What will Earth think of next?
glow in the dark mushrooms! located in the rainforest c:
Ian Somerhalder wants to play a greener vampire
‘The Vampire Diaries’ star says his immortal character should do more to respect the planet. While an eco-conscious vampire might seem a bit odd, the idea actually makes a lot of sense for immortals, Somerhalder says.
“You have this guy who’s lived almost two centuries, and he realizes, ‘I’m stuck here for the next millennium. I’ve watched the degradation of our Earth and our planet, watched the population grow. I have to be around for the next thousand years, I might as well take care of the place’.”
Berlin, Germany: 1,000 ice sculptures melted under the Berlin sun as symbols of the effects of climate change, drawing attention to a new WWF report on risks of Arctic warming released today. The ice sculptures, handcrafted by Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo, were set up in a public area by WWF Germany to show the direct effect of climate change in the Arctic on the whole planet and the future of humanity and nature.
The sculptures began melting in 30 minutes. Read the report here.
(via)
Tumucumaque Species of the Month
Species #1 | February
Kinkajou
The Kinkajou (Potos flavus) is a mammal found in most parts of the Neotropical Region, from Mexico to Bolivia, as well as in the Brazilian Amazon.
Just like the Coati (Nasua nasua) and the Raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus), it belongs to the Procyonidae family. The Kinkajou lives high up in the trees, and its survival depends on continuous and pristine forested areas. The Kinkajou’s prehensile tailmakes it easier for it to move among the trees. The Kinkajou is a nocturnalanimal and spends most of its time alone. It feeds mainly on fruits, although it also eats some flowers and leaves, as well as termites and small vertebrates.
Even though it is not classified as a threatened species, the Kinkajou is impacted by deforestation and illegal hunting. The Montanhas do Tumucumaque National Park shelters Kinkajou populations, providing the animal with an intact and wild environment, where it is safe from human threats.
Photo: WWF-Brazil/Luciano Candisani
There’s no national tally of companies or organizations that have achieved zero-landfill status, but reports of success are increasing.
- General Motors said this month that 81 of its manufacturing plants earned this designation and that it recycles 92% of the waste generated by its facilities worldwide.
- Toyota reported in November “near zero landfill status” at its North American manufacturing plants. Spokeswoman Cindy Knight says the plants divert an average of 96% of their waste from landfills, and nine of the 14 divert 100%.
- Honda Motor said in July that 10 of its 14 North American plants had zero-waste operations.
Sounds like progress, no?
