Green Options » Levi Novey http://greenoptions.com/author/levinovey/ Post archive of Levi Novey Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:14:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en http://greenoptions.com/author/levinovey/ http://greenoptions.com/wp-content/avatars/1553.jpg Green Options » Levi Novey Giraffe in Israel Sets World Record with 11th Baby http://ecoworldly.com/2009/07/17/giraffe-in-israel-sets-world-record-with-11th-baby/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/07/17/giraffe-in-israel-sets-world-record-with-11th-baby/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:14:18 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/07/17/giraffe-in-israel-sets-world-record-with-11th-baby/ A Giraffe

Here’s some lighthearted news to bring a smile to your face. A nearly 20 year old giraffe at the zoo known as Israeli Safari has given birth to her 11th baby, setting a world record. She is formally known as Denissa, but more humorously known as “super-mum.”

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/07/17/giraffe-in-israel-sets-world-record-with-11th-baby/feed/ National Park Service Creates DNA Vault for Endangered Species http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/13/national-park-service-creates-dna-vault-for-endangered-species/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/13/national-park-service-creates-dna-vault-for-endangered-species/#comments Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:23:18 +0000 Levi Novey http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/13/national-park-service-creates-dna-vault-for-endangered-species/ The U.S. National Park Service has partnered with the American Museum of Natural History to cryogenically freeze tissues from endangered species that live within U.S. national parks– eventually the new research collection will contain an estimated 1 million samples.

The Endangered Channel Islands Fox

The effort will facilitate research that could help protect these endangered species from going extinct– or at least leave a record of their genetic makeup behind. The first specimens to enter the collection will be blood samples from California’s endangered Channel Island fox. They will be followed by genetic material from the American crocodile and the Hawaiian goose.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/13/national-park-service-creates-dna-vault-for-endangered-species/feed/ Help Your Favorite Local Farmers Market Win $5000 http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/02/help-your-favorite-local-farmers-market-win-5000/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/02/help-your-favorite-local-farmers-market-win-5000/#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:07:52 +0000 Levi Novey http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/02/help-your-favorite-local-farmers-market-win-5000/ It’s an experience many of us relish– taking a weekend stroll through the colors, sounds, and smells of a local farmers market and then choosing fresh items to take back to our homes, as well crafts, or maybe a cd from a local band. We know that the food will eventually fill our stomachs contently, or that another item we found will be a perfect and unique gift for a special friend or family member.

A Farmers Market in Jackson, Missisippi

This summer you can show your support for your favorite farmers market, by helping it win a $5000 reward. Care2.com and Localharvest.org are sponsoring this great online contest. The $5000 top prize will be awarded to the farmer’s market that is voted the most popular by internet users like you.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/02/help-your-favorite-local-farmers-market-win-5000/feed/ Endangered Bird Nests in Spain for 2nd Time in 500 Years http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/29/endangered-bird-nests-in-spain-for-2nd-time-in-500-years/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/29/endangered-bird-nests-in-spain-for-2nd-time-in-500-years/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 08:58:38 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/29/endangered-bird-nests-in-spain-for-2nd-time-in-500-years/ Last year one of the most critically endangered birds in the world, the Northern Bald Ibis, nested in Spain for the 1st time in 500 years. Terrific news has now arrived that a pair is nesting again in the same location this year.

Northern Bald Ibis

The current worldwide population of wild Northern Bald Ibises is thought to be around 510 in total, with around 500 of these individuals living in Morocco. In the last century the population of Northern Bald Ibises has declined by approximately 98% because of hunting, habitat loss, and pesticides. Its once great range is now small.

What’s most encouraging about the ibises in Spain’s Natural Park of Brena is that they were born in captivity, and are the first pair to successfully nest in the wild– an indication that captive breeding programs might work for this species. An estimated 1,000 ibises are currently living in captivity.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/29/endangered-bird-nests-in-spain-for-2nd-time-in-500-years/feed/ A Fun & New Water Fountain Park Beautifies Lima, Peru http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/26/a-fun-new-water-fountain-park-beautifies-lima-peru/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/26/a-fun-new-water-fountain-park-beautifies-lima-peru/#comments Tue, 26 May 2009 08:49:37 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/26/a-fun-new-water-fountain-park-beautifies-lima-peru/ It’s rare that a city sets out to create a new tourist attraction and is able to do so with terrific success– but Lima, Peru has done it.

The Magical Fountain

The Magical Fountain amazes visitors with its rapid changes and height.

