1 Billion Hungry Mobilizes (Q&A)

by NourishingthePlanet

Q&A with Sharon Lee Cowan, Project Manager of “The 1 Billion Hungry Project”, a worldwide petition project launched by the FAO and partner organizations dedicated to pushing chronic hunger as a priority on national and international political agendas.

What is the goal number of signatures?
Our initial goal was to collect one million signatures on the petition to end hunger, and to present these results to national leaders in late October.  We felt that a million was significant to get people’s attention, to be an indicator that there IS popular demand for an end to hunger and also achievable in a short period of time between mid-May and late October. For logistical reasons the date for presentation to governments was later shifted to 29 November, so we will likely end up overshooting the original goal.  We are already at well over 900,000 signatures.

http://blogs.worldwatch.org/...

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eKos: C02 Caused Climate Change Will Be Irreversible

by FishOutofWater

Climate change caused by anthropogenic CO2 emissions persists for over a thousand years and even short lived gases such as methane have long-term effects once they warm the deep ocean.

Carbon dioxide displays exceptional persistence that renders its warming nearly irreversible for more than 1,000 years..(edit).. dampening factors that slow temperature increase during periods of increasing concentration also slow the loss of energy from the Earth’s climate system if radiative forcing is reduced.

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Making Water Clean with Dirt (New 2 Minute Episode of Nourishing the Planet TV)

by NourishingthePlanet

In this week’s episode, Nourishing the Planet research intern, Elena Davert, introduces a counter-intuitive method of cleaning water. In 2004 Peter Njodzeka founded the Life and Water Development Group Cameroon (LWDGC) with a rather simple goal. “ I wanted to see the people in my area have clean water,” he said. “And we kept expanding. That’s how it started.” Now, LWDGC, with support from Engineers without Borders (EWB) and Thirst Relief International, is teaching households how to use dirt and bacteria to clean their water, greatly improving the quality of drinking water and all but eliminating diseases caused by contaminated water.

Here is the link: http://bit.ly/...

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What plant is a "supermarket on a trunk"?

by NourishingthePlanet

Moringa: The Giving Tree

Referred to as a “supermarket on a trunk,” moringa is potentially one of the planet’s most valuable plants. Serving not only as a reliable source of diverse foods, moringa also provides lamp oil, wood, paper, liquid fuel, skin treatments, and the means to help purify water.  But despite its multiple uses, and well-earned nickname, the tree is relatively unknown to most people in the United States.

Referred to as a “supermarket on a trunk,” moringa is potentially one of the planet’s most valuable plants.

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boatsie's butterfly revival machine earthship

by eKos

Welcome to the eKos Earthship, your one-stop-shop for green diaries and series.

Beneath the fold you will find news and notes, community announcements, and our eco-diary roundup.

Peruse the eKos Library to find previously listed diaries. You can also follow eKos on Twitter.

Tonight's editor: boatsie

All views expressed by today's editor do not necessarily represent those of eKos or eKos listed diarists.

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NtP TV: Funding a Blue Revolution

by NourishingthePlanet

Crossposted from the Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet.

In this regular video series, we bring you images, interviews and more in-depth information about different agricultural innovations. Get to know the NtP team and the innovations we are highlighting regularly, and stay tuned for more NtP TV in the coming weeks!

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NtP TV: Acting it Out for Advocacy

by NourishingthePlanet

Nourishing the Planet is excited to introduce a whole new way to experience innovative projects and practices that are helping to alleviating hunger and poverty around the world. A new weekly video series, NtP TV brings you images, interviews and more in-depth information about different agricultural innovation. Get to know the NtP team and the innovations we are highlighting regularly, and stay tuned for more NtP TV in the coming weeks!

In this week's episode, Nourishing the Planet Research Fellow, Molly Theobald, highlights Food and Natural Resource Policy Analysis Network's (FANRPAN) Theatre for Policy Advocacy project to explain how the organization is using theater to help improve the livelihoods of rural farmers -- especially women.

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Okavango Wildlife - A Photo Diary

by Haole in Hawaii

Another one of these diaries meant to provide a brief respite from.. well you know.  These photos were taken in the Okavango and Linyanti regions of northwest Botswana.

