South Africa: recycled containers transformed into educational space for children

The South African Architects atelier of Justice was hired to design a library. However, the project ran out of funding and the architects had to find an economic solution that allowed the construction of the library. The solution was to create the building from export containers, ensuring a quality and interaction space for children.

SEED Library, as it was named the library is intended to be a prototype that can be reproduced in other places and under similar financial conditions. The containers were positioned perpendicularly. The top container, painted green and gray, serves as a reading room and has small rooms to study. The space below is for collective activities. The entire building is equipped with LED lighting.

Last year, the SEED Library was awarded a prize in the Loeries, a Gauteng Institute for Architects Merit Award and was nominated for other awards, referred to Inhabitat. The library was conceived as a semi-permanent solution that can serve as a model for other spaces.

. fancybox-wrap {position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; z-index: 8020; }. fancybox-skin {position: relative; /* margin-top: 20px! important; */backgroun d: #222222; color: #74b32e; text-shadow: none; -webkit-border-radius: 2px; -moz-border-radius: 2px; border-radius: 2px; }. fancybox-opened {z-index: 8030;} . fancybox-opened. fancybox-skin {-webkit-box-shadow: 0 10px 25px rgba (0, 0, 0, 0.5); -moz-box-shadow: 0 10px 25px rgba (0, 0, 0, 0.5); box-shadow: 0 10px 25px rgba (0, 0, 0, 0.5); }. fancybox-outer,. fancybox-inner {position: relative;} . fancybox-inner {overflow: hidden;} . fancybox-type-iframe. fancybox-inner {-webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch;} . fancybox-close {backgroun d: url('wp-content/themes/codistage/styles/fancybox/exit.png') no-repeat; width: 25px; height: 25px; float: right; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 5px; }/*. ng-gallery-image img {width: 565px; height: 393px;}*/ Uma biblioteca construída a partir de contentores 1 of 7 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { var thumbContainerWidth = 0, thumbs = Array(), selectedIndex = 1, thumbIndex = 1, imageOffset = 7; $ ('. ng-gallery-thumbnail-box '). each (function () {thumbs.push($(this)); }); /* thumbnail navigation */$ ('. ng-greensavers-thumb-next '). unbind (). bind (' click ', function (e) {e.preventDefault(); if (thumbIndex < == (thumbs.length-imageOffset)) {$ ('. ng-thumbnails-container '). stop (). animate ({left:-$ (thumbs [thumbIndex]). position (). left}); thumbindex + +; } }); $ ('. ng-greensavers-thumb-prev '). unbind (). bind (' click ', function (e) {e.preventDefault(); if (thumbIndex > 1) {$ ('. ng-thumbnails-container '). stop (). animate ({left: $ ('. ng-thumbnails-container '). position (). left + ($ (thumbs [thumbIndex-1]). position (). left-$ (thumbs [thumbIndex-2]). position (). left)}); thumbindex--; } }); $ (window). load (function () {/* set thumbnail container width */$ ('. ng-gallery-thumbnail '). each (function () {thumbContainerWidth = thumbContainerWidth + $ (this). width () + 10; }); $ ('. ng-thumbnails-container '). width (thumbContainerWidth); }); });

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What hides the giant stone circles of Jordan?

Twelve great stone circles were discovered in recent years in Jordan: eight between Wadi el-Hasa and Shara, West of the country, and four North of the oasis of Azraq. Even if they appear to be highly accurate, researchers and archaeologists have not yet realized Wed its purpose.

Although the first circles were discovered in 20 years, the truth is that the use of satellite imagery has come to discover several others â€" the last in 2002 â€" and scientists believe that more will be discovered in the near future.

The technology just triggered the curiosity of archaeologists, which still failed to detail what the purpose of these monstrous constructions made of stones and boulders â€" the diameters vary between 220 meters and 455 yards.

"The landscape of the Middle East have circular structures or dense scattered sub-circulares. Most are circles, but there are many that are geometrically precise, though sometimes distorted, "explained David Kennedy, of the University of Western Australia.

Thus, they would have to have been built by 12 or more workers and designed by an "architect". Quotation marks, of course, because these buildings are said to have been made in a period between 2,000 and 4,500 BC.

According to investigators, some answers will be given in the coming years, as they explore the satellite images and made excavations in the terrain. Until then, it is expected that the circles are not destroyed by the expansion of the neighbouring cities â€" in fact, two of them were destroyed, in recent years, due to this fact.

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EcoBook: the Whiteboard in school notebook format

The concept is the same as a whiteboard of those who find themselves in schools: write as many times as you want and delete as many times as you want. However, this is not a picture, but rather of the EcoBook, a notebook and reusable eco-made from the same material of the school boards, which allows the re-use of leaves without the stain or damage.

