ISSN 1847-6694
NEKTARINA (S)PACE
May 2013
The Awakenings Of Diversities In this issue: Connect Through Art, Western Caucasus, The Armenia Tree Project, Cultural Diversity, Sustainable Agriculture and more
Water is essential for life. No living being on planet Earth can survive without it. It is a prerequisite for human health and well-being as well as for the preservation of the environment. The theme Water and Biodiversity was chosen to coincide with the United Nations designation of 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation. Water and Biodiversity is the theme for International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) in 2013. Designation of IDB 2013 on the theme of water provides Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the public at large the opportunity to raise awareness about this vital issue, and to increase positive action. Read the notification. Coincidently, the period 2005-2015 is the International Decade for Action 'WATER FOR LIFE'.
To learn more, please visit: https://www.cbd.int/idb/ | To download The Youth Guide to Biodiversity, please visit this link: http://www.fao.org/ docrep/017/i3157e/i3157e00.htm
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To download last year’s booklet One
Ocean Many Worlds of Life, please visit: https://www.cbd.int/idb/doc/2012/ booklet/idb-2012-booklet-en.pdf | To download a Good Practice Guide, please visit: https://www.cbd.int/idb/2013/booklet/default.shtml 2
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Nektarina (S)pace NEKTARINA (S)PACE IS A WEBMAGAZINE PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY NEKTARINA NON PROFIT, A NON PROFIT, NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION. WWW.NEKTARINANONPROFIT.COM ISSN 1847-6691 6
May Diversities NEKTARINA (S)PACE IS A WEBMAGAZINE PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY NEKTARINA NON PROFIT, A NON PROFIT, NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION. WWW.NEKTARINANONPROFIT.COM ISSN 1847-6691 7
Music of the month: Heather Normandale Trembling Water 8
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Nektarina (S)pace, Web Magazine Year 2, Issue # 9, May 2013 Published by Nektarina Non Profit ISSN 1847 - 6694 Under Creative Commons License
Working together towards a sustainable future. www.nektarinanonprofit.com Nektarina Non Profit is a non governmental, non profit organization, and most of our projects are based on volunteer work. Our articles are a compilation of data (where we always provide the source) or articles / opinion pieces (in which case there is a by-line). We come from different backgrounds, and English is not the first language for any of us, so there might be an occasional flop :). If you are using any of our content, it would be great if you could link it back to us, and if you are using other people’s content (that you found in this magazine) please make sure to copy the source links we provided. Thank you! 10
In this issue: From Our Desk; The Woman of Substance: Jill McIntyre Witt - Standing up for the environment; Our Blockbuster: Do the Math, 350.org; Cultural Diversity and Social Networking; Interview: Anam Gill - Perspectives; Connect Through Art; Liveable Cities: Bruges, Belgium; Amanda Jane Saurin: Making Skincare Loveliness; A Cornish Morning: Photo Essay; Sustainable Agriculture; The Bookshelf: Deep Economy by Bill McKibben; World Nature Heritage Site: The Western Caucasus; Education for Sustainability - Positive Examples: The Armenia Tree Project; Travel & Postcards: Malta Through My Lens; Delish! - Recipe of the Month: Vegetable Panzanella; Chile, South America: Embracing Nature and more 11
Brought to you by: Publisher: Nektarina Non Profit Creative Director & Editor-In-Chief: Sandra Antonovic Lead Researcher & Contributing Editor: Livia Minca Content Contributor: Yula Pannadopoulos Journalist: Alyosha Melnychenko; Photography: Sandra Antonovic
www.nektarinanonprofit.com www.education4sustainability.org www.facebook.com/nektarinanonprofit www.facebook.com/Edu4Sustainability www.twitter.com/nektarina www.twitter.com/edu4sustain Google + 12
Contributors for the May Issue: Valerie Bell, Marc Brodine and David Goldman | Contributing photographers: Snezana Antonovic (Malta photos); Hugo Alberto Hidalgo Antonovich (Chile photos); Philip Anton Strong (Cornish morning photos); Vedran Cuncic (back cover) A very special “thank you� to amazing and inspiring: Jill MacIntyre Witt, Anam Gill and Amanda Jane Saurin for sharing their thoughts and photographs with us Cover page photograph: Lago di Como, Italy, Copyright Sandra Antonovic Further Notes & Acknowledgments - Please refer to pages 214/215 Contributors: This could be you! If interested, email us to space@nektarinanonprofit.com
This issue has been done in A4 format, and it is printable. However, we urge to consider your environmental responsibility before printing. Choose reading it online, or download it for free to your device and read it offline. Nektarina (S)pace is a volunteer project.
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From our desk: By Yula Pannadopoulos I am not quite sure how to start this “From our desk”, as we are still trying to comprehend that we’ve had over a half a million views for our April issue. THANK YOU! We love it that you love it, and we’ll do our best to keep bringing you interesting content, thought provoking interviews and beautiful photography. May is the month when we celebrate the International day of biological diversity. May is also the month when we celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. For our May issue we spoke with three fantastic, positive and inspiring women: Jill MacIntyre Witt, and environmental activist from the United States, Anam Gill, a young journalist from Pakistan and Amanda Jane Saurin, alembic distiller and producer of handmade natural skincare, from England. We are hoping that these three interviews will inspire you and maybe help you find your own niche-world, your own bit of heaven. 14
On Earth Day eve we saw Do the Math, a brilliantly done documentary from 350.org, and since we find Bill McKibben to be endlessly inspiring, we also read his book Deep Economy. We’ll also talk about sustainable agriculture, the Western Caucasus (the World Nature Heritage Site), fundraising, the Armenia Tree Project, and we have some truly beautiful photos from Malta, Cornwall and Chile. Flip through, there is so much more inside! Our next issue is due on June 2nd, until then do enjoy (and share!) this one. :)
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The Woman Of Substance : Jill MacIntyre Witt Interviewed by Sandra Antonovic Photos copyrights Jill MacIntyre Witt Photos on pages 24, 31 and 38/39 copyrights Paul K Anderson 18
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I met Jill in the summer of 2010 and I instantly fell in love with her enthusiasm and positive energy. Dang!, I thought, what a woman! During the next years, to this day, Jill has remained an endless inspiration to me and my work. Her determination made me more determined, her smiles made me smile more often, her perseverance made me more resilient. This interview is long overdue - I’ve been gathering courage to ask Jill for an interview for the past eight issues, not because I was worried that she might say no, but because I knew she is always busy, working on the frontlines, organizing, rallying, being a mom and a wife. Being a friend.
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Nektarina (S)pace: You are a fantastic advocate for the environmental cause. More often than not it seems that one needs to keep "proving" (to climate sceptics) there actually is climate change happening right now (and it's man-made) rather than using that time to do something about it. what's your view on that? Jill MacIntyre Witt: Well, what I learned last summer at the Climate Reality Project Leadership Corps training was that the US is really the only country that still had to deal with climate denialism. There is a segment of the training that dealt with addressing the skeptics and those from the 57 other countries present remarked that they didn’t need that part of the slide show and were ready to focus on the solutions back home. I found that good to know from a global standpoint, yet knew there was some work to do here in the US on that front still. It’s more of, not so much having to convince people that it’s real, but more empower people to have the conversations with their neighbors, family, friends and co-workers that it’s real and that we need to do something about it now.
