Portable water purifier arrives this month Portugal

The LifeStraw, a portable filter that purifies the water, going to Portugal this month at the hands of the Green Footprint. The filter, considered one of the most important inventions of this century, allows quenching thirst securely, anywhere.

"Through a rigorous filtering process, the LifeStraw 99.9999% of bacteria and eliminates parasites, guaranteeing total protection [to the consumer, which may] drink water from any river, Creek, pond, puddle, among others," explains the Green Footprint in a statement.

According to the company, the LifeStraw can be used "even with extremely dirty water". "[The consumer] you can hydrate yourself securely, against diseases".

The filter was developed by Switzerland company Vestergaard, is manufactured in high impact polystyrene and does not require the use of electricity or batteries. Removes particles up to 15 microns and filters a minimum of 1,000 liters of water during its lifetime, enough for one person for a year.

The kit was has been used as support in major natural disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti, the floods in Pakistan or, more recently, in the Philippines.

Read More

Six animals that survive the harshest conditions

One of the things you learn in science class is that nature tries to constantly kill, says the RealClear. However, there are creatures that, in the face of the most adverse conditions to life, hardly would die. Meet them here.

1. Devil's Worm

Survives: high temperature, lack of oxygen and high pressure

This species of organisms, which belongs to the phylum of nemátodas, and was only discovered in 2011, was found more than 3.5 kilometres deep. These bodies spend their entire lives in total darkness, feeding on water with more than 12 thousand years and minor bugs.

2. Himalayan jumping spider

Survives: low pressures, low temperatures

The spider-flyer of the Hiamalias is the animal that lives the highest altitude, about 6.6 kilometres above sea level. Can survive long periods without feeding and face temperatures well below zero degrees Celsius. It is also prepared to face low atmospheric pressures. The only power supply of this animal are small insects, which are pushed to high altitudes by the wind.

3. the immortal jellyfish

Survives: natural process of aging

This jellyfish has the ability to return to childhood vis-à-vis adverse conditions, making it theoretically immortal. According to the studies done on this species of jellyfish, there seems to be no limit of times for this regression of age. However, to return to the early days of life, these animals become vulnerable to disease and predators.

4. Red Beetle flat carapace

Survives a: negative temperatures

This insect, native to places like Alaska and Canada, manages to survive the freezing temperatures, up to about minus 150 degrees Celsius. This beetle produces a protein that prevents the blood freeze. In turn, this animal's blood is enriched with glycerol that slows down the freezing process.

5. the Pompeii worm

Survives: high temperatures, large temperature fluctuations

This worm oceans lives exclusively in deep hydrothermal vents. When Hunt, Pompeii worms leave the lower half of his body inside of the hydrothermal vent, which means that the tail is subject to temperatures in the range of 80 degrees Celsius, while the head stays out of the source, then to a much lower temperature. Is a coating on the surface of bacteria, specialized body which allows this to be subject to large temperature fluctuations.

6.Tardígrado

Survive: almost everything

The tardigrada are a small phylum of segmented animals, relatives of arthropods, known popularly as bears waterline. Of millimetric scale, these beings can live in almost any conditions. Can about living at temperatures between zero and 149 degrees Celsius, the atmospheric pressures higher than 1200 normal. Also survives to dehydration, since you can spend ten years without water. As for the radiation, supports a lethal dose 1,000 times higher than the lethal dose for humans. To test the resilience of the tardígrado, in 2007, referred to Real Clear, a group of scientists sent these beings into space. The animals are back completely unharmed. When observed under a microscope, these beings have a strangely adorable.

Read More

Philippines: citizens paid to help in the reconstruction of communities

Thousands of Philippine citizens are receiving financial incentives to assist in the reconstruction of cities decimated by Hurricane Haiyan. According to the website Irin, governmental and non-governmental organizations are behind this recovery strategy of public space, revitalization of the economy and, at the same time, psychological recovery of the population.

Bernard Morteja, one of the citizens who are helping to clean the cities-Tacloban, specifically-explained that receives about €8,5 ($ 27) for every day of work: "I'm happy. So I can earn some money and help my community, "he explained.

According to estimates by initiatives, the storm left behind 1.1 million cubic meters of debris in towns, among stones, cement, wood, metal and, often, decomposing bodies. More than three weeks after the tragedy, the volunteers were still bodies under the ruins.

Satellite maps demonstrate the complexity of the situation: about 13.5 square kilometres have been decimated and destroyed.

One of the associations which are responsible for cleaning, the Tzu Chi NGO, is to employ more than 20 thousand people, who work in conjunction with local authorities.

"As you can see, the streets are getting cleaner," explained to the Irin a volunteer, Monica Sy.

In addition to the Tzu Chi, also the United Nations and the Philippine Government are payable to citizens to participate in the work of recovery. Thousands of people are participating in this scheme, but hundreds more are expected to begin soon.

The tropical storm Haiyan reached more than 14 million people, displacing 3.5 million and killing 5,000.

Foto:  DFAT photo library / Creative Commons

Read More

Number of bird species in danger reaches maximum record in 2013

According to the red list of endangered species of 2013 of the International Union for the conservation of nature (IUCN, the acronym in English), the number of bird species in danger of extinction has reached a new maximum.

The number of species analysed is 10,065, of which about 130 belong to the category "extinct", four "extinct in the wild", 198 to "critically endangered", 397 are "in danger", 713 are "vulnerable", are "almost threatened" 888, "little concern" are 7,675 and 60 have "sufficient information".

Some of the species that this year have joined the category of "critically endangered" are the Sarothrua ayresi, a passerine bird of the Moorhen or emberiza aureola, a species of the family escrevedeiras.

