Princípios da Agroecologia

Agricultura sustentável tem que considerar aspectos socioeconômicos e culturais dos grupos sociais implicados. Não basta proteger e melhorar o solo ou a produtividade agrícola se não resulta em melhorias nas condições de vida das pessoas envolvidas. Portanto, agricultura sustentável é um conceito que implica aspectos políticos e ideológicos que tem a ver com o conceito de cidadania e libertação dos esquemas de dominação impostos por setores de nossa própria sociedade e por interesses econômicos de grandes grupos, de modo que não se pode abordar o tema reduzindo outra vez as questões técnicas.

Francisco Roberto Caporal

http://www.aba-agroecologia.org.br/

grãos

"Muita gente pequena, em muitos lugares pequenos, fazendo coisas pequenas, mudarão a face da Terra". provérbio africano

Como os lobos mudam rios

Como se processa os animais que comemos

Rio Banabuiu

https://youtu.be/395C33LYzOg

A VERDADE SOBRE O CANCER

https://go.thetruthaboutcancer.com/?ref=3b668440-7278-4130-8d3c-d3e9f17568c8

quarta-feira, 31 de outubro de 2012

GUARANI KAIOWÁS






Pessoas queridas

Que há 500 anos os nossos índios foram massacrados, explorados, torturados, assassinados e jogados na sarjeta pelos colonizadores não é novidade. 

Mas que hoje, em pleno 2012, os coronéis do agronegócio e seus capangas pistoleiros, com o respaldo do Estado que não cumpre com suas próprias leis e deixam impunes os assassinos e seus mandantes, assumiu o papel de continuar com todo o processo vivido desde o tal do "descobrimento", é novidade para muitos. 

A grande maioria das pessoas não sabe o que têm acontecido com nossos povos indígenas pois a MÍDIA simplesmente IGNORA SOLENEMENTE a continuação do etnocídio no nosso país, do desrespeito à legislação sobre posse de terras pelos povos nativos, os PRIMEIROS MORADORES dessa terra que, hoje, clamamos como nossa. 

Conheço pessoas que assistem 2 ou 3 noticiários diariamente e que não fazem ideia do que está acontecendo com nossos índios GUARANI KAIOWÁS no Mato Grosso do Sul. Quase ninguém sabe que os pistoleiros torturaram e mataram várias CRIANÇAS Guarani Kaiowás para proteger o canavial do patrão. Quase ninguém sabe que esses mesmos infelizes chegam nos acampamentos indígenas à noite já disparando suas armas atingindo principalmente aqueles que não conseguem correr eficazmente: velhos, velhas e crianças.

Venho aqui, então, fazer um APELO:

Se te incomoda ver o rosto de uma criança que foi torturada por pistoleiros para proteger o canavial do patrão, se te incomoda que a cana, o agronegócio, a soja sejam mais valiosos que VIDA de ser es humanos, se te incomoda saber que existe uma área no nosso país cujo índice de assassinato é maior do que no IRAQUE e que este mesmo local é recorde nacional de suicídios pois os jovens não tem esperança de que sua vida vá um dia ser menos violentada, menos explorada e dura do que foi até hoje, então peço, POR AMOR, que se informe sobre o que é que esta acontecendo com os Guarani Kaiowás. 

Embora até hoje insistamos na mentira de chamar a invasão e saque das Américas como "descobrimento" e celebrá-lo de forma tal que deletamos toda a crueldade e violência atuantes nesta parte da nossa história, é hora de se dar conta de que 500 anos é tempo muito mais que o suficiente para encerrar nossa omissão conivente e assassina.

Um lembrete da sabedoria popular: QUEM CALA CONSENTE! 

Envio abaixo links para matérias, vídeos e textos sobre o que vem acontecendo e uma CONVOCAÇÃO à manifestação pela demarcação da terra dos Guaranis Kaiowás no dia HOJE, às 10 da manhã em frente ao Museu da República.

Por Amor, divulguem esses dados pois A NOSSA IGNORÂNCIA É O PODER DELES, pois o nosso SILÊNCIO É CONIVENTE com toda essa crueldade desumana, pois o SILÊNCIO diante de tal realidade É CRUEL E ASSASSINO, pois a atitude que tomamos agora que temos posse da informação que nos tem sido negligenciada pela mídia será o testemunho para os nossos filhos e netos de que não toleramos mais esse desrespeito, descaso e crueldade para com os povos que aqui estavam antes do colonizador chegar. 

Matéria da  BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/portuguese/noticias/2012/10/121024_indigenas_carta_coletiva_jc.shtml

Matéria de Bob Fernandes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NlPEZ3qKp1s&fb_source=message


Documentário (parte) "O conflito da terra" de Rosa Gauditano: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rnwLtG4tXM



DIVULGUE! MOBILIZE-SE! 

PORQUE QUEM CALA CONSENTE!

(((amor)))

Isabela Crema

A fome é um problema ético e político


Leonardo Boff: A fome é um problema ético e político

Postado em: 30 out 2012 às 23:36

Se não houver uma inversão de valores, se não se instaurar uma economia submetida à política e uma política orientada pela ética e uma ética inspirada numa solidariedade básica não haverá possibilidade de solução para a fome e subnutrição mundial

