Various Uncharted 2: Among Thieves walkthrough videos are compiled together into one big guide. Helpful if you're looking for Uncharted 2 treasures locations, puzzles solutions, and how to finish the PS3-exclusive action-adventure game.
The residents of the Puna, the dry Andean highlands in northern Argentina, are cut off from everything - except the sun. Living on arid land thousands of metres above sea level, they are on their way to becoming "solar villages."
In the north and northwest of Jujuy province, people are finding that solar energy, a clean and inexhaustible source, can replace firewood, which is increasingly scarce. The EcoAndina Foundation is showing the way through a series of projects.
The Puna, at altitudes of 2,700 to 4,600 metres above sea level, is part of the vast Andean Altiplano shared by Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru.
EcoAndina's goal is to improve living conditions for local residents by sustainably harnessing the abundant sunshine and wind, while maintaining the cultural and historic identity of local indigenous communities.
Since it began its efforts two decades ago, some 400 solar energy units - which power family and community kitchens, bread ovens, heaters and hot-water tanks - have been installed in 30 towns in the region.
(read the whole article by clicking on the link)
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This shows that not only can it be done, but that it is both a viable and a sustainable solution.The residents of the Puna, the dry Andean highlands in northern Argentina, are cut off... more
Just over 12,500 smallholder tea farmers have become the first-ever group to achieve Rainforest Alliance certification, announced the international conservation organization today. The group certification is held by Momul Factory Ltd, which is part of the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) and has its green leaf tea supplied by the farmers through a network of collection centers.
Until now, the Rainforest Alliance's work in Kenya focused on large tea plantations. By developing an efficient yet rigorous group certification process, the organization has been able to reach a vast amount of smallholder farmers - each covering approximately half an acre - and bring the environmental, social and economic benefits of Rainforest Alliance certification to this group.
Speaking at the certification presentation, Marc Monsarrat, Rainforest Alliance manager for East Africa and South Asia said: "This is the largest single group certified by any certification system. This is hugely significant for Kenya's tea industry. This certification means that these farmers will have greater market access and in many cases, more productive land."
Each of the 12,511 group members has met all of the strict standards of the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) to achieve Rainforest Alliance certification on their small yet carefully managed plots of land. Each of the farms has had to consider and implement ecosystem conservation, worker rights and safety, wildlife protection, water and soil conservation, agrochemical reduction, decent housing and legal wages and contracts for workers.
Despite the size and uniqueness of this certification, the same strict and diligent process was used to ensure SAN certification standards were met. The farmers were introduced to the SAN standards through a combination of farmer field schools and intensive training and worked meticulously to make the changes necessary to bring their farms into compliance, often going above and beyond the demands of most certification systems.
One of the most challenging certification requirements is for the farmers to ensure that they are properly protected when using agrochemicals on their farms, even if these are not applied to the tea. By setting up a micro-finance institution called Greenland Fedher, the KTDA was able to provide financing for every farmer to acquire personal protective equipment at low interest rates. Greenland Fedher will continue to provide access to pre-finance to farmers for further farm investments.
Receiving the Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM certificate, Alfrick Sang, Momul Factory's Field Services Coordinator said: "We are so happy today. Certification has already brought benefits to the farmers by ensuring they are properly protected. In the future, we will also have the edge over other farmers in the market, as we are the first to obtain this certification."
Momul Factory processes the green leaf, supplied by the farmers, into black tea, ready for export, blending and packing. The factory is part of KTDA, which brings together around 530,000 smallholders, who own about a half-acre of tea each. Kenya produces around 320,000 tons of tea and is the world's largest exporter. The KTDA alone produces 60 percent of the country's tea.Just over 12,500 smallholder tea farmers have become the first-ever group to achieve... more
Expect to see a lot more of Al Gore in the media over the next couple weeks.