While Lima is generally trashed by Peru guidebooks as the place everyone must dreadfully pass through on their way to other destinations like Machu Picchu, in the past few years great strides have been made to improve the city’s offerings, such as “The Magic Circuit of Water” in Lima’s Parque de la Reserva.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/26/a-fun-new-water-fountain-park-beautifies-lima-peru/feed/ Will Chile Give Land-Locked Bolivia Ocean Access Via Tunnel? I Hope Not http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/22/will-chile-give-land-locked-bolivia-ocean-access-via-tunnel-i-hope-not/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/22/will-chile-give-land-locked-bolivia-ocean-access-via-tunnel-i-hope-not/#comments Fri, 22 May 2009 08:48:25 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/22/will-chile-give-land-locked-bolivia-ocean-access-via-tunnel-i-hope-not/ Technological innovations can solve some of the world’s biggest problems right? That’s what a firm of Chilean architects would like us to believe. They’ve come up with a creative idea for how land-locked Bolivia could regain access to the ocean. It was not too long ago, in 1883 to be exact, that Bolivia lost the little coastline it had in a war with Chile. Since it’s only be gone for a short time, now’s the perfect time to get it back!

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/22/will-chile-give-land-locked-bolivia-ocean-access-via-tunnel-i-hope-not/feed/ Bullfighting Soon to be Banned in Spain? http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/05/20/bullfighting-soon-to-be-banned-in-spain/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/05/20/bullfighting-soon-to-be-banned-in-spain/#comments Wed, 20 May 2009 09:02:34 +0000 Levi Novey http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/05/20/bullfighting-soon-to-be-banned-in-spain/ The romantic imagery painted of Spanish bullfighting in Ernest Hemingway’s famous book The Sun Also Rises might soon be the stuff of history. Spain is edging ever closer to banning the sport.

A bullfight in Spain

Thanks to a petition with 180,000 signatures, the regional government of Spain’s northeastern Catalonia area will soon debate banning the sport tied so closely to Spain’s image. Recent polling indicates that less than 30% of Spanish citizens like bullfighting, reflecting an overall trend that animals should be treated more humanely.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/05/20/bullfighting-soon-to-be-banned-in-spain/feed/ Online Travel Journal Contest- $1000 Voucher to Winner http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/19/online-travel-journal-contest-1000-voucher-to-winner/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/19/online-travel-journal-contest-1000-voucher-to-winner/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 15:09:21 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/19/online-travel-journal-contest-1000-voucher-to-winner/ Our friends at the new site MapVivo.com are having a travel writing contest. To enter, you simply need to write a short travel journal for the site, upload some photos, and make your trip sound exciting. That’s it!

A Visitor at the Great Sphinx

Among all entries received by June 15th, judges will select the winners from the 10 journals voted most popular by MapVivo users. The grand prize is a $1000 travel voucher to a destination of the winner’s choice. 5 runners up will receive free Bradt Travel guides to the destinations of their choice.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/19/online-travel-journal-contest-1000-voucher-to-winner/feed/ Argentina to Build Most Powerful Solar Energy Park in Latin America http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/18/argentina-to-build-most-powerful-solar-energy-park-in-latin-america/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/18/argentina-to-build-most-powerful-solar-energy-park-in-latin-america/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 17:20:32 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/18/argentina-to-build-most-powerful-solar-energy-park-in-latin-america/ In the western Argentinian province of San Juan, the provincial government has authorized the development of what will be the most powerful solar energy park in Latin America to date. The park is hoped to be operational by the summer of 2010.

A Buenos Aires landmark, the solar powered Floralis Generica.

A bidding process will begin in June of this year, and Brazilian, German, and Spanish companies are expected to invest in the project, which has an estimated price tag of $120 million dollars. The provinicial government of San Juan has already agreed to invest between $15 and $20 million.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/18/argentina-to-build-most-powerful-solar-energy-park-in-latin-america/feed/ Largest Space Telescope Ever Launched Will Study Big Bang Theory http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/15/largest-space-telescope-ever-launched-will-study-big-bang-theory/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/15/largest-space-telescope-ever-launched-will-study-big-bang-theory/#comments Fri, 15 May 2009 10:02:41 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/15/largest-space-telescope-ever-launched-will-study-big-bang-theory/ Move over Hubble Telescope, the European Space Agency has launched the largest telescope ever sent to space on a mission to study how the Big Bang created the universe. This comes right on the heels of another related and exciting scientific breakthrough: for the first time ever, scientists have successfully showed us how the earliest building blocks for life on the planet probably formed from scratch. Are we on the brink of a more complete understanding of our planet’s evolution?