"Nearly 200 species of birds are now a real danger of being lost forever," said Leon Bennun, director of Science, politics and BirdLife International Information. "The loss of habitat, changes in agriculture, invasive species, climate change are the main threats. If these problems are not resolved, this list will continue to grow dramatically, "emphasises the researcher in a statement released by the Portuguese society for the study of birds (SPEA)

"Critically endangered" is the maximum category of the IUCN Red list of threatened species, which includes those in extreme risk of extinction in the wild.

The list shows that thanks to the efforts of the international community some bird species showed improvements in their degree of conservation. An example of this is the Black-Browed Albatross.

Habitat protection and reforestation, stimulated by the need for protection of water catchment areas, were crucial to the recovery of these species. "Despite a lot of afforestation have involved exotic trees, the rehabilitation of ecosystems was started in various locations. Many of these sites have been sealed to prevent the entry of cattle and loggers; exotic plants were removed; and native species were planted, all this accompanied by a public awareness ", this the SPEA.

"The red list this year is a mixture of good news and bad news, but once again shows how conservation teams around the world have achieved success and saved and avoided species extinctions â€" and the commitment to these efforts need to be extended to a wider scale," Bennun.

Foto:  M.Peinado / Creative Commons

Read More

Waiau: the Lake of Hawaii that is disappearing mysteriously

Since 2010, the Lake Waiau-the only Alpine Lake of Hawaii and the third highest of the United States â€" decreased from about 6,000 square meters to 115 square meters. Three years ago, the depth of the Waiau was 2.74 metres and currently is less than 38 inches.

In addition to being the only Lake in the State of Hawaii, the Waiau has a great meaning in Hawaiian culture. According to the local beliefs, the Waiau contains pure waters that are associated with the Hawaiian god Kane and that were used for traditional healing and rituals of worship.

The Ranger Department of Mauna Kea, the highest mountain of Hawaii, and Volcanological of Hawaii have been monitoring changes on the surface of the Lake since 2010. However, officials and scientists haven't been able to figure out the causes for such changes.

One of the reasons detailed by scientists can be the drought that Hawaii has been experimenting since 2008. According to the reports of the meteorological station of Mauna Kea, there was little precipitation during several consecutive months of 2010. "[It] may have been the factor that triggered the decrease in the level of the water, which was sustained by low rainfall in subsequent years," indicating another report of Volcanological, referred to the Huffington Post.

Another factor that scientists are considering is that Lake Waiau be a deposit Lake, where the water is retained in a depression on the surface through waterproof substrates. "These substrates consist of layers of silty clay, interspersed with layers of ashes and it is possible that there is a permafrost (soil type that is zero degrees Celsius or less, for two years or more) behind the Alpine Lake", points out the report.

These are some of the possibilities that scientists point to the changes that have taken place in the side, but none as yet has been given for granted. Since it was revealed that the surface of the Waiau is decreasing, the number of tourists who want to visit the Lake has increased.

Read More

Portuguese engineer creates hybrid device for the production of wind and solar energy

Pedro Rouen, materials engineer, developed an innovative power generator at the global level, since it enables the production of solar and wind power.

The system, named Omniflow, consists of a turbine building, low omnidirectional visual impact, which captures the wind and the Sun in all directions, allowing you to produce energy through wind or sunlight, or both simultaneously, through a combined process for personal consumption or Microgeneration to fuel the electric network

The Omniflow reduces on average 80% of domestic electric bill a traditional house or 100% in a smart House.

This system is on the market since September 2013 and has a portfolio of customers almost 100% international, from countries like the United States, Brazil and France.

The omnidirectional system developed by Pedro Rouen can be installed in urban locations, such as rooftops of buildings or at ground level, without causing noise problems.

The Portuguese engineer project was this week awarded the Altran Foundation Award for innovation in Portugal.

Read More

Why McDonald's left Bolivia?

In 2002, one by one, all McDonald's restaurants in Bolivia closed, after several years of financial damage and the notion that fast food had been harshly rejected by consumers of the South American country.

According to the website Natural Food, Bolivians don't believe food prepared in such a short time. About 60% of the Bolivian population is indigenous, not seeing any value in spending money in the McDondald's â€" even if prices are actually lower.

The American multinational failed to convince the Bolivians to interested by fast food, explains the Natural News, and the last eight restaurants that still remained in the country â€" in La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz de la Sierra â€" showed losses a decade ago, when closed.

McDonald's tried to change the habits of consumers, explains the site, but neither the patience nor the extent of the network managed to do. Burger King and Subway, multinational rivals of the golden arches, continued in the country, but have few stores and are not exactly a success story.

In 2011, a group of marketers tried to understand why failed fast food in Bolivia, having developed a documentary which concluded that the way of thinking of the Bolivian-and the relationship of the Bolivians have with the time of preparation of food â€" goes against fast food.

"While other cultures see no risk in eating at McDonald's every week, Bolivians believe that it is not worth the health risk. They want well prepared meals, places, and want to figure out if your meals are prepared the right way, "explains the Natural Foods.

The documentary interviewed chefs, nutritionists, teachers and historians and realized that, in fact, the Bolivians love burgers-but prefer the "cholitas" sold on the streets by thousands of indigenous women.

According to Take Part, the Bolivia continues today with the same problems of nutrition from the rest of the world-malnutrition, diabetes and obesity. Still, the Country has one of the lightest carbónicas footprints in the world, basing their food in local resources and tradition. "Bolivia can be an example to the rest of the world, when it comes to a healthier diet and based on community," concludes the site.

Foto:  taestell / Creative Commons

Read More