You thought by supporting a day at the aquarium you were doing well...

A Fall From Freedom

The first comprehensive film to reveal the long and sordid history of the captive whale and dolphin entertainment business.

Many of these marine parks and aquariums are directly or indirectly responsible for the death of thousands of the very animals they use for public entertainment.

Watch the Trailer Now!

Watch the Full Film here:

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/fall-from-freedom/

Green Design Will Save the World

"Undulating Croatian Sports Center is an Urban Design Masterpiece"

"The campus is sited on a slope, so access is provided by flights of stairs that ascend the lower roofs.

"The new Zamet Centering the Croatian city of Rijeka is a public square topped with a series of undulating buildings interspersed with energy-saving green roofs. designed the complex to allow full pedestrian access to the community spaces without overwhelming the neighborhood with its scale. One third of the facility is located underground, and the rest rises in tiers of walkways and green roofs that flow though the campus. Inside is a library and retail and office spaces that are anchored by an international sports auditorium. The building extends the bounds of the bordering park while contributing to the area's community life. The campus is sited on a slope, so access is provided by flights of stairs that ascend the lower roofs."Complementing the upper adjacent park is a series of that enable rainwater infiltration and help regulate the temperature of the buildings beneath. The plaza is covered in a unique ceramic tile and the ribbon effect of the levels and inspired by local rock outcroppings. The exterior flows easily into the interior, and the undulating mass scales so as not to overwhelm the plaza -- thus creating a more natural and inviting environment for assembly. Tucked-under parking and the project's sizable subterranean development also helps give the project a human scale. The plaza act as an extension of the adjacent park. The tiles are custom made for the project and create an organic unique facade that is also durable, easy to clean and will help keep the buildings cool with a high albedo. Rich details are expressed on every side of the centre and halls provide access to a large auditorium, which also benefits from daylighting. The 2380-seat main auditorium uses a telescopic stand system, allowing it to adapt to different uses quickly, expanding the usability of the space. The 16830 square-meter complex's day-lit and open space succeeds in creating an accessible and approachable. Wood accents and sound baffles soften the interior.

La Isla De Ometepe

La Isla De Ometepe just joined UNESCO in the 8th Wonder of the World!
Ometepe is an island formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua. Its name derives from the Nahuatl words ome (two) and tepetl (mountain), meaning two mountains. It is the largest island located in the Lake Nicaragua.













It seems unsullied, and spectacularly so, protected from so many of the world's follies, including a lot of tourist infrastructure, by a cool, clean moat. But it's most certainly worth roughing it a bit to see primary forests trade off with organic farms in the folds of the volcanoes' fertile skirts, teeming with howler monkeys and parrots, and hiding a wealth of archaeological treasures.
You can fly out through various airlines into Managua International Airport. From there take a bus or drive down to San Jorge to Moyogalpa. There you can either take a ferry or small boats roughing the sea to the island. As with all adventures, take plenty of water, first-aid, and an open mind!

Everglades and Madagascar forests on UNESCO danger list!

A UN panel has added Florida's Everglades National Park and Madagascar's tropical rainforest to a list of world heritage sites at risk.

UNESCO'S World Heritage Committee said development in the Everglades had caused water flow to fall 60% in the wetland, a major wildlife sanctuary.

The pollution level there was so high it was killing marine life, it added.

Illegal logging and poaching following last year's military coup has meanwhile imperiled Madagascar's rainforests.

On Thursday, the committee voted to remove the Galapagos Islands from the at-risk list, saying Ecuador had made significant progress protecting its ecosystem.

Unique species

At a meeting in Brazil, the UNESCO panel said the Everglades had been added to the List of World Heritage in Danger at the request of the US government because of "serious and continuing degradation of its aquatic ecosystem". Florida and Miami residents can contact their local park ranger and ask about how they can help to stop habitat loss and pollution.

It is the second time the Everglades, home to 20 endangered species, have been added. The wetlands were first classified as at risk between 1993 and 2007 after being devastated by Hurricane Andrew.

"We commend the USA's request to re-inscribe the site on the danger list, and its plans for major infrastructure overhaul to restore the Everglades's fragile wetland ecosystem," said Mariam Kenza Ali of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The Atsinanana rainforests of Madagascar are home to many unique species. Agricultural and urban development were the main reasons for the decrease in water flow and increase in pollution levels, UNESCO said. The Atsinanana rainforests of Madagascar, which lie within six national parks in the east of the island, were put on the list because of the threat to the many unique species inhabiting them, especially primates and lemurs.

"In adding this site to the danger list, we are calling for international action to halt illegal logging and to also ensure that no illegally logged precious woods from Madagascar enter national markets," said Tim Badman, head of World Heritage at the IUCN.

To find out about ways in which to help and contribute to natural habitat conservation please check out UNESCO at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/join-us/networks-and-partners/donors-and-partners/

Architects Unveil Incredible Plans for the Future of Los Angeles

Architects Unveil Incredible Plans for the Future of Los Angeles!

LA is a large sprawling metropolis, but the city has expanded to its limits and must grow denser and expand vertically rather than expand horizontally. As a way to add density, Maltzan (current architect on the LA project) proposes to build a new street level on top of existing buildings, creating a new ground plane, green space and residential areas a couple stories up. Now this in theory sounds like a solution to overcrowded and dense cities but is it just me or is there something worng with this picture? Were are turning into all the sci-fi movies we watch! Not my cup of tea, I say.

In the future, the boundary lines between home, work, and play will blur, and part of that blurring will affect the urban fabric or work life. New offices must be more open and interactive, providing more opportunities for spur-of-the-moment meetings and encounters along with easy access to green space and other amenities.












LA has a sprawling network of roads already, but in the future the city must rely more heavily on other modes of transportation like rail and possibly even the expansive river network. Also, new designs must have multiple functions — Maltzan envisions bridges and transportation hubs that provide for all forms of transportation through railways, roads, pedestrian paths, and even river routes. Maltzan seems to be utilizing every possible open space available. It sounds to me like it will look like a matrix of different paths and routes.

Homes will still be places to seek privacy, but they will become more compact and more useful. Technology will help provide more amenities, relaxation, and entertainment in the home, but the home will also become more interconnected with the community. Rooftops will become useful living space, and many homes will share common areas. Again from the suggested mock-up on the left, it looks like a rat maze to me.

cityLAB envisions that big box retailers will shift their focus from just selling products to selling experiences. Big box stores will become interactive destinations, and the future of retail work will center on relationships and public service. Ladies n Gentlemen welcome to DISNEYLAND!! :(

Photographer catches amazing waves breaks underwater

Alex Tipple, a 29 year old surfer from Sydney, Australia began photographing underwater wave breaks after becoming frustrated with "normal" surf photography.

"I'm pretty comfortable underwater from years of surfing, and can ride out the waves breaking overhead. The housing is about the size of a shoebox, and weighs about 5 kilograms, heavy enough to hurt when it hits me in the head."

Tipple has been surfing since he was a kid and begun filming underwater in 2000.

Post Oil Disaster

It has been over two months since the BP oil spill disaster. While BP is struggling to stop the oil gushing from a broken pipe in the Gulf of Mexico, the spill is creeping into more coastal areas of Florida and Louisana. Cleanup in these areas will take years or decades, if the beaches are not lost forever.

Please visit boston.com for more information or read the full length article: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/oil_in_the_gulf_two_months_lat.html