EnviroFunFact

Pigeons are most widely known for making a mess of statues and buildings; and, are considered a nuisance. Some people even think of them as winged rats; but, they are intelligent and have been taught to distinguish, among other things, between cubist and impressionist paintings.

Pigeons also have excellent eyesight and are known for their ability to see great distances. During the 1980's, the US Coast Guard experimented with training pigeons to recognize objects floating in the water. The idea was that these pigeons could be used in search and rescue. The birds proved to be 93% accurate in tests, compared with 38% for humans. Unfortunately, the research was discontinued in 1983 due to federal budget cuts.

Shipping Containers as Homes?

Container City, a shipping-container apartment building on the docks of London, England. Photo courtesy: designshell.com

Alternate housing has long been the holy grail sought to abolish homelessness. If only sufficent materials for cheap, green housing could be found, then everyone could have their own home. Pie in the sky? Maybe not.

Vancouver, BC., Canada is conducting a social experiment in alternate housing. Although this is not the first such endeavour in the world, it is the first in Canada. Vancouver will soon see a new type of social housing for disadvantaged women — an apartment complex made out of shipping containers.

Cheaply produced shipping containers, designed to transport cargo in 12-metre bites, are increasingly being used to house people in need of temporary accommodation. There has been some resistance to the use of "containers" as housing; but, personally, I see very little difference between a shipping container and a mobile home (trailer).

One such refitted eight-room shipping container has sheltered homeless people in Chilliwack, BC (not far from Vancouver) while women’s advocates say they are close to winning approval from Vancouver to erect a cluster of 12 apartments at a vacant Downtown Eastside lot.

“We will be able to provide 12 units of housing for young women on otherwise vacant land. It will be full,” says Janice Abbott, executive director of the non-profit Atira Women’s Resource Society which provides housing for disadvantaged women.

Example of how delightful the inside of a shipping container can become with some ingenuity and creative thinking. Photo courtesy: inhabitat.com

The structure — the first of its kind in Canada — will occupy a currently empty lot at Jackson Avenue and Alexander Street in the Downtown Eastside.

Suites made from the containers will cost about $85,000 per unit, a fraction of the cost of constructing a new apartment unit in a standard building.

The container development will consist of six self-contained suites, each with a kitchen and full bathroom. The units will be fully insulated and will each have a floor-to-ceiling window.

"They'll be stylized and they'll definitely be funky but we didn't want to disguise them," said Janice Abbott, of the Atira Women's Resources Society, which is managing the project.

There will be two units per floor, and each unit will be about 320 square feet in size.

Vancouver city councillor Kerry Jang, a proponent of modular housing, said he supports the project, as long as the units are liveable.

"This is an issue I've been very concerned about [is] liveability," said Jang. "I mean, as soon as you say the word 'container,' people think you're just warehousing people."

Despite the concept, residents won't feel boxed in, said project supervisor James Weldon.

"We're putting two containers next to each other and then splitting them down the middle to create a more traditional layout for a small bachelor suite," Weldon said. "So once you're inside the unit, you won't know its a container."

The housing units are expected to be ready for occupancy by Sept. 1, 2011.

In my opinion, renovated shipping containers are an extremely viable alternative to conventional housing.

Check out this video to see these containers change from a discarded container to someone's home. Fascinating to watch, the green features of a container home are discussed.

New York City Overreacts

New York City lawyer Joseph Rosenthal says his client is suing the police and education department for one million dollars in order to send a message about overreacting to misbehaviour. When Alexa Gonzales, 12, was caught writing a harmless comment on her desk with a marker, she was sent to the dean's office.

Police arrived, arrested and handcuffed the student. "I was crying a lot," she said adding being put in handcuffs and arresting her were excessive. New York City officials agree, saying everyone could have used better judgement. Alexa was eventually required to complete eight hours of community service and ordered to write an essay about what she has learned from her experience.

Did You Know That...

