ISSN 1847-6694
NEKTARINA (S)PACE
February 2013
The Alps and Glacial Lakes In this issue: The Alps and Sustainability, Beyond the Brink, Liveable Cities: Stockholm, Glacial Lakes, Beech Forests and more
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
February Heights NEKTARINA (S)PACE IS A WEBMAGAZINE PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY NEKTARINA NON PROFIT, A NON PROFIT, NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION. WWW.NEKTARINANONPROFIT.COM ISSN 1847-6691
Nektarina (S)pace, Web Magazine Year 2, Issue # 6, February 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!
With love, from: Publisher: Nektarina Non Profit Creative Director & Editor-In-Chief: Sandra Antonovic Lead Researcher & Contributing Editor: Livia Minca Content Contributor: Yula Pannadopoulos Journalist: Alyosha Melnychenko Contributor for the February Issue: Claire Moignier Photography: Sandra Antonovic
Contributors: This could be you! If interested, email us to space@nektarinanonprofit.com
In this issue: From our desk Love is in the air Liveable Cities: Stockholm, Sweden The Bookshelf: Bill McKibben, Eaarth Our Blockbuster: Beyond the Brink
The Alps and Sustainability Glacial Lakes World Nature Heritage Sites: Primeval beech forests of the Carpathians and the ancient beech forest in Germany The Alliance of Civilizations Positive Examples: The Netherlands Learning for Sustainable Development Delish! Recipe of the month Vegetarian Quiche Coming up in March
From our desk: By Yula Pannadopoulos February, the “short month”, but also the month of flavours and scents, the month of Mardi Gras, St Valentine’s Day, cinnamon cookies and hot chocolate. Love is in the air, as they say, we are wide awake after January slow days, and the world is slowly getting ready for the next season. It feels like it was just yesterday as we struggled with the first (pdf format) issue of Nektarina (S)pace, and here I am today, sharing my thoughts with you, just about to present you our 6th issue. How cool is that? We hope you liked all the content and photos we shared with you in January. In case you missed it, just click here and enjoy: http://www.issuu.com/ nektarinapublishing/docs/nektarina_space_january_issue This month we keep writing about the Alps, going a step further by sharing some interesting information about glacial lakes. What a better way to start getting ready for spring, than to share stories
about World Nature Heritage Site - Primeval beech forests of the Carpathians and the ancient beech forests in Germany. We visited Stockholm (Liveable cities section) , and we read Bill McKibben’s gripping book Eaarth (The Bookshelf). Our blockbuster recommendation this month—Beyong the Brink - check out a young boy’s take on climate change issues. Touching base with our Education for Sustainability project, this month we share positive examples from the Netherlands and their “Learning for Sustainable Development” programme.
Much more content, and some really beautiful photography, awaits you in this issue, and we hope that you’ll find something you’ll like, we hope that you might learn something new, and we hope that you will find some inspiration for yourself, your family and friends.
So, let’s dive in! Enjoy!
The Alps and Sustainability
The Alps - unique nature and culture As defined in the Alpine Convention, the region of the Alps is home to some 13 million people. The 190.912 sq.km. contained within the Alpine arc comprise the territory of seven countries, 83 regions (NUTS 3) and about 6,200 communities. With their unique combination of natural and cultural history, the Alps have become a living space, an economic area and a recreational playground of eminent importance at the heart of the European continent.
Diversity of the Alps The Alps are a region of cultural and linguistic diversity. The languages and language groups of the Alps include Slav languages, the Rhaeto-Romanic language group comprising the minority languages Romansch, Ladin and Friulian, the German language group with Alemannic and Bavarian and also the Walser dialect, which is still spoken in a few areas, and the Romance language group with French and Italian. Some of these languages and dialects have survived only in small enclaves and are gradually dying out because the younger members of those societies no longer speak them. A number of projects have been launched to encourage the use of these languages and dialects to save them from extinction; they are now being taught at school again, and there are radio programmes, newspapers and so on.
Action and restraint in the Alps
The future of the Alpine space is being seen more and more in terms of sustainable development, with equal attention afforded to the twin aspects of protection and use. Sustainable development is a form of "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". (Brundtland Commission 1987) Sustainable development is an anthropocentric concept that includes both ecological and sociocultural elements. Sustainability always involves the question of use, although use is not a prerequisite for sustainability. Indeed a significant aspect of sustainable development can be the decision to abandon land that was previously in use, i.e. a policy of restraint, of release into a process of natural development. The concept of sustainability needs to be defined and implemented at different levels. For the Alpine space as an overall region, specific models and concepts are just as important as individual measures. Action and restraint both have an economic and an ecological component, with action relating primarily to use and management, and restraint to protection. Action and restraint are inseparable elements in any concept or discussion relating to sustainability. In addition, they are always to be interpreted in the double sense of the words:
The concept of sustainability needs to be defined and implemented at different levels. For the Alpine space as an overall region, specific models and concepts are just as important as individual measures.
action in the sense of production, i.e. preserving the Alpine region as an independent economic space to meet the needs of the resident population through sustainable development;
action in the sense of preservation, i.e. shaping and managing the cultural landscape in order to preserve the Alpine region as a living space based on diversity;
restraint in the sense of a necessity, i.e. the need to refrain from making unsustainable use of the Alpine space
restraint in the sense of an opportunity, i.e. the chance to permit a greater role to be played by the forces of natural development without anthropogenic interference.
In the European context, the Alps are ideally suited to serve as a model for a regional concept of a sustainable economy. The goal of any concept of sustainable development is to support economically and ecologically meaningful cycles as the core of a sustainable economy. To that extent the Alpine space is predestined to play a pioneer role in sustainable development in Europe. In view of the specific character of an ecologically sensitive mountain region like the Alps, any mistakes made with regard to land use have faster and more dire repercussions than in lowland areas. They require greater care at the level of prevention and faster reactions in terms of repair.
The region of the Alps is home to some 13 million people.
The Alps can also play a pioneer role in the creation of a convincing design for a sustainable economy. Experience with economic activity adapted to the needs of the natural environment has been preserved longer in the
Alpine
space, so that the measures required for sustainable development can often be In addition, economic activity adapted to the needs of the natural environment also contributes to the management and preservation of the cultural landscape. Sustainability cannot always mean the same thing; a densely populated region is different from a quiet rural area, and a tourist centre is not comparable with a depopulated mountain region. Sustainable development must therefore always take account of the specific character of the natural and cultural spaces involved.
