide is running. Most motorized boats are able to successfully navigate these waters. Other rare natural occurrences around Old Sow involve upwellings, standing waves, and non-vortexing depressions in the water.
Naruto
(image via:Flickr)
The strait separating Naruto and Awaji is less than one mile wide. Naruto strait in located within a very narrow channel near Hyōgo, Japan where tides and water levels constantly fluctuate and throw strong tides into a vortex. The water speeds at over 8 mph through the Naruto channel four different times a day, twice flowing in and twice flowing out. The tidal currents twist like an underwater cyclone, swirling at a velocity of over 20 mph, making Naruto maelstroms the fourth fastest in the world. During the spring and autumn tides, the whirlpools have a diameter of over 65 feet. Tourists as well as locals watch the ebb and flow of giant whirlpools from ships or from above on the Naruto Bridge.
Kauai Maelstrom
(image via:Flickr,Flickr)
Sunrise kisses a marvelously mysterious phenomenon in Kaunai, Hawaii. The sea air whistles before a bellow of water pressure erupts through the lava tubes like a geyser. Before another blast of the blowhole, white foamy ocean sucks water in to swirl dangerous currents, a maelstrom of deadly dragging suction pulling down to the ocean twenty feet below the lava-ledge. This maelstrom of water is as enticing as it is lethal, a destructive downdraft of unrelenting natural violence.
Garofalo – Strait of Messina Whirlpool
(image via:Flickr,Flickr)
Homer told tales of Odysseus on a hazardous mystical sea voyage where he encountered two immortal creatures called Scylla and Charybdis. Although not a sea monster, Charybdis lives on in the Strait of Messina and is now called Garofalo. It is here that the sea floor drops considerably and winds flow against the direction of powerful tidal currents to form another oceanographic phenomenon. The Strait of Messina is 1.9 miles wide at its narrowest point with a depth of 830 feet. The maelstrom of Garofalo occurs in the narrow body of water between the southern tip of Calabria and the eastern tip of Sicily, Italy. Dangerous choppy seas and rotating whirlpools can still overturn small sea vessels and the rough broken swells can create substantial navigational hazards for larger ones.
Niagara Falls Whirlpool
(image via:SmugMug,Flickr)
When the Niagara River is at full flow, the waters traverse over the rapids and enter a pool to create another “reversal phenomenon.” The body of water travels counterclockwise around the pool where it tries to cut across the natural outlet. Pressure builds up and forces the water under the incoming stream which causes the swirling Niagara Falls Whirlpool. The basin is 1,700 feet long by 1,200 feet wide with depths up to 125 feet.
Like most whirlpools, tourists are drawn to see the swirling natural forces in action. The oldest attraction at Niagara Falls is the Maid of the Mist boat cruise that sails passengers into the whirlpools beneath the Falls. The Rainbow Bridge, located downriver from the Falls, connects Niagara Falls, New York, and Ontario, Canada. It also allows great views of the whirlpools. The Whirlpool Aero Car is a cable car ride that “flies” passengers over the whirlpool on the Canadian side.
Ligurian Maelstrom
(image via:Flickr)
The Ligurian Sea, an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, is fed by the Arno River. Both the make of the sea bed and the conflicting tidal currents cause maelstroms to form. Tales and legends are thought to have been told about the whirlpools in this area south of Italy. The word maelstrom can also indicate chaos and inescapable destructive forces. The water in Ligurian Maelstrom writhes and foams, luring the unwise closer to have a better look at the crushing forces of nature.
Maelstrom Doctor’s Cove
(image via:Flickr)
In the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, an area long heralded by maritime enthusiasts, a maelstrom forms in Doctor’s Cove. The combination of a blowhole and strong tidal currents create a forceful downdraft, a free vortex. Nowadays these maelstroms are well documented and charted out for boats to avoid. Although powerful whirlpools have killed many, there is little actual evidence of large ships being sucked beneath the ocean. However the question remains, back in ancient times, who would have survived such a violent destruction to write about it? Myths and legends generally begin with a grain of truth. Is the same true for maelstroms?
Relaxing Whirlpool or Turbulent Tempest
(image via:Google Images,Flickr)
Some whirlpools, like the one in the bottom picture, are enticing and soothing. The picture on top depicts a maelstrom, a spinning underwater tornado that lures the adventurous and the curious nearer for a closer look into the natural phenomenon. Only you can decide if the relaxing whirlpool or the turbulent tempest calls to your soul.
Angie
10 Best Summer Music Festivals to Get Your Eco On
For many folks, summertime means the opportunity to attend any one of the hundreds of large music festivals held across the globe. But when 50,000 to 100,000 people gather for any purpose, there will undoubtedly be large carbon and resource-use footprints. Recognizing that, several large summer music festivals are pushing the envelope in terms of environmental and sustainability initiatives.