The Nobel Prize winner and Former VP is about to release a new book on the environment titled “Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis” On sale November 3rd, it was created by Gore a follow-up to his 2006 book “An Inconvenient Truth”. Whereas that one dealt with explaining what climate change is and how it will impact us, “Choice” is more about the solutions we can pursue to prevent irreversible damage to our planet. It’s also meant to inspire others to take action; unlike “Truth” which made me want to reconsider having children.
“[This book] is meant to depoliticize the issue as much as possible and inspire readers to take action—not only on an individual basis but as participants in the political processes by which every country, and the world as a whole, makes the choice that now confronts us,” he writes in the forward.
In terms of green cred, it comes fully loaded: 100% recycled paper, locally produced and sourced editions, low VOC inks, carbon neutral, and 100% of the proceeds will go towards the Alliance for Climate Protection. To publicize the launch, Gore will appear on The David Letterman Show next Tuesday night to discuss the book in a bit more detail.
And finally, don’t be surprised if this one is turned into a film as well. I’m sure there’s a tiny bit of room left on the mantle for another Oscar.Expect to see a lot more of Al Gore in the media over the next couple weeks.
The... more
Danish National TV DR2 Udland -- inteview with Washington D.C. Lobbyist Stephen Bassett, founder of Paradigm Research Group, on the topic of International and National Disclosure of the ET presence & the 'Truth Embargo' in the USA, he briefly speaks about What it is, Why it's important, How it can help and What it could mean or lead to.
Please understand that while this topic is subject to much debate, there is a great importance within this movement, known as Disclosure - truly an umbrella term with many movements taking part in disclosure from governments and public leaders.
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Disclosure of the Truth from a world power such as the USA (ideally) or even France, China, Japan, etc. would provoke unprecedented positive change, and innovations in all aspects of our daily life, within the whole scope of Earth society.
To list some avenues a complete proper Disclosure would construct/contribute: Clean, Free Energy, proper care for our Ecosystems, Water purification, abundant and free effective Healthcare, cures and proper care for many diseases/ailments, advanced technology affecting all venues of business, living, and development, but also all aspects of Spirituality, understanding the Meta-Universe and Being, leading purposeful abundant lives together as a cooperative and compassionate planetary society..
Hold on.. What is this 'Truth' referring to?
Firstly, the formal acknowledgement of the extraterrestrial presence by governments of our world. There is no ambition in the Disclosure movement to expose this information in order to protect ourselves from a presence. We need not to fear this subject, and it's important for people to know the truth so that the people can know that these presences do not pose a threat on our well being. Thus we can move forward with addressing the reality that we are not alone.
As people of Earth, it is our right to know the Truth about the presences of intelligent life in our solar system, especially advanced and spiritually evolved people not from our planet. Who are these presences? How can we 'Rise to the occasion' to reach a formal introduction, or as simple as a formal acknowledgement from world leaders? How are they related to us; Are there really other humans out there? If so, then how does this impact our understanding of who we are, our origins, and how/why we are on Earth.
There is so much to discuss on the subject of Disclosure, one could consider it to be among the biggest challenges for the world's governments to address - one can see how such a deep and controversial subject could be pushed to the side for so long.
It is time for Humanity to re-kindle the Family we are, to show that we are mature and responsible individuals, and communities, making up a world of diverse and cooperative cultures.
We shouldn't wait for our world leaders to decide when humanity is ready for the veils to be lifted; so that 100% of what is going on in our world, and what has been going on - but has been kept hidden through efforts of certain powers - may be freely available and publicised by all medias.
While complete transparent Disclosure is inevitable, "When?" is a matter of time and the people's voice, of all nations.
This is a Global Movement, it is also more than a global matter, as the scope of Disclosure does go beyond our planet Earth, and even our solar system. So far, only the tip of the iceberg has been revealed on the matter of 'transparent Truth' from our governments, & there is much much more to come.
It's time for us to show our care, and to show our loyalty to one another as WE are, ultimately, One Earth under the Heavens.
Thank You.