The population It is also necessary to take into account the variations in population density within the Alpine arc. In terms of average density, the Alps - with 60 inhabitants per square kilometre - cannot be classified as a densely populated area, but the regional differences are considerable. Above all it should be remembered that 60 inhabitants per square kilometre is the average figure relating to the whole of the Alpine region and that the area of permanent settlement in such a mountainous environment is naturally much smaller. If the area of permanent settlement is taken as the basis for population density, the figure is four times as high and is comparable with the most densely populated regions in the world. In terms of population distribution, the Alpine region is undergoing a process of urban growth and rural exodus. Rapid growth is to be observed in both the main urban centres and the low-altitude locations in the mountain valleys, while the small communities in the mountains proper are shrinking at a growing rate. Population growth in the mountains is only to be found in a small number of communities where tourism is a main source of income for the local people.
In the European context, the Alps are ideally suited to serve as a model for a regional concept of a sustainable economy.
Present development The reciprocal processes of increasing urbanisation and rural exodus in the Alpine space can be observed at several levels. Within the Alps as a whole we can distinguish between the booming Central Alps and the increasingly depopulated Southwest Alps, within the individual regions between the local centres, which can be large towns or cities or successful tourist resorts, and their underdeveloped hinterland, and at the local level between the built-up areas down in the main valleys and the abandoned side valleys and mountain slopes. This complexity means that the problems vary from region to region, and that the criteria for sustainable development must be adapted accordingly in the individual case. The Alps represent a region of great diversity in terms of landscape and the flora and fauna. This diversity is a product of geological, morphological and climatic factors on the one hand and thousands of years of human activity on the other. Natural and near-natural landscapes are becoming increasingly rare, as are traditional cultural landscapes. Within society, however, there is a growing desire for the preservation or restoration of such living spaces. In addition to sociocultural factors, there are also economic reasons for this reappraisal of land use in mountain areas. It is important for the future of the mountain farming community, for example, to avoid the conventional largefarm structures of the flat areas and to focus on niche products with high standards of quality and the appropriate labels. A committed effort is required for the development and promotion of ecolabels for products and services that satisfy the requirements of sustainability.
It is important for the future of the mountain farming community to avoid the conventional large-farm structures.
Sensitive Alps The Alpine region is subjected to a variety of ecological impacts of internal and external origin. The economic functions of the Alpine space are also largely determined externally. In future, the polluter-pays principle must be applied to make non-sustainable activities unattractive and preserve the special potential of the mountain areas. Also, the pollution must be paid for regardless of whether it is caused by traffic in transit from outside of the Alpine space or by a polluter in the mountain region itself. Cross-border environmental problems are growing, and so is the degree of international integration. For that reason alone, a sustainable development strategy is one that avoids an isolated response in the Alpine space or by individual regions. Integration within Europe, however, does not mean that the decision on the future of the Alps will be taken outside of the Alpine space, all the more so as the Alpine Convention gives the countries of the Alps an opportunity to promote regionalisation.
In terms of the economy, society and the cultural landscape, structural change in the Alpine space has shifted the balance between action and restraint to the detriment of biological and landscape diversity. Where biodiversity and landscape variety are at risk, a basic condition of sustainable development can no longer be said to have been satisfied. New conditions of use require new limits to use. In this context, restraint is the willingness to forgo non-sustainable use.
Climate Change and Sustainable Tourism in the Alps One of the major challenges that Alpine tourism has to face in the quest for sustainability is climate change. A Tourism Protocol of the Alpine Convention is still far from its conclusion, whereas the Alpine Convention fourth report on the state of the Alps, “Sustainable Tourism in the Alps”, is under preparation and it is expected by the end of the year. Waiting for this forthcoming report,a CMCC’s research paper by CIP division (Climate Impacts Policies. An Economic Assessment) gather the main outcomes of the several CMCC research projects focused on the Alpine region that have addressed the issue of climate change (especially for what concern the implications for the tourism sector), and of the existing relevant literature. In the last years, as reported the paper by CMCC’s author Stefano Balbi, several research and cooperation projects focused on the Alpine region have been dealing with the problem of climate change.
One of the major challenges that Alpine tourism has to face in the quest for sustainability is climate change.
The Alpine Space Programme, starting with ClimChAlp (2006 – 2008) was in particular focused on the issue of adaptation to climate change. The programme continued in the following years through several projects, such as CLISP, ClimAlpTour, Manfred, AdaptAlp, AlpWaterScarce, ParaMount, Permanet, SILMAS, AlpFFIRS. The know how of these projects and its main results led to the C3Alps project, recently started.
Alpstar, another project recently started, is instead focused on climate change mitigation, and on the goal to make the Alps a carbon neutral environment. CMCC participate to many of these projects, such as ClimAlpTour, the only project explicitly focused on tourism, AdaptAlp, ClimChAlps and C3Alps.
Glacial Lakes
A glacial lake is a lake with origins in a melted glacier. They are formed when a glacier erodes the land, and then melts, filling the hole or space that they have created. Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,000 years ago, glaciers began to retreat. A retreating glacier often left behind large deposits of ice in hollows between drumlins or hills. As the ice age ended, these melted to create lakes. This is apparent in the Lake District in Northwestern England where post-glacial sediments are normally between 4 and 6 metres deep. These lakes are often surrounded by drumlins, along with other evidence of the glacier such as moraines, eskers and erosional features such as striations and chatter marks.
The scouring action of the glaciers pulverizes minerals in the rock over which the glacier passes. These pulverized minerals become sediment at the bottom of the lake, and some of the rock flour becomes suspended in the water column. These suspended minerals support a large population of algae, making the water appear green.
These lakes are clearly visible in aerial photos of landforms in: Canada, U.S., Russia, Argentina, Iceland, Spain, New Zealand, Tibet, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Australia and other regions that were glaciated during the last ice age. The coastlines near these areas are typically very irregular, reflecting the same geological process.
By contrast, other areas have fewer lakes that often appear attached to rivers. Their coastlines are smoother. These areas were carved more by water erosion.
A glacial lake is a lake with origins in a melted glacier. A proglacial lake is a lake formed either by the damming action of a moraine or ice dam during the retreat of a melting glacier.