Por Leonardo Boff
Por causa da retração econômica provocada pela atual crise financeira, o número de famintos, segundo a FAO, saltou de 860 milhões para um bilhão e duzentos milhões. Tal fato perverso impõe um desafio ético e político. Como atender as necessidades vitais destes milhões e milhões?
fome mundo áfrica brasil boff
Gritos caninos de milhões de famintos sobem continuamente aos céus sem que respostas eficazes lhes venham de algum lugar e façam calar este clamor. (Foto: reprodução)
Historicamente este desafio sempre foi grande, pois a necessidade de satisfazer demandas por alimento nunca pôde ser plenamente atendida, seja por razões de clima, de fertilidade dos solos ou de desorganização social. À exceção da primeira fase do Paleolítico quando havia pouca população e superabundância de meios de vida, sempre houve fome na história. A distribuição dos alimentos foi quase sempre desigual.
O flagelo da fome não constitui, propriamente, um problema técnico. Existem técnicas de produção de extraordinária eficácia. A produção de alimentos é superior ao crescimento da população mundial. Mas eles estão pessimamente distribuídos. 20% da humanidade dispõe para seu desfrute 80% dos meios de vida. 80% da humanidade deve se contentar com apenas 20% deles. Aqui reside a injustiça.
O que ocasiona esta situação perversa é a falta de sensibilidade ética dos seres humanos para com seus coiguais. É como se tivéssemos esquecido totalmente nossas origens ancestrais, aquela da cooperação originária que nos permitiu sermos humanos.

Leia também
Esse déficit em humanidade resulta de um tipo de sociedade que privilegia o indivíduo sobre a sociedade, valoriza mais a apropriação privada do que a coparticipação solidária, mais a competição do que a cooperação, dá mais centralidade aos valores ligados ao masculino (no homem e na mulher) como a racionalidade, o poder, o uso da força do que os valores ligados ao feminino (também no homem e na mulher) como a sensibilidade aos processos da vida, o cuidado e a disposição à cooperação.
Como se depreende, a ética vigente é egoísta e excludente. Não se coloca a serviço da vida de todos e de seu necessário cuidado. Mas está a serviço dos interesses de indivíduos ou de grupos com exclusão de outros.
Uma desumanidade básica se encontra na raiz do flagelo da fome. Se não vigorar uma ética da solidariedade, do cuidado de uns para com os outros não haverá superação nenhuma.
Importa considerar que o desastre humano da fome é também de ordem política. A política tem a ver com a organização da sociedade, com o exercício do poder e com o bem comum. Já há séculos, no Ocidente, e hoje de forma globalizada, o poder político é refém do poder econômico, articulado na forma capitalista de produção. O ganho não é democratizado em benefício de todos, mas privatizado por aqueles que detém o ter, o poder e o saber; só secundariamente beneficia os demais. Portanto, o poder político não serve ao bem comum. Cria desigualdades que representam real injustiça social e hoje mundial. Em consequência disso, para milhões e milhões de pessoas, sobram apenas migalhas sem poder atender suas necessidades vitais. Ou simplesmente morrem em consequência das doenças da fome, em maior número, inocentes crianças.
Se não houver uma inversão de valores, se não se instaurar uma economia submetida à política e uma política orientada pela ética e uma ética inspirada numa solidariedade básica não haverá possibilidade de solução para a fome e subnutrição mundial. Gritos caninos de milhões de famintos sobem continuamente aos céus sem que respostas eficazes lhes venham de algum lugar e façam calar este clamor.
Por fim, cabe reconhecer que a fome resulta também do desconhecimento da função das mulheres na agricultura. Segundo a avaliação da FAO são elas que produzem grande parte do que é consumido no mundo: de 80% – 98% na África subsaariana, de 50%-80% na Ásia e 30% na Europa central e do leste. Não haverá seguridade alimentar sem as mulheres agricultoras, caso não lhes for conferido mais poder de decisão sobre os destinos da vida na Terra. Elas representam 60% da humanidade. Por sua natureza de mulheres são as mais ligadas à vida e à sua reprodução. É absolutamente inaceitável que, a pretexto de serem mulheres, se lhes neguem os títulos de propriedade de terras e o acesso aos créditos e a outros bens culturais. Seus direitos reprodutivos não são reconhecidos e se lhes impede o acesso aos conhecimentos técnicos concernentes à melhoria da produção alimentar.
Sem estas medidas continua válida a crítica de Gandhi: “a fome é um insulto; ela avilta, desumaniza e destrói o corpo e o espírito… senão a própria alma; é a forma de violência mais assassina que existe”.


http://www.pragmatismopolitico.com.br/ 

Paleoecology and conservation


The latest paper of our research team is about the contribution of Quaternary paleoecology to nature conservation, and will be published soon in Quaternary Science Reviews as an invited review. This paper analyzes the role of paleoecology, as an ecological discipline, in the understanding of ecological processes ocurring at time scales beyond human observation capacity, and the application of this knowledge to nature conservation. Emphasis is on the responses of organisms and ecosystems to climate changes and fire, as two of the main current and near-future threats. The review is not limited to the usual theoretical aspects of the problem -which are also considered- but it is an attempt to show how paleoecology can contribute to address real environmental problems. At the end, several case studies from our own experience in the Neotropics are provided, in order to illustrate the usefulness of the main proposals discussed the general part. The paper is dedicated to Margaret Bryan Davis, one of the pioneers and more influential reserachers in the field. The summary of the paper is reproduced below.