Nektarina (S)pace: You live rather close to Canada. Canada seems to be in the spotlight quite often, for their environmental policy (or lack of one, should I say). We read about their unwillingness to accept scientific research, unwillingness to accept the facts. What has "gone wrong" with Canada? Jill MacIntyre Witt: Well, it always surprises me when Canada wins those wonky awards at the COP conferences, but knowing what they are doing to push development of the tar sands, it is no surprise. Being that I’m not 21
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the Mayor of Seattle, Michael McGinn, Jill MacIntyre Witt and Bill McKibben
Canadian, it wouldn’t be fair to answer this question, because I really don’t know, even though I live 20 minutes from the border. What I do know is that their Idle No More campaign has turned into a contagious movement that has helped further ignite the First Nations people in the US as well as others across the globe. It has also opened the door for more dialog and collaboration with activists among the First Nations people in general on other issues. In our community we have the Lummi Nation right next to Bellingham and the site of North America’s largest proposed coal export terminal and they have been taking a leading stance opposing the terminal, which has been helpful in our community. A more collaboration effort to oppose this project has grown and just this last week, the Mayor of Seattle joined forces with several Indigenous communities to form a 24
leadership coalition in opposition which will continue to grow across the region with both Indigenous community leaders as well as other city officials. It is going to take all of us to get on board. The First Nations people in Canada have done a brilliant job in stopping Tar Sands export to Asia, from British Columbia as well as the East coast of Canada, thus they are working hard to bring the dirty oil south through America. We have a lot to learn how to fight and win this battle, and the First Nations of Canada have been great teachers for us here.
James Hansen, our leading NASA scientist said that if KXL pipeline is built, it is essentially game over for the planet. Nektarina (S)pace: Could you share your thoughts on tar sands and the infamous pipeline? Jill MacIntyre Witt: Well, as I mentioned above it has been quite a fight. 2 things: Number 1 is that Obama has this incredible opportunity to land on the right side of history on this one. He has listened to the people so far by delaying decision making when 1,253 people got arrested in front of the White House back in August of 2011, and so the fact that the pipeline has been delayed for 18 months‌that is a lot of oil that has stayed in the ground as a result. James Hansen, our leading NASA scientist has said that if KXL pipeline is built, that it is essentially game over for the planet. That oil needs to stay in the ground. Number 2, we can’t stop climate change or solve this crisis by stopping 1 pipeline or 1 coal port at a time, as Bill McKibben of 350.org says. So, we have to go on the offensive and tackle climate change by tackling the fossil fuel industry‌hence, the reason for divestment from fossil fuels. 25
Nektarina (S)pace: You are working with 350.org, one of the most significant environmental organizations / movements in the world. Could you talk more about your work and activism? Jill MacIntyre Witt: Sure. Well, being that Anita Roddick, the founder of The Body Shop, was a very dear friend of mine. At her memorial service in 2007, there was a call to activism, which I imagine moved the 2,500 people in the room to a greater level. I studied Environmental Biology in college and have been an activist for many years, but I knew that I needed to kick it up a notch in dealing with climate change. I don’t want my two daughters saying 20 years from now, why didn’t you do anything when you had the chance? So, I’ve been involved with many different environmental campaigns over the years. I even did a plastic bag ordinance in my town, which sparked a chaing reaction of ordinances across our state, so that was productive. But helping people learn about the climate change issues and what they can do to help solve the climate crisis spoke to me after seeing an Inconvenient Truth. And of course the issue is getting worse and worse and needs more awareness and action around the world. Knowing that this was a global issue and I have lived all over the world, it speaks to me to join the international climate movement to help solve the climate crisis, so I have been organizing with 350.org for the past several years. I love how the number 350 can be understood, spoken and shared throughout the world. I love what the movement has done so far with its international days of action bringing people around the world together on the issue and making headlines. Participating in the largest climate rally in US history last February also made me realize that we are seeing a climate movement now, here in the US. As you know education and awareness bring about change, and the change we need to see must come from all of humanity. I knew that 350.org would help 26
bring about that change and I love to be a part of the bigger effort. Especially, connected on a global scale. 27
Jill MacIntyre Witt and Bill McKibben
Nektarina (S)pace: Not that long ago 350.org organized peaceful protests in front of the White House. While this administration moved things forward and made improvements, many argue that much more could have been done. Would you agree? Why is the administration sometimes (so it seems) rather reluctant to take a firm stand when it comes to the environmental issues (solar panels on the White House roof, pipeline, etc) Jill MacIntyre Witt: This is a mystery to me, being that I am a do-er. I don’t understand how difficult it is to put solar panels on the White House, for example. That is a no brainer and that action alone would send a clear message 28
in the direction we need to head. In fact, I think it’s time we push for that again. Also, what Obama said during his 2008 campaign I find to be so true and the essence of further action. He said that change comes “to” Washington, not “from” Washington. So, with that said, I think we, the people, need to continue to rise up and send the message to Washington that we are interested in policy changes. We need a price on carbon and it needs to happen in DC. California has passed and now implemented carbon legislation, which is a great first step of sorts, being that if they were their own country, they have the 8th largest economy in the world. But it is time for the US to take the lead. I think we are
Jill at the DC Rally 29
getting closer to change on this front, being that Obama met with Chinese leaders recently and came to an agreement that we must act on climate change. It is just so dang slow, the changes‌that come from Washington‌that it is evident that we need to take further actions here, and around the world, and not just sit and wait.
Nektarina (S)pace: Matt Damon recently released a film that is focused on fracking. More and more celebrities are getting involved with different issues and causes, from human rights to climate change. Would you say that helps the cause? Jill MacIntyre Witt: Absolutely. Anytime you can get a big name to talk about big issues, people tend to listen. We need more of this actually, here in America. More big names talking about climate change and the changes we need to enact. I love how Darryl Hannah gets arrested in front of the White House. The press always seem to run the story with her in it. We need to turn heads, whatever it takes. Famous people have a lot at stake to take a stand, so it sends an even stronger message when they do.
Nektarina (S)pace: How do we make climate change and environmental issues main stream? Are they main stream now? Jill MacIntyre Witt: I think we have been doing that and things like Superstorm Sandy help make it more mainstream. The issue is now being reported more and more in the mainstream media, so much so that there seems to be a shift from the climate denial machine on this one, although they would like to see us debate the causes, still. I think we are pretty much there on the 30
mainstream level, but there is still work to be done to help people learn the severity of the issue and that more and bigger actions are needed quickly. The sense of urgency is still somewhat missing.
Nektarina (S)pace: What can we do? What can an average person do to help the planet deal with climate change? Jill MacIntyre Witt: Aside from all of the personal choice changes, we do need to put a climate change filter on ‘everything’ we do. And that doesn’t mean just changing light bulbs and turning down the thermostat, but in our talk as well as our walk. We need to demand more from our leaders. We need to have the conversations with our friends, family, neighbors and colleagues at work to nudge them to action. We need to hold our elected officials accountable. This is all really hard stuff, but we can’t just sit by and think the leaders will take action. We need to be sure they do. It is our moral obligation to do so, because if we don’t, what kind of message does that send to our kids? That we don’t care? 31
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Nektarina (S)pace: Often people focus only on their own "cocoons" and fail to see the impact their choices have (or might have) on the rest of the world. How do we change that mindset? How do we get people to think (more) globally and act (more) locally? Jill MacIntyre Witt: I think it is by walking the walk, but also talking the talk, like I mentioned. We need this issue to be on the forefront of everyone’s mind all the time, because it is simply something that people cannot see, therefore, they don’t act. So, by keeping it in the conversation and by taking actions, joining actions in our communities, we can bring about the change. I think we need to help people become solutions driven. People often get 34
paralyzed by the science of climate change and don’t know what ‘to do’. By doing local efforts that bring about sustainable solutions from local garden building, to transitioning off of fossil fuels at the local level, to retrofitting buildings to conserve energy, all of these local actions help move people to a hopeful place. The list can go on and on.
