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Marine Conservation Team Blue Seals Barred from Gulf Oil Spill Areas
Posted on 28. May, 2010 by Derek Markham.
During one of the worst oil spill disasters in our history, a rapid response team of marine conservation experts, the Blue Seals, has been barred from documenting the effects of the deepwater oil spill by BP and US government officials. [...]
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Offshore Drilling Moratorium Only Verbal, Permits Continue
Posted on 27. May, 2010 by Derek Markham.
We’re now witnessing one of the worst marine environmental disasters ever, and yet the political posturing coming from Washington D.C. continues to be based on lip service and empty promises. The Secretary of the Department of Interior, Ken Salazar, announced a moratorium on the issuance of final permits for “any new offshore drilling activity” on May 6, 2010, but it turns out that this moratorium is only verbal, with no real teeth to it. [...]
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Petition Seeks Endangered Species Status for Bluefin Tuna
Posted on 25. May, 2010 by Derek Markham.
The Bluefin tuna, already under serious pressure due to overfishing in the North Atlantic, is being threatened by the oil disaster now playing out in the Gulf of Mexico, which is the spawning habitat for the western Bluefin. The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a formal petition to protect this imperiled species under the Endangered Species Act. [...]
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Clay + Coffee Grounds + Cow Dung = Open Source Water Filters
Posted on 11. May, 2010 by Derek Markham.
Imagine taking a hunk of clay, some coffee grounds, and some cow dung, and turning it into an effective water filter, ensuring clean drinking water for people across the globe. That’s the idea behind Abundant Water, and they’re teaching Lao villagers to make and use these water filters for their health and economic well being. [...]
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Laundry + Bicycle = Bicilavadora
Posted on 05. Mar, 2010 by Derek Markham.
Washing laundry is a difficult time-consuming task in the developing world, and doing laundry in open streams or lakes can add to water pollution. The task also falls solely on women – 8 hours a week is typically spent washing each piece of the family’s clothing and then wringing them out by hand. Washing machines that use electricity are impractical in many rural areas, due to either the expense or unavailability of electricity. But a pedal-powered washing machine, the Bicilavadora, is helping to change all of that. [...]







