posted by admin on Dec 4

To be honest, I am a bit fed up with wandering around stores for Christmas looking for gifts for people I know, but who never seem to really appreciate their gifts.  I almost end up buying them something that they either specifically told me to buy (great surprise) or getting vouchers.

But my ideas are changing.

If they aren’t going to really love my gifts – and it is estimated that over 50 million UK pounds worth of Christmas gifts are thrown away each year (!!!!!!!!!!!) then I am going to buy them something I want, or something that cannot be discarded – something that will make a difference.

And I don’t care if that difference is to someone else entirely – even someone I don’t know, or someone on a completely different continent infact!

What Gifts Are They?
Well, they are the gift of wildlife sponsorship, domestic animals such as a goat, pencils for 100 children, training teachers for schools, etc.  They are not the non-convincing offers of buying a tree in a rain-forest that you can’t verify – these are serious gifts that will really make a difference with companies that are known world wide 

Now these types of gifts have been around for a while, but they were always a bit dull sounding or were very expensive – but times are changing and there is a lot more to choose from and at more reasonable prices.

Why These?
Well, there are many benefits to these gifts, and not just to the cause they are supporting.

1) These gifts are good for the environment – they will be supporting communities around the world who are ‘in charge’ of wildlife or environmental areas that should be preserved and cared for.

2) They cannot be thrown away and wasted.  The money you spend on these gifts will instantly go to work on your chosen cause whether your friends or family like it or not!

3) There is no wrapping involved, so less sticky tape, shiny non-recyclable wrapping paper and bows, etc are required, therefore even less waste and less time and energy spent on the whole thing.

4) They are totally different – a talking point.  Get others to think about the causes that interest you across the globe, and maybe get your charity or cause more support.

5) They really will make a difference – a positive one.  Rather than just lining big high street retail stores pockets with your reasonably impulsive purchases of gifts and wrapping, create a safe, healthy environment for people and animals in another country.

6) Feel good about yourself and the moeny you have invested.

Below are a few websites to get your search started.   There is still time to get these to your friends before last post! 

www.goodgifts.org- supporting African schools
www.worldlandtrust.org- protecting rain-forests
www.presentaid.com – supporting farmers worldwide
www.oxfamunwrapped.com – everything you could imagine

Alternatively, think of your favourite charity and just visit their site – I’m sure they are offering something as a gift.

posted by admin on May 9

This new list was recently compiled by over 100 million Internet votes as the world wondered whether we should compile our own, modern version of the Great Wonders Of The Ancient World, of which only the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt is still in existence.

The public loved the idea and voted for themselves and below is the new list, containing a spread of architectural wonders of today. Of course these places have necessarily been made in modern times and only 2 have been created in the past 500 years, some as old as 500BC! Nothing modern there!!!

However, these places are wonders of the world we live in that people of today are still amazed at after all this time; special places that people will travel across the whole world to see just once.

Chitchen Itza – Quintana Roo State – Mexico
This quite large Toltec/Mayan site is famous for it’s square-based pyramid temple in the centre – el Castillo. It represents the calender in Mayan times and has steep steps on each facing. It has a smaller pyramid inside as well that you can climb if you aren’t claustrophobic and don’t mind getting really, really, hot! Famously, the outer steps of this temple show a moving snake during the equinoxes.

This site also many other structures, carvings and columns, as well as the largest known ball court – the sport of the ‘day’ – where the winners were apparently decapitated!

Christ The Redeemer Statue – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
Watching over Rio de Janeiro is a giant statue of Christ (Cristo Redentor) which can be seen from everywhere in the city, and at night He appears to float in the darkness.

A relatively modern structure, Christ the Redeemer is nearly 40 metres tall and weighs around 700 tonnes and is seemingly impossibly perched on top of a 710 metre high mountain peak.

Machu Picchu – Near Cuzco – Peru
This amazing city, perched on top of a 2430m high mountain peak in the Andes has fascinated millions. Even before it was discovered in 1911, people were looking out for the mysterious ‘Lost City of the Incas’ and after it’s recent clearance (and modern transport links) around 1000 people a day will visit in high season, most coming the traditional (and the best) way – along the 4 day Inca Trail.

Petra – Arabah – Jordan
Another world awaits you at Petra – literally ‘rock’ in ancient Greek. Here you will find a whole city carved into the solid rock of a natural gorge in the middle of a desert waste-land.