Nektarina (S)pace: Where do you see us, the world, in three, five, ten years (when
it
comes
to
environmental
issues
and
climate
change)?
Jill MacIntyre Witt: Being that I’m a do-er, I wish to see more change more quickly, and I’m always excited to see that we are making strides on many levels. I just gave my 20th Climate Reality Project presentation last Friday and someone asked me this same question…and I said that I could see 75% of the houses in our town with solar panels on them in the next 5 years. I am also a pathological optimist, and perhaps I’m way off on that, but I think we do need to talk about the vision we would like to see, so that we have something to work towards. Great question! I see countries like Germany being 80-100% renewable energy sourced in 3-5-10 years time. I see other countries wanting to follow suit…and doing so, especially throughout Europe. I see China not wanting coal shipped from our shores and communities here exhausted from this battle. I see political change here in America in the 2014 election, winning back the House, so that Obama can make lasting change his last 2 years as president. I think the world will see and learn about more communities suffering from the impacts of climate change in the upcoming years, and people seriously connecting the dots to their consumptive choices and those impacts. I also see the divestment from fossil 35
fuel companies creating a shift in renewable energy investment and thus propelling explosive wind and solar development. It will be a great success story to tell, in 5 years time. This is an exciting time for continuing to build this fossil fuel resistance as Bill calls it and see the fruits of this labor grow and grow. Be sure to read Bill McKibben’s latest article in Rollingstone and sign up to 350.org if you haven’t already: http://act.350.org/signup/resistance/ Also, the world could use some more Climate Leaders with the Climate Reality Project and they are having 2 trainings this year, with Al Gore. Istanbul, Turkey – June 14-16, 2013 and Chicago, U.S. – July 30-August 1, 2013. Deadline to apply is May 15.
After graduating with a degree in Environmental Biology, Jill has made a life-long journey of empowering others to protect our planet. From health education in the Peace Corps to environmental
education
as
a
wilderness
instructor
to
community organizing on various environmental issues, she has realized that each of us can make a difference in our actions. Jill currently works at Western Washington University as a physical education teacher and campus recruiter for the Peace Corps. She also coaches soccer for the Whatcom Soccer Academy.
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Our Blockbuster http://350.org/math The Do The Math documentary is a 42-minute film about the rising movement in the United States to change the terrifying maths of the climate crisis and challenge the fossil fuel industry. While it is set in the United States, the maths the film outlines apply globally -- making it important for all of us to watch. It is in English with the option of subtitles in Chinese, French, German, Portuguese or Spanish.
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By Marc Brodine
The film, entitled "Do the Math," is based on a Rolling Stone article by Bill McKibben last year, and on a multi-city tour he took over the last few months. You can watch the film online at: http://act.350.org/signup/mathmovie/ or read the original article at: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/ news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719 . The basic message of the article, tour, and film is that we only need to understand three numbers to know why action is required to address climate change. The first number is two degrees Celsius. This is the generally agreed on international benchmark for the upper limit of how much more global warming we can cause before catastrophic changes all over the globe, before we cause irreparable and potential irreversible harm to humanity-to our agricultural, transportation, and industrial systems. The second number is 565 gigatons of carbon dioxide. That is how much more carbon dioxide that can be emitted in the next few decades to give the world a reasonable chance of staying below those two degrees Celsius of global warming. The third number is 2,795 gigatons. This is the amount of carbonbased fuel that the fossil fuel industries claim is still in the ground-known reserves that they base their net worth on. This is about five times higher than the total amount that can be emitted-in other words, if the oil, gas, and coal industries continue tap their known reserves without effective limits, we are on the path to drastic climate change which will challenge the existence of developed human society. 44
The fossil fuel industries do not pay for the pollution they are emitting into our shared atmosphere-the burning of fossil fuels is like the old factories with waste pipes pouring massive amounts of toxic waste into our waterways. The benefit for the companies is that they do not have to pay for their bad behavior, do not have to pay for the harm they are doing to all of us. The film, and panel discussions talked about several campaigns underway to popularize the need for action on climate change and to begin to fight the financial and political power of the fossil fuel industries. One is this film itself. Another is a campaign on over 300 college campuses demanding divestment of funds from fossil fuel companies, and similar campaigns in many municipalities and states, which hold billions in pension funds. A key struggle right now is the fight against the Keystone XL pipeline, which will increase the amount of tar sands oil mined from the wilderness of Canadaexactly the wrong direction to take. There were also clips from the February demonstration in Washington, D.C., of about 40,000 people, the largest climate change demonstration thus far. Van Jones, featured in the film alongside Bill McKibben and many others, has called for the creation of millions of living wage jobs in conservation, in developing the green energy industry, and in public projects to tackle climate change. A weakness of the film is that this crucial aspect of the struggle was mostly left out of the film, which focuses on the moral and survival reasons to fight climate change and the fossil fuel industries. The corporations who oppose legislation to institute a carbon tax are among the corporations who oppose labor law reform, increases in the minimum wage, and public works in general. These same corporations have funded 45
climate change denialists, and many continue to do so. The same corporations oppose closing tax loopholes that benefit corporations and the wealthy. The same corporations oppose ending taxpayer funded subsidies for oil and gas exploration. The movement to address climate change will only be able to build a coalition broad enough to change government policy if it explicitly unites with unions, with the cause of the unemployed, with struggles for environmental justice and against environmental racism. Watch the film, read the article, do the math, sign up for the
struggle, and
link it to the struggles you are already involved in. Our common future depends on it.
Marc Brodine is Chair of the Washington State CPUSA. A former AFSCME member and local officer, he is currently an artist and guitar player. Marc writes on environmental issues and answers many web site questions. Marc is the author of an extended essay on Marxist philosophy and the environment, titled Dialetics of Climate Change
Article Source: http://www.peoplesworld.org/do-the-math-a-review-for-earth-day-andbeyond/ Photo Source: http://350.org/en/about/blogs/best-science-and-climate-quilt-ive-seen-myentire-life
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Cultural diversity and social networking 50
With the growth of communication technologies on the Internet, the world has become more connected. People from different cultures and far away
regions can easily and quickly interact. However, this trend toward
globalization raises questions about the future of cultural diversity. As people interact more, cultural exchange will make them more similar. And the more similar they become, the easier it is to keep interacting. As this process of influence and reinforcement unfolds, will all of our differences eventually disappear? MIT Sloan School of Management Professor Damon Centola, in collaboration with physicists from Mallorca, Spain, set out to answer this question using computer models of cultural evolution. By simulating social interaction among tens of thousands of individuals in a dynamic social network model, Centola and his collaborators found that individuals form into tightly clustered cultural cliques. Comparing the results of their model to recent studies of behavior in Internet communities, they found that their results matched the patterns of behavior observed online. Even those people with hundreds of connections on sites like Facebook.com or LinkedIn.com are likely to only interact online with the same clique of people on a regular basis. And the people in that virtual clique are likely to look and sound a lot alike. 51
“Some people think that the social cliques that we've observed for hundreds of years will vanish due to the massive connectivity of the Internet, but if you trace who interacts with whom on a regular basis on social networking Websites, those networks and communities tend to reproduce the same clusters that we see in face-to-face communities,” said Centola. “The world doesn't change that much just because it becomes virtual.”