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More Info? - Disclosure 101 video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-elVqdDhox8&feature=channel_p
This video presents to the viewer a brief '101' on Disclosure, expanding on the What is, How, Why, and where we stand as a global community on the brink of world transformation heading in the direction of positive growth and healing.Danish National TV DR2 Udland -- inteview with Washington D.C. Lobbyist Stephen... more
National Tenant Voice (NTV) is an innovative and collaborative approach to solving some of the issues faced by social housing tenants. Young people are getting involved to put forward their views and working with housing representatives to find ways to improve the quality of life for tenants.National Tenant Voice (NTV) is an innovative and collaborative approach to solving... more
There are a lot of warning signs, some specific to working with online employees or web-based projects, and learning to recognize them can save everyone involved a huge amount of trouble, time and money.There are a lot of warning signs, some specific to working with online employees or... more
This is a moment of moral introspection. This is the action that will decide the fate of the human race. In one action we can show the world that humanity has truly evolved to understanding the meaning of respect for this Earth and give our children a chance at a life of sustainability. Or through our failure we can show that humanity has failed in its purpose for being on this planet: to preserve it in order to preserve ourselves and to see through a higher consciousness that there is something more important than us.
Humans to this point have done all in their power to exploit the Earth for material wealth at the expense of a wealth far greater: Our forests, our oceans, our water, our seeds, and our health. Through this exploitation we have seen the depletion of our oceans, the destruction of our climate balance, the pollution of our land, air, water, and food, and the decline of common decency and humanity through war. Climate change is the greatest challenge we now face on this planet. However, instead of acknowledging this and working together to solve it, we are once again allowing political divisions, lack of political will, greed, and selfishness to keep us from doing what is morally necessary to sustain our species and those that cannot speak for themselves.
We can no longer allow these distractions to cloud the vision of a better world for us and those to come.
It's time to WAKE UP.My message to world leaders:
This is a moment of moral introspection. This is the... more
Grassroots International and Food and Water Watch teamed up to issue an informative and compelling report that shows how food sovereignty will not only benefit small farmers all over the world, but will also give environmentalists and consumers what "free" trade and bad farm policies have failed to deliver. Conventional agriculture is a major cause of global warming, and as Congress and the United Nations grapple with a new environmental treaty, a strong food sovereignty movement is more critical than ever.
Please read the report to find out more about this remarkable movement, how bridges can be built, and why the time to work together has arrived.
Excerpts:
"Excessive consumption in rich countries 'takes food out of mouths of poor' by inflating food prices on global market.
"Eliminating the millions of tonnes of food thrown away annually in the US and UK could lift more than a billion people out of hunger worldwide, experts claim.
Government officials, food experts and representatives of the retail trade brought together by the Food Ethics Council argue that excessive consumption of food in rich countries inflates food prices in the developing world. Buying food, which is then often wasted, reduces overall supply and pushes up the price of food, making grain less affordable for poor and undernourished people in other parts of the world."
More:
"Tristram Stuart, author of a new book on food waste and a contributor to a special food waste issue of the Food Ethics Council's magazine, said: "There are nearly a billion malnourished people in the world, but all of them could be lifted out of hunger with less than a quarter of the food wasted in Europe and North America. In a globalised food system, where we are all buying food in the same international market place, that means we're taking food out of the mouths of the poor."
Stuart calculated that the hunger of 1.5bn people could be alleviated by eradicating the food wasted by British consumers and American retailers, food services and householders, including the arable crops such as wheat, maize and soy to produce the wasted meat and dairy products. He added that the production of wasted food also squanders resources, and said that the irrigation water used by farmers to grow wasted food would be enough for the equivalent domestic water needs of 9bn people"
Tips and more on food waste at the link.
Composting and bioenergy is crucial.
Please help spread global awareness and watch this video below.
"According to the World Agroforestry Center, Garrity states, "Growing the right tree in the right place on farms in sub-Saharan Africa—and worldwide— has the potential to slow climate change, feed more people, and protect the environment. This tree, as a source of free, organic nitrogen, is an example of that. There are many other examples of solutions to African farming that exist here already."
This was encouraging.
