Snails Save Bulgarian Farmers from Recession

Few industries have been spared during the global recession, with many still bracing for things to get worse before they get better. But farmers in Bulgaria have found a product that is seemingly recession-proof: snails. The cost to raise them is low and demand is so high, farmers can’t keep up with orders.

From MSNBC:

Businesses may shut by the day across Europe, and Bulgarian agriculture has been declining for 20 years, but snails — a delicacy particularly popular in France and Italy — have become a dynamic niche for the European Union’s poorest country.

September is harvest season and demand is outstripping supply for “escargots”, as the French call them (”ohlyuvi” in Bulgarian). The country has seized the chance to reinforce a position exporting luxury foods that are rarely consumed at home.

About 800 to 900 tons of snails and snail products — six times more than in 2008 — will be exported from Bulgaria this year to please the palates of aficionados, mostly in France.

300 new snail farms are set to open in Bulgaria next year as orders come in from all over Europe. People are really hungry for some snails.

Hey, sometimes tradition trumps smart spending, and people want little luxuries these days. Though why disgusting little slimy creatures are a luxury, I’ll never know.

Link [MSNBC]
Photo credit: Flickr user AussieGall

Belgian Farmers go on Milk-Dumping Binge to Protest Low Prices

In Europe, you can get a liter of milk for 20 (Euro) cents. That doesn’t even begin to cover dairy farmers’ expenses – and to make a point, they’ve dumped millions of liters of the cow secretions into a field. The mass dumping was just the latest move in a protest that has also included blocking deliveries and holding back supplies.

From Reuters:

They blame both the European Commission and local governments and about 7,000 liters of milk was dumped in front of German agriculture ministry buildings in Bonn on Saturday.

Leaders of the protests say they want the European Union to freeze planned increases in production quotas and on Wednesday they demanded the creation of a pan-European institution to regulate the demand and supply of milk.

“It is really sad that we have to throw away the milk,” Romuald Schaber, president of the European Milk Board, said at a demonstration in Belgium where protesting farmers watched hundreds of tractors spew milk over fields.

“Our demands were not heard by the politicians.”

That field is seriously going to stink like hell for a while – and imagine all the hormones seeping into the soil. What a waste. Ironically, over in Britain, there’s a milk shortage, with British farmers saying they simply can’t meet the demand for milk. Dairies and supermarkets in Britain have to import millions of liters a day from abroad, but apparently that’s not enough to help out the angry European dairy farmers.

Link [Reuters] + [Times Online]
Photo credit: BBC

Solar Energy from Africa Could Power Europe

Europe could soon be partially powered by solar energy harvested in North Africa, if a new project called Desertec become reality. The project aims to capture solar energy with a method called concentrating solar power (CSP), transferring it from the desert to Europe through high-voltage transmission lines.

Last week, a group of German businesses announced plans to pursue financing for the project, which is expected to have a price tag around €400 billion, or $555 billion.

From The New York Times:

Munich Re, the large German insurance company, is leading the charge to bring the concept to fruition, and a meeting is scheduled for mid-July to formalize the coalition, which includes companies like Siemens, Deutsche Bank and the energy giant E.On.

“The time now is perfect to start this initiative,” Alexander Mohanty, a Munich Re spokesman, said in an e-mail message Friday, “as climate protection has become an urgent issue and our economies need new impulses.”

Large-scale C.S.P. projects — essentially expansive fields of solar collectors, or mirrors, that concentrate rays from the intense desert sun to heat water, generate steam, drive turbines and produce electricity — are not revolutionary. Such projects have been undertaken in the U.S. Southwest, Spain and elsewhere.

Once completed, Desertec would take the crown as the largest centralized solar power production project on earth. But, not everyone thinks it’s a good idea. Critics question why Europeans should rely on African territory for solar power, when they could harvest it in their own backyards. Frank Asbeck, CEO of SolarWorld, Germany’s largest solar power company, believes that building solar plants in politically unstable countries would entail the same dependency problems as oil.

It also remains to be seen whether Africans would even benefit from this project. Do we really need to rip yet another resource out of their hands?

Link [The New York Times]
Photo credit: Flickr user Shayan

Poo Power! Oslo Buses to Run on Biomethane

Citizens of Norway will soon be able to ride around town on buses powered by nothing other than methane from human excrement. It’s emissions-free, hardly costs a thing and doesn’t require drilling into the earth’s surface. Every single person in Oslo will be contributing something very personal toward this new method of powering the city’s buses.