Summary: Palaeoecology, as an ecological discipline, is able to provide relevant inputs for conservation science and ecosystem management, especially for issues involving long-term processes, such as ecological succession, migration, adaptation, microevolution, and extinction. This use of palaeoecology has been noted for several decades, and it has become widely accepted, especially in the frame of ongoing and near-future global warming and its potential biotic consequences. Selected palaeoecological insights of interest for conservation include the following: 1) species respond in an individualistic manner to environmental changes that lead to changes in community composition, suggesting that future ecosystems would have no modern analogues; 2) in the short-term, acclimation is more likely a response of species that are expected to persist in the face of global warming, but the possibility of evolutionary change linked to the existence of pre-adapted genomes cannot be dismissed; 3) species unable to acclimate or adapt to new conditions should migrate or become extinct, which has been observed in past records; 4) current extinction estimates for the near-future should be revised in light of palaeoecological information, which shows that spatial reorganisations and persistence in suitable microrefugia have been more common than extinction during the Quaternary; 5) biotic responses to environmental changes do not necessarily follow the rules of equilibrium dynamics but depend on complex and non-linear processes that lead to unexpected “surprises”, which are favoured by the occurrence of thresholds and amplifying positive feedbacks; 6) threshold responses can cause the movement of ecosystems among several potentially stable states depending on their resilience, or the persistence of transient states; 7) species and their communities have responded to environmental changes in a heterogeneous fashion according to the local and regional features, which is crucial for present and future management policies; 8) the global warming that occurred at the end of the Younger Drays cold reversal (ca. 13.0 to 11.5 cal kyr BP) took place at similar rates and magnitudes compared to the global warming projected for the 21st century, thus becoming a powerful past analogue for prediction modelling; 9) environmental changes have acted upon ecosystems in an indirect way by modifying human behaviour and activities that, in turn, have had the potential of changing the environment and enhancing the disturbance effects by synergistic processes involving positive feedbacks; 10) the collapse of past civilisations under climate stress has been chiefly the result of inadequate management procedures and weaknesses in social organisation, which would be a warning for the present uncontrolled growth of human population, the consequent overexploitation of natural resources, and the continuous increase of greenhouse-gas emissions; 11) the impact of fire as a decisive ecological agent has increased since the rise of humans, especially during the last millennia, but anthropic fires were not dominant over natural fires until the 19th century; 12) fire has been an essential element in the development and ecological dynamics of many ecosystems, and it has significantly affected the worldwide biome distribution; 13) climate-fire-human synergies that amplify the effects of climate, or fire alone, have been important in the shaping of modern landscapes. These general paleoecological observations and others that have emerged from case studies of particular problems can improve the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Nature conservation requires the full consideration of palaeoecological knowledge in an ecological context, along with the synergistic cooperation of palaeoecologists with neoecologists, anthropologists, and conservation scientists.

Fire in the Gran Sabana (SE Venezuela)

Reference:
Vegas-Vilarrúbia, T., Rull, V., Montoya, E. & Safont, E. 2011. Quaternary palaeoecology and nature conservation: a general review with some examples from the Neotropics. Quaternary Science Reviews, doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2011.05.006.
 
 
 

CULTURA DE PAZ na UFC

III SEMINÁRIO CULTURA DE PAZ, EDUCAÇÃO E ESPIRITUALIDADE - UFC.


O III seminário Cultura de Paz, Educação e Espiritualidade é um evento organizado pelo grupo de pesquisa Cultura de paz, Espiritualidade, Juventudes e Docentes, coordenado pela Profa. Dra Kelma Socorro Lopes de Matos, vinculdado a Faculdade de Educação da Universidade Federal do Ceará.

O evento Possui como objetivo disseminar a troca de saberes relacionados a cultura de paz, a espiritualidade e sua relação com a educação. Conta com a presença de Professores de diversas redes de ensino, Estudantes, Pesquisadores do Norte, Nordeste e Sul do país, Jornalistas e Educadores sociais que através das mesas redondas e oficinas, partilham de experiências que envolvem diálogos e vivências em um clima de harmonia  e reflexão para ações de paz.

Teremos, ainda, espaços para apresentação de trabalhos científicos relacionados a temática do evento. O III Seminário ocorrerá nos dias 28,29 e 30 de novembro de 2012, no Auditório Valnir Chagas da Faculdade de Educação da Universidade Federal do Ceará.

Desejamos nesse terceiro encontro contribuir para a expansão de saberes, propostas e ações no intuito de semear  uma concepção de vida e de homem  baseada na inteireza e na educação integral.

Estejam tod@s convidados e sejam bem vindos!!!

 

 

MESAS REDONDAS, PALESTRAS, OFICINAS E APRESENTAÇÃO DE TRABALHOS

DATA: 28 A 30 DE NOVEMBRO DE 2012.

INSCRIÇÕES: 03 DE SETEMBRO A 31 DE OUTUBRO DE 2012.

INSCRIÇÕES COM TRABALHO: 03 DE SETEMBRO A 05 DE OUTUBRO

Sem trabalho: 1 pacote de Leite em pó

Com trabalho: 25,00 reais

PARA FAZER SUA INSCRIÇÃO ACESSE:

INSCRIÇÃO SEM TRABALHO:
INSCRIÇÃO COM TRABALHO:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFcxWUVoVmVuSU1XaHdqUDJZWDJ5VHc6MQ
 
INFORMAMOS QUE A PROGRAMAÇÃO SERÁ DISPONÍVEL EM BREVE. 
 

6 jovens que estão mudando o mundo pela educação

O mundo hoje torce pela recuperação da jovem paquistanesa Malala Yousafzai, 14, que sofreu neste mês um atentado enquanto ia para a escola por defender o direito do acesso das meninas à educação. O caso de Malala mobilizou autoridades, políticos e gente comum, que tem compartilhado sua foto nas redes sociais. A boa notícia é que a moça não está só. Como Malala, há muitos jovens que estão transformando, cada um a sua forma, o seu entorno pela educação. Alguns, inclusive, estão indo muito além de mudar a realidade local. O Porvir mapeou alguns desses casos de pequenos empreendedores de mentes brilhantes. Confira!
1. Malala Yousafzai, 14
A menina que só queria poder estudar
Malala é uma jovem paquistanesa que, desde muito nova, ficou conhecida por seu ativismo em favor da educação das meninas no distrito de Swat, dominado pelo talebã. Em 2009, então com 11 anos, ela começou a escrever um blog para a BBC em que relatava as dificuldades de viver em uma região onde a violência era algo normal. Na mesma época, o jornal The New York Times produziu o documentário Class Dismissed (Aula Cancelada, em livre tradução), em que mostrava a menina e sua família às vésperas da escola onde estudava ser fechada pelos extremistas. No vídeo, ela e seu pai falam do sonho que a jovem tem de ser médica e de seu medo de ser obrigada a parar de estudar.
Confira o documentário, em inglês (cuidado, cenas fortes de violência).