The Launch of the Herschel Telescope

Details you say? Here they are. The European Space Agency’s plan to study the Big Bang comes at a cost of $952 million. Yesterday a rocket launched from the South American country of French Guiana sent the telescope as well as a spacecraft above our atmosphere, and they both could very well soon be household names.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/15/largest-space-telescope-ever-launched-will-study-big-bang-theory/feed/ Georgia Using Stimulus Bill Funds for Lamest Renewable Energy Grants Ever http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/05/13/georgia-using-stimulus-bill-funds-for-lamest-renewable-energy-grants-ever/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/05/13/georgia-using-stimulus-bill-funds-for-lamest-renewable-energy-grants-ever/#comments Wed, 13 May 2009 20:27:26 +0000 Levi Novey http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/05/13/georgia-using-stimulus-bill-funds-for-lamest-renewable-energy-grants-ever/

Falling into the category of “I guess it’s better than nothing,” the state of Georgia has passed a bill that will use economic stimulus funds to provide retroactive grants to organizations that have already installed clean energy projects.

Why is this so lame? Thanks to the Georgia State Government, it’s just more of the same Republican policies that don’t work and aren’t an appropriate use of stimulative funds.

So say you live in Athens, Georgia and want to put some solar panels on your house. Can you apply for a grant to buy the panels and get professional help installing them? “Hell no! Put up those damn solar panels yourself, buddy, and then we’ll talk about reimbursing you. Oh yeah, and you need to own a business by the way. Once you start a company and install some solar panels– get back to us.”

>>Read the latest about discounts on solar power in Phoenix at 1bog.org

How is such a grant stimulative? It only puts money back into the pockets of companies who could afford it earlier or made the effort to install clean energy systems in the first place. Who’s to say they would use the money to develop more clean energy capacity?

Maybe I’m wrong, but I think this is one of the lamest renewable energy grants ever. It rewards those companies that didn’t need a helping hand in the first place. If anything, why couldn’t the grants both reward retroactive and future projects? And why can’t they also be distributed to actual citizens rather than just companies?

Way to go Georgia! Economy stimulated!

Photo Credit: Sea of Legs on Flickr under a Creative Commons license

]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/05/13/georgia-using-stimulus-bill-funds-for-lamest-renewable-energy-grants-ever/feed/ Japan Loans Peru $120 Million to Conserve Amazon Rainforest http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/12/japan-loans-peru-120-million-to-conserve-amazon-rainforest/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/12/japan-loans-peru-120-million-to-conserve-amazon-rainforest/#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 10:15:36 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/12/japan-loans-peru-120-million-to-conserve-amazon-rainforest/ Japan has agreed to supply Peru with a $120 million loan to help protect approximately 136 million acres of the Amazon Rainforest from deforestation.

The loan will have an annual interest rate of 0.1% and won’t need to be repaid for 40 years. It is part of a plan to help Peru reach a rate of zero deforestation in the next 10 years. Peru’s Minister of the Environment says that the amount of forest that will be protected help store 20 million tons of carbon dioxide each year, aiding in efforts to combat global climate change.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/12/japan-loans-peru-120-million-to-conserve-amazon-rainforest/feed/ Jaguar Swims Panama Canal, Then Takes Own Picture http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/11/jaguar-swims-panama-canal-then-takes-own-picture/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/11/jaguar-swims-panama-canal-then-takes-own-picture/#comments Mon, 11 May 2009 10:05:34 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/11/jaguar-swims-panama-canal-then-takes-own-picture/ A jaguar recently swam onto an island located in the Panama Canal. It then triggered a hidden camera that took its picture. This is the first time a jaguar has been photographed in the 86 year history of 3,707 acre Barro Colorado Island– one of the most well-researched tropical ecosystems in the world.

The hidden camera had been set up as part of an annual effort to inventory mammals that live on Barro Colorado Island. According to the researchers who set up the cameras, the finding is exciting given that jaguars are already considered rare throughout the entire country of Panama (see photo below).

So just how far did the jaguar have to swim?

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/11/jaguar-swims-panama-canal-then-takes-own-picture/feed/ Nosy Dog Helps Save World’s Rarest Sea Turtle Species http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/05/nosy-dog-helps-save-worlds-rarest-sea-turtle-species/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/05/nosy-dog-helps-save-worlds-rarest-sea-turtle-species/#comments Tue, 05 May 2009 11:02:57 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/05/nosy-dog-helps-save-worlds-rarest-sea-turtle-species/ Among Cairn terriers, the best-known celebrity is “Toto” from the Wizard of Oz. Now she might have some competition, as a Cairn terrier named Ridley is gaining fame for helping to save his namesake, the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle.

Ridley helps find the nests of the sea turtles in Texas along Padre Island National Seashore– the longest barrier island in the world. It’s necessary to find the nests quickly so that they can be protected from coyotes or raccoons, or even the high tide. Sometimes human volunteers can’t find the nests after following turtle tracks, so it’s Ridley and his nose to the rescue!