From WorldChanging:

In Oslo, air pollution from public and private transport has increased by approximately 10% since 2000, contributing to more than 50% of total CO2 emissions in the city. With Norway’s ambitious target of being carbon neutral by 2050 Oslo City Council began investigating alternatives to fossil fuel-powered public transport and decided on biomethane.

Biomethane is a by-product of treated sewage. Microbes break down the raw material and release the gas, which can then be used in slightly modified engines. Previously at one of the sewage plants in the city half of the gas was flared off, emitting 17,00 tonnes of CO2. From September 2009, this gas will be trapped and converted into biomethane to run 200 of the city’s public buses.

Hey, it makes total sense. This is a great example of thinking outside the box to find solutions that don’t require wars in the Middle East or the destruction of ocean ecosystems. The biomethane would otherwise be wasted, and if it can create fuel – isn’t letting it go to waste the same as lighting piles of hundred dollar bills on fire? This is going to be a huge money saver for Oslo, especially since the city’s diesel buses will only require minor modifications.

This idea should definitely be applied on a wider scale. The idea of ‘poo power’ may be kind of gross when you’re first introduced to it, but if it helps us get beyond fossil fuels, it’s pretty rad.

Link [WorldChanging]

Smart Urban Design: Grass-Lined Green Railways

Who says railway tracks have to be ugly? Some cities are showing the rest of the world that you can have public transportation and green space, in the same area. They look great, reduce the urban heat island effect, allow for more efficient stormwater drainage and reduce pollution. Inhabitat pulled together a collection of photos of these lovely examples of urban design, along with a great quote from Monocle Magazine:

“There’s something quite magical about watching trams in Barcelona, Strasbourg or Frankfurt glide silently along beds of grass as they do their city circuit. Where possible, this attractive combination of efficient public transport and inspired landscaping should be standard as part of the urban fabric.”

The photos show green rainways in places like Barcelona, Spain, St. Etienne, France and The Hague, Netherlands – but lest you think America doesn’t have any of its own, check out this photo (below) of a street car in New Orleans. Still, we could definitely use more (and more public transportation, period).

I rode the tram in Barcelona pictured in the top photo, and I can tell you that the grassy expanse definitely improves the looks of the road – especially considering how wide some of those roads can be.

Hopefully this grass doesn’t require too much maintenance, which would erase most of the benefits of doing this. Replace grass with low-maintenance, water-wise ground cover and you’ve really got a winning idea.

See more photos over at Inhabitat!

Link [Inhabitat] + [Monocle Magazine]

Global Warming Linked to Viral Epidemic in Europe

Thanks to global warming, disease-carrying pests are proliferating in Europe and spreading a viral epidemic called nephropathia epidemica (NE). New research shows that hotter summers, milder winters and increased production of seedcrop by broadleaf trees spurred an increase in the vole population which in turn resulted in the epidemic.

Researchers, including Dr. Jan Clement of the Belgian Hantavirus Reference Centre, began investigating in Belgium and found a 37.6% increase in NE cases between 2005 and 2007. The virus has spread to France, Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Science Daily has it:

He said, “This animal-borne disease, scarcely known before 1990, has been increasing in incidence in Belgium with a cyclic pattern, reaching epidemic proportions since 2005. The fact that the growing combined effect of hotter summer and autumn seasons is matched by the growth of NE in recent years means this epidemic can be considered an effect of global warming”.

NE is caused by infection with Puumala virus (PUUV), which is spread by the bank vole, a rodent common throughout most of Europe. The authors believe that warmer weather causes increases in the amount of ‘mast’, plant seeds from oak and beech trees, that forms the voles’ staple diet. This plethora of food results in increases in the vole population and warm summers raise the chances that people will visit the forests where the voles live. According to Clement, “Since 1993, each NE peak has been preceded by increased autumnal mast formation the year before, resulting in yearly NE numbers significantly higher than those during the mast years themselves”.

NE is a relatively mild hemorrhagic fever that causes flu-like symptoms often with renal complications, sometimes also with pulmonary problems, needing Intensive Care treatment, such as acute dialysis and/or mechanical ventilation. In some rare cases it can, moreover, cause the shock with internal haemorrhaging and death for which these infections are infamous. Clement said, “In 1997, more than 9,000 people in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan contracted the disease, of which 34 cases were fatal”.

What did we tell you? Global warming and epidemics will likely go hand-in-hand. Scientists have already warned that deadly diseases will spread more quickly as the world warms – malaria, dengue fever and encephalitis are just a few of the things we can look forward to. Science Daily previously went into detail about how scientists think this will happen.