Em 9 de outubro, Malala sofreu um atentado enquanto ia para a escola. A van em que estava com outras meninas foi interceptada por homens armados e ela foi atingida por tiros no ombro e na cabeça. A menina foi levada às pressas para um hospital local em estado crítico e, tão logo suas condições de saúde permitiram, ela foi removida para a Inglaterra. O talebã confirmou a autoria do ataque e reafirmou que segue com sua intenção de matar Malala e seu pai. Apesar disso, a parte boa é que, segundo a imprensa britânica, o estado de saúde da garota ainda inspira cuidados, mas ela apresenta melhoras consistentes e já consegue ficar de pé. Uma legião de pessoas tocadas pelo que aconteceu com ela tem compartilhado sua foto e sua história nas redes sociais.
2. Brittany Wenger, 17
A jovem que ajudou a diagnosticar o câncer
A norte-americana Brittany Wenger, 17, criou um programa de computador que ajuda os médicos a detectarem câncer de mama. A jovem levou dois anos para concluir suas pesquisas e, em julho, foi a vencedora do 2o Prêmio Google de Feira de Ciências, que condecora pesquisas de jovens cientistas de todo o mundo. Pelo programa, os médicos podem inserir características das células doentes (como aparência, tamanho e espessura) e o app aponta sua probabilidade de malignidade. “Tive casos de câncer na família, especificamente câncer de mama”, diz a jovem à emissora norte-americana ABC. Brittany quer continuar seus estudos e se tornar médica oncologista pediatra. No mesmo vídeo, sua mãe conta que, desde pequena, a menina é questionadora. “Quando ela tinha 3 ou 4 anos, ela sempre perguntava o porquê das coisas. As pessoas diziam que ia passar. Hoje ela tem 17 e continua perguntando.”
Veja entrevista de Brittany à ABC.

3. William Kamkwamba, 25
O menino que dominou o vento aos 14
William Kamkwamba hoje tem 25 anos, mas seus feitos começaram quando ele ainda tinha 14 no Maláui, no sudoeste da África. Em sua TED Talk de 2009, o rapaz conta que seu país sofreu com uma fome muito forte em 2001. Naquele ano, sua família, que vivia de plantar milho, só comia uma vez por dia; ele e seus irmãos desmaiavam com frequência de fraqueza. “Eu olhei para o meu pai e para aqueles campos secos e aquilo era um futuro que eu não podia aceitar”, diz ele.
Mal tendo como sobreviver, seus pais não puderam arcar com as despesas da educação de William, que precisou deixar os estudos. “Mas eu estava determinado a fazer o que fosse possível para nunca parar de estudar”, afirmou. Ia à biblioteca local e lia livros, especialmente de ciências. Em um deles, viu o desenho de um moinho de vento e descobriu que aquela estrutura era capaz de bombear água e gerar eletricidade. Ele buscou os materiais de que precisava em um ferro-velho. “Eu consegui construir minha máquina”, disse o rapaz que, com sua engenhoca feita com partes de bicicleta, canos de PVC e um ventilador de caminhão, conseguiu levar luz à casa de seus pais. “As pessoas faziam fila na porta de casa para carregar seus celulares”, contou.
A história do menino que dominou o vento foi contada na biografia “The boy who harnessed the wind” e inspirou uma onda de outros projetos pela África que buscam levar energia elétrica a lugarejos afastados a partir de mecanismos simples.
Veja TED Talk de William (2009).

4. Daniel Burd, 16
O menino que descobriu bactérias que comem plástico
O trabalho de escola do canadense Daniel Burd, 16, fez a ciência refazer as contas. Sua descoberta transformou os milhares de anos necessários para decompor plástico em apenas três meses. O jovem fez um experimento em que misturava lixo, água e plástico e deixou o tempo agir. Ele percebeu que o plástico estava, de fato, se decompondo muito mais rapidamente que pelo curso natural. Refez o experimento em outros meios e temperaturas e viu que o processo se repetia. Analisando o material, Daniel identificou que as responsáveis pela ação eram duas bactérias.
5. Isadora Faber, 13; e 6. Martha Payne, 9
As meninas que denunciaram suas escolas
A brasileira Isadora Faber, 13, criou a página Diário de Classe no Facebook e virou um fenômeno na internet. A menina começou a usar a rede para denunciar os problemas de sua escola, em Florianópolis. Ela tirava fotos de fios soltos e desencapados, portas quebradas, ventiladores que não funcionavam. A página virou um sucesso instantâneo e hoje tem quase 350 mil apoiadores.
Isadora conta que sua inspiração para criar a página foi a escocesa Martha Payne, 9, que montou o blog NeverSecond para reclamar da qualidade da merenda de sua escola. Com o sucesso da brasileira, muitos outros diários de classes surgiram pelo Brasil e hoje Isadora lidera movimentos em prol da qualidade da educação pública no Brasil.
Veja vídeo feito por Isadora Faber.