Join ORGANIC to fight for a better and green World, discuss alternatives, imagining and creating solutions: http://current.com/groups/organicgreen/"According to the World Agroforestry Center, Garrity states, "Growing the... more
"The hemp plant was one of humankind's first cultivated plants and there is quite a lot to educate oneself about this greatly historical plant. With the help of the hemp plant we could eliminate smog from current fuels, create a cleaner energy source that can replace nuclear power, clean up nuclear waste, and eliminate smog from our skies in more industrialized areas. We could eliminate non-biodegradable plastics and cars by reintroducing Henry Ford's 100 year old dream of building cars made from hemp with a plastic hemp car body that can withstand a blow 10 times as great as steel without denting, weighs 1 thousand pounds less than steel, hence improving gas mileage, can run on a vegetable oil based all natural hemp fuel, and is completely biodegradable. We could eliminate deforestation by converting current paper to hemp paper which can be recycled up to 8 times where as our current wood pulp is only recyclable up to 3, and we could thrive from eating it and feeding it to our animals and livestock."
Much more at the link.
Why do most people not know about this TREE OF LIFE?
It's shocking!
Try to put aside for a moment any political party association you might have, your religious view if any and step into Jesus thoughts:
Jesus preached compassion, forgiveness, empathy and love.
He was pro-universal health care, pro-taxes and against the greed of its collectors and violence.
Excerpts from the article written by Cynthia Boaz:
"So if we concede that the United States is a "Christian nation," it follows that its citizens, as practitioners of the teachings of Jesus, should be: anti-war, anti-gun, anti-death penalty, pro-universal health care, pro-taxes and pro-(democratic) socialism, while also being - to the rest of the world - forgiving, meek, humble, generous and loving of everyone, even perceived enemies."
"Despite our verbal proclamations to the contrary, Americans (Christian or otherwise) have such a negative visceral association with the concept of socialism that we-thus far-have been unable to have an authentic, productive conversation about whether greed or compassion is the more moral (and productive) incentive for human beings engaged in the social experiment of the democratic nation-state."
She quotes Abraham Lincoln:
"I am not so concerned as to whether God is on our side, as to whether we are on God's side."
and Gandhi:
"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
I ask you now, what do you think of this article, what should be changed about America and how to solve it?
Join lifeapnea:Try to put aside for a moment any political party association you might have, your... more
The Ella Baker Center along with other community workers in the Oakland area have come up with five key points to fix our budget in California. They know that the old way of doing things in California is not working so they are working on providing real Solutions. The fact is that if you are poor or are a member of certain ethnic groups the chance of you going to jail is very likely. We have seen an influx in our prison population without rehabilitation. Creating huge profits for a few but with destruction to most of our communities. Real reform is needed and at least they are providing some Solutions to our problem. We have to move away from fear and work together to provide real solutions.
Solution #1: Replace the Death Penalty with Permanent Imprisonment
Converting death sentences to permanent imprisonment will ensure that we keep our communities safe without wasting critical resources. Experience has shown that permanent imprisonment works -- at a fraction of the cost. Five Year Savings: $1 billion
Solution #2: Close Division of Juvenile Justice Youth Prisons
California taxpayers currently pay $380 million each year to keep 1,624 young people locked up in youth prisons. Instead, youth should be sent to local facilities where they have access to effective treatment programs for the entire family. Five Year Savings: $1 billion
Solution #3: Keep the Response to Petty Drug Possession Local
We currently house 24,000 people in state prison for drug possession, at a cost of $1 billion a year. Instead, we should shift our response to non-violent drug crimes to the local level and provide effective drug treatment. Five Year Savings: $5 billion
Solution #4: Fix the Three Strikes Law
If we reform the Three Strikes Law to require that the most recent felony be a violent offense -- like every other state in the country -- we would save $1 billion that we now waste housing people in prison as a result of non-violent offenses. Five Year Savings: $5 billion
As our lawmakers return from their summer recess, the time is now to demand smart solutions to California's budget crisis. I hope to see you on Tuesday. If you live in the Bay Area and need a ride to Sacramento from the Ella Baker Center office in Oakland, please contact Books Not Bars organizer Joyce Cook.