As seen in the English Lake District, the layers of the sediments at the bottom of the lakes can then tell you the rate of erosion by taking into account the rate of erosion of the glacier and its subsequent placement of the sediment. The elemental make up of the sediments are not associated with the lakes the themselves, but by the migration of the elements within the soil, such as iron and manganese.
The spreading of these elements, within the lake bed, are contributed to the condition of the drainage basin and the chemical composition of the water. Sediment deposition can also be influenced by animal activity; including the distribution of biochemical elements, which are elements that are found in organic organisms, such as phosphorus and sulfur. The less halogen and boron found in the sediments accompanies a change in erosional activity. The rate of deposition reflects the amount of halogen and boron in the deposited sediments.
Proglacial lakes In geology, a proglacial lake is a lake formed either by the damming action of a moraine or ice dam during the retreat of a melting glacier, or by meltwater trapped against an ice sheet due to isostatic depression of the crust around the ice. At the end of the last ice age approximately 10,000 years ago, large proglacial lakes were a widespread feature in the northern hemisphere. In some cases, such lakes gradually evaporated during the warming period after the Quaternary ice age. In other cases, such as Glacial Lake Missoula and Glacial Lake Wisconsin in the United States, the sudden rupturing of the supporting dam caused glacial lake outburst floods, the rapid and catastrophic release of dammed water resulting in the formation of gorges and other structures downstream from the former lake. Good examples of these structures can be found in the Channeled Scablands of eastern Washington, an area heavily eroded by the Missoula Floods. In Great Britain, Lake Lapworth, Lake Harrison and Lake Pickering were examples of proglacial lakes. Ironbridge Gorge and Hubbard's Hills are examples of a glacial overspill channel created when the water of a proglacial lake rose high enough to breach the lowest point in the containing watershed. The receding glaciers of the tropical Andes have formed a number of proglacial lakes, especially in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru, where 70% of all tropical glaciers are. Several such lakes have formed rapidly during the 20th century. These lakes may burst, creating a hazard for zones below. Many natural dams (usually moraines) containing the lake water have been reinforced with safety dams. Some 34 such dams have been built in the Cordillera Blanca to contain proglacial lakes.
Climate change enhances risks of glacial lakes flooding mountain communities
Lakes high in the world's mountains are becoming increasingly dangerous to the towns that have sprouted up near them. The lakes are prone to floods, typically caused when the mountain glaciers that feed them shed a chunk of ice and rock, forcing thousands of gallons over the banks. The hamlet of Carhuaz, in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca Range, could hardly be more picturesque. Birds chirp while venders hawk their goods at an open-air market in the town tucked into a fold at the furrowed base of snow-capped Mount Hualcan. So it’s hard to imagine what happened here one morning in April 2009. That’s when a curtain of ice weighing perhaps half a million tons slid off Haulcan’s shoulder and crashed into a lake below. The collapse raised an 80 foot swell of water, ice and stone that washed over the lake’s banks and roared downhill. Startled farmers fled in terror. Estela Pajuelo was inside her sturdy adobe house that morning. She says her young son yelled from outside to run as a wall of mud and boulders headed toward her. She bolted for higher ground just before the wave of debris crushed her home. “This is killing me, Pajuelo said. “I’m an indigent person. Why is this happening to me?”
The answer, says Peruvian glaciologist Benjamin Morales, is global warming. Morales says global warming is melting mountain glaciers all around the world faster and faster. According to one new study, the tropical Andes, including the mountains of Peru, lost between 20 and 45 percent of their volume in the last 40 years. And when the ice retreats, it can create precarious situations.
The lakes are prone to floods, typically caused when the mountain glaciers that feed them shed a chunk of ice and rock, forcing thousands of gallons over the banks.
Morales says lakes often form at the base of a receding glacier. They can be held in place at first by natural gravel dikes. But those barriers are fragile, especially if they’re disturbed by an ice fall like the one in Carhuaz. Carhuaz was actually fortunate. The embankment of its glacial lake had been reinforced with concrete, which limited the size of the flood. 100 homes were hit, but nobody was killed. Morales says it could have been far worse. A glacial lake can destroy a city.
Standing in a steep-walled canyon just below another glacial lake called Palcacocha, Morales tells a story from 1941. A huge ice outcrop slipped off a glacier and whipped up a wave that breached the lake’s bank. It let loose 4 billion gallons into the canyon, inundating the city of Hauraz below. A third of the town was destroyed and 5,000 people drowned. That was more than 70 years ago, so climate change probably isn’t entirely to blame for these kinds of disasters. But the risks are increasing as glaciers melt faster here and elsewhere. Cesar Portocarrero oversaw reinforcement of Lake Palcacocha’s banks to protect the rebuilt city as further melting refilled the lake above. He also designed the dam that kept the avalanche in Carhuaz from turning deadly. He’s now retired from the government’s Glaciology Office and is sharing the techniques he helped pioneer overseas. Portocarrero says Peru is a global example of the fight against the danger of these lakes. “We’re even applying our technology in the Himalayas,” he said. Portocarrero himself is now working as an adviser in Nepal, which, along with China, Bhutan and Pakistan, is responding to new threats from retreating glaciers and growing glacial lakes. Bhutan just wrapped up an arduous construction project 15,000 feet up in the mountains to protect communities in two remote valleys.
But the risks are increasing as glaciers melt faster here and elsewhere.
Ironically, Portocarrero says he’s again concerned about his own city, Hauraz, in Peru. He says the lake above Huaraz has 30 times more water now than when he reinforced its banks in the 1970s, posing a big risk to the city’s 150,000 residents. He says a flood of 10,000 tons of water, soil and rock per second could arrive in Huaraz in less than half an hour. And Portocarrero says Palcacocha is only one of almost three dozen precarious glacier lakes in the Cordillera Blanca. Having developed expertise in shoring up these lakes, however, Portocarrero says Peru’s central government no longer does the actual construction work. It’s transferred that responsibility to regional governments. But Portocarrero says they’re trying to save money, so they’re not fixing the lakes, either. Glaciologists say these risks will eventually subside, but only after most of the world’s mountaintop ice has melted away. In the meantime, experts warn that people living near such glaciers should be prepared for more and bigger floods.
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"PRI's "The World" is a one-hour, weekday radio news magazine offering a mix of news, features, interviews, and music from around the globe. "The World" is a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston.
