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

Immortal Soul

The species of jellyfish might the only animal in the world to have truly discovered the fountain of youth. There might be no natural limit to it's lifespan. They are able to bypass death since it is capabale of cycling from mature adult stage to an immature polyp stage and back again. Scientists say the hydrozoan jellyfish is the only known animal that can repeatedly turn back the hands of time and revert to its polyp state (its first stage of life).

The key lies in a process where one type of cell is transnformed into another type of cell. Other animals that can undergo this process but in a limited form are salamanders which can regrow limbs. The numbers of individuals are spiking and can now be found all over the globe rather than just in their native Caribbean waters. There is not much more to say than that-consider myself officially in awe.

Planning a trip for your summer travels, head to Kangaroo Island in Australia.

Prints marked the sand – left not by stranded sailors but by the local wildlife, which, with just one human being per square mile, still roams free. Kangaroo Island (KI), off the coast of South Australia, is wild, elemental and unफॉर thegiving. But I can think of few places in which l would rather be shipwrecked. KI is billed as Australia's answer to the Galapagos Islands: koalas, seals, sea lions, wallabies and, of course, kangaroos, are abundant, while echidna, platypus, southern right whales and penguins can be spotted by those who are more patient. Evening "Kangas and Kanapes" drinks on the 600-acre estate of nearby Edward's Cottage, which teems with kangaroos, give a taste of what the place can offer, but to have any hope of scratching beneath the surface of an island थे size of Sussex, you need an experienced guide.

Flights to Kangaroo Island are operated by Rex Airlines (0061 2 6393 5550; www.rex.com.au) which offers connections from seven southern Australian airports, including Adealide.

US Oil Spill

DISASTER IN THE GULF

Up to 5,000 barrels of oil a day may be now be leaking into the water after last week's explosion on a BP-operated rig, which then sank.

While officials believe they can get this huge slick under control, environmentalists are deeply concerned, with some experts predicting a disaster on a huge scale spanning three or four American states.

A coastguard crew has set fire to part of the oil slick in an attempt to save environmentally-fragile wetlands. Also, a "controlled burn" of surface oil took place in an area about 30 miles (50km) east of the Mississippi River delta. Meanwhile,engineers are working on a dome-like device to cover oil rising to the surface and pump it to container vessels, but it may be weeks before this is in place. It is feared that work on sealing the leaking well using robotic submersibles might take months. Currently, eleven workers are missing and presumed dead after last week's explosion.

The oil spill threatens hundreds of species. Louisiana's coast contains some 40% of the nation's wetlands and spawning grounds for countless fish and birds.

AFP news agency reports that two Louisiana shrimpers have filed a lawsuit accusing the operators of the rig of negligence, and seeking at least $5m (£3.3m) in damages plus undetermined punitive damages. Under US law, BP will be expected to meet all the costs of the spill clean-up operation.

For more information and how to help click here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8652686.stm

SURFrider Foundation

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 members and 90 chapters worldwide. It has expanded internationally.


Surfrider's

Ocean Friendly Gardens “Be a part of the solution, not the pollution” The largest source of water pollution cannot be traced to any one point — it’s all of us. Pollutants “run off” our streets, neighborhoods and landscapes, wastefully and needlessly fouling our coastal waterways and ocean. But you can take simple steps in your own garden to create beautiful landscapes that capture the eye of your neighbors while capturing the polluted runoff that flows to our local beaches. Whenever water leaves a property it has the ability to take pollutants with it. Fertilizers, pesticides and oil are easily picked up by the power of water. While this runoff is greatest during rain storms, urban runoff occurs all year round as a result of improper irrigation, washing cars, and hosing down driveways. Runoff from residential landscapes affects the quality of our oceans and the quality of our lives. The sediment in water reduces clarity; nutrients increase algae populations and red tides; bacteria close beaches; debris can choke and suffocate aquatic species; and pesticides picked up off a landscape can poison fish consumed by humans — all of which degrade the natural beauty, and our enjoyment, of the ocean. The good news is that you can help bring back healthy coasts and oceans though CPR© — Conservation, Permeability and Retention. It’s a way for all of us to design and maintain our gardens so that we can reduce urban runoff — and the pollutants that go with it. Surfrider Foundation is partnering with water agencies and others to launch an education and outreach effort as a pilot "Ocean Friendly Gardens" program in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Look for details on each chapter's Ocean Friendly Gardens program rollout on the chapter websites and in future email announcements from the chapters. But you can get started on your own garden and begin reducing polluted runoff today. Start in a small area and grow over time – or go for a full makeover. Be creative. Get your hands dirty. But most importantly, HAVE FUN!! In the following pages you will find: Simple instructions on designing your own “Ocean Friendly Garden” Summary of a study showing dramatic runoff reduction from the simplest first step Photographic examples of Ocean Friendly Gardens (and instructions to submit your own project for inclusion in the photo album) Comprehensive Plant List as described in the new Ocean Friendly Gardens book. Links to our partners’ websites, where to get rebates, virtual tours, and other helpful information on how to get started on your very own Ocean Friendly Garden. Also see Surfrider Foundation's printable (and viewable) 2-page brochure (8.5" by 14" layout in a 2 MB .pdf file) entitled, Guide to Gardening for Cleaner Waves and Coasts

You can connect regardless in what part of the world you call home.

Surfrider Affiliates
in Europe, Australia, Argentina, Brazil and chapters currently being organized in Costa Rica, Mexico, and Canada.

To see how you can donate and for volunteering opportunities please visit: http://www.surfrider.org

2010 Year for NEW Sustainable Transportation

2010 Year for NEW Sustainable
Transportation

Our growing population and expanding urban cities force us to revisit the issue of sustainable transportation. At one point we had California dealer parking lots packed with clean energy cars. From one day to the next the lots were stripped of these efficient vehicles and sent directly to car mauling sites. We are now wit heads way below water and cannot afford to ignore our cry for better, efficient, and less polluting cars.

Drivers await the arrival of General Motors's much-anticipated Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid car later this year, GM unveiled an
electric vehicle of an entirely different stripe on Wednesday at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The company's Electric Networked Vehicle (EN-V) is a mini electric vehicle built for two, unless you are using it to go shopping, in which case you might have room for yourself and a bag of groceries.

Working with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC), GM designed the EN-V to meet the challenges of getting around major metropolises as urban populations swell. The EN-V resembles more an enclosed pedicab—minus the bike—than it does a car. In fact, the 1.5-meter-long vehicle is three times shorter than a typical car and weighs less than 500 kilograms, one third as much as most cars on the road today.


By 2030, more than 60 percent of the world's population will be living in urban areas, says Chris Borroni-Bird, GM's director of advanced technology vehicle concepts. In densely populated cities around the world, including New York City, "driving is not a practical way of moving around," he says, adding that a third of city congestion is typically caused by drivers looking for parking spaces. Several cities, including Athens, México City and Bogotá, Colombia, have resorted to "road space rationing," allowing a vehicle to enter the city only on certain days (or during rush hour), based on whether its license plate number ends in an odd or even number.


Please click for latest news and images of prototype cars: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gm-electric-networked-vehicle