Justice for families,
Zachary Norris
Ella Baker Center for Human RightsThe Ella Baker Center along with other community workers in the Oakland area have come... more
BACKGROUND/INSPIRATION: In 2000, exploring the potential of new media. I led a three-month expedition through the Amazon jungles of Suriname. With my focus firmly on the issues affecting habitat, resource, nature and people, I charted a journey through the tribal heartlands of eight forest communities.
Armed with a smile and good intention, and weighed down by almost 500 kilos of hi-tech kit: military laptops, solar panels and satellite communicators, I set about applying modern tools at a grass roots level, offering the remote tribes of the interior a digital platform from which to voice their hopes and fears. Via satellite, I relayed their stories directly from source, initiating discussions between like-minded groups and NGOs, in the hope that I could raise awareness of the issues affecting the region.
Throughout the 90 days of incredible encounters, the expedition captured a rich, interactive mosaic of cultures and issues. But more than this, to me, it proved beyond a doubt that technology can and should be used to engage, inform and empower. With the web then in its infancy, an astounding 1.4 million joined me online; collectively people spent tens of thousands of hours reviewing my work, digging deeper into information, learning of issues and in some cases even taking an active role.
The most astonishing example of this, a truly pivotal moment in my life, occurred late one night during a tropical thunderstorm. Alone, huddled around a rugged laptop, I scanned the lightning-streaked skies as I set up my satellite. I had entered into the frontier world of gold mining territory and had spent the previous day reporting on the processes involved and problems faced by local tribes. Thousands of miles away in New York, a little girl had been following our story. Calling her father, she shared her concerns for the tribe. I didn’t feel the lash of wind nor rain as I read the email. For there onscreen, and copied to Suriname’s Ministry of Natural Resources, was a communiqué formally relinquishing ownership of 100,000 hectares of forest! For the little girl’s father was in fact Henk Narrandorp, the owner of the largest concession in the region - and the focus of my work.
It was this experience that has driven me through a thousand meetings, pitching my heart to those who might recognise fund or further the projects objectives... it has powered me on. My hope of building a collaborative framework that hosts multiple Interactive solution-seeking expeditions, focused on global environmental and cultural issues, change-makers and inspiring initiatives, finally found support in the form of NOKIA ECO...
CURRENT POSITION: I created this promo to summaries the projects ethos and aims last year, it should have been released around the same date but sadly and this is a stinger, global economic meltdown of banks and funding pulled the carpet from underneath me... stalling the grand plan of 4 simultaneous expeditions: Knowing there is always a way forward, and not to be undone, I've scaled down the project and planned a single expedition entitled PIRATES TRIBES & VOLCANOES. It’s a truly incredible story covering multiple issues and encounters across a 3 months extreme expedition. It might not be the all singing all dancing version I’d dreamt of, but small steps in the right direction, lead finally to where your heart would have you go, so they say... so I’d like to share my next steps with you, in the hope they inspire.
THE GOOD NEWS: The site for the project is already built thanks to Nokia's support... It will go live in the coming weeks; it’s a beautiful and powerful storytelling interface that plugs directly into the expedition with a hi-tech mission control for all to explore and the inspiring story of the positive outcome of my first expedition set as an example of the systems potential.
If you're intrigued and want to know more, want to help or get involved, just send me an email or start a group, I’ll be there. RunningmanBACKGROUND/INSPIRATION: In 2000, exploring the potential of new media. I led a... more
Oil companies are salivating over the supply of black gold beneath Ecuador's rainforest.
The South American country is pledging to keep the oil in the ground -- if the international community provides compensation. Now Germany has taken a leading role in raising the necessary cash.