Our Blockbuster: Beyond the Brink
A young man’s take on climate change
Beyond the Brink is a young filmmaker’s take on the climate change debate. 18-year-old Ross Harrison spent a year chasing up experts, studying the news and filming to create a short documentary that answers the everpressing questions, are we really causing climate change, and who cares? The result is a 40 minute film the knowns and the unknowns of the science, about the risks, and about being hopeful for the future too. Interviews with Sir David Attenborough, Mark Lynas, David Shukman, Prof Dieter Helm, the UK Youth Climate Coalition, and Ross’ grandparents among others, offer fresh perspectives on a subject that saturates the media, divides the public, and yet is still meaningless to many. At a time when the hype is blowing over and people feel put off by scandals, Beyond the Brink seeks to lay out how things really stand now. Beyond the Brink is a not-for-profit production available for free for anyone to watch and use. To watch the film simply visit the website http://www.beyondthebrink.org
By Sally Mumby-Croft
Beyond the Brink is young filmmaker Ross Harrison’s personal investigation into the debate on Climate Change. After feeling inundated by the media discussions in the lead up and fall out of Copenhagen in 2009, Ross set himself the task of answering the ever present question of “What is Climate Change” followed by the provocative “and does it really matter?” To help himself along his journey and to find out more about the current consensus on climate change Ross interviewed a selection of commentators and scientists from David Attenbrough, Deepak Rughani, Mark Lynas, Dieter Helm to Dr Heike Schroeder. Amelia’s Magazine interviewed Ross about why he decided to make this film, the impact the film has had in schools and what he now thinks needs to be achieved on a personal and governmental level to tackle the impact of Climate Change.
First things first, what inspired you to make a film that investigates the vast and divisive topic that is Climate Change? Back in 2009, it seemed like an unavoidable issue – what with the media coverage building up to Copenhagen for nearly the whole year and films like The Age of Stupid being released. I also found the subject cropping up more and more in my school work.
What did you feel was missing from the discussion in the media or schools during the lead up to Cop 15 in 2009? It seemed like a very polarized debate with no middle ground. I was frustrated by hearing the same arguments again and again bouncing between the same groups of people. I didn’t understand why people weren’t cooperating more to work towards a common goal. That hasn’t changed a great deal. Probably and most importantly I wanted to provide a young person’s perspective. How has the film been received since its release? Has it been taken around schools in the UK? Since I launched the website at the end of last year there has been a lot of positive feedback, which is encouraging. For the week of screenings I posted about 300 DVDs to schools, universities, community groups and individual volunteers. I’ve been along to some screenings myself, but because they’re all over the country it’s mainly teachers and students using the film themselves, which I’ve tried to make as easy as possible by releasing the film for free
Have you plans to follow up the film with further interviews? No, although it’s something I may come back to at a later date, after I’ve finished working on distributing this film I’ll be looking to take on a new project.
What -for you- were the most difficult aspects to making this film? Weighing up the masses of information about climate change – articles, books, blogs, programs, interviews – and trying to filter that down into a documentary that was balanced, accessible and understandable was the first difficulty. The second was trying to think of ways of doing things differently, using different language, presenting the problem in a new way that might make it more inspiring. Beyond the Brink contains a mixture of talking heads and personal narration, what lead you to construct the film in this way? The talking heads are in there because I felt that was the best way to convey the experts’ viewpoints. The audience hears what I heard and can draw their own conclusions. I chose to feature myself because it was a very personal project and I wanted to include my slant as a teenager. Was it particularly important to you that the film was released for free and under a creative commons license? Definitely. My hope is for the film to get the widest audience possible and I think making it freely available should mean more people watch it that otherwise might. On reflection, since Cop 16 and the overshadowing of Climate Change in the media by the recession and the arrival of the coalition government, what do you think is next for the climate movement? Cancun was not surprising – after such a flop at Copenhagen the officials involved were bound to be desperate to publicize some sort of success.
Even so COP16 was a small step rather than the deal people had set their hopes on in 2009. I don’t want to rule out the UN process completely, but I think its limited real impact in the 19 years its been running, is a sign progress needs to be made elsewhere. Those involved in the climate movement need to be pressuring the governments of their own countries to lead by example. The discussion needs to move away from talking about climate catastrophe to selling the benefits of a clean energy infrastructure and low-carbon lifestyles. People are far more likely to be driven by an appealing goal than a danger that could affect them at some point in the future. What did you learn during the making of the film that surprised you with regards to the debate on Climate Change? A greater proportion of the scientific community than I realized think that humans are largely causing current climate change. A scientific debate about whether we are contributing to climate change doesn’t really exist anymore, it is widely assumed we are. How difficult did you find approaching the range of experts -from Sir David Attenborough to Deepak Rughani and Dr Heike Schroeader- that appear in Beyond the Brink? It was certainly a challenge. Obviously the people I met know a massive amount about the subject, much more than I do, but you still have to research lots to be able to ask good questions. Thankfully all the interviewees were very approachable and generous with their time. Like many things, you get better at interviews with practice and in the end I was really pleased with the responses I had. That’s not to say there weren’t disappointments. Sometimes technical problems meant some of the best answers couldn’t be used.
How did the animations within the film develop and do you feel they were integral to explain a few of the ideas behind the causes of Climate Change? Concepts like the greenhouse effect are difficult to explain at all, let alone with a strict time limit and so animations seemed like the best option. The problem is they take a long time to create. I’ve still got 100 paper Earths on my shelf that I traced from my computer screen. What fact or possible event as a cause of Climate Change shocked you the most during the making of this film? I found that the number of species threatened by potential warming was really startling. One in four land animal and plant species could be threatened with extinction this century. Which five environmental documentaries would you recommend everybody watches? The Age of Stupid, The End of the Line, The Planet Earth series is brilliant and Planet Earth: The Future is a conservation focused companion series. The ‘Jungles’ episode of the recent Human Planet series. What conclusions have you come to since Beyond the Brink was completed? Being optimistic is important. Working towards a vision of a better world with a reliable renewable energy supply, full employment, smaller bills, and healthier lifestyles, has got a far greater chance of uniting the population than struggling to avoid a catastrophe. You don’t have to be an environmentalist to want those things. And working together is essential. In whatever situation people are taking action, by joining forces with their neighbours, friends, schoolmates or colleagues, they can make their voice much louder.