The word "quarantine" comes from the Italian word "quaranta", meaning a 40-day period. During the Black Death of the 14th century, 40 days became the standard length of time for the ship's crew to be "quarantined".

The saying "going to the dogs" originated in ancient China. Dogs weren't allowed inside city walls; and, when undesirables and criminals were thrown out of the cities, it was said that they'd "gone to the dogs".

When It Just Has to be More and More and More...

Dining room of the new Ritz-Carlton on the 118th floor of the International Commerce Centre. Photo courtesy: Yahoo!News

The world's highest hotel is located in Hong Kong; and, is housed in the city's tallest skyscraper offering unrivalled panoramic views of the world-famous Victoria Harbour. However; as you continue reading, it will soon become apparent that the people involved have no concept of "less is more". In fact, the fight is on to see who can imagine the most luxury to be made available.

Towering some 490m (1,600 ft) above the bustling, chaotic streets of the Southern Chinese city, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel is making a grand comeback after temporarily closing in 2008.

Visitors peered out of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the 118th floor of the International Commerce Centre, which houses the hotel, for a 360 degree view of the glitzy financial hub and the South China Sea.

"We're opening an iconic hotel which took us about 10 years to build," president and chief operations officer Herve Humler told reporters.

"We are taking luxury to new heights in every sense," he added.

The Ritz-Carlton may very well lose the world's highest hotel title in 2014, according to media reports, when the J-Hotel opens near the top of the over 600m(1968.5 ft) Shanghai Tower in mainland China.

"People compete all around the world about everything -- I'm sure someone somewhere is building an even taller building as we speak," Humler said. "We emphasise service."

The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong also will be one of the most expensive places to stay in a city already packed with luxury hotels, with the rack rate starting at HK $6,000 (US$770) a night for a deluxe room. The rack rate is the rate the hotel charges for that room before any discounts, etc. are taken into consideration.

A presidential suite is going for HK $100,000 (US $12,834.21).

Rooms offer a panoramic view of Victoria Harbour. Photo courtesy: Yahoo!News

So...what can I expect for my money?

Inside, the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong exudes a chic, modern vibe in the restaurants and lobby areas, with a lot of sparkling decor and chandeliers, the main colour themes being black, brown and beige.

Visitors can expect to find facilities that include the highest bar in the world, and a top-floor pool that will feature a 19m (62.34 ft) ceiling-mounted LCD screen which swimmers can watch while enjoying the warmth of the heated water.

With 312 guest rooms, the hotel also has one of the largest ballrooms in the city at 930 sq m (10,010.436 sq ft).

Humler said mainland Chinese customers account for about 35% of the hotel group's market, up from just 3%-4% 14 years ago.

"This number is expected to rise. Mainland China is a key market for us. Asia as a region has bounced back significantly in the past year, with business going up about 20% in 2010," said Humler.

"In China, everything that is created has to have the "wow" factor to attract the top echelons of society. They want quality service and efficiency," the president added.

Humler said occupancy rates at Ritz-Carlton Tokyo had plunged from 80% to 15% since the Japan nuclear crisis began; but. he expected it to have little impact on the Hong Kong hotel.

Via Yahoo!News

The Lungs of the Earth Need Immediate Pulmonary Assistance

Original (unaltered) photo: Ivan Mlinaric / cc

If the billion acres of Amazon rainforest are 'the lungs of the Earth', then our planet had better get in to see a pulmonary specialist immediately. According to research conducted with the help of satellite imagery, the typically lush Amazon is losing its greenness -- with an astonishing 618 million acres looking a bit on the brown and wilted side. Scientists studying the phenomenon say that last year's strangling drought is behind the change. There's just one problem though -- the rain's returned, but the green has not.