Surprisingly, Centola and his colleagues maintain that this is good news for preserving cultural diversity. The results of their study show that the highly clique-like nature of online communities could actually help to maintain global diversity. Centola and his coauthors wrote, “Despite the growing technological trends toward increased connectivity and globalization, social diversity can be maintained even in highly connected environments.”
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They explained, “For thousands of years in human history, the emergence and maintenance of group boundaries has sustained the diversity of cultural practices across different populations. In modern online communities, similar patterns of diversification emerge, and for a similar reason: The homophily principle — that people tend to interact with others similar to themselves — actively constrains the communities to which we belong and the people with whom we choose to interact, share ideas, and adopt our patterns of life.” “Through the dynamics of network co-evolution, these patterns of preferential interaction of like with like produce cultural pockets whose identity and ideas, though flexible, are nonetheless stable from dissolution into a homogenous global culture,” wrote the authors. So while globalization may provide more means of connecting people, these same means for interaction also show the strong tendency of people to self-organize into culturally defined groups, which can ultimately help to preserve overall diversity, said Centola. The paper was coauthored by Centola, Juan Carlos Gonzalez-Avella, Victor M. Eguiluz, and Maxi San Miguel of the Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Studies and Complex Systems, Campus Universitat de les Illes Balears in Spain.
Source: http://mitsloan.mit.edu/newsroom/2009 onlinecliques.php | To read the full paper, please visit: http:// dcentola.scripts.mit.edu/docs/Centola%20et%20al%20Cultural% 20Drift.pdf | Visuals sources: Page 57, Page 58, Pages 60/61
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Interview: Anam Gill Perspectives Interview conducted by Sandra Antonovic. All photos copyright Anam Gill. 56
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Young, beautiful, eloquent. Ms Anam Gill comes from Pakistan, and here’s how she described herself on one occasion, back in 2011: “I am a 23 years old Pakistani belonging to a middle class family with no hidden agendas, just trying to contribute positively to the society and the world at large. I can’t deny my insignificance but being part of the initiatives which are for a greater common good is fulfilling indeed. Moreover I do dream to see a better world…”
Nektarina (S)pace: You come from Pakistan, a country often referred to as "one of the next eleven". Has that (being one of the next eleven) had any impact on the life of the majority of Pakistanis (in the last few years) and how? Anam Gill: The Next Eleven or N-11 are the eleven countries identified by Goldman Sachs investment bank and economist Jim O'Neill in a research paper as having a high potential of becoming the world's largest economies in the 21st century. The bank chose these states, all with promising outlooks for investment and future growth. Being a citizen of Pakistan and experiencing the realities here, I doubt this report considering the role of Goldman Sachs in the financial meltdown of 2008. If certain groups are formed to propagate the wrong facts and figures about certain countries manufacturing and reporting data for make belief purposes. Then indeed it is a sad state of affairs. Pakistan has a lower-middle-income economy and medium human development. I do wish that the upcoming elections prove fruitful in the following year. And we drift away from the current state of affairs which are not very pleasant. 58
Nektarina (S)pace: This month (May) we are talking about diversities on many levels - biological, cultural, ethnic, religious....Where do you see Pakistan stands when it comes to embracing, respecting and fostering the diversity of people - cultural, ethnic, religious? Anam Gill: I wish I had something positive to say about this. Unfortunately Pakistanis are divided between political and non-political groups. I personally believe that everyone, the non-political public, at heart would embrace diversity. The political agendas of certain people however led to a lot of unrest in terms of cohesion between various sectarian and religious groups in Pakistan. For example recently the Ahmadis, Shias and Christians (minority groups in Pakistan) were targeted, their homes being torched etc propagating the blasphemy laws that exists in the country. This springs hatred among various groups and a hindrance in the way of embracing, respecting and fostering diversity among people.
Nektarina (S)pace: Your main area of interest and work is media. Is it challenging being a (female) media person in Pakistan (and that part of Asia in general)? Anam Gill: Personally I didn’t encounter any difficult situation hindering my work in general. There might be females who experienced something different. However I must add that I have not been part of mainstream media, blogging and freelancing is a different experience altogether.
Nektarina (S)pace: Most people usually perceive media people / journalists as someone who should (just) deliver the story - tell the facts as accurately as possible and provide a field for people to draw their own conclusions. 59
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However, it becomes more and more common for media people and journalists not just to deliver the information but to advocate for a cause as well. How do you see the role of media people? How do you see your role? Anam Gill: I completely agree with you and that reminds me of the book written by Noam Chomsky and Edward. S. Herman, Manufacturing Consent, which was about how media is used to manufacture consent. It is not just playing the role of a watchdog. Everything that we see or read in the media is always inclined, I hardly come across something that has been reported without a bias. There is no such thing as unbiased reporting in current world. Media people who are working under a media outlet obviously work under a news policy that the outlet follows. Again these media outlets are financed and funded by certain groups who always take sides. Being a freelancer I try not to take sides and my writings are about generating dialogue and not propagating one particular idea or ideology. If I write something that is against the news policy of an outlet they don’t consider it for publication. I remember I wrote an article on Interactive Theatre few years back and the newspaper I was working for was personally against the organization working in this area and so refused to publish the article. Though another daily did consider it.
Nektarina (S)pace: Blogs and social networks are new media platforms and they changed the way the news is delivered. Has the faster, easier and different way of accessing news and learning about current events helped empower people,do you think? Anam Gill: Yes I personally think that the social media has played a vital role in fostering discussions and dialogue both in a negative and positive way. 61
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I think it has its strengths and weaknesses. There are examples when this medium has been used positively and led to great advocacy and awareness but on the other hand it’s been used in spreading hatred against a particular group or person. The citizen journalism through this media has also led to the spread of false information.
Nektarina (S)pace: What is wrong with media today? Anam Gill: I think the media outlets are owned either by some political groups or large corporations. The propaganda model in political economy presented by Herman and Chomsky states how systemic biases function in mass media. This model explains how people are manipulated and how consent in “manufactured” in the public mind due to this propaganda. I personally feel this is what’s wrong with the media today.
Nektarina (S)pace: What are the ways of fixing that? What is the way forward? Anam Gill: The independent reporting is a way forward where the media outlets are not either controlled or censored by the intelligence agencies.
Nektarina (S)pace: How do you see the role of media in the upcoming years? Anam Gill: As stated earlier what I foresee is that it’s going to be mixed, some good things and some bad. I might sound like a cynic but there are certain realities from which we can’t get away easily. But currently there is no such thing as free media.
Nektarina (S)pace: What part of media work inspires you the most? Why? 64
Anam Gill: Both print and electronic journalism. These can be great peacebuilding tools provided the hands that use these tools.