There are many attributes which make the Yasuni National Park special: IT IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE PLACES ON THE PLANET, it is home to indigenous tribes which hunt and gather in its remote interior, and there's a unique breed of small bat. But the national park also has a geographic curse: It sits atop Ecuador's largest known oil reserve, thought to contain hundreds of millions of barrels.
And this potential fortune threatens its very future. In response, Ecuador has come up with an unusual plan to safeguard the UNESCO biosphere Reserve. The cash-strapped South American country has pledged to leave the oil in the ground forever -- something unheard of among oil nations -- if the international community compensates for some of the lost income.
The scheme, which was first mooted by Ecuadorian President Raphael Correa more than a year ago, got off to a slow start. By the end of the year the country extended its self-imposed deadline, in a last ditch bid to rally international support.
Meanwhile, international oil giants were queuing to exploit the supply of black gold.
But now, all of a sudden, the ball seems to be rolling. Following a two-day visit by the Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Fander Falconí to Berlin, Germany had positioned itself at "the forefront of the initative," the Ministry for Economic Cooperation said.
He stressed that Ecuador's idea had caught Berlin's imagination: "It offers a new approach to rainforests and, from the perspective of development politics, it is very promising," Bethe said. "Combining climate protection and fighting poverty will play a growing role in the future."
Ecuador estimates that by leaving the oil untouched, some 410 MILLION TONS of CO2 will be averted. Oil is Ecuador's most important export, generating around a third of its income. With the value of the untapped supply under the Yasuni National Park estimated at some $6 billion, the country argues it has little option but to approach international donors, hat in hand.
Environmentalists welcomed the plan as a way to save Ecuador's rainforest from destruction. Preventing forests from disappearing is a vital element in the fight against climate change as they absorb huge quantities of CO2 from the atmosphere.
Still, doubts lingered about the Ecuador model.
Tobias Riedl from Greenpeace Germany's Forest Campaign warned that the scheme was far from perfect. "It is a double-edged sword. While we welcome moves to save this unique environment, the fact is that ALL RAINFORESTS NEED TO BE SAVED, regardless of whether they lie on valuable natural resources or not.
Greenpeace estimates that €30 billion are needed to secure the future of the rainforests worldwide. And with 80 percent of all ancient forests (including rainforests) worldwide already gone, the clock is ticking. And Ecuador knows it.Oil companies are salivating over the supply of black gold beneath Ecuador's... more
The light from these 600 mirrors heat water, turning it to steam which is used to drive a turbine and generate electricity. The plant is the first commercial solar station in Europe, generating 11 Megawatts according to it's operators, Solucar. This is set to rise though, as the plant is not finished - thousands more mirrors will be added to the 600 already installed.The light from these 600 mirrors heat water, turning it to steam which is used to... more
"An astonishingly wide-ranging film. An informed and heartfelt examination of the tug of war between public health and private interests."
- New York Times
-Of the 6 billion people on earth, 1.1 billion do not have access to safe, clean drinking water.
About the Film
Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis.
Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.
Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building crisis, at both the global and human scale, and the film introduces many of the governmental and corporate culprits behind the water grab, while begging the question "CAN ANYONE REALLY OWN WATER?"
Beyond identifying the problem, FLOW also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround.
More info @ http://www.flowthefilm.com/"An astonishingly wide-ranging film. An informed and heartfelt examination of... more
Biochar is a charcoal produced from biomass. Charcoal is a stable solid and rich in carbon content, and thus, can be used to lock carbon in the soil. Biochar is of increasing interest because of concerns about global warming being caused by emissions of CO2 and other GHGs (greenhouse gases). Biochar may be an immediate solution to reducing the global impact of farming (and in reducing the impact from all agricultural waste). The burning and natural decomposition of trees and agricultural matter contributes a large amount of CO2 released to the atmosphere. Biochar can store this carbon in the ground, potentially making a significant reduction in atmospheric GHG levels; at the same time its presence in the earth can improve water quality, increase soil fertility, raise agricultural productivity and reduce pressure on old growth forest.Biochar is a charcoal produced from biomass. Charcoal is a stable solid and rich in... more
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