What policies would you like to see Governments world wide implement? I’d like to see serious investment in green technologies, stricter regulation of energy industries, and policies that make it easier for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint. Channelling money into developing renewable energy and other green products can create jobs. On the one hand if our current energy system is replaced by a carbon neutral one then individuals will not have to make many changes, on the other, behavioral change is essential because we need to start appreciating almost all the resources we use are finite. One policy I think is especially urgent and needs to be implemented by some South American and Indonesian governments is strong protection of rainforests. The rate of deforestation is mind-blowing and can’t go on. “Are we really causing Climate Change and who cares?” (Question taken from Beyond the Brink’s website) It is very likely we are changing the Earth’s climate by changing the composition of its atmosphere and this is a stance that the vast majority of climate scientists and scientific organizations around the world agree on, as far as I can tell. The implications are serious and everybody could be affected, but importantly the poorest people in the world who are less able to defend themselves against potential hazards are likely to be affected first. Like many problems, climate change is easy to ignore and only a minority are taking action, even if a much larger number might say they are concerned. The next step must be to encourage changes that people want to see and which reduce our impact at the same time, like demanding cheaper, better public transport, or designing more energy efficient products.
What really makes me hopeful, though, is education. I’m hopeful people my age will grow up with different attitudes to those of generations before. After watching the film, what’s the next step for a viewer who would like to be engaged in the Climate Change debate? Well, for a start the debate has largely moved from are we really causing climate change, to what’s the best way to minimize the impact we are very likely having. If someone wants more information, there are endless books and websites. The Rough Guide to Climate Change is particularly good. But be wary of blogs – it’s very easy for people to write anything they like and pretend to know more than they do. In terms of getting involved, the best thing to do is join an existing network, of which there are many. There are so many organizations with basically the same aims I sometimes think if they all joined forces then they could really change things. If you’d call yourself young then check out the UK Youth Climate Coalition, some of whose members feature in the film. Other initiatives like 350 and 10:10 are building the movement, making it exciting and making an impact.
The Bookshelf: Eaarth
By Linda Schneekloth
“Imagine we live on a planet.” So begins Bill McKibben's 2010 book, Eaarth: Making Life on a Tough New Planet. Those few words powerfully contain the message of the book. We do live on a planet, a very small one, interdependent one; there is no other place – here is home, our only home. The point of the book is very clear: global warming is not something that is going to happen, it is here now. It is our reality, and we better start figuring out right now how we are going to respond to it. Doing nothing is only a short term option that will result in wars over the last drops of fossil fuels, and after they are gone, we’ll still have to figure out something else. So let’s do it now.
The book is divided into four chapters, each important to understanding global warming. The first, “A New World,” in an unabashed accounting of the conditions we find ourselves in today, “running Genesis backward, decreating . . .” the only world we’ve ever known. It is filled with startling information, such as the fact that the six of the 12 largest corporations in the world are fossil-fuel provides, and four others build cars. Or why we have more fires, and why fresh water resources are being depleting. If you wanted a summary in one place about the unintended consequences of our spree on fossil fuels, here it is.
We have assumed that the future will resemble the past. This is now a fantasy that we must abandon and choose to decline gracefully, accepting the challenges of being the grownups, and deciding what we don’t need, we really, don’t need.
The second chapter is called “High Tide” and confronts the most basic ideological of modernity: growth and progress. “On our new planet growth may be the one big habit we finally must break” . This section brings together science and politics, offering insight into the political economic situation in the world of rich and poor nations that will make any attempts to address climate change more challenging. Already wars are being fought over environmental conditions brought on or exacerbated by climate change. We in the U.S. have always imagined unlimited growth, and imaginations are powerful things. We have assumed that the future will resemble the past. This is now a fantasy that we must abandon and choose to decline gracefully, accepting the challenges of being the grownups, and deciding what we don’t need, we really, don’t need.
What does it mean to reimagine the future without growth? In the third chapter, called “Backing Off”, McKibbens offers some ideas: think slower, smaller, digging in, resilient, and that overused word, sustainable. The book recounts the trajectory that allowed us to believe that bigger and faster is better, but cautions us, “We’ve got a lot of work to do if we’re going to survive on this Eaarth, but most of it needs to be done close to home. Small, not big: dispersed, not centralized.” And we need to do it together. One of the consequences of our energy power was the imagination that we are truly independent not only of the earth, but of each other. We’re going to need all of us, we’ll need community, and we’ll need a wise allocation of the limited resources we have directed toward life, not war and death.
So what do we do? Thankfully McKibben doesn’t leave us without a vision, instead he offers a glimpse into what life might be like. “Lightly, Carefully, Gracefully” goes through basic systems of survival such as water and especially agriculture and food systems. We’ll have to start thinking again of where our food is grown and how: in a real sense, all of us will need to be farmers again in our regional communities. Energy, as well, will need to be dispersed and local, hopefully powerful enough to keep us warm and to fuel the internet so that we’ll have a way of thinking globally while most of our living and actions are local. And we’ll need each other – for what we know and must learn. This book is a powerful summary of where we are, why we are here, and what possible alternative ways we might imagine. “Eaarth represents the deepest of human failures.” But we are a resilient and creative species, capable of extraordinary courage and community. So let’s get to work.
Twenty years ago, with The End of Nature, Bill McKibben offered one of the earliest warnings about global warming. Those warnings went mostly unheeded; now, he insists, we need to acknowledge that we've waited too long, and that massive change is not only unavoidable but already under way. Our old familiar globe is suddenly melting, drying, acidifying, flooding, and burning in ways that no human has ever seen. We've created, in very short order, a new planet, still recognizable but fundamentally different. We may as well call it Eaarth.
That new planet is filled with new binds and traps. A changing world costs large sums to defend—think of the money that went to repair New Orleans, or the trillions it will take to transform our energy systems. But the endless economic growth that could underwrite such largesse depends on the stable planet we've managed to damage and degrade. We can't rely on old habits any longer.
Our hope depends, McKibben argues, on scaling back—on building the kind of societies and economies that can hunker down, concentrate on essentials, and create the type of community (in the neighborhood, but also on the Internet) that will allow us to weather trouble on an unprecedented scale.
Change—fundamental change—is our best hope on a planet suddenly and violently out of balance.