Nektarina (S)pace: What would be your advice to youth interested in media? Anam Gill: If you want to be part of the emerging media stay true to your ideals, don’t get carried away by the false and fake realities that surrounds us all the time. Don’t let your righteousness and innocence die in the way of your work as you might be asked to give in at certain times. 21st century is a century of peaceful coexistence and anything that hinders your path to justice, just distant yourself from it. 65
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Culture360.org aims to stimulate the cultural engagement between Asia and Europe and enhance greater understanding between the two regions. Created for and fuelled by artists, cultural practitioners and policy makers, culture360.org is your platform to inform, collaborate, interact and exchange ideas with the arts and cultural communities across Asia and Europe. Studies showed that there were no comprehensive and multi-disciplinary resources that focused on Asia and Europe – one that targeted at cultural cooperation and acted as an interface between the interests of governments and
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cultural organisations, between policy makers and artists. Though cultural information is available, it is still very disparate and not readily accessible. Much information is offline, and the quality and relevance of the information varies considerably from country to country. In addition, the language differences hinder co-operation between the two regions. The problem is even more acute in Asia. The development of culture360.org is part of a process of stimulating cultural engagement between Asia and Europe, and not an end in itself. Learn more at: http://culture360.org
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Liveable Cities: Bruges, Belgium 86
By Valerie Bell Bruges, or Brugge, is one of those canal based northern cities, like Amsterdam. I always found all that water intertwined with city streets to be very calming, almost zen. It adds such a specific flavour to the city, and one can see trees and houses reflect in the water even on cloudy days. Brugge's historic centre is UNESCO's World Heritage Site. Because of its oval shape, it is sometimes referred to as the "egg". Driving within this historic centre is discouraged by traffic management programmes and settings, including a network of one way streets which itself encourages drivers to use set routes that lead to central car parks. Car parks are conveniently located and they are not expensive. Additionally, people who park their vehicles in one of those car parks are allowed to use the public transport free of charge. Even with all this programmes and car restrictions, no part of Brugge is actually a car-free zone. Still, cars are required to give the right of passage to pedestrians and cyclists. For a long time now there are plans to ban cars altogether from the city's historic centre or to have the traffic restricted to a much bigger extent than it's presently the case. The city municipality still has a long way to go before these plans get implemented. About seven years ago a two way cycling traffic has been allowed on most streets. A mayor problem for cyclists are quite narrow streets of Brugge - with cars and public transportation buses cycling on them can be a great challenge, and it's not rare to read about cycle fatalities. Still (and luckily) there are thousands of cyclists in the city, and hopefully there will be much more of them in the future.
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Amanda Jane Saurin: Making skincare loveliness Interviewed by Sandra Antonovic. All photos copyright Amanda Jane Saurin 96
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Nektarina (S)pace: How does a girl who studied law end up being an Alembic Distiller? Amanda Jane Saurin: I studied law straight from school at the age of 18. I think very few of us really know what we want to do so young and I quickly became disenchanted with law having completed my degree. Instead I studied ceramics and had children – lots of them! Being a ceramist meant that I could work from home and be around for my kids which has always been a 98
priority. I later qualified as a teacher and worked with hundreds of children on large art projects throughout Sussex. It was great fun. We always used alternative medicine in our family and gradually my interest developed to the point that I wanted to qualify as a Homeopath – 4 years later I did and started to see patients many of whom suffered from eczema and psoriasis. I quickly realised that a lot of the problem was to do with what they were putting on their skin and so initially I started making cold process enriched soaps and creams for my patients. Further study revealed that many herbs could also really help the skin and I carefully incorporated those too. Then about 5 years ago I met an Iraqi woman who introduced me to distilling – I was immediately enchanted by the alchemy of it and began to distil flowers and herbs to put into my products in Cyprus. Hydrosols and essential oils are so beautiful when carefully produced from the best quality flowers picked at the optimum time. It has been a fantastic journey and I feel that every skill acquired has made me the person I am today – carpe diem and realise that life and work can dovetail into something wonderful.
Nektarina (S)pace: Would it be fair to say that your life, in geographical terms, has been marked by three countries - England, Scotland and Cyprus? How did those three places shape a person you are today? Amanda Jane Saurin: I was born in England but moved to Scotland at the age of 7. I love Scotland, the scenery especially in the Highlands is absolutely magical – I think my love of wilderness began there. As a child we lived on the banks of the Firth of Forth in Fife and I spent my weekends wandering about on the beach by our house picking up pebbles and sea-burnished glass, it was a beautiful spot. I left at 18 to come south and since then have mostly lived in the crowded South East of England. 99
The first time I saw the South Downs I thought they were utterly uninteresting compared to the mountains of Scotland but they are beautiful, gentle and rolling. At some points in the early evening they look to have the texture of velvet. We lived in Cyprus for seven years, the landscape and climate were so totally different to the UK. The heat and dryness produced a landscape of umbers and ochres punctuated by lush greenness in Spring. I loved the smell of the heat and the moment that the rain fell the earth just swallowed it up leaving a rich scent in the air. I think living in different landscapes enriches a person, it encourages observation without judgement and an appreciation of difference. It allows an independent understanding of the place, politics and people. It is a privilege and I am shaped by that knowledge.
Nektarina (S)pace: In March last year you founded Wellgreen Lewes with a mission to produce the best quality skincare. How (and why) did you decide to dive into the world of flower waters, essential oils, soaps, creams, body butters, balms and scrubs? Amanda Jane Saurin: I came back to the UK last January, returning to Lewes in East Sussex where we had lived for the 15 years prior to going to Cyprus. I immediately decided to start work distilling the local beautiful skincare, expanding the range to scrubs. As a matter of environmental
flowers and producing
include balms, butters and
consideration, I like to source as
much as possible locally and I was lucky enough to be allowed to distil the roses at Glyndebourne Opera House which is 10 minutes away and then to work with Will Vincent and Lady Gage at Firle Place Herb Garden and Ashurst Organics in Plumpton. It has meant that most of the plants I need are organically grown on my doorstep. That question of locality is key – the very best quality is achieved by using the very best ingredients as fresh as 100
possible. By controlling the entire process from the first flower to be picked through to the last label to be stuck on, I can be confident that nothing is left to chance and no corner is cut for the sake of time or expenditure. 101
Most of all, it is really good fun – I love growing, picking, distilling and making, it’s so satisfying to know the provenance of pretty much everything I use and that it only contains the loveliest ingredients.
Nektarina (S)pace: It must be an amazing experience to "help" flowers and plants become creams and lotions. Could you share with us some of the highlights of the manufacturing process? Amanda Jane Saurin: I have a beautiful trug (a Sussex Basket) made by a friend and I head off with that and a pair of Felco secateurs to pick. I need a dry day and it needs to be early morning after the dew has gone and before the sun gets hot ( so pretty much any time in the UK). For roses, I wait until they are perfectly in bloom and then cut the heads off. I need many heads to produce the flower water and a tiny bit of oil. Once home, I pull off the petals making sure that there is no green left at all because it spoils the scent.