That’s it, I’m convinced. I’m turning my basement into a bunker, landlord be damned. Pandemic, war, famine, zombies? I’m gonna be ready.

Link [Science Daily]
Photo credit: The Happening via Dark Roasted Blend

Global Warming Denier is New European Union President

Taking the helm of the European Union from French President Nicolas Sarkozy is Czech President Vaclav Klaus, a global warming denier who has said in the past that human progress is more important than combating climate change. The presidency of the European Union is rotated every six months between EU member states.

Klaus has called global warming a myth, questioned the sanity of Al Gore and recently said that he hopes the European Union will give up its plants to lead the fight against global warming. Klaus also has strong anti-EU views, and has sharply criticized the EU and former head Sarkozy in the past. He is refusing to fly the European Union flag at Prague Castle, his presidential seat, for the next six months.

From The Guardian:

The European Union is the new Soviet Union, environmentalism is the new communism, climate change is a myth and there is nothing wrong with the international economy that a bit of patience will not fix, according to Klaus. While influential, however, he has little real power as head of state.

As for global warming, the Earth had had the same climate for 10,000 years. The problem was not climate change, but “climate change ideology”. Klaus warned: “We will not be campaigners for the climate package.”

Klaus has railed against the Lisbon Treaty, an EU climate change package that was reformed last February. Being a self-described ‘Euro Dissident’, Klaus has actually worked to lessen the EU’s influence on state governments.

Klaus will likely not play nearly as large a role in the EU presidency as Sarkozy did. The EU presidency is actually shared by the nation’s government, and as Czech president, Klaus has little formal power. Much of the work will fall to Czech’s prime minister, Mirek Topolanek. However Topolanek and Klaus are bitter foes of opposing political parties and many fear that infighting will lessen the country’s ability to run the EU.

Many Europeans are distrustful of Klaus, and with him as the face of the Czech Republic, the job of keeping the European Union together and getting anything of importance done during these chaotic times of economic troubles, Israel-Palestine conflict and global warming may prove to be impossible. The EU may lose precious time on solving important issues over the next six months with the Czech government at the reins.

Link [The Guardian]
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Green Funerals: Swedish Town Recycles Heat from Crematorium

How would you like to know that the heat you’re enjoying in your home came from burning bodies? We’re not talking about starting a funeral pyre in your living room (that would be, uh, illegal, among other things). But, if the rest of the world uses the Swedish town of Halmsted as an example, we could be kept warm with heat recycled from crematoriums.

From Treehugger:

“It was when we were discussing all these environmental issues that we started thinking about the energy that is used in the cremations and realised that instead of all that heat just going up into the air, we could make use of it somehow. It was just rising into the skies for nothing,” said Lennart Andersson, the director of the cemetery in the town of Halmstad.

Because cremation of human remains can release toxins, like mercury from dental fillings, the filtration of the off-gases is extremely important. In order to effectively clean the emitted gases, they must be cooled from around 1000°C to under 150°C. Recovery of this heat for warming first the crematorium buildings and later to feed the public heating system will save costs and use less water as well.

This is a very interesting concept. After all, as Andersson said, that heat is wasted while people across the world are paying out the nose for fossil fuel heat. Using this sort of ‘byproduct energy’ only makes sense, and if we thought this way about everything, we could undoubtedly uncover thousands of creative ways to recycle and save energy.

Link [Treehugger]
Photo credit: Hub Pages

Great Green Job of the Week: Director of the European Office for the Center for Clean Air Policy

The Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) is seeking a director for their European office in Brussels, Belgium. CCAP recently formed a new independent nonprofit association in Brussels – CCAP Europe. This organization is the foundation for new program development in Europe as well as the management entity for the Global Sectoral Approaches Study – a major project funded by the European Commission. The new Director of CCAP’s European office will join the CCAP team working on programs and solutions through CCAP’s international policy programs.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE DIRECTOR OF CCAP’S EUROPEAN OFFICE

The Director of CCAP’s European office will work closely with staff in Europe and the US, as well as with partners and stakeholders worldwide, to advance climate change solutions. The focus will be on climate solutions in the EU, through the UNFCCC and other processes.