In the months following the break of the Amazon drought, an international team of researchers, led by Boston University's Liang Xu, pored over recent satellite data and arrived at a troubling conclusion: the word's largest rainforest is in failing health, and the implications of this are planet-wide. While the Amazon is an important source of the Earth's oxygen, it also serves a vital role as a carbon sink. And, let's not forget that an untold number of unique species (both animal and plant life) live there, too, making it one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the world.

"The greenness levels of Amazonian vegetation -- a measure of its health -- decreased dramatically over an area more than three and one-half times the size of Texas and did not recover to normal levels, even after the drought ended in late October 2010," Liang Xu said in a statement, as reported by The International Business Times.

Areas in brown show indicate where greenness levels have dropped. Image courtesy: TreeHugger.com

Last year's drought in the Amazon rainforest is considered one of the worst on record, reducing major river-ways into sun-baked plains of mud and clay. As might be expected from the lack of rainfall, huge swathes of pristine vegetation in the region bore the brunt of the impact -- but what worries researchers is the fact that the forest has yet to rebound, even though precipitation levels returned to normal in October 2010.

Scientists have long warned of the dangers facing forest ecosystems, like in the Amazon, from the devastating impact of climate change -- potentially transforming once lush zones into areas of savannas or deserts.

Perhaps it is only by tackling issues such as the unrelenting release of carbon emissions on a global scale can the world -- quite literally -- breath a little easier.

Via TreeHugger.com

Long Overdue

The New York Society Library has lots of books that haven't been returned by their due date; and, a couple checked out by President George Washington, nearly 221 years ago, are among them.

"The city's oldest library isn't asking for the American government to pay any late fees," says head librarian Mark Bartlett. Still, they wouldn't mind getting the books back. One is Law of Nations while the other is a volume of debates from Britain's House of Commons. The entry recording the loan, dated Nov. 2, 1789, simply states the borrower as "George Washington, President."

You've Come a Llama Way, Baby!

Just taking it easy. Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Llamas are very versatile animals and used for a great variety of tasks in many parts of the world: pack animals, meat source, provider of wool, protector of flocks. They are generally very territorial; and, vigorously protect their territory and the rest of the animals in it. Several cultures have used them as guard animals for centuries for just this reason.

And now, a nature reserve in England is trying what ranchers in North America have discovered. Llamas have already proven themselves as excellent caretakers of sheep, goats, and other livestock. Why not a nature reserve?

A nature reserve in Southport, England plans to take advantage of this desire to protect their territory and all the inhabitants within. The park warden has hired two llamas to work as security guards. Marshside Reserve, run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, is now home to two new employees, Willy and Jack.

Llamas are relatively easy to maintain. Give them access to grass or hay with a clean source of water nearby; and, they become practically maintenance free. Not to mention, they are environmentally friendly and their dropping are a great nitrogen source for plant growth. The only time they become a bit rambuctious is when they are defending their own; and, their aggressive behaviour is expected to keep predators at bay.

Warden Graham Clarkson says the hope is that the llamas will chase away animals, such as foxes, that might eat the eggs and chicks in the nature reserve. He is hoping for success as some of the breeding birds in the park are threatened in the United Kingdom.

Cows Modified to Produce Human Milk

Photo courtesy: Tambako the Jaguar/Creative Commons.

This one belongs in the "Are you kidding me?" category. There are a few levels on which I find this morally repugnant.

First, I find interfering with the genetic coding of any member of any species is wrong. We should not put ourselves in the position of playing God when we are unaware of the effects our tinkering will bring in the years to come. It is unfair to the animals we are altering.

Second, this milk will not provide the benefits that real breast milk provides the infants. Many mothers may chose not to breast feed due to a misguided belief that this "human-like" milk can do the same job that human breast milk can. No matter how much tinkering with or altering of genes is done, nothing will cause real human milk to be available from a cow. The only place real human milk is available is at the lactating breasts of a human woman.

Unfortunately, reports from Times of India are that researchers in China have genetically modified some 200 cows so that the milk they produce is similar to human milk.