Com informações do Tree Hugger

GM Free India coalition

North Indian farmers destroy Monsanto's GM corn field trials

Shahabad (Kurukshetra), October 18: In a dramatic action, farmers of the BKU forced the Haryana State Agriculture University to fulfil their commitment to destroy Monsanto's ongoing GM corn field trials in their public research station.
Last month, farmers and activists of the GM Free India coalition had met the state Agriculture Minister Paramvir Singh to show their resentment that public sector universities had become the experimental grounds for Monsanto's risky technology. They had requested a ban on GM field trials in the state. “A month has passed since we met the Agriculture Minister but the government has failed to act on our behalf. The onus is now on us,” said Gurnam Singh, Haryana state president of the BKU.
Hundreds of farmers carrying banners reading Monsanto GM corn Quit India” protested outside and gave an ultimatum to the research station of the Choudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCHAU) when the university officials promised that they would completely destroy the field trial. However, later Monsanto's officials were caught trying to sneak out the GM corn from the research station with support of University staff. Alert farmers stopped them and surrounded the research station when this news spread. They then forced the University authorities to comply with their promise and burn the complete field trial.
The farmers’ protest follows a recent recommendation by India's Supreme court to put a 10-year moratorium on all field trials of GM crops in India owing to the risks involved. Public opposition to GMOs has been building in the country owing to growing scientific evidence on the negative impact of GM crops on human health and environment. There are also concerns about the manner in which seed companies are taking control of the seed sector by using their patented GM seeds. This has been the case with the only commercially cultivated GM crop in India - Bt Cotton. Monsanto now controls more than 90% of the cotton cultivated area of India and has wiped out local cotton varieties leaving framers with no alternative choice.

EDUCAÇÃO INTEGRAL


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Educação Integral e Proteção Social: saiba por que é importante que esses
setores se inter-relacionem na garantia de acesso a uma educação que
permita o desenvolvimento de crianças e adolescentes em situação de
vulnerabilidade social

 
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ARTIGOS / ENTREVISTAS

 http://www.educacaoeparticipacao.org.br/

domingo, 28 de outubro de 2012

The Tragedy of Industrial Animal Factories



CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation): The Tragedy of Industrial Animal Factories provides an unprecedented view of concentrated animal feeding operations—aka CAFOs—where increasing amounts of the world’s meat, milk, eggs, and seafood are produced. As the photos and essays in this powerful book demonstrate, the rise of the CAFO industry around the world has become one of the most pressing issues of our time. Industrial livestock production is now a leading source of climate-changing emissions, a source of both freshwater and ocean pollution, and a significant contributor to diet-related diseases such as obesity and the spread of foodborne illnesses. The intensive concentration of animals in such crammed and filthy conditions dependent on antibiotic medicines and steady streams of subsidized industrial feeds poses serious moral and ethical concerns for all of us.
Featuring more than 400 photographs and thirty essays by today’s leading thinkers on food and agriculture, including Wendell Berry, Wenonah Hauter, Fred Kirschenmann, Anna Lappé, Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, and Matthew Scully, CAFO takes readers on a behind-thescenes journey into the dismal world of animal factory farming. It also offers a compelling vision for a healthier food system: one that is humane, sound for farmers and communities, and safer for consumers and the environment. The book’s ultimate message is clear: We can and certainly must do better.
Along with its companion volume, The CAFO Reader, CAFO is designed to be an invaluable educational resource in the battle to reform the tragic state of animal factory farming. It will also inform and influence the growing public movement of activists, farmers, policy makers, medical professionals, and consumers who are working to make our food healthier for ourselves, for domesticated animals, and the planet.


 http://www.cafothebook.org/thebook.htm

quinta-feira, 18 de outubro de 2012

PULSAR BRASIL

Seminário destaca importância da mídia comunitária para mobilização social
A comunicação comunitária é tema de um encontro realizado no campus da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, na zona sul da capital fluminense. É o 1º Seminário Regional de Comunicação Comunitária, que vai até quinta-feira (19).

Áudios disponíveis:
Daniel Perini, da Fábrica do Futuro, fala da importância do trabalho colaborativo para a comunicação. - 34 seg. (532 KB)
A comunidadora popular, Gizele Martins, destacou que a comunicação comunitária tem o papel de mobilizar e valorizar a cultura local. - 37 seg. (589 KB)
Thiago Ansel reforçou que as mídias comunitárias tem fundamental importância em espaços como as favelas - 57 seg. (889 KB)

Na mesa de abertura, os palestrantes introduziram o tema ao responder “O que é comunicação comunitária?”. A comunidadora popular, Gizele Martins, mediadora da mesa, destacou que a comunicação comunitária tem o papel de mobilizar comunidades. Ela ainda acrescenta que é na comunicação comunitária que manifestações culturais populares como o funk são analisadas sem serem criminalizadas, como faz mídia tradicional.
Tião Santos, representante da organização Viva Rio, falou sobre gênese do movimento de rádios comunitárias no Brasil. Ele contou que em 1995 um grande encontro definiu os três princípios da radiodifusão comunitária, são eles: sem fins de lucro, a pluralidade e a gestão democrática e coletiva.
Sobre a lei 9.612, atual lei da radiodifusão comunitária, a professora da Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Patrícia Saldanha, ressaltou que ao proibir a formação de redes de rádio, a norma estaria restringindo o potencial da experiência comunitária.
A importância das novas tecnologias foi destacada pelo representante do Obervatório de Favelas, do Rio de Janeiro, Thiago Ansel, que apresentou um mapeamento de veículos de comunicação em favelas e espaços populares. Segundo ele, dos 73 veículos mapeados, 46 apareceram na última década, o que se justificaria pelo surgimento das novas tecnologias.
Thiago ainda reforçou que as mídias comunitárias tem fundamental importância em espaços como as favelas, pois também servem para valorizar as vidas que ali vivem, além de “politizar os debates e demandas” desses locais.
Outro palestrante, Daniel Perini, da Fábrica do Futura de Cataguases, Minas Gerais, deu exemplo de projetos de residência criativa com audiovisual. Além de apresentar experiências de alguns projetos colaborativos, Daniel ressaltou que para comunicação comunitária é importante o empoderamento e a autonomia dos participantes.
Segundo ele, nos processos colaborativos não é possível trabalhar individualmente. Daniel afirma que para “ gerar um coletivo que se fortaleça é preciso que haja revezemanto nas funções inclusive no campo da comunicação”.
O Seminário, que começou ontem (16) vai até quinta-feira e, além das mesas de debate, contará com espaço de trocas de experiências com a presença de diversos coletivos, inclusive, a Pulsar Brasil. (pulsar)