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I pack the Alembic Still, add the mineral water, put the rye dough collar round all the joints to stop the steam escaping, fill the condensing unit with ice cold water and light the burner. Slowly as the water boils, the steam passes through the flowers and along the swan neck of the Alembic. As the steam passes through the coils in the condenser, it is rapidly cooled by the very cold water turning the steam back into a liquid. At the bottom of the condenser there is a little spout through which the liquid flows. This is the flower water with the essential oil floating on the top. I skim off the oil and then I’m ready to make whatever I want‌
Nektarina (S)pace: You managed to blend together two islands -
Cyprus
and Britain. Your collections have a "British" touch (like your latest Gardeners' Collection) and you use a lot of very Mediterranean plants, like orange, jasmine... What influences you? How do you decide "what to do next"? Amanda Jane Saurin: Orange blossom is my weakness – when I moved back to the UK I wanted to create a British collection so that I could pick locally and grow what I needed and I love to do that, but once a year I still go back to Cyprus, like a bee drawn to nectar, for the orange blossom. There is truly nothing like it. When I arrive in late April the blossom is already out, the groves are a-hum with bees and the scent is quite magnificent. It fills the air and makes me dizzy with delight. By the end of a picking day I am covered in Neroli oil, totally blissed out and smell divine. My influences are the
seasons and what grows well, what has medicinal
properties and what I like. I am always on the lookout for interesting plants. I have a little tester Alembic and if I see something interesting I try out a 103
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small batch and if it is sustainable and responsible, I pick enough for the big Alembic. At the moment I am experimenting with Daphne odora aureomarginata, which has the most scrumptious lemony floral scent. I have tried the bush in my garden and am now hunting for more in my locality. I’ve also been asked to try distilling bluebells at the local bluebell walk – I’m really intrigued by that.
Nektarina (S)pace: You are also a mother of six children. That must be time consuming. How do you fit it all in? What's your "secret"? Amanda Jane Saurin: It is – especially the washing. My children
however
are a constant source of delight, joy and frustration all in equal measure. They are the reason I started on this journey and they support me and help me a great deal. My daughters and sons suggest products and test everything out for me, gently offering constructive criticism. I have loved having a large family, the noise, bustle and me about music and self. There’s no
energy is invigorating and they have taught
literature that I would never have sought out by my-
secret – it’s all about us accommodating each other’s needs
and on the whole, we do. Nektarina (S)pace: Spring is finally here, and summer will be here before we know it. What does the change of season mean for your work? Is it "picking flowers and collecting plants" time now? Amanda Jane Saurin: Every season brings fresh adventures and new plants to pick and experiment with. Spring has many of the medicinal plants that I use – Plantago and Stellaria are popping up now, also young nettles and many others. It’s a great time to head off into the Herb Garden and marvel at the germinating seeds pushing their way through the slowly warming soil. 106
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As Summer comes, there are all the roses, lavender and jasmine to pick and then into Autumn when roots are perfect for distilling having stored up their energy for the Winter ahead. Even Winter itself has some amazing plants full of scent –
Sarcococca,
Clematis Armandii and others are wonderful.
Nektarina (S)pace: What's next for Wellgreen Lewes? Amanda Jane Saurin: I’m working closely with Firle Place Herb Garden which is a peaceful, tranquil space and have just made a series of therapeutic balms for them with essential oils that are both healing and which in combination create an almost perfume effect with top, middle and base notes. They are really exciting and I can see a lot of applications for them. Beyond that, I’m asked to do all kinds of things all the time - if only there were more hours in the day…
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website www.wellgreenlewes.com facebook https://www.facebook.com/WellgreenLewes twitter @wellgreenlewes phone 079 799 26831
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Sustainable Agriculture
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In simplest terms, sustainable agriculture is the production of food, fiber, or other plant or animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities, and animal welfare. This form of agriculture enables us to produce healthful food without compromising future generations' ability to do the same. The primary benefits of sustainable agriculture are: → Environmental Preservation Sustainable farms produce crops and raise animals without relying on toxic chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified seeds, or practices that degrade soil, water, or other natural resources. By growing a variety of plants and using techniques such as crop rotation, conservation tillage, and pasture-based livestock husbandry, sustainable farms protect biodiversity and foster the development and maintenance of healthy ecosystems.
→ Protection of Public Health Food production should never come at the expense of human health. Since sustainable crop farms avoid hazardous pesticides, they're able to grow fruits and vegetables that are safer for consumers, workers, and surrounding communities. Likewise, sustainable livestock farmers and ranchers raise animals without dangerous practices like use of nontherapeutic antibiotics or arsenicbased growth promoters.
Through careful, responsible management of
livestock waste, sustainable farmers also protect humans from exposure to pathogens, toxins, and other hazardous pollutants.
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→ Sustaining Vibrant Communities A critical component of sustainable agriculture is its ability to remain economically viable, providing farmers, farmworkers, food processors, and others employed in the food system with a livable wage and safe, fair working conditions. Sustainable farms also bolster local and regional economies, creating good jobs and building strong communities. → Upholding Animal Welfare Sustainable farmers and ranchers treat animals with care and respect, implementing livestock husbandry practices that protect animals' health and wellbeing. By raising livestock on pasture, these farmers enable their animals to move freely, engage in instinctive behaviors, consume a natural diet, and avoid the stress and illness associated with confinement.
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Source and further readings: http://www.gracelinks.org/246/sustainable-agriculture -the-basics http://www.oecd.org/tad/sustainable-agriculture/
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The Bookshelf
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By David Goldman Deep Economy is probably the first economics book you’ll read that advocates for less economic growth. The book is framed around a simple, yet zealous premise – that what we need is Better rather than More. Author Bill McKibben believes, as do a growing number of economists, that we indeed have to choose between one and the other. He writes, “…growth is no longer making most people wealthier, but instead generating inequality and insecurity.” Stealing a page from the Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss, who in 1973 coined the phrase Deep Ecology, (an ecological philosophy that recognizes the inherent worth of other beings aside from their utility), McKibben writes, “We need a similar shift in our thinking about economics – we need to take human satisfaction and societal durability more seriously; we need economics to mature as a discipline.” This is reminiscent of E.M. Schumacher’s Buddhist Economics . What is unique about Deep Economy is that the author understands that the only conceivable way to create a deep ecology is to address our culture’s obsession with economics first and foremost.
“The Fortunate Few?” The reader needs to hang several preconceived notions at the door before McKibben’s argument begins to resonate. Firstly, that more wealth and greater Gross Domestic Product (GDP) automatically translates to a higher standard of living, and by extension – more happiness or satisfaction.
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Almost immediately, McKibben undermines these assumptions. He writes, “The median wage in the United States is the same as it was thirty years ago. The real income of the bottom 90 percent of American taxpayers has declined steadily: they earned $27,060 in real dollars in 1979, $25,646 in 2005.” Take a minute to digest this. That means that all the talk of a growing economy and wealth is actually only being felt by a handful of the population (relatively speaking). This addresses the first assertion that greater GDP means we are becoming wealthier. Then McKibben continues, “new research from many quarters has started to show that even when growth does make us wealthier, the greater wealth no longer makes us happier.” So not only are most of us not actually getting wealthier, but those ‘fortunate few’ who are, are not buying anymore happiness. According to a paper written by Ed Diener and E.P. Seligman entitled, “Beyond Money – Toward an Economy of Well Being,” “researchers report that money consistently buys happiness right up to about $10,000 per capita income, and that after that point the correlation disappears.” Always the realist, McKibben acknowledges that some people, particularly in developing countries where basic needs are still far from being met are better off with more money. He writes, “Up to a certain point, none of what I have been saying holds true. Up to a certain point, more really does equal better.” After all, a person has got to eat. Always the realist, McKibben acknowledges that some people, particularly in developing countries where basic needs are still far from being met are better off with more money. 135
Always the realist, McKibben acknowledges that some people, particularly in developing countries where basic needs are still far from being met are better off with more money. He writes, “Up to a certain point, none of what I have been saying holds true. Up to a certain point, more really does equal better.” After all, a person has got to eat. Supermarket Trance Apart from debunking the correlation myth between GDP and happiness, he takes a close look at the modern food industry a.k.a. agribusiness as a case in point for how more is far from better. According to a Harvard Business School professor McKibben quotes from in the book, “fifty percent of the world’s assets and consumer expenditure belong to the food system. Half the jobs too.” Similar to Michael Pollan’s claims in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, McKibben cites “the average bite of food an American eats has travelled fifteen hundred miles before it reaches her lips.” Transportation and the resulting dependence on fossil fuel are greatly responsible for the tragic misunderstanding that most well-meaning Whole Foods shoppers participate in. “Organic” could also mean that the banana you just ate was actually imported from Chile at great expense in terms of carbon emissions and destruction of natural resources. If consumers internalized this, then more of our food would be grown locally and that would prove to be better for us and the environment than organic food. Consolidation or another path to “More,” has numerous other dangers. According to the McKibben, “Four companies slaughter 81 percent of American beef. Cargill, Inc. controls 45 percent of the globe’s grain trade, while its competitor Archer Daniels Midland controls another 30 percent.”