Savuti Sunset

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gimme gimme gimme more; the great land grab earthship

by eKos

Welcome to the eKos Earthship, your one-stop-shop for green diaries and series.

Beneath the fold you will find news and notes, community announcements, and our eco-diary roundup.

Peruse the eKos Library to find previously listed diaries. You can also follow eKos on Twitter.

Please remember to rec the BP Catastrophe Liveblog Mothership: 97

Today's gimme gimme more gimme more gimme more great African land grab earthship soley represents the views of today's editor, Boatsie, and not necessarily those of eKos.

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African Wildlife and More - A Photo Diary

by Haole in Hawaii

This is another one of these diaries.  You probably know the drill by now.  No meta or conflict, just some photos of wildlife and some beautiful things.  I have to say that I am in a serious post vacation funk abetted by tons of ugly news and a country that seems to have gone utterly insane. I doubt I am alone in my anger and disgust.  I hope this helps in some small way.

The Mokuluas, Oahu

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Big Kittehs & Wild Woozles - A Photo Diary

by Haole in Hawaii

This is another photo diary of images that I was fortunate enough to capture during a recent trip to the Okavango and Linyanti wilderness of northwest Botswana.

Sundowner

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Wildlife of the Okavango - A Photo Diary

by Haole in Hawaii

I recently returned from a photo safari to the Okavango and Linyanti wilderness of northwest Botswana. These photos are a result of that amazing trip.  I offer this diary as a brief respite from the struggles of the day and a reminder that, holy sh*t, it's a leopard! There is still some wilderness left on earth. Not much and it is threatened, but there is a little. A big chunk of it is in Botswana.

Burchell's zebra (Equus burchellii)

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Really Big Pooties - A Botswana Photo Diary

by Haole in Hawaii

I recently returned from my second once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Okavango and Linyanti wilderness of northwest Botswana. This dairy includes the some of the photographic results of that trip. I offer it as a brief respite from the insanity of the day, whatever that may mean to you, and as a reminder that we share this planet with some amazing creatures.

The Okavango

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Beautiful Birds of Botswana - A Photo Diary

by Haole in Hawaii

Aloha! I am back in the islands after my second once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Okavango and Linyanti wilderness of northwest Botswana. I have to say that re-entry into my work life and also into the blazing insanity that is American politics after two weeks of wildlife photography is jarring to say the least. This diary as all my diaries here is meant primarily as a respite from the craziness and as a reminder that we share this fragile planet with some incredible creatures.  

For my first Botswana diary I am sticking primarily to some of the beautiful birds of the Okavango Delta.

Dawn

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Bridging the Urban/Rural Divide: An Interview with Gary Paul Nabhan

by NourishingthePlanet

In February 2010, writer Fred Bahnson interviewed Gary Paul Nabhan, a lecturer, food and farming advocate, folklorist, and conservationist who lives and farms in the U.S. Southwest. Nabhan discusses climate change, the links between scale and sustainability in food production, and the need to bridge the urban/rural divide in agriculture. Original published on the Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet

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A Discussion with Cary Fowler about Crop Diversity

by BorderJumpers

In this regular series we profile advisors of the Nourishing the Planet project. This week, we feature Cary Fowler,  Executive Director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust.

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Methane Cycle: Gas Production and Gas Release

by gmoke

Methane (CH4) is a much more effective greenhouse gas than CO2.  Methane is also fuel, natural gas.  Methane can be made from animal and human dung as well as other kinds of waste.
In Nepal, it is known as Gobar Gas:

“Gobar” is the Nepali word for cow dung. The “Gas” refers to biogas derived from the natural decay of dung, other waste products, and any biomass. In Nepal, villagers use buffalo, cow, human, and other waste products for biogas production. Pig and chicken dung are used in some places, as are raw kitchen wastes, including rotted vegetation....

The Nepalese government built nearly 200 small biogas plants in 1975/6, but decentralized methane digestion truly took off in 1992 when the Dutch group, SNV, launched a large program, including subsidy mechanisms and microfinance schemes, which led to the installation of approximately 204,000 units to date.
Michael Yon wonders if this could also work in Afghanistan.


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