MST - REFORMA AGRÁRIA
Sem Terrinhas trocam experiências e realizam marcha no Maranhão
Cerca de 600 crianças Sem Terrinha de todas as regiões do estado do Maranhão participaram do 6° Encontro Estadual dos Sem Terrinha no último final de semana.
O evento reúne crianças dos assentamentos e acampamentos do Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST). Algumas das atividades que permearam o encontro foram estudos sobre a identidade sem terrinha além de problemas dos acampamentos e assentamentos em que vivem.
O encontro foi realizado entre os dias 12 e 15 de outubro, em São Luís. Além da participação em diferentes tipos de oficinas, as crianças puderam trocar informações sobre suas experiências nos acampamentos.
Também tiveram a oportunidade de conhecer mais sobre a realidade do Povo Palestino e prestaram solidariedade às crianças desse povo escrevendo cartas, poesias e desenhos de apoio. Em outro momento receberam a visita de crianças sem teto, articuladas pelo movimento União de Moradia Popular.

Para encerrar, os Sem Terrinha realizaram uma mobilização na última segunda-feira (15). Em marcha, as crianças do MST seguiram pelas principais ruas de São Luís e, ao atravessarem o centro histórico, puxando palavras de ordem até o Palácio dos Leões, sede do governo estadual do Maranhão.

As crianças denunciaram a situação de violência no campo exigindo segurança nas áreas de conflitos, melhores condições para as escolas e para os assentamentos e desapropriação de terra. (pulsar)

BELO MONTE - DIREITOS HUMANOS
Consórcio de Belo Monte se compromete com demandas de indígenas
A empresa Norte Energia, responsável pelas obras da Usina Hidrelétrica de Belo Monte, no Pará, diz ter concordado com a pauta de reivindicações dos indígenas, após reunião de conciliação realizada nesta terça-feira (16) com as lideranças.
De acordo com informações da Agência Brasil, a reunião foi coordenada pelo procurador da Fundação Nacional do Índio (Funai) Leandro Santos da Guarda.
Entre as revindicações estão a construção de escolas, de hospital e de casas. Segundo a Norte Energia, os indígenas já começaram a sair da área da ensecadeira, que é uma pequena barragem provisória, ocupada desde o dia 8 de outubro, em uma das frentes da obra na localidade de Pimental.
Quanto aos pescadores e ribeirinhos, que também ocuparam o local e participaram da reunião, a Norte Energia informou que a pauta de reivindicação será discutida hoje (17), em Altamira.
De acordo com os manifestantes, a ocupação ocorreu em função do completo descumprimento dos acordos firmados pelo Consórcio Norte Energia depois da última ocupação da ensecadeira, entre junho e julho passados.
Além do não cumprimento de grande parte das condicionantes, eles denunciavam a falta de diálogo da empresa e a ameaça concreta de alagamento de parte de Altamira com o barramento definitivo do Xingu.
Os manifestantes acusam o empreendimento de fechar o rio sem que tenha sido solucionada a transposição de barcos de um lado a outro da ensecadeira, como exige a Licença de Instalação outorgada pelo Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente (Ibama). (pulsar)

CUBA - MIGRAÇÃO
Cuba libera viagens ao exterior sem pedidos de autorização
O governo cubano anunciou que, a partir do próximo 14 de janeiro, os habitantes da Ilha poderão viajar para fora do país sem pedir permissão às autoridades.
Segundo anunciou do Ministério de Exteriores cubano, cai também a obrigatoriedade de apresentar uma carta convite do país de destino. Agora, a população cubana precisará apenas de um passaporte cubano e do visto.
A atualização da política migratória cubana é uma das reformas mais esperadas do governo de Raúl Castro. A recente mudança também estende de 11 para 24 meses o tempo de permanência dos cubanas e cubanos no exterior.
Essa medida do governo faz parte do plano aprovado pelo Partido Comunista em abril de 2011. As autoridades cubanas afirmaram que vão continuar a implementar novas modificações na legislação em relação à migração.
O jornal cubano Granma destacou que "se manterão medidas para preservar o capital humano criado pela Revolução frente ao roubo de talentos que aplicam os poderosos", em referência às ações para que cubanos se mudem para os Estados Unidos.(pulsar)

Fundação Charles Darwin

Careers
Jobs
Join CDF personnel

CDF runs the Charles Darwin Research Station in Galapagos, with about 200 staff, research students, and volunteers. Opportunities for employment range from corporate communications and education to accounting and human resources. Note: Ecuadorian labor law and the Special Law for Galapagos require CDF to make every effort to offer employment to suitably qualified Galapagos residents and Ecuadorian nationals. For this reason, some employment opportunities are advertised as only available to these groups.
How to apply
Please view the complete Terms of Reference for the position. Interested, qualified candidates should email the following to empleo@fcdarwin.org.ec: resume, cover letter, and contact information for three references (email address is sufficient). Please include the reference number and your last name in the subject line of all messages about vacant positions at the CDF.
Vacancies
The Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands is currently seeking applicants for the following vacancy:

    MARINE SCIENCE COORDINATOR
 Marine Science Coordinator
http://www.darwinfoundation.org/

YAO'S Journey to Africa

Latest

RHINO REFLECTIONS

The next morning, we see five magnificent white rhinos in the Park, sizing us up before crossing the path in front of our vehicle. It’s refreshing to see them as they should be, with their horns intact.
Back in Johannesburg, I meet Pelham Jones of the Private Rhino Owners Association. Pelham has been very active in assisting law enforcement officials track down poachers.
It is no longer the occasional shooting from an AK-47 obtained in a neighbouring civil war. Now, it might be a professional single shot from a high calibre hunting weapon or a dart from a veterinary tranquilizer. In some cases, helicopters have been used.
The war is escalating. Perhaps it’s time to defund it.
From my trip it’s clear that South Africans feel the same way about their rhinos as we Chinese do about our Pandas. They are a source of inspiration and great national pride as we brought them back from what looked like inevitable extinction.
For South Africa, it’s also an important source of tourism revenue, which is now under threat.

Photo by Kristian Schmidt for WildAid
Unfortunately, a very small number of people in Asia are still buying rhino horn, either as speculation or for what they may believe is a medicine or a tonic. The horns are made of keratin, the same type of protein that makes up our hair and fingernails.
Legitimate traditional medicine in China ended rhino horn use in 1993.
As I leave Africa, I go with incredible positive memories of the beauty, the wide open spaces, the incredible diversity of large animals wiped out elsewhere on the planet, but also with sadness that the actions of just a few people in a world of 7 billion can jeopardize the future of the two largest animals walking the earth.
Collectively these people are sabotaging African economies and stealing from us all.
As the vast majority, we need to let them know that this is not acceptable and is damaging China’s relations with our friends and trading partners in Africa.  We would be outraged if people were killing our pandas, we should be just as upset with what’s happening to rhinos and elephants in Africa.
From the conversations I’ve had, and the conversations WildAid has had with Chinese officials, there is a clear government commitment to collaborating to solve this. Peter Knights tells me Vietnam is also willing to collaborate.
But laws will only go so far. We need a drastic increase in awareness to reduce markets. Myself and other prominent Asians will be working with WildAid, African Wildlife Foundation, and other organizations to this end and we hope you will join us.

Photo by Kristian Schmidt for WildAid
That means any of us who know people buying rhino horn or ivory need to ask them to stop, explain to them what is at stake and ask them to be part of the solution and not the problem.
Yao Ming Meets an Orphaned Black Rhino
Photo by Kristian Schmidt

Preparing Our Children For a Resilient Future,

Preparing Our Children For a Resilient Future, Part III: Water

Biodiversity, Biological Cleaning, Conservation, Consumerism, Deforestation, Education, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease, Potable Water, Regional Water Cycle, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Storm Water, Village Development, Waste Water, Water Contaminaton & Loss, Water Harvesting — by Anthea Hudson October 18, 2012

Water — without it life on earth could not exist and yet it is often treated with little care or respect, especially by more affluent communities. Clean drinking water is actually a valuable and diminishing resource, due to all the toxins that are carelessly allowed to make their way into our water systems.
These statistics about water may surprise you and give you a greater understanding about just how important it is that we protect water, especially our potable water.
75% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water — however 97% of that water is the salt water of our oceans. That only leaves 3%, but 2% of that is frozen and only 0.5% is actually usable fresh water! Just 0.5% of all the water on Earth. Kinda brings the point home, doesn’t it?
As you can probably see, it is therefore vital that we help our children understand the value of water, the importance of protecting it and ways in which they can use it more sustainably.
Below are some ideas for introducing these concepts to your children… some of them quite a bit of fun, but with very important messages behind them.