Reporting to the Director of International Policy based in Washington and closely coordinating with the Director of International Climate Dialogue in Paris, the Director of CCAP Brussels will seek to build relationships and program opportunities in Europe, contribute to the management of the European Climate Dialogue program, help represent CCAP policy positions and analytical work in international negotiations, and assist in representing CCAP ‘s Global Sectoral Approaches Study. Detailed description of each program and policy issue worldwide can be found at www.ccap.org.

APPLICATION AND NOMINATION INFORMATION

Nominations and applications are due by October 31, 2008. Due to the pace of the search, candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications must include including a cover letter describing your interest and qualifications, where you learned of the position, salary history and salary requirements and a writing sample. In addition to your resume (in Word or pdf format, please include at least two personal references. Send applications to recruitment@ccap.org. In order to expedite the internal review process, please type “Brussels” and your name (Last, First) as the only contents in the subject line of your e-mail.

See the qualifications for this job opening at the Treehugger Jobs Board.

Link [Treehugger Jobs] + [CCAP]

More Farmers Should Use the Lounge n Pick

Farmers, are you tired of your wives and daughters lounging around in the sun, soaking up rays while you’re out plowing the field and picking the harvest? Well, now you can put them to work with guaranteed 50% less complaining.  They won’t have to actually touch dirt at all, and the risk of coming into contact with insects is minimal.  With the Lounge n Pick, you can even employ paraplegics and the elderly.  The convenient removable cover allows your harvesters to sun themselves on nice days, and be shielded from the rain when necessary.  The convenient conveyer belt system delivers your harvest directly into containers at the end of the line.  It can be yours for only $999.99!*

*Fashionable camouflage bench pads extra.

Link [Wacky Archives]

Visiting Sweden? Stay in a Jumbo Airplane Hostel at the Arlanda Airport

Entrepreneur Oscar Diös had been itching to set up a hotel in the Swedish city of Arlanda for years.  Arlanda Airport is the biggest airport in the country, and he was convinced that demand for more lodging there was great.  So, when he heard there was an old disused Boeing 747-200 sitting at the Arlanda Airport, an idea popped into his head: he would turn it into a hostel.

From Jumbo Hostel:

From the beginning of December, hostel guests will, for the first time ever, be able to spend the night in a real, seasoned jumbo jet – on the ground! This is the perfect way to start your trip abroad. The plane is a used out jumbo jet model 747-200 made in 1976. It has been awarded a brand new, modern interior decoration, offering night guests an experience apart. It’s exciting for aviation enthusiasts and families with children as well as for business people. This exhilarating experience leaves no-one indifferent –we promise.

Even if you don’t want to stay there, visitors are welcome to stop by for a snack in the cafe.  You can even walk out on the airplane’s wing.  They’ll be taking reservations for overnight stays starting this December.

All in all, pretty awesome reuse! You can join the mile-high club without ever leaving the ground.

Link [JumboHostel] via [Gizmodo] via [RandomGoodStuff]

Paris Helium Balloon Shows Air Pollution Levels

A giant helium balloon in the skies of Paris gives city residents a very clear idea of how polluted the air is at any given time. The tethered balloon gives real-time reports of atmospheric pollution using a lighting system that can be seen from more than 12 miles away.

From Physorg.com:

A company called Aérophile announced its recent launch of the gas balloon, known as the AERO30NG Aérophile 5500 model, which is located in the Parc Andre Citroën in Paris. Aérophile manufactures tethered gas balloons as tourist and cultural attractions for places including Disney Village in Paris and the Great Park Balloon in Irvine, California.

The newest balloon, which is filled with 6,000 cubic meters of helium, will serve as both an eco-diagnostic public awareness tool as well as a tourist attraction.

Around the city, air pollution data will be collected by several sensors set up by Airparif, an organization that measures air quality in France. Based on this data, the Aérophile balloon will display two measurements: ambient air quality and air pollution produced by auto emissions, which is measured at major traffic junctions.

The balloon’s color signifies the ambient air quality using three projectors that are located in the middle of the balloon. For example, red signifies highly polluted air, orange for polluted, yellow for moderate, light green for clean, and green for very clean.

There’s a second display at the bottom of the balloon that shows traffic pollution levels. Both displays can be seen both day and night.

This is brilliant. What better way to get people to notice the city’s air pollution levels? It’s as simple as looking up at the sky. It couldn’t be more visible. Brilliant!

Link [Physorg.com]

From Children in Buckets to Old Men in Suits, Amsterdam Does Bikes Right

Amsterdam gets a lot of things right. Among them are drug policy and tulips. It’s becoming increasingly clear that another thing they do far better than most other countries is bicycles. A traveler in Amsterdam took 82 pictures of bicycles in 73 minutes in a single city square, and the variety is amazing. Riding bicycles isn’t just an occasional recreational activity in Amsterdam – it’s a way of life.