Behind the EcoBook are, two young men of Viseu, who created the concept this year when they were still in the last year of secondary education. The idea arose from the frustration of having damaged leaves by use of rubber or the impossibility of erasing ink stains. And thus arose the EcoBook, which embodies the advantages of the pencil, the possibility to erase and re-write, but without leaving marks, together with the pen, allowing for greater smoothness in the writing process.

The project started in June this year, through a campaign of crowdfunding, during just over a month, has raised about € 2,300, 85% more than young people needed to start the project. With this money the company could create and produce stock.

"The acceptance of the product has surpassed very positively our expectations. In less than two months we can sell to Brazilian companies, a multinational, hearing health for public institutions and others, "says Peter Lee. "It's hard and we get many sleepless nights, but we see what we have achieved already so new it makes you wake up every morning with a smile on her face and a huge willingness to at least try to change the habits of the Portuguese and, who knows, in the world," he adds.

The EcoBook is available in formats A4 and A5 costing €8,99 and €6,99, respectively, and are accompanied by a black marker. The ecological notebook can be purchased in online shop of the EcoBook.

Photo: EcoBook

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Demand for rhinoceros horn in Vietnam decreased by 38% in one year

Efforts to stem the illegal trade of animals appear to be bearing fruit in some African and Asian countries. Vietnam is one of them. The demand for rhino horn in this country decreased about 38% in the last year.

After a long public awareness campaign in Vietnam, only 2.6% of the inhabitants continue to buy and use the rhino horn, which has enough medicinal value according to the local customs.  And also the number of people who still believe in the medicinal value of the Horn, which is of the same biological material that the nails and hair, decreased by about 25%.

However, around 38% of Vietnamese continue to believe that the animal Horn achieves treating diseases such as rheumatism or cancer.

The findings are from a survey carried out by Nielsen for the Humane Society International and the Cites Vietnamese, referred to in the Guardian.

Vietnam is one of the key markets for trade in rhino horn, a factor that triggered the awareness campaign to deter people from buying and consuming the product. The campaign has focused on debunking the myth that the rhino horn has medicinal value. The action took place mainly in commercial spaces, schools, universities and women's organizations in the country's capital, Hanoi.

Demand for rhinoceros horns in the markets of China and other countries of Southeast Asia are putting the African rhinos in danger. In the last year about 1,004 animals were slaughtered by poachers in South Africa, which has more rhinos than any other African country. This year have already been slaughtered 821 animals.

The increase in poaching the rhinoceros is relatively recent â€" in 2007, only 13 rhinos were slaughtered in South Africa. One of the main reasons for the slaughter are the high prices that the rhinoceros horns can reach on the black market, about € 78,700/kg, which puts this product at the same level in the price of gold or cocaine.

Foto: Stephen Kelly Photography/Creative Commons

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Tibetan monks build artificial glaciers to provide water to local villages

In Ladakh, a desert region in the Tibetan plateau, the consequences of climate change are already felt severely by its inhabitants. Farmers in Ladakh are facing a water crisis due to the rapid melting of the glaciers and as such decided to act and build artificial glaciers in cone shape.

As the natural glaciers around Ladakh are decreasing in size from year to year, due to global warming, the amount of water available every spring is smaller and smaller. But during the hot summer months, the water released is enough, which decreases the size of glaciers. This situation is extremely worrying for the inhabitants of the region, who depend on the water for centuries provided by glaciers.

In January this year, SECMOL School students Campus began working on a solution to the water shortage by creating artificial glaciers. The structures were called Stupas of ice, due to similarities shared with the traditional Tibetan stupas.

In late February, the students had already created a prototype structure of two years floors which stored about 150,000 gallons of water from excess water from glaciers during the winter.

After the first prototype has proved a success, the structure was blessed by a Tibetan monk who requested a full-scale version of the artificial glacier to the land involving the Phyang monastery, referred to Inhabitat.

To raise funds for the Stupas of Ice of Phyang, monks and villagers launched a fundraising campaign. So that there is funding, the objective is to use the stupas to create enough water to irrigate the desert region of Ladakh.

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Abandoned by his mother Leopard is created on the bathroom attendant

The baby Leopard Nimbus was abandoned by his mother shortly after birth, in the Natural Park Cotswold, in Oxfordshire, England. The animal Wrangler, Jamie Craig, discovered her along to a brother who, unlike Nimbus, didn't make it, and didn't think twice before taking to his own House, where the fed by hand for six weeks â€" the perfect time for the animal return to healthy Natural Park.

According to the Daily Mail, Craig rode the whole support structure the Nimbus in the bathroom. It can be tricky getting out of the shower with a Leopard on the side, but that fact not worried JHA of 13 years, and Niemi, of 10, Jamie and sons who helped create the animal.