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/05/nosy-dog-helps-save-worlds-rarest-sea-turtle-species/feed/ Giant Sea Turtle Gives World 1st Complete Set of Migration Data http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/01/giant-sea-turtle-gives-world-1st-complete-set-of-migration-data/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/01/giant-sea-turtle-gives-world-1st-complete-set-of-migration-data/#comments Fri, 01 May 2009 11:13:44 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/01/giant-sea-turtle-gives-world-1st-complete-set-of-migration-data/ Over the past 2 weeks a number of organizations including National Geographic, Conservation International, and several famous rock bands helped facilitate the “Great Turtle Race”: a fun effort to scientifically track the migration of 11 endangered leatherback sea turtles on their journey from Canada to the Caribbean. In addition to building awareness of the need for turtle conservation, one of the turtles provided the world with the 1st complete set of migration data ever recorded for a sea turtle.

Seen above, the sea turtle known as Wawa Bear traveled 4471 miles and had her entire route tracked successfully. At 1315 pounds, it should not be hard to imagine where the name “bear” comes from. Wawa Bear is, in fact, the largest sea turtle ever captured in Nova Scotian waters.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/05/01/giant-sea-turtle-gives-world-1st-complete-set-of-migration-data/feed/ Peru Uses New “Super Tree” Technology to Fight Air Pollution http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/29/peru-uses-new-super-tree-technology-to-fight-air-pollution/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/29/peru-uses-new-super-tree-technology-to-fight-air-pollution/#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:27:33 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/29/peru-uses-new-super-tree-technology-to-fight-air-pollution/ A device invented by Peruvians known as the “Super Tree” has recently made its debut in Lima, a city plagued with extreme air pollution. The Super Tree acts like 1200 real trees, purifying the air for approximately 20,000 people a day, at the cost of only about $6.

The super tree (super arbol) air purifier

The company Tierra Nuestra (Our Earth) is behind the Super Tree, and hopes to begin exporting the technology. The company’s goal is to promote conservation through the development of new technologies and renewable energy.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/29/peru-uses-new-super-tree-technology-to-fight-air-pollution/feed/ Swine Flu in Mexico Linked to Poorly Managed Factory Farms http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/27/swine-flu-in-mexico-linked-to-poorly-managed-factory-farms/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/27/swine-flu-in-mexico-linked-to-poorly-managed-factory-farms/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:43:54 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/27/swine-flu-in-mexico-linked-to-poorly-managed-factory-farms/ Investigations now reveal that the swine flu epidemic that began in Mexico and spread worldwide is probably connected to pollution caused by unsanitary pig breeding farms in the region.

Various news outlets are covering the story, and here are some excerpts from articles where you can find more information about this breaking news:

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/27/swine-flu-in-mexico-linked-to-poorly-managed-factory-farms/feed/ Spain, Renewable Energy Titan, Approves Offshore Wind Power http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/24/spain-renewable-energy-titan-approves-offshore-wind-power/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/24/spain-renewable-energy-titan-approves-offshore-wind-power/#comments Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:17:16 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/24/spain-renewable-energy-titan-approves-offshore-wind-power/ Spain hopes to bolster energy production with offshore wind powerEarlier this week Spain’s government approved a map of offshore areas to lease for wind energy development. This move will help Spain to further cement its status as an alternative energy giant.

Spain is already the world’s #3 wind power producer (it trails the U.S. and Germany) and is also the world’s #2 producer of solar power (only behind Germany). Until now, Spain has not used its extensive coastline to develop wind power in a significant way.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/24/spain-renewable-energy-titan-approves-offshore-wind-power/feed/ South Korea Planning to Kill Whales http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/23/south-korea-planning-to-kill-whales/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/23/south-korea-planning-to-kill-whales/#comments Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:10:39 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/23/south-korea-planning-to-kill-whales/ South Korea is planning to permit whaling again off of the country’s shores if Japan’s request to “formally” whale is granted at this year’s meeting of the International Whaling Commission.

Japan has been whaling illegally for several years, despite the International Whaling Commission’s global ban on whaling since 1986. While South Korea has more or less adhered to the whaling ban, they now would like to do it again.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/23/south-korea-planning-to-kill-whales/feed/ Rumors That Disney Will Build New Park in Peru Spark Debate http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/21/rumors-that-disney-will-build-new-park-in-peru-spark-debate/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/21/rumors-that-disney-will-build-new-park-in-peru-spark-debate/#comments Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:25:29 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/21/rumors-that-disney-will-build-new-park-in-peru-spark-debate/ Earlier this month, one of Peru’s major newspapers reported that Disney might open a park about an hour south of Lima on Peru’s coast. Would a Disney theme park be good or bad for Peru?

Rumors of a New Disney Theme Park in Peru Have Sparked Debate

That’s the question that is now on many peoples’ minds. Comment threads on popular Peruvian and expatriate websites show a diversity of opinions. Some people think a Disney theme park would be great for providing jobs in a country that needs them, while others think it would amount to exploitation.

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