This photo shows a normal scene of bikes parked in Amsterdam:

Here are just a small selection of the photos taken, and in them you’ll see bicycle riders of all sizes, ages and walks of life, including a very old man and a very young child, a man in a suit, a woman in pearls, people carrying large bundles and children balanced precariously on handlebars. It almost sounds like a Dr. Seuss book. It’s awesome.

People in Amsterdam take their bikes seriously. Very seriously. Check out the high security chains and locks, human-powered headlight contraptions, and all of the decorative touches. The photographer questions why they use such strong locks when all the bikes look to be worth about $10 – I think it’s because so many people ride bicycles, people wouldn’t think much to ‘borrow’ somebody else’s to get where they need to go – not to sell it.

You may find it curious that nobody’s wearing a helmet, kids seem so dangerously unprotected and many of these people are even talking on cell phones while they veer around cars in busy intersections. Sure, it looks dangerous to us. Trying to do these things in America would amount to a death wish, but there’s a simple reason why it works in Amsterdam: respect and awareness. They’re just used to it. The people driving cars know to watch out for people on bicycles. When you have a culture where bicycle riding is so commonplace, it’s easy to adjust. Wouldn’t it be great if we could get there, too?

Check out the site for all 82 pictures, plus large enhanced versions.

Link [Ski Epic]

Americans, Quit Your Bitchin’: Gas in Sierra Leone Costs Over $18 a Gallon

Americans are whining and complaining about gas prices like never before. Gas hitting $4 per gallon is considered absolutely crazy – an all but insurmountable obstacle to going about our daily lives. We here at EarthFirst have professed our beliefs about gas prices and the need for Americans to start thinking differently about transportation before. Now we bring you the reality of gas prices throughout the world: Hello, Americans! We’ve been enjoying artificially low gas prices for decades!

The average in many other countries, including the Netherlands, Greece, New Zealand, Japan, Switzerland and England is around $7/gallon. In Denmark, Eritrea, France, Finland, Germany and Iceland, it’s close to $10. People in Sierra Leone, Africa undoubtedly find other ways to get around considering that gas costs a whopping $18.43 per gallon there.  People in these countries actually (gasp!) take public transportation! The horrors!

Want to pay less for gas? Perhaps you should consider moving to Venezuela, where it costs just 17 cents a gallon. Venezuela is known for its highly polarized political climate, evil overlord dictator and ever-rising violent crime, though you will likely enjoy the food and the view from the plane as you fly in and out. Some of the other oil-rich countries with low gas prices include Egypt, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran.  I’m sure they’ll welcome you with open arms. Good luck, and send us a postcard.

Link [Wikipedia]
Photo credit: Flickr user Payton Chung

The Swiss Like ‘Em Better In A Zoo: Second to Last Wild Bear in The Country Gets Shot

The Europeans seem to prefer them this way; this bear resides in the zoo in Stockholm. The species this creature belongs to, however, once roamed wild from Ireland to Japan, and from Scandinavia to Africa. The brown bear, as they’re called, is of course scarce is Western Europe now. And a bear that was recently released in Switzerland, where he was one of only two in the country, has come to grief, as MSNBC reports:

Sharpshooters killed one of two wild bears in Switzerland after officials determined it had lost its fear of humans and posed a risk, authorities said Tuesday.

Environmental organizations expressed dismay, but government officials said they had no choice. The 2-year-old brown bear was the younger brother of an animal that met the same fate in Germany’s Bavaria in 2006. Both were part of a project to reintroduce bears to areas of Europe where they had been extinct.

“JJ3 was getting bolder and bolder, and even let people observe him,” said Stefan Engler, president of the canton of Graubuenden. “We saw no other way to influence the behavior of the bear.”

Most people who live in bear country in North America would have to regard this as pretty feeble stuff. Some bears are like this. You have the odd moment of visceral terror, but you live with it.

Still, it’s a miracle that overcivilized Europe has bears at all. Remnant populations of brown bears exist in the mountains in Spain and Italy, and there are a fair number in Eastern Europe, in places like Romania, where former dictator Nicolai Ceausescu liked to shoot them. He is himself well-ventilated now, so maybe the bears pass more peaceful days. Their mere existence is cause for hope.

Link [MSNBC]

Photo: Flickr user M. Prinke.