Positive Examples: The Netherlands
The programme “Learning for Sustainable Development”
The Dutch Program “Learning for Sustainable Development” enhances learning processes on sustainability in many issues, and helps students, professionals, organisations and individuals to identify and make sustainable choices. Participants in decision-making processes work together to resolve problems, carefully balancing the interests of people, nature and the environment, and the economy, in perspective of global responsibility, future orientation and sharing of values. Learning for Sustainable Development facilitates sustainable decisionmaking by: → explaining and concretising the concept of sustainability (e.g. by publishing essays or developing continuous learning strands) → bringing the parties involved together at all levels in order to work out concrete issues (organising workshops, starting up networks, supporting websites for sharing knowledge) → offering training and coaching to participants in the program (participating in processes designed to embed sustainability in the structure and administration organisations, for example)
The three pillars of the “Learning for Sustainable Development� Programme
Pillar 1 - Learning individuals: this aims to ensure that all school-leavers and graduates are able to make an active contribution to sustainable development. The program targets educational institutes, teachers, lecturers and administrators in all sectors of education: primary, secondary, higher and vocational education (within the formal education system) and the organisations that support the education sector in the area of sustainable development (outside the education sector). This pillar addresses ESD in all curricula.
Pillar 2 - Learning organisations: this aims to help civil servants acquire the competences to make responsible ecological, social and economic decisionmaking and prevent responsibilities being shifted to other places or generations (the global dimension and the future dimension). The target group is the public sector: policy-making officials, administrators and administrative consultants, as well as the implementation departments of ministries, provinces and district water boards. More and more attention is being devoted to municipal councils and businesses.
Pillar 3 - Learning society: this is primarily aimed at provincial scale. Working towards a sustainable society concerns us all, at local, provincial and regional level. Local authorities (provincial councils, municipal councils, district water boards), businesses, civil society organisations, NGO’s and individual citizens are involved in participative policy-making processes. How can these processes (and the specific learning and decisions making within) contribute to sustainability? And, in terms of sustainability, what are the key processes of change (transitions)? The provincial network of Learning for Sustainable Development directors allocates resources (money and expertise) to facilitate this “voyage of discovery” and make the results accessible to others. The type of learning processes between stakeholders is defined as “social learning”.
Over the past two decades, “Learning for Sustainable Development” has become deeply ingrained in a number of other educations, such as citizenship education,
world
orientation,
development
education,
environmental
education, health education, intercultural education, and peace education. It stimulates children in their development and their orientation in a complex world. In addition to this socialising function, it also contributes to the pedagogical function of education by asking ethical-philosophical questions. Leading up to “Learning for Sustainable Development”, the Netherlands is fortunate in that the environmental education has always received ardent attention. The link between environmental education and especially - basic education seems an obvious one.
During the first few years of primary education, the child’s orientation on the world around him is basal, small-scale, and close-by. These young children are oriented upon, surprised by, care for, and experience natural and environmental issues close to home and these aspects need to form the basis for lessons in world orientation. As the children’s perception of the environment grows and becomes more complex, these lessons can be scaled up to include a wider world view. However, children are also a part of their living environment: they see and hear what is going on around them, on television and in real life. They view a world that is far away and become interested in it. Therefore, a second starting point may be Citizenship Education. Education is meant to prepare people for active participation in society. Sustainable Development offers youngsters the opportunity to focus upon their future roles as world citizens. Sustainable Development is not possible without the engagement and participation of the population, including youngsters. “Learning for Sustainable Development” and Citizenship Education share important basic principles. In fact, one follows from the other. The legal status of Citizenship Education (in schools) seems a logical step in the direction of a broader acceptance of Learning for Sustainable Development. In addition, both traditional and new subject areas, such as Nature, Life and Technology and philosophy, offer starting points for Learning for Sustainable Development. The concept of sustainable development provides a great challenge - as well as a great opportunity - for education. “Learning for Sustainable Development” touches the real, day-today living environment of pupils, parents and teachers. Attention for sustainable development touches the very core of education: to prepare pupils for their future, their role in it, and their responsibility for it.
Liveable Cities: Stockholm, Sweden
By Claire Moignier
I visited Stockholm last October, and was immediately struck (in the most positive way) by its simplicity in just about everything, and most of all in the way of life. Being a city of residence for approximately 22% of Sweden's population, Stockholm is located on 14 islands, on the south-east coast, where lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea. The website Stockholm Urban Adventures describes this in a following way: " On the west side of the city, you will find the fresh water of Lake Mälaren, and on the eastern side, the salty water of the Baltic Sea. Separating the two is Slussen, the water lock. First built in the midsixteen hundreds, the lock is used to control the strong current between the lake and the sea. Lake Mälaren sits about 60 centimeters higher than the Baltic Sea. Citizens of Stockholm have a strong affection for Lake Mälaren and are invested in its preservation. Lake Mälaren is also the world most clean and pure water source." Basically - to preserve the ecosystems and the biodiversity of the lake its water is allowed to flow into the sea, but the sea water is never allowed to flow into the lake. It's pretty cool they were concerned about that in the 17th century, don't you think?
Cont’d on page 92
With Stockholm being located on so many islands, it didn't really surprise me when I found out that over 30% of the city is made up of waterways. Another 30% of the city is made up of parks and green spaces. And then there are bicycle lanes. :) Cycling is the preferred way of transport for almost 80% of the citizens (even during cold winter months). The city urban and transport planning made sure to create a full infrastructure for cyclists, including street lanes and parking places for bicycles. I was just amazed by this - it's not a thing you see often in the cities in the south of Europe where I come from. Just imagine all this low carbon energy, cycling its way to the urban future of no exhaustion gases pollution, noise and congestion. The city of Stockholm added a helping hand, by introducing a congestion tax in 2007, aiming to decrease the congestion and improve the environmental situation in central Stockholm. How come every city (or at least a capital) in Europe (and the world) hasn't introduced the same tax already, I asked myself. Lack of funding, lack of proactiveness, lack of political consensus were just some of the replies I got. We need to do better than that, I thought. We need to take cities like Stockholm as role models. Stockholm recognized that need and in 2010 the city launched Professional Study Visits programme, in order to share their green best practices. The program provides visitors with the opportunity to learn how to address issues such as waste management, urban planning, carbon dioxide emissions, and sustainable and efficient transportation system, among others.