Giant carved building fronts cover each side of the rock faces, including columns and other roman features, intricately marking buildings with important events of the time, rising 100′s of feet into the air above you in the red rock.

The Taj Mahal – Agra – India
Built as a mausoleum by Mughal Emporer Shah Jalnan for his lost wife, work on this amazing complex of structures was completed around 1648. It is considered the finest example of mughal architecture in the world today, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.

This white marble structure combines Persian, Turkish, Indian and Islamic style, and the famous view from the Charbagh (the Garden of Paradise) is something everyone wants in their own photographic collection, and it has an average of 2-4 million visitors every year to prove it!! Apparently though, only 5 things are allowed to be taken into the temple with visitors, everything else must remain outside…….

The Colosseum – Rome – Italy
This iconic symbol of Imperial Rome is a joy to explore! With 2 underground levels, secret tunnels and an 83 metre long arena – not to mention the beauty of the outside details, the sculptures and the history.

Built between 70 and 80AD it was the largest amphitheatre ever built by the Romans, holding an estimated 50,000 spectators watching gladiator contests, executions, animal fights and peaceful dramas. Apparently gravediggers were banned from entry, but slaves were more than welcome!

The Great Wall Of China – many locations across China
For nearly 1500 years, various emperors of China have been building or extending their own part of the wall – or as currently – simply renovating it. Covering an estimated 4000 miles of the countries northern and western border with Inner Mongolia, this wall is not visible from the moon, as was once claimed (it’s too thin apparently, and the same colour as the surrounding mountains).

The most visited areas are just north of Beijing where extensive works have maintained huge sections for tourism. Up to 1 million men were employed to guard this wall against invaders at it’s peak, but it is estimated that around triple that number died in it’s making.

How many have you been to see???

posted by admin on Apr 27

A report in BBC Wildlife Magazine has highlighted (again) the horrible effects of litter in the worlds oceans, with a close eye on Britain’s Coast.

There is a large picture of a young gannet ready to leave the nest for the first time, but he can’t. He is in perfect health and is old enough but he can’t leave the nest. His nest is made of litter, plastic and old fishing rope and his leg has grown into a knot in the rope and he is basically ‘tied to the ground’. He will starve to death where he sits, before ever having really started his life.

He’s not the only one – a group of volunteers went out to these breeding colonies and were able to free over 100 trapped youngsters and several adults. They also had to humanely destroy many more due to loss of both feet (as a gannet cannot take off from the water without both feet).

In April 2002 an adult minke whale was found dead with no obvious signs of injury. During the autopsy it was found to have 800g of plastic bags in it’s stomach - and we all know that plastic bags don’t actually weigh anything individually – so I dread to think how many that was. The bags had filled up the whales stomach however, so there was no room for actual food and the whale had starved to death.

The same happens to albatrosses – the parents pick up litter and plastic items which float on the sea thinking they are food and regurgitate them straight into the stomach of their offspring. Obviously these items cannot be digested so remain (uncomfortably) in the stomach. Eventually there is just no more room in their tiny tummies for real food so they also starve to death in the nests.

Greenpeace report that around 60-80% of all marine rubbish is plastic, so what’s being done to reduce the impact?

Well, government plans are all large scale and you don’t have any effect on them, (apart from the new attempt currently trying to have balloons classed as litter and to stop mass-releases) but – honestly – have you ever dropped litter? Not just on the beach or in a river, anywhere?

Litter doesn’t just stay where you drop it, it moves in the wind or rain, or with animals as in this case. And even if it’s biodegradable – it still counts as litter as it might take only a week or two to completely break down, but it could have been ingested or got caught on an animal way before then, causing harm or even death.

Don’t litter: The only way to stop carrier bags, lighters, bottle tops, pens and the like getting into the sea is to never drop them in the first place – and if you do drop them, pick them up.

Dispose of Carefully or Recycle: Dispose of your rubbish in council approved amenity tips, or with approved collections. Recycle plastic where you can, and stop using things you don’t need.

Stop Using Things You Don’t Need: I mean do you really need those 2 apples from the supermarket in a clear plastic bag before you can buy them? No. Do you really need that DVD in a little carrier bag when you have other shopping already? No, you don’t. Anyway – shops providing named carrier bags for their products are charging you to make them in the first place. You are paying to advertise for them.

What Are You Doing?

I already use jute carriers and reuse existing bags where ever possible, but I’ve not been trying as hard as I could to reduce other plastic waste – until now.

Care to join me?