Madagascar: Arts and crafts by give me that straw

"Straw and BAMBOO STRIPS, or softwood of SMALL TREES are the materials used to manufacture objects of everyday life in Madagascar: different straw hats, according to the tribe, carrycots to go shopping, bags and trays for cleaning and transporting rice, mats for the floor ... but also brooms, boxes (fabulous, the Malagasy Tupperware!), and even toys and decorative objects â€" all handmadesometimes in happy coexistence with the flashy colors of Chinese plastics that already reach some sites.

Straw's work is especially visible in street markets, where we can sometimes assist the manufacture of objects and buy them directly to the artist. But the dialogue between who's delighted to see art and manufactured piece, and who makes almost ashamed, is practically impossible.

In Madagascar, the artist believes he's still show their poverty. Only in the areas most exposed to tourism is starting to exist the concept of crafts as art; Here, in the villages where I'm passing between Fort Dauphin and Tulear, makes by hand who can't buy more modern and flashy. A more colorful and durable material than wood or straw. This is another tip of the iceberg gigantic that divides the world into two â€" the "rich" and "poor". And the "poor" definitely do not believe that what they do has value. All that is traditional manufacturing them seems to have the seal of poverty and survival.

And yet these are unique pieces and ancestors. The work is good, solid and creative, without excess detail. The lids fit, rugs are soft, the hats have various sizes, such as those made by machines. The bags are small colorful details, sometimes made with twines. Wooden spoons have stripes that stretch, the figures of cows and humans have humor. And the brooms, frankly, encantariam the most demanding of witches!

RIP a few smiles when you buy several wooden spoons and a box, to a family that makes right there, in the Tsihombé market. It was for the money that is lacking, or for assessing who desperately tried to communicate. At home I can now serve my coconut vary with a genuine scoop â€" and no less genuine feeling of witnessing the final years of an art rejected ... "

Travel journalist, Ana Isabel Martinez has published in Portuguese magazines as the big story, around the world and Routes, Destinations and Spanish &, like Discover and the Altair. Right now she dedicates herself with equal interest to travel and vegetarian food, regularly publishing the findings and oddities in site Landscape eaters. Is the Green Savers reader and writes regularly here.

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Urban rehabilitation vista as needed and priority

Urban rehabilitation and sustainability are inextricably linked to the future of the construction industry, said Kings Fields, President of the Association of industrial construction and public works (AICCOPN).

Responsible, who spoke during the Conference the GPA "Cities for people," said that 470 thousand dwellings are overcrowded in Portugal, there is a housing for every 16 people, who are at risk of poverty, and about 260 thousand houses need urgent intervention.

According to a AICCOPN study, conducted by the Faculty of Economics of the University of Porto (FEUP) and quoted by Kings, Fields will need 38 billion to rehabilitate more than 900 thousand housing buildings that need to be repaired.

"In all, 27% of national buildings need works, with 11.4% are very degraded or require medium or large repairs. Therefore, the sum of 600 million euros, to be made available by the Government in Portugal for 2020 urban renewal, it's nothing ", considers Kings Fields.

"For a long time we lost the opportunity to rehabilitate our cities. We degrade the housing assets, "concluded the responsible, predicting that the" investment in rehabilitation will be private, but you have to be the next State of the construction industry ". "We're a long way from a Europe in which the urban renewal represents 37%", pointed out.

On the other hand, Ricardo Guimarães, the Confidential real estate, showed that the market for buying and selling is recovering the feeling of confidence, pointing to stabilisation of prices and that at lease a less dynamic in the offer, helping to stem the fall in rents.

According to Ricardo Guimarães, "Rehab is a reality in Lisbon, with 90% of the buildings and 81% of licensed fires". During the first panel discussion, the opinion was unanimous that "there is still much to do in Portugal" and the urban rehabilitation is necessary and a priority.

For Pedro Rutkowski, CEO of Worx, the "real estate asset is an excellent investment." But we must bear in mind that "rehabilitation has to be thought also outside the urban centers".

Citing a study that the Worx published market halls, Pedro Rutkowski mentioned that the student housing is a niche market with great potential, not just because of the interest it arouses in terms of development, but also due to the existence of several buildings in the country that can be adapted to the thread.

Isabel Santos, already Managing Director of Ecochoice, stated that "use resources in a rational way is today a priority across all sectors of activity and it is important to create solutions and strategies to attain sustainability in buildings and territory.

Rui also Fragoso, from the direction of Buildings of ADENE-Agency for energy, stressed that energy efficiency "can not pass alongside the urban rehabilitation". "The assets requires improvement. Is far short of the levels of efficiency that are possible to achieve and therefore needs a strong investment, being that part of the work is facilitated, since we have a good heritage registered, with knowledge of the areas in which bet, "said Rui Fragoso.

The existence of disparate realities from North to South of Portugal was one of the conclusions of the Panel "urban regeneration". "The reality of Lisbon as regards urban redevelopment is not the reality of the country. We need to learn, share experience and implement good examples from Lisbon to other areas, "concluded Salvador Ferreira da Silva, of the municipality of Ovar.

The third Conference of the GPA was sponsored by Renault and the support of Adene-Agency for energy, Breeze and green dot Corporation.

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Marine explorers find rare alien-looking creature

Although there is no shortage of bizarre ideas in the field of science fiction, in particular about the appearance of alien creatures, in the real world we still continue to amaze with the animals that are found on planet Earth.

Recently, a team of Nautilus Live expedition â€" through a remotely operated vehicle-have you encountered one of the rarest creatures and bizarre in the world: a purple sifonóforo roaming the depths of the ocean. Even though marine explorers with experience, the team of Nautilus was amazed to find such a creature, since it is rarely sighted.