The director of the State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology at China Agricultural University says:

The scientists have successfully created a herd of more than 200 cows that is capable of producing milk that contains the characteristics of human milk. The milk tastes stronger than [cow or goat] milk. Within ten years, people will be able to pick up these human milk-like products at the supermarket ... [the] healthy protein contained in human milk [will be] affordable for ordinary consumers.

The ToI article points out that when children drink human milk it helps improve their immune systems and central nervous systems. Indeed, breast feeding has been shown to have many benefits for children. However, many (if not all) of these benefits would be lost if the children were being fed the genetically-modified milk.

Wet nurses have saved uncountable children over the ages they have been practising. Wet nurses are women who are still lactating; and, capable of feeding an infant. In fact, in some cultures nursing the babies of women who are unable to is so common the children of both families are referred to as "milk" siblings. Perhaps it's time to resurrect an old tradition. It certainly would be healthier for the babies.

If factory-farmed dairy weren't bad enough, now someone really thought it was a good idea to genetically modify the cows to produce a substance similar to something that humans already produce naturally. Duh?

I see a marvelous opportunity for wet nursing to take a foothold once more. Feeding a child that the mother can't could earn poor women worldwide a few extra dollars. Being a wet nurse has long been considered an honourable profession. The babies would most certainly be healthier than if they were fed the genetically-altered, sort of human-like milk obtained from cows. Given the choice, I'll take the human wet nurse every time.

Want to be a Bee Whisperer?

Orchard mason bee. Photo courtesy: BC Gov't Agricultural site.

As many people are becoming aware, the winged pollinators of the world are in need of help. These industrious flying insects are so important to our food chain that if they were to die off entirely, mankind would soon follow.

Mason bees. Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Colony Collapse Disorder has become one of the biggest problems of the 21st century. Entire hives of honeybees are dying off for no apparent reason. The extensive use of pesticides is suspected as one of the major causes; but, has not yet been proven to be the entire or main problem. Meanwhile, winged pollinators are still on the decline.

Short of taking up bee raising in the back yard or on the balcony, what can the average citizen do to help the failing bee population? Raise mason bees instead.

Mason bees are a solitary species of bee that are gregarious. This means they like to hang out together; but, they don't cooperate in any way. One mason bee choosing a nesting tube (in the nest you put out) will attract others to select your site, too.

The docile and gentle nature of the mason bee makes them an ideal study for families with children.

Native throughout continental USA and southern Canada, Blue Orchard Mason bees are super-efficient, hard-working spring crop pollinators. A single female mason bee will visit nearly 2,000 blossoms a day. A smaller orchard or planted area can be adequately pollinated by 40-50 bees. Ten mason bees will pollinate thousands of blossoms.

The mason bee is smaller than the honeybee with a metallic blue body and two pairs of wings. The males have longer antennae than the females and have white tufts of hair on their foreheads. Females are larger and have specialized hairs on the underside for carrying pollen. Mason bees have the ability to fly in our weather conditions and at lower temperatures than other bees. They are relatively easy to stage and care for.

A homemade Mason bee dwelling. Holes have been drilled into the block; and, the block is fully occupied. Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Setting up nesting sites for these beneficial insects is fascinating, fun and good for our local environment. Creating a haven for mason bees at home is a wonderful educational opportunity for children of all ages. Kids can get up close and personal with the bees during their flying season and during their winter hibernation, when their nests are dismantled and their cocoons are cared for. Learning about their life cycles is a great first step in understanding garden ecology.

The wonderful thing about mason bees is that they don't sting. They are the most harmless bee you will ever encounter. They can sting like any other bee - but it has never been heard of happening. If you block the nest with your hand, they will stay away until you move your hand away. Don't try this with Yellow Jackets.

Mason bees do not produce honey or beeswax; so, they have no need of big nests. A small nest with 10 straws (room for 10 females) will adequately pollinate a well-planted balcony and surrounding areas.