University of Costa Rica scientists discovered a new species of frog in a mountainous region of their country. The frog is about 2 cm. in length and lives in the Altamira-Valle de Silencio area at an altitude of around 8,000 feet. The habitat there is rainforest with cool temperatures.
The frog was named Diasporus ventrimaculatus. Females are black and the males are orange, or grey.Â
This brief post is meant to arm you with the knowledge and know-how to take action to protect our oceans.
According to the WWF,
Over 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based activities
A staggering amount of waste, much of which has only existed for the past 50 years or so, enters the oceans each year.From plastic bags to pesticides - most of the waste we produce on land eventually reaches the oceans, either through deliberate dumping or from run-off through drains and rivers. This includes:
- oil
- fertilizers
- solid garbage
- sewage
- toxic chemicals
From that bit of information we become quite aware that there are small changes we can make to help keep the oceans clean. However, to become part of a larger group of concerned citizens dedicated to the health of our oceans you may want to consider joining up with one of these five groups:
OVERVIEW
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 members and 80 chapters worldwide.
Bonsai artists have to have patience: their medium is growing and constantly changing. Most people were introduced to bonsai by the Karate Kid’s Mr. Miyagi, but bonsai culture is alive and well outside of the movies. Like any art form, it has its stars and envelope pushers. Here are a half-dozen of the world’s most creative and skilled modern bonsai artists.
Masahiko Kimura shares a name with the famous judo practitioner whose brutal joint locks earned him worldwide fame. But the bonsai artist Kimura (no relation) is equally well known to his peers. He first began to study a bonsai in order to please his mother. He made his name in the industry because of the way he was able to shape deadwood. He is known for his cutting edge work and for challenging tradition with his designs.
Ben Oki is bonsai artist to the stars. A landscaper and gardener with a business degree from one of Japan’s most prestigious business schools, he has created gardens for movie stars like Cybil Shepherd. All his work shows his early classical training.
Oki studied under modern bonsai’s original master, John Naka (see below). His gardens and bonsai designs are more classical than some of the other artists on this list. He has received numerous awards both in the US and Japan. He has even had an award named after himself, the Ben Oki International Design Award.
Lindsey Bebb is one of Australia’s foremost bonsai artists. He has been shaping miniature trees for nearly 40 years and has built a successful business around his work, running the only fully accredited bonsai retail shop in Australia.
Unlike some of the others on this list, color plays a major part in Bebb’s work. Many of his miniature trees have flowers or leaves with hues that fall outside of the usual green and grey color spectrums. His trees have a fuller, more natural look because of the leaves.
Quinquan Zhou is most famous for creating penjing (miniature landscapes that combine bonsai with soil, foliage, and rock). Most people are probably more familiar with this Chinese art than the art of bonsai itself. These landscapes have been seen in classical Chinese paintings for ages.
Born near the Yangtze River in Central China, Zhou has traveled around Europe, the Pacific Rim, and the Americas teaching and designing. He has published books on penjing and is known for giving live demonstrations that children find especially entertaining. He is also known for pioneering the use of marble in his designs to evoke the mountain scenery for which Central and Southern China are so famous.
Robert Steven is one of Indonesia’s most famous bonsai artists. He is known for his somewhat avant guarde approach to penjing and bonsai. His work does not have the same picturesque qualities that characterizes some of the others on this list. Still, it would be a stretch to call him “bonsai’s bad boy.” He has won major mainstream awards including the Ben Oki International Design Award.
Steven is quite active in the bonsai scene in Indonesia. In fact, the art has gained a foothold on the archipelago and has become a popular form of classical art.
The late John Naka was the most famous American bonsai artist of his time. Though he was born in the US, he returned to Japan to study bonsai at a very young age. He was the darling of the American bonsai scene for much of the 1950s and 60s. His most recognizable work, Goshin, still sits at the US National Arboretum. It consists of 11 impossibly straight juniper trees.
A magical sunset can take your breath away. Some photographers are able to capture and even enhance the beauty of a sunset through HDR photography and tone mapping techniques. Here we take a look at some exceptional shots taken around the world just as the sun reached the horizon.
As the day draws to a close and the sun bends to the horizon, its light has to travel further though the atmosphere to reach us. We gradually see less blue in the sky as it lights up with firey colors, as the shorter wavelengths no longer reach us and particles in the atmosphere scatter the fleeting sunlight.
Sunsets transform the sky into beautiful works of art, painted with amazing colors. These incredible shots were captured in Dubai, Denmark and Russia and demonstrate that while landscapes around the world may vary, beautiful sunsets are universal. Through tone mapping techniques, these photos were given more subtle brilliance than can be seen with the naked eye.
Twilight is that magical time of day when the sun dips below the horizon, yet for a few minutes we are still able to enjoy the fading light and colors of the sunset. All too soon, the show is over, darkness envelops the sky and the natural cycle of the day is complete. At or near twilight, photographers have a wonderful opportunity to capture amazing images.
Photographers who are able to capture the fading sunlight as it paints the evening sky often enhance the photos using photo manipulation techniques. Through HDR photography or photo manipulation, vivid details of the pictures become spectacular. Cobalt blue is a rare color in sunset photography, but through HDR and tone mapping techniques it can come through in amazing ways.
For many people, beaches are some of the most relaxing and beautiful places on earth. We have a fascination with the mysteries of deep waters and a love for the scenery along coastlines around the world. Spectacular HDR sunset photographs can be taken when the sun dips low and looks as though it may plunge into the water. The intense colors and reflections on the water can make coastal sunsets truly breathtaking.
As the day draws to a close, we are sometimes lucky enough to be treated to a few minutes of quiet time to relax and enjoy the sunset. Taking in the beauty of the sky in the evenings can be very relaxing and a great way to unwind after a stressful day. Our internal body clocks respond to light, and as the sun goes down we are given the natural cue that bedtime is drawing near.
Thoughts are provoked. Tempers flare at times. In this debate held by The Commonwealth Club of California dives deep into the reality of coal, renewable energy, China, the Obama Administration, and many other aspects of this hot topic.
It isn’t simply a matter of “stop burning coal, throw up more wind farms”. This panel takes a look at several different angles in this complex issue. It’s over an hour long, but it’s definitely worth listening to and sharing with friends and family.
Video after the jump
Read more about renewable energy on this green blog.
Image courtesy of NIOSH.
Tags: coal, renewable energy, wind farm
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