Although at first glance the animal looks like a jellyfish, is actually a colony of zooids, which can be several Lynch syndrome or medusoides and that are morphologically and functionally specialized, referred to the Dodo.

In addition to the strange shapes that this animal can assume the unusual purple color of this specimen makes it even more bizarre.

The species of sifonóforo best known is the caravela-portuguesa, which is also one of the most dangerous and often is confused on the beaches with jellyfish.

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Scientists create stem cells for CO2 capture and conversion of solar energy fed

A team of scientists at Princeton University in the United States, in partnership with a starup in New Jersey, the Liquid Light Inc, created an electromechanical cell capable of transforming a combination of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water in formic acid, using solar energy to a local supplier of electricity.

These cells used to convert CO2 are made of channels that contain liquid, which in turn is surrounded by metal plates the size of rectangular Lunchbox, and are constructed from parts of easy attainment.

The researchers used a process called matching impedance to balance the power generated by the solar panel with the amount of energy that the cell could deal, in order to create an optimal efficiency for the system.

Such a process has an energy efficiency of 2% through the superimposition of three cells together â€" totaling twice the efficiency of natural photosynthesis and the best energy efficiency of a device created by man. The process is similar to artificial photosynthesis system developed by Panasonic, but with a 10 times greater efficiency, referred to Inhabitat.

The product of the process, the formic acid is found naturally in the Ant poison and is currently used as a preservative, antibacterial agent for animal feed and for the production of a salt used to thaw the runways of airports. In addition, the formic acid also has the potential to store energy inside the fuel cells that produce.

Foto: Juan Antonio Capó / Creative Commons

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Giant salamanders travel around Kyoto with police escort

When a Japanese giant salamander decided to take a walk by the river earlier this month, was far from imagine that would end a privilege usually reserved for important people â€" a police escort.

Taking into account the preference of this species of salamander for cold areas and nocturnal habits, these animals are rarely seen and much less during the day to take a walk by the river. As such, the ride of this salamander alarmed some residents of Kyoto, which ended up calling the police.

The Japanese giant salamander is a species endemic to Japan and is the second largest salamander in the world, with about 1.5 meters, after Chinese giant salamander. This animal inhabits freshwater courses usually chain. Is a species and aquatic venues. Unlike other salamanders, which lose their gills at the beginning of life, the Japanese giant salamander just raises his head out of the water for air, without venturing out of the water and go ashore.

Due to its characteristics and size, the sighting of the animal by residents was cause for alarm. When he received the first calls, Quito police thought it was a joke. "Not only are rarely seen on land, as if you leave out of water is usually at night. As such, view a on the side of the road to enjoy a sun bath is very rare, "said the police spokesman in Kyoto, Fuyuki Fujino, cites the Dodo.

After arrival at the scene, the police escort was watching the animal, to ensure that no one disturbed him nor the animal feria nobody.

When threatened, these salamanders emit a milky substance through the skin, with a rather strong scent, reminiscent of Japanese pepper. If you live in freedom, this species can reach 80 years. The Japanese giant salamander is a survivor of the late Jurassic Period, about 140 million years ago.

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Inhabitants of Boston will be able to charge gadgets smart banks with solar energy

There are smart phones, smart watches, smart homes and intelligent banks soon â€" at least for those who live in Boston, in the United States. A new initiative in this American city wants to implement Soofas-solar energy fed banks which not only allow load technological devices such as monitor air quality and the sound levels â€" in several parks in a pilot program which is funded by Cisco.

Banks, also called "smart urban furniture", were developed by Changing Enrironments, a spinoff company from the MIT Media Lab, and are able to carry electronic devices via two USB ports, thanks to solar panels installed and an energy accumulator.

At the same time they carry cell phones and allow updates from social networks, these smart banks also collect environmental data on air quality and noise levels in the vicinity, sending the data to a map that is online, referred to the Tree Hugger.

Besides the possibility of carrying electronic devices and aggregate environmental data, these banks can still serve to realize solar people that aren't exposed often to these themes, to the viability of renewable energy and other environmental initiatives.

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Culturgest receives Conference "Cities for people"

The Green Project Awards (GPA) performs tomorrow a conference devoted to the theme of "Cities for people". The initiative will take place in Culturgest in Lisbon, and will be chaired by the Secretary of State for spatial planning and nature conservation, Miguel Castro Neto.

The Conference will consist of two panels of debate. The first panel dedicated to the theme of urban regeneration will count with Ricardo Guimarães, will participate in the Confidential real estate, Rui Fragoso, of Adene-Agency for energy, Kings, of the Association of Industrial Fields of Civil construction and public works, Salvador Malheiro Ferreira da Silva, of the municipality of Ovar, Isabel Santos, the Ecochoice, and Pedro Rutkowski, the real estate consultant Worx.

In the second panel discussion on the theme of Sustainable Mobility will intervene Luis Reis, Portuguese electric vehicle Association, Mário Alves, consultant in mobility, Paulo Rodrigues, João Dias, Abimota's of EMEL, Xavier Martinet, the Renault Portugal, Luís Paulo, CTT, and Rui Vasques, creator of the Eco-Village Community. Between the two panels there will also be a space for reflection on the theme "Sustainable Mobility: the challenges of an integrated approach", to be addressed by Franco Caruso, the breeze. See the program here.

During this Conference, participants will have the opportunity to participate in "Electric Renault Experience". Between the 8:30 and the 04:00 pm, Renault Portugal will be at Culturgest with ZOE and the TWIZY, symbols of a new era, to get to know more about these electric vehicles. Join the Conference and schedule your test drive here.

The Conference "Cities for people" has the sponsorship of Renault and ADENE support, Breeze and SPV.

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