Indonesia Claims to Tap Volcanic PowerIndonesia has launched an ambitious plan to tap the vast power of its volcanoes and become a world leader in geothermal energy, while trimming greenhouse gas emissions. The sprawling archipelago of 17,000 islands stretching from the Indian to the Pacific Oceans contains hundreds of volcanoes, estimated to hold around 40 percent of the world’s geothermal […]
Is the large-scale production of algal biofuels a viable alternative and should South Africa be pursuing it as a liquid- fuels option? Proponents suggest that it could indeed be a viable endeavour, and estimate that an industry could emerge within five to ten years, or sooner, should there be an innovation breakthrough. They add that it could also form an […]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, in cooperation with eight partner countries and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), on Wednesday launched its Energy and Environment Partnership programme with Southern and East Africa (EEP-SE&A). Speaking at the launch in Johannesburg, the Ambassador of Finland Tiina Myllyntausta said that energy consumption was on the increase worldwide, especially in developing […]
Anyone flying from the Masai Mara into Wilson Airport these days will of course see the wind power plants erected on the famous Ngong Hills, on the foot of which Baroness Blixen, made immortal through the film ‘Out of Africa’ had her farm and where the Karen Blixen museum is now located. A new wind power initiative is now in […]
The Future for Gorillas in Africa is Getting Bleaker, says the Report, which was funded by France and the UNEP Great Ape Survival Partnership as a Contribution to the UNEP/CMS Year of the Gorilla. Accelerating Impacts from Poaching to Illegal Timber Trade are Hitting Great Ape Populations and Habitats Faster Than Previously Supposed. UNEP and INTERPOL Call for More Support […]
Bonn, 11 March 2010 – The plight of gorillas in danger was brought home to millions through hundreds of Year of the Gorilla articles, interviews, lectures, conferences and films last year – more than through any similar global species campaign. In addition, the UN Year of the Gorilla 2009, generated €100,000 for field projects to prevent critically endangered gorilla species […]
Do you remember the 1999 movie Office Space with Jennifer Aniston and Ron Livingston? It’s a favorite of mine and if you haven’t seen it, I’ll need to explain one of the plot lines in order to set up this blog post. Livingston plays Peter Gibbons, who works in an administrative role at a computer company called Initech. When his friends […]
At the epicenter of the long-running civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo lies Virunga National Park, Africa’s oldest national park in the border triangle of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is home to more than 200 of the only 720 Mountain Gorillas remaining in the world. Here, a small but dedicated force of […]
Unveiling a new era for communicating its work to practitioners and the public alike, the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) has announced an entirely new website, www.igcp.org, which will go “live” on Tuesday, August 25th. Opening during the UN Convention on Migratory Species designated Year of the Gorilla, the new site promises greatly enhanced interactivity, a fresh new look and […]
They say a journey begins with a single step, and this one is no different, though it nearly didn’t happen. Having picked up some YoG posters and stickers from my tiny office in the English market town of Stroud, I shouldered my rucksack, picked up my camera-bag and walked to the station. It seemed odd exchanging greetings with people enjoying […]