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival – Tennessee, USA
(images via Brookage, Yardena 2009, Bonnaroo; Tim Hurst)
In just seven years, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has emerged as the preeminent music festival in the United States. With festival attendance averaging somewhere around 70,000 people per year, festival organizers have had to come up with some unique ways of making a gathering of that size more sustainable. Ranging from massive recycling programs to traffic improvements and water infrastructure overhauls, Bonnaroo continues to push the envelope in large-scale festival organizing.
Fuji Rock Festival – Japan
(images via chalky lives; tallkev)
The Fuji Rock Festival aims to be “The cleanest festival in the world”. And with a billing like that, festival organizers have their work cut out for them. Held in the last weekend of July on the slopes of the Naeba Ski Resort, Fuji Rock hosts approximately 100,000 music fans. With recyling numbers unmatched anywhere on the festival circuit, and considering the size of the event, festival organizers have done a commendable job keeping the whole site virtually spotless. Organizers also claim Fuji Rock to be carbon neutral by investing in carbon offsets.
Telluride Bluegrass Festival – Colorado, USA
(images via Rob Lee)
Set in a high-altitude box canyon in southwestern Colorado, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival has emphasized a sustainability ethic since its inception 36 years ago. Held every year in mid to late June, the festival attracts dedicated “festivarians” of all ages. One of the cleaner festivals you will ever attend, Telluride also prohibits the use of cars in town over the course of the week (unless you are a resident or have obtained one of the few passes made available to visitors).
Glastonbury Festival – Glastonbury, UK
(images via Matt Cardy; wonker)
Every year the Glastonbury Festival employs a team of 1,200 volunteers – who work for four, six hour shifts for a festival ticket, sorting up to 2,000 tons of solid waste generated during the festival. The recycling of all the cans, plates, cups, plastics and food waste produced by 140,000 festival attendees begins at the outset of the festival, in the last weekend of June, but the complete clean-up of the festival site can take until August.
10,000 Lakes Festival – Minnesota, USA
(images via 10KLF)
Music. Nature. Euphoria. The 10,000 Lakes Festival (also known by its shorthand name, 10KLF) this year will begin on July 22 and run through July 25. The grounds at Soo Pass Ranch are used only 2 weeks out of every year, allowing the abundant Minnesota plant and wildlife to thrive there. Festival efforts to reduce solid waste last year resulted in 79 tons less waste in the local landfill, including capturing over 50 tons of recycling.
ROTHBURY Festival – Michigan, USA
(images via Jeff Kravitz; Tim Hurst; Michael Weintraub)
Bursting onto the scene in 2008, the ROTHBURY Festival in Michigan, held over the Fourth of July holiday quickly established itself as a major player in the U.S. festival circuit. But beyond building a star-studded lineup of entertainers, ROTHBURY organizers have also made sustainability a central theme of the event, organizing a Think Tank with key leaders and thinkers in the environmental movement. In its inaugural year, ROTHBURY’s aggressive solid waste efforts were impressive, but festival organizers hope to improve upon their 2008 showing with stepped-up recycling efforts and more volunteers to help that goal along.
Bestival – Isle of Whight, UK
(images via iJammin; I’mClaude)
Because of its island setting, Bestival faces a unique set of sustainability problems. Festival organizers have clearly stated environmental goals, including: to promote the use of public transport and car sharing; to source local produce and services as much as possible; to reduce energy usage while increasing the use of more alternative energy sources, and; to reduce waste and to utilize the island’s waste facilities as best they can. Bestival is held on the second weekend in September.
High Sierra Music Festival – California, USA
(images via High Sierra Music Festival; Blurt)
Another festival that competes for your Fourth of July business is the High Sierra Music Festival held annually in Quincy, California. Greening programs at the festival include a “Green Ticket” which adds a carbon offset to the price of your ticket; aggressive recycling and solid waste collection efforts, and; a competition for the greenest campsite.
The Burning Man Project – Nevada, USA
(images via Tristan Savatier; Savatier)
Though not exactly a music festival, this list would not be complete without a mention of the annual Burning Man Project in the desert of Southern California. No, the burning of the man itself is not a low-carbon activity. But, by and large, the festival’s environmental and self-reliance ethics are promoted throughout the festival community. The Burning Man event has always asked participants to Pack-it-In/Pack-it-out. “This is not a convenience society,” say festival organizers. “There is no daily garbage pick up, and there never, ever will be.”
Coachella – California, USA
(images via rieh; Coachella)
Although a relative newcomer on the festival circuit, Coachella Fest organizers have already received praise for their recycling, carpooling and other sustainability efforts. In particular, carpoolers have the opportunity to win lifetime festival tickets. For those folks who need to charge their cellphones, charging stations powered by bicycles have been a hit since their inception in 2007.
Tim Hurst