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For more about ADM and how economic consolidation leads to corruption, I HIGHLY recommend listening to this podcast (The Fix Is In) from This American Life. Only a few companies control more than 70 percent of the fluid milk sales in the US, according to the book. All of this consolidation has been born out of economic efficiency and the unwavering pursuit of growth. McKibben indicates the high cost of all these efficiencies. He list several costs including: damage to communities and people who lose their jobs, safety risks both to employees and the food that they are responsible for processing, and the resulting pollution from the likes of one farm in Ohio McKibben claims produces 3 billion eggs per year. Distributed vs. Centralized Systems McKibben see hope through distributing economies instead of consolidating them. If the focus shifts from monetary growth, this Deep Economy can lead to prosperity through decentralization. He points to the rise in farmer’s markets and community supported agriculture (CSAs) groups where “the farmers who come in from the country to meet their suburban and urban customers, the customers who emerge from their supermarket trance to meet their neighbors.” McKibben writes that “Beside food, the most important commodity in our lives is energy.” The sheer scale of our energy production today is astonishing and creating a more distributed model of production does seem daunting. Deep Economy doesn’t advocate an immediate switch from our current model of almost complete centralized energy production and transmission to an entirely distributed model…yet. 137
Rather, the author suggests a middle ground, or “something in between the individual cell powering the individual home, and the great power station feeding the whole state.” After all, transporting a head of lettuce 1,500 miles makes about as much sense as transmitting electricity the same distance. Centralized Esnergy Deep Economy also addresses the heavy toll that centralized energy has had on the world along with its accompanying security concerns and deleterious effects on the environment. Gone are the days when solar power was code for, in McKibben’s words, “a set of panels up on the roof and a set of batteries down in the basement, supporting a grinning, graying hippie happy in his off-the-grid paradise.” By distributing power generation amongst several options (even if we keep fossil fuels in the mix), we can hedge our bets should one central generation facility fail. We wouldn’t need to depend on building another power plant that would only be used as backup 10 percent of the year. Today, Finland, the Netherlands and Denmark generate between one-third and one-half of their power through decentralized projects. The book is filled with examples of similar projects that are taking place in communities that rarely make the news cycle. Their MacGyver like solutions to either food or energy scarcity are a testament to the adage that “Necessity is the mother of invention.” What is fascinating about many of these examples is that they have no impact on their nation’s GDP, so they fly under the radar and in the face of what most American politicians on both side of the aisle are seeking – double digit economic expansion. You don’t need a degree in economic theory or environmental engineering to appreciate Bill McKibben’s Deep Economy. But you do need an open mind. 138
David Andrew Goldman currently works as director of global communications at Expansion Media, an integrated PR/SEO firm that focuses exclusively on clean technology clients including Entech Solar, BioPetroClean, CASTion, AeroFarms, Airdye Solutions, Advanced Telemetry, Variable Wind Solutions, GreenRay Inc. and FreeGreen.com.
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The Western Caucasus World Nature Heritage Site 142
The Western Caucasus, extending over 275,000 ha of the extreme western end of the Caucasus mountains and located 50 km north-east of the Black Sea, is one of the few large mountain areas of Europe that has not experienced significant human impact. Its subalpine and alpine pastures have only been grazed by wild animals, and its extensive tracts of undisturbed mountain forests, extending from the lowlands to the subalpine zone, are unique in Europe. The site has a great diversity of ecosystems, with important endemic plants and wildlife, and is the place of origin and reintroduction of the mountain subspecies of the European bison. The Western Caucasus has a remarkable diversity of geology, ecosystems and species. It is of global significance as a centre of plant diversity. Along with the Virgin Komi World Heritage site, it is the only large mountain area in Europe that has not experienced significant human impact, containing extensive tracts of undisturbed mountain forests unique on the European 143
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scale. The site is at the far western end of the Greater Caucasus Mountains within Krasnodar Kray and the republics of Adygea and KarachevoCherkessia. It includes a number of units. The largest of these is the Caucasus (Kavkazskiy) state biosphere reserve, together with its 1 km wide buffer zone which runs along much of the perimeter of the reserve except in KarachevoCherkessia Republic and where the reserve abuts Georgia (Abkhazia). The second main component of the site comprises the three elements of the most strictly protected zone of Sochi National Park (all in Krasnodar Kray). The remainder of the site comprises four small areas in Adygea Republic: Bolshoy Thach nature park; the nature monuments of Buiny Ridge, the headwaters of the River Tsitsa and the Pshecha and Pshechashcha rivers. The region is mountainous, ranging in altitude from 250 m to peaks over 3,000 m, of which the highest is Akaragvarta (3,360 m). The geology is very diverse, including sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks from the full span of eras from the Precambrian to the Palaeozoic; it is also very complex, reflecting the origin of the Caucasus Mountains. The north part of the site is characterized by karst limestone massifs with many caves, including 130 in the Lagonaki massif alone. Over the majority of the site the landscape has a typical glaciated relief, with high peaks, 60 remnant glaciers, moraines, and over 130 high-altitude lakes. The main rivers on the north side are the Bol'shaya Laba and Belaya, which feed into the Kuban; on the south side the rivers are shorter, flowing into the Black Sea. There are numerous waterfalls, up to 250 m in height. The flora of the area is characterized by clear zonation, both vertically and from west to east. The western part has oakhornbeam and beech and beech-fir forests; the higher central parts have fir-spruce forests with birch and maple at high altitudes;
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and the eastern parts have both fir-spruce and pine-cedar forests. Above the timberline at around 2,500 m are endemic rhododendron thickets as well as subalpine and alpine meadows. In total, 1,580 vascular plant species have been recorded on the site. Of the forest plant species, about one-fifth is relict or endemic. Some 160 of the vascular plant species are considered as threatened with extinction in the Russian Federation, Adygea Republic and Krasnodar Kray. There are over 700 species of fungi, including 12 that are nationally threatened. The fauna is also rich, with 384 vertebrate species, and 60 mammal species, including wolf, bear, lynx, wild boar, Caucasian deer, tur, chamois, and reintroduced European bison which are globally endangered. Signs of snow leopard area are occasionally seen (globally endangered). There are 246 species of bird, including many endemic, of which 24 are nationally threatened and 24 globally threatened. There is also a high species richness of amphibians, reptiles and fish, with many rare species. About 2,500 insect species have been recorded from a projected total of 5,000. Since the last glaciation, ecological succession has taken place across the nominated site, resulting in a great diversity of ecosystems. The forests are remarkable on the European scale for their lack of human disturbance, i.e. natural ecological processes have continued over the millennia. Vegetation dynamics and timberline have not been influenced by the grazing of domestic animals; an unusual situation on a global scale. There are important populations of both ungulates and wolves, providing opportunities for studying both competitive interactions between grazing animals and predator/prey interactions. Given the size and untouched nature of the site, it should be considered for inscription under this criterion. 152
The Caucasus is one of the global centres of plant diversity. The site includes around a third of the 6,000 plant species of the Greater Caucasus, including Tertiary relicts and Mediterranean and Asiatic Turano-Iranian elements. About a third of the high mountain species and about a fifth of the forest species are endemic. The fauna is also very rich. The site is the place of origin and reintroduction of the mountain subspecies of the European bison, and acts as a reservoir for its expansion through the region. There are stable populations of many other large mammals. The avifauna is rich, and includes many endemic species. There are also high levels of species richness and endemicity in the lower orders. Apart from the Virgin Komi Forests of the Urals, the Western Caucasus is probably the only large mountain area in Europe that has not experienced significant human impacts. Its subalpine and alpine pastures have only been grazed by wild animals. Its extensive tracts of undisturbed mountain forests, extending from the lowlands to the subalpine zone, are unique in Europe. The forests include very large specimens.