The same year, 2010, Stockholm , as one of the greenest capitals of the world, was granted a European Green Capital Award (awarded by EU Commission). Here are just some of the reasons why Stockholm won the 2010 European Green Capital Award were: its integrated administrative system, which ensures that environmental aspects are considered in budgets, operational planning, reporting, and monitoring; its cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 25% per capita in ten years; and its decision towards being fossil fuel free by 2050. (source Wikipedia) These efforts are not a short term thing for Stockholm - the city's first environmental programme was introduced in mid 70s of the past century, and until today Stockholm had four more environmental programmes implemented. Today Stockholm is the best city in Europe in terms of freedom from pollution. The water areas in Stockholm are so clean that its citizens can fish and swim in the centre of the city. Just imagine if it were possible to do the same in other capitals of Europe! City of Stockholm's official website gives you a great overview of ongoing projects, as well as the information about Professional Study Visits, in case you are interested to visit Stockholm and find out more about its green, sustainable practices. Stockholm's Wikipedia page with general information about the city. Lake Malaren information and details. My advice? Come for a visit, have coffee or tea in one of the many charming cafes this city has to offer, read up, and get ready to explore the wonderful synergy of nature and urban areas - it will be one of the best experiences you'll have!
World Nature Heritage Site
Primeval beech forests of the Carpathians and the ancient beech forests in Germany
The Ancient Beech Forests of Germany, represent examples of on-going postglacial biological and ecological evolution of terrestrial ecosystems and are indispensable to understanding the spread of the beech (Fagus sylvatica) in the Northern Hemisphere across a variety of environments. The new inscription represents the addition of five forests totaling 4,391 hectares that are added to the 29,278 hectares of Slovakian and Ukranian beech forests inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2007. The tri-national property is now to be known as the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany (Slovakia, Ukraine, Germany).
Brief Synthesis The Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany are a serial property comprising fifteen components. They represent an outstanding example of undisturbed, complex temperate forests and exhibit the most complete and comprehensive ecological patterns and processes of pure stands of European beech across a variety of environmental conditions. They contain an invaluable genetic reservoir of beech and many species associated and dependent on these forest habitats.
The Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany are indispensable to understanding the history and evolution of the genus Fagus, which, given its wide distribution in the Northern Hemisphere and its ecological importance, is globally significant. These undisturbed, complex temperate forests exhibit the most complete and comprehensive ecological patterns and processes of pure stands of European beech across a variety of environmental conditions and represent all altitudinal zones from seashore up to the forest line in the mountains. Beech is one of the most important elements of forests in the Temperate Broad-leaf Forest Biome and represents an outstanding example of the re-colonization and development of terrestrial ecosystems and communities after the last ice age, a process which is still ongoing. They represent key aspects of processes essential for the long term conservation of natural beech forests and illustrate how one single tree species came to absolute dominance across a variety of environmental parameters.
The individual components of this serial property are of sufficient size to maintain the natural processes necessary for the long-term ecological viability of the property's habitats and ecosystems. Buffer zones including surrounding protected areas (national parks, nature parks, protected landscape areas, biosphere reserves) will be managed to protect the property and enhance integrity.
Protection and management requirements Long-term protection and management is ensured through national legal protection as territories which belong to national parks or biosphere reserves. Effective implementation of the trilateral integrated management system is required to guide the planning and management of this serial property. A strict non-intervention management applies to all component parts of the serial property. In the framework of the general management objectives the key issues of the practical management include fostering coordination and communication between the individual component parts, risk management, conservation and management of mountain meadows, river corridors and freshwater ecosystems, tourism management, research and monitoring. The component parts are engaged in international activities of capacity building to share best practices from countries included in the series, and other countries with significant primeval and ancient beech forests. In order to provide for local support to be available in the long run, specific public relations and educational work are crucial aspects of the management. Cooperative management agreements with local groups and tourism agencies are supposed to enhance the achievement of management goals and ensure local community engagement in the component parts.
The Alliance Of Civilizations
The Alliance of Civilizations (AoC) is an initiative proposed by the Prime Minister of the Government of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, at the 59th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) in 2005. It was cosponsored by the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The initiative seeks to galvanize international action against extremism through the forging of international, intercultural and interreligious dialogue and cooperation. The Alliance places a particular emphasis on defusing tensions between the Western and Islamic worlds.
Inception Mutual suspicion, fear and misunderstanding between Islamic and Western societies has been increasing since the beginning of the new millennium. The heightened instability of coexistence between these groups of people with divergent backgrounds has led to exploitation by extremists throughout the world: the severest form of this being violent acts of terrorism. It has been the opinion of many political leaders that efforts should be made to reach a common ground between diverse ethnic and religious groups based on the tolerance, understanding, and respect of the fundamental set of values and beliefs of each group. In this way, and by the attempt to quell "extremism", a comprehensive coalition can be established to work toward a peaceful coexistence between diverse groups around the world, and thereby support international stability.
Proposal The Alliance of Civilizations initiative was proposed by the President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero at the 59th General Assembly of the United Nations in 2005. It was co-sponsored by the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The aim of the initiative was to produce actionable, time-bound recommendations by the end of 2006 for UN member states to adopt.
Preliminary work To fulfill the objective of the initiative, the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan assembled a High-Level Group (HLG) consisting of 20 eminent persons drawn from policy making, academia, civil society, religious leadership, and the media. A full range of religions and civilizations were represented. Among the members were former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, who proposed the Dialogue Among Civilizations initiative, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South African Nobel laureate, Prof. Pan Guang, who obtained the Saint Petersburg-300 Medal for Contribution to China-Russia Relations, and Arthur Schneier, who is the founder and president of the “Appeal of Conscience Foundation” and who gained the "Presidential Citizens Medal”. The HLG met 5 times between November 2005 and November 2006, and produced a report prioritising relations between the Western and Muslim societies.
The first meeting of the HLG of the AoC occurred in Spain in November 2005. The second meeting was in Doha, Qatar from 25 to 27 February 2006 with the agenda of aiming to find ways to calm the cartoon crisis between West and Islamic world. The third meeting took place in Dakar, Senegal from 28 to 30 May 2006. At the final meeting in November 2006 in Istanbul, the members presented their final report to Kofi Annan and to Prime Ministers José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The report outlined recommendations and practical solutions on how the Western and Islamic societies can solve misconceptions and misunderstandings between them. According to the report, "politics, not religion, is at the heart of growing Muslim-Western divide", although a large emphasis is maintained on religion.