"The first time I warmed up and gave her food be surprised by the strength that she had. Put him in the bathroom for her to walk from one side to the other, without restrictions, "explained the dog Walker.

Jamie monitored the animal's health every day, and this was one of the reasons why led Nimbus home. Is that Nimbus belongs to the species of leopards-nebulous, who live mostly the Himalayas, Southeast Asia and China and which are considered vulnerable by the IUCN-International Union for conservation of nature.

Nimbus spent six weeks in Jamie's House, until it was returned to its habitat (artificial). A success story.

. fancybox-wrap {position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; z-index: 8020; }. fancybox-skin {position: relative; /* margin-top: 20px! important; */backgroun d: #222222; color: #74b32e; text-shadow: none; -webkit-border-radius: 2px; -moz-border-radius: 2px; border-radius: 2px; }. fancybox-opened {z-index: 8030;} . fancybox-opened. fancybox-skin {-webkit-box-shadow: 0 10px 25px rgba (0, 0, 0, 0.5); -moz-box-shadow: 0 10px 25px rgba (0, 0, 0, 0.5); box-shadow: 0 10px 25px rgba (0, 0, 0, 0.5); }. fancybox-outer,. fancybox-inner {position: relative;} . fancybox-inner {overflow: hidden;} . fancybox-type-iframe. fancybox-inner {-webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch;} . fancybox-close {backgroun d: url('wp-content/themes/codistage/styles/fancybox/exit.png') no-repeat; width: 25px; height: 25px; float: right; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 5px; }/*. ng-gallery-image img {width: 565px; height: 393px;}*/Há leopardos com sorte! 1 of 20 jQuery (document). ready (function ($) {var thumbContainerWidth = 0, thumbs = Array (), selectedIndex = 1, thumbIndex = 1, imageOffset = 7; $ ('. ng-gallery-thumbnail-box '). each (function () {thumbs.push($(this)); }); /* thumbnail navigation */$ ('. ng-greensavers-thumb-next '). unbind (). bind (' click ', function (e) {e.preventDefault(); if (thumbIndex < == (thumbs.length-imageOffset)) {$ ('. ng-thumbnails-container '). stop (). animate ({left:-$ (thumbs [thumbIndex]). position (). left}); thumbIndex + +; } }); $ ('. ng-greensavers-thumb-prev '). unbind (). bind (' click ', function (e) {e.preventDefault(); if (thumbIndex > 1) {$ ('. ng-thumbnails-container '). stop (). animate ({left: $ ('. ng-thumbnails-container '). position (). left + ($ (thumbs [thumbIndex-1]). position (). left-$ (thumbs [thumbIndex-2]). position (). left)}); thumbIndex--; } }); $ (window). load (function () {/* set thumbnail container width */$ ('. ng-gallery-thumbnail '). each (function () {thumbContainerWidth = thumbContainerWidth + $ (this). width () + 10; }); $ ('. ng-thumbnails-container '). width (thumbContainerWidth); }); });

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USA: how the FBI will handle cases of animal cruelty

Last month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States changed its policy in relation to abuse animals, and include them in the list of separate offenses in the National System of reporting of Incidents, following the recommendations of the Office of animal welfare and the National Association of Sheriffes.

So far, the FBI classified the animal abuse as "other" in the categories of your databases, this category where the offenses were less relevant. Such categorization made the work of organizations of animal rights and defense agencies that oversee law enforcement to monitor and combat the mistreatment of animals across the country.

However, with the new crime classification will be included in the group are other crimes like murders, rapes and robberies. "It will be a group A offence and a Crime Bill to society," reads a statement from the FBI that the Dodo had access. "Criminal activity and group information will be expanded to include four types of abuse," reads the statement. The four categories of abuse will be simple negligence, intentional abuse and torture, abuse and sexual abuse.

The FBI clarifies the concept of cruelty as "intentional execution, knowingly or recklessly actions that hurt or kill any animal without just cause, such as torture, mutilation, harass, poisoning or neglect".

Still in the examples of abuse include the denial of food, water, shelter or veterinary care when needed, or the imprisonment of an animal in a manner that causes injury, death, excessive or repeated pain and suffering.

The new classification given by the FBI abuses against animals has two immediate effects, as indicates the political director of abuse against animals the humane society of America. "First, the fact that the FBI classify animal cruelty crimes so serious enough to be monitored broadcasts a message to all law enforcement agencies that the problem is serious and should be taken very seriously," says John Goodwin. The second result is real-time monitoring of animal abuse in all 50 u.s. States, which will be compiled in monthly reports by the local authorities. The reports will start to be made in 2016.

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