Source and further reading: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/900/ Natural Heritage Protection Fund Greenpeace Russia www.kgpbz.ru Protectedplanet.net
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Positive Examples: The Armenia Tree Project 158
The Armenia Tree Project Mission and history Armenia Tree Project (ATP), a non-profit program based in Watertown and Yerevan, conducts vitally important environmental projects in Armenia’s cities and villages and seeks support in advancing its reforestation mission. ATP was founded in 1994 by philanthropist Carolyn Mugar and its efforts were officially launched with the start of the first tree-planting project at the Nork Senior Center in the spring of the same year. In 2001, ATP’s goals began to be redirected towards more aggressive, allencompassing reforestation efforts, aimed at rehabilitating devastated rural and urban areas and providing Armenian citizens with the resources as well as incentive for redeveloping their immediate environments. Specifically, visionary programs have been launched in Aygut in the vicinity of Lake Sevan and in Vanadzor, the third largest city in Armenia, located in the Lori region. Since 1994, ATP has made enormous strides in combating desertification in the biologically diverse but threatened Caucasus region. More than 4,000,000 trees have been planted and restored, and hundreds of jobs have been created for Armenians in seasonal tree-related programs. Today ATP continues to work to further Armenia’s economic and social development by mobilizing resources to fund reforestation. These vital new trees provide food, wood, environmental benefits, and opportunities for economic growth.
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Current activities Currently ATP works on three major program initiatives: 1) Planting trees at urban and rural sites 2) Environmental education 3) Sustainable development and poverty reduction ATP’s targets include: → Creating and publishing a sustainable forestry training manual in collaboration with Yale University School of Forestry, and introducing it to the Ministry of Agriculture and Armenia State Forestry Service for consideration as a guidebook for forestry officials. The manual will serve as a benchmark for ATP trainings for current and future foresters, as well as local residents who wish to become involved with community based forestry initiatives; → Continuing to provide trainings and seminars for rural environmental youth groups, family farmers growing trees, and visitors to ATP’s Michael and Virginia Ohanian Environmental Education Center at Karin nursery; → Continuing to provide trainings for educators throughout Armenia and creating a network for information and experience exchange for public schools environmental education teachers; → Working with organizations and individuals participating in the environmental coalition activities to advocate for the preservation of public green spaces, sustainable forest use policies, and other environmental issues having broad based public interest. 160
Environmental education Environmental education is developed by ATP as a core program area in order to prepare the nation’s youth for becoming the next generation of environmental stewards. In addition, all ATP’s reforestation work in rural villages—which is directly tied to social and economic development—has a key educational component focusing on youth and local partners. By actively engaging youth in a process to better understand and appreciate the value of a healthy and sustainable environment, ATP seeks to protect the trees they plant today from future exploitation. The public school system in Armenia does not have an environmental education component in its curriculum, so ATP designed a curriculum that will be introduced to the Ministry of Education for consideration as a mandatory teaching tool for primary through secondary school students. The curriculum was approved and recommended by the Republic of Armenia National Institute of Education as a manual for science teachers in public schools. All schools in Armenia have received the Curriculum. ATP in collaboration with National Institute of Education provides country wide trainings on environmental education in all regions (marzes) of Armenia. The ATP’s Environmental Education Curriculum can be consulted in English at the following address: http://www.armeniatree.org/pdf/ ee_curriculum_july10.pdf. Further information about this organization and its work can be found at www.armeniatree.org.
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Delish! Recipe of The Month & more! 182
This month we are making the vegetable panzanella, hope you’ll enjoy it! For more recipes do take a look at our Low Carbon and Delicious Cookbook and explore the Mediterranean through great food and wonderful dishes. You can read the cookbook online or download it for free:
http://www.issuu.com/nektarinapublishing/docs/
low_carbon_and_delicious
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Notes, sources and acknowledgements: http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/c0.0.843.403/ p843x403/531073_386517611428446_307998510_n.jpg http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/images/gallery/500x595/20121210-billmckibben-x595-1355169564.jpg http://qld.greens.org.au/sites/greens.org.au/files/imagecache/policy/ policypreviews/biodiversity_1.jpg http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rw5MMztlbtU/UJxpwWZdFcI/AAAAAAAANUQ/ q_poHkFnpTo/s1600/IMG_5209.JPG http://www.unwater.org/fileadmin/user_upload/watercooperation2013/doc/ USGS_FAO_WaterCycle.jpg http://ct.shadowtext.net/il/st/se/i56/2/3/11/ f_2704d3a9d8559680e10ca673e399ec36.jpg http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2013-03-21-images-DiversityTree.jpg http://www.definingduo.com/2010/08/poster-plants.html http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/ European_bison_on_stamp_Russia_West_Caucasus_2006.jpg/300pxEuropean_bison_on_stamp_Russia_West_Caucasus_2006.jpg http://www.searchquotes.com/search/People_Nowadays/ http://visual.ly/we-already-grow-enough-food https://www.facebook.com/photo.php? fbid=10151799684995968&set=a.117310710967.121242.77899060967&type=1&th eater https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotosprn1/18924_392900767464881_1759739919_n.jpg
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http://sport.news.am/static/news/b/2012/06/6764.jpg http://www.mountain.ru/img_db/img/178.jpg http://simonlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/4161542017_ff67479dd5.jpg http://www.risk.ru/i/post/13/13255_full.jpg http://earth.imagico.de/views/georgia1_small.jpg http://trawellguide.com/ArticlesImages/ankit/Elbrus.jpg http://www.elbrus-reisen.de/tl_files/Daten/bilder/rest/startseite.jpg http://strandtea.corecommerce.com/uploads/images/sustainable-agriculture.jpg http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/ p480x480/531812_10151417667437809_2125546409_n.jpg http://f0.bcbits.com/z/26/31/2631554651-1.jpg http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/ p206x206/66747_395821660506125_1588478821_n.jpg http://5.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/puzzle-social-icons-640.jpg http://www.gracelinks.org/246/sustainable-agriculture-the-basics
Nektarina (S)pace is a web magazine published monthly by Nektarina Non Profit, a non governmental, non profit organization registred in Croatia. ISSN 1847-6694 www.nektarinanonprofit.com 215
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