Report of the High-Level Group The final 2006 report of the HLG was structured in two parts. Part I presented an analysis of the global context and of the state of relations between Muslim and Western societies. It concluded with a set of general policy recommendations, indicating the HLG's belief that certain political steps are pre-requisites to any substantial and lasting improvement in relations between Muslim and Western societies.
Part II of the report reflected the HLG's view that tensions across cultures have spread beyond the political level into the hearts and minds of populations. To counter this trend, the Group presented recommendations in each of four thematic areas: Education, Youth, Migration, and Media. The Report concluded with outlined suggestions for the implementation of its recommendations. A key issue regarded by the AoC is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the resolution of which is considered paramount. The report also recommends combating "exclusivism" and extremism. It defines exclusivism as, “those who feed on exclusion and claim sole ownership of the truth". Thus, religious groups who assert one specific truth to the exclusion of other religious doctrines are considered undesirable by the AoC. Furthermore, the report identifies the primary global groups in this issue as the three monotheistic faiths.
Structure and leadership The "High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations" is the title of the primary leadership position of the AoC, who is to function as political facilitator and lead spokesman, and to consult directly with the United Nations Secretary General. In April 2007, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed the position of High Representative to Jorge Sampaio, former President of Portugal. The Secretariat of the Alliance of Civilizations provides support to the High Representative and implements developmental functions of the AoC. The offices are based at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
The UN Alliance of Civilizations' media program is based on two pillars: → GlobalExpertFinder.org, an online resource which connects journalists with a wide range of opinion leaders who provide quick reactions and analysis on complex political, social and religious issues; → A broad array of training programs designed to support journalists and opinion makers in their efforts to report across cultural divides in a fastchanging global media environment.
Youth The Youth Solidarity Fund (YSF) is an international program that provides small grants of up to US$30,000 to youth organizations advancing intercultural and interfaith dialogue at the local, national, and regional or international levels. Projects funded under this program are developed and implemented in their entirety by youth organizations and primarily for the benefit of youth. Projects last an average of 6 months and present a strong potential for growth and sustainability. These projects both at the individual (youth) and institutional levels (youth organizations).
Education Through the development of clearinghouses, the UNAOC serves as a platform for disseminating materials that resonate with its objectives of improving understanding among nations and peoples. Launched in April 2009, the Education about Religions and Beliefs Clearinghouse encompasses learning about the world's diverse religions and beliefs as well as ethics, tolerance, and civic education.
It includes guidelines, learning and teaching resources, links to relevant organizations, a journal, related events, an online forum and news. The ERB Clearinghouse currently focuses one duration at the primary and secondary level.
Migration and Integration The Migration Integration program of the Alliance aims to improve integration, and thereby enhance relations between migrants and host societies. Poor integration of migrant communities can give way to feelings of alienation and resentment, while well-integrated migrants demonstrate that diversity brings progress and social cohesion.
Our main tool for this is the Online Community on Migration and Integration, a website that showcases successful models of integration and highlights good practices implemented by a variety of stakeholders. The promotion of the site as a networking platform further encourages the sharing of experiences and replication of good practices.
Delish! Red Pepper Kale Quiche
Crust 2 cups blanched almond flour 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese 1 egg 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small squares Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a food processor (add in order given). Pulse together until it forms a dough. Press the dough into the bottom and evenly up the sides of a 9" glass pie plate. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the crust becomes lightly golden. Filling 1-2 teaspoons coconut oil 1 cup packed chopped kale 2 green onions, sliced 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1 red pepper, diced 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese (I used raw cheese), or mozzarella 6 eggs Salt and pepper Cook the kale in a little bit of water, until just cooked (or steam it). Heat the coconut oil in a large pan and then add the mushrooms, red pepper, and green onions. Saute until just cooked (don't overcook, they will continue to cook in the quiche). Whisk the eggs together in a large bowl. Add the cooked kale and other veggies. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper (important). Add the cheese and stir in. Pour the mixture into the baked crust. Place on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked.
Notes and Acknowledgments Content / Glacial Lakes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proglacial_lake http://www.pri.org/stories/science/environment/climate-changeenhances-risks-of-glacial-lakes-flooding-mountaincommunities-13096.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacial_lake
Alps and Sustainability http://www.cmcc.it/forestry-and-agriculture/climate-changeand-sustainable-tourism-in-the-alps http://www.alpenallianz.org/en/the-alps-and-the-alpineconvention/the-alps
The Bookshelf, Eaarth by Bill McKibben http://www.billmckibben.com/eaarth/eaarthbook.html http://growwny.org/whats-new/320-a-summary-of-eaarth-bybill-mckibben
Our blockbuster / Beyond the Brink http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/earth/climate-changedocumentary-beyond-the-brink/2011/04/01/
World Nature Heritage Site: primeval beech forests of the Carpathians and the ancient beech forests in Germany http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1133
Delish! Recipe of the month Red pepper and kale quiche http://foodandyogaforlife.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/red-pepperkale-quiche-gluten-freelow.html
Alliance of Civilizations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_of_Civilizations
Notes and Acknowledgments Photos / Positive Examples / The Netherlands http://lorizehr.blogspot.com http://commons.wikimedia.org
Our Blockbuster / Beyond the Brink http://livinggeography.blogspot.com
Alliance of Civilizations http://www.unmultimedia.org http://sacrecoeuralonu.org http://arabamerica.com World Nature Heritage Site http://commons.wikimedia.org www.flickr.com
Delish! Recipe of the month Red pepper & kale quiche http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pOiIBM5IuI4/USrg342MPOI/ AAAAAAAAMEg/jfJwirNNTy8/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG
Social Networks http://p2pframework.com
Alliance of Civilizations http://www.unmultimedia.org http://sacrecoeuralonu.org http://arabamerica.com World Nature Heritage Site http://commons.wikimedia.org www.flickr.com
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Missed January Issue? Get it HERE
Coming up in March World Nature Heritage Site: The Danube Delta Liveable Cities: Graz, Austria Connect Through Art: Kunst Haus, Wien Changing of Season: Spring!
World Water Day: Water Cooperation 5th UNAOC Forum Earth Hour The Happiness Project International Day of Forests The Bookshelf Our Blockbuster Delish! Recipe of the Month and much more
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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