Where Does Your Water Come From?
Do you know where the water your family uses comes from? Is it collected in a huge dam? Piped from a river? Turned into fresh water from sea water using a desalination plant? Or do you harvest your own water from rain water tanks, property dams, springs, bores and wells?
If your family is responsible for providing all of its own water, then you will probably have a good idea of how important it is to keep that water source in good condition and not to waste water. If, however, you get water from a public source, such as a huge dam or river, then you may not think very much about it. You turn on a tap, and — hey presto — out it comes, whenever you want it. But that doesn’t mean it’s actually a limitless resource or that we should waste it or neglect its care.
Below are some questions to think about in researching the path of your water — from raindrop to tap.
  • Where does water start? Learn about cloud formation. What different types are there and which ones are more likely to result in rain? What can affect how and where clouds form?
  • How does the water flow on the ground to the dam or river that you obtain your water from? Is it runoff from winter snows? It is the result of the joining of many small creeks etc., that meet and create larger and larger flows, until a big river is formed? Where do these flows originate? Where do they end? A lake? Out to sea? What do they pass through along the way that can affect the water quality?
  • If your water ends up in a reservoir, where is it? When was it built, and what was there before? How much water does it hold and what capacity is it currently at? Has the water quantity been higher or lower this year than usual? What about the past decade? If the dam becomes full, how is the overflow dealt with? How is the water treated as it leaves the dam, or anywhere else along the way, before it reaches your home?
  • What about desalination plants? How do they work? How complex and expensive is the process compared to other methods of water harvest? What difficulties have to be dealt with? How much energy is used?
  • Wherever your water is from, how does it travel from its source (dam, river) to your home? Where does it have to travel and how far? What difficulties might have had to be overcome to get the water across this area?
  • With underground water sources, such as bores, wells and springs, how did the water get there originally? In what kind of areas could you expect to find ground water that’s reasonably accessible? What problems might have to be dealt with when harvesting ground water? How is the water brought from underground to the holding tank? Windmill? Well? How can we try to limit the amount of pollutants that may contaminate it? What might happen if the groundwater is allowed to be overused? What quality is the groundwater in your area and what treatment might it need to make it useable? Is it drinking quality water, or really only suitable for gardens and other household use?
  • How is rain water harvested? How does it get from where it falls to the tank… and then to the house or wherever it is being used? What problems may need to be overcome? What considerations might be necessary to maintain its good quality?
  • Once you know where your water comes from, consider taking a day trip (or longer) to follow the path of your water. Track down the river or dam and visit them… Backtrack the source for as long as you like. If there’s a desalination plant, visit the ocean in the area and see if you can visit the plant, or at least get a look at it from outside. What can you learn and discover about your water by actually seeing its progression in person?
Solar Still
For another fun way to collect water, try making your own solar still. This involves digging a hole in the ground, in a sunny location, into which you place some plant material — ideally succulents. A jug or bowl is placed in the centre, as your water collector. The hole is then covered with a sheet of plastic, secured with stones, with a small stone in the centre, causing the plastic to dip down over the jug.
The sun then causes water to be evaporated from the plant material, which then condenses on the plastic and drips down into the jug. You can then drink or otherwise use the collected water!
Just to be safe, use non-toxic plants for this activity.
How Much Water Falls?
Do you know how much rainfall your area gets? Do you think it’s high or low compared to other parts of the country? Have a look at rainfall statistics for your area and compare to other areas.
What about different times of the year — do you get more or less in summer or winter? How does this compare with other areas? Pay special attention to the differences in the times which have higher rainfall between tropical areas and non-tropical. What do you notice?
How does recent rainfall compare with falls a decade ago? A century? Why do you think this might be?
Make a Rain Gauge
You can make a simple rain gauge at home, using a large soft drink or water bottle, and use it to keep track of how much rain falls where you live.
Cut the top ¼ off the bottle, then put it upside down into the remaining part of the bottle. Use some tape to hold it in place, so that it can’t slip or blow out of position.
You can then mark increments (such as millimetres and centimetres) either on the side of the bottle, or onto a piece of card or paper, using a ruler and a marker, and sticking it onto the side of the bottle.
Place the bottle in a spot where it has nothing above it, or too close, to interfere with the water collection.
To avoid it getting tipped or blown over, you can either half bury it in a pot or the ground, or wedge it between a couple of large rocks. Make sure they don’t go too high though and stop any of the rain from reaching the bottle.
At a set time each day, check the measurement of your rainfall and record it. Tip out the collected water and reposition the bottle, ready for the next rainfall. If you wish, you could choose to record it once a week instead of every day; however you may lose a little more due to evaporation, so records won’t be as precise.
This activity could be continued throughout the year, or even longer and comparisons made on your own collected data. If your family is enthusiastic, this project could be undertaken for several years, creating quite a comprehensive set of data for your location.
How Much Water Does Your Household Use?
Carry out your own household water audit. Get your children to work out ways they could measure approximately how much water each household activity uses. Some ways may be: referring to appliance and fixture manuals; timing how long a tap or shower takes to fill a certain size container and working out usage amount from how long it is run each time; or scooping out and measuring after use.
Try to include all water usage, such as:
  • Washing clothes
  • Washing dishes
  • Showers, baths, personal washing, brushing teeth, etc.
  • Animal use
  • Garden and outdoor use
  • Cooking
  • Drinking
So, what was the approximate total of water used daily?
How much do you pay for water per kilolitre and therefore, how much would this amount of water cost?
Is cost the only factor you should be considering, or are there other, possibly more important factors?
Walking for Water
Here’s an activity to show children one of the factors that plays an important part for many people around the world.
How far do you have to go to collect your water? Just to the nearest tap? For many people, the walk to collect their water can be many kilometres! Let’s see how you go doing that.
Get two buckets… and a partner if you can. This cuts the work in half. If not, you will have to manage by yourself. Make sure you know how much your bucket holds — or, more importantly, how much you can manage to carry without spilling any.
Now work out how many bucket loads of water your daily use audit amount would take. Rather a lot, I expect?
Your job is to collect your water from the ‘well’. Decide how far away your well is. Maybe it’s 100 metres… or 500 metres, or even further. Work out where you will need to walk to cover the decided distance. You could decide to walk along the footpath, or do this activity in a park or on a sports oval.
Place a bucket with the planned amount of water in at one end, and the empty bucket at the other. You begin at one end, and your partner at the other.
You each then walk to the other end. Whoever is carrying the bucket with water must be careful not to spill any. Once you reach the other end, you put your bucket down, and pick up the other one… and repeat as many times as it takes to collect your daily amount of water. The full and empty buckets represent walking to the well with an empty one, then back, after filling it.
If you are doing this activity alone, you could just carry the empty bucket back and forth the required number of times, then repeat with the full bucket, or swap buckets for a while as you go.
Did you manage to collect all of your water? Are you tired? If not, extend the distance to your well and try again! And remember, you would have to do this every single day if you were to keep providing the amount of water you currently use. What about carrying the bucket on your head, like many people do — can you manage this without spilling any? How easy is it?
After this activity, do you have a greater respect for the value of water to many people? Do you think you would continue to use as much water as you do now, if you lived in a community which had to collect its water by hand? How might you have to reduce the amount of water you use? What uses are vital and what might you decide to give up, or lessen? (Remember — in many of those communities, if you don’t water your gardens or animals, you don’t have any food to eat!)
What changes could you make right now, in your home, to lessen the water that you use?
How much do you think residential demand for water has changed over time in your area? Can you find any statistics to confirm this? What about agricultural water usage — is it higher or lower? Why? How about factories and other industrial uses — how does this compare now to past times?
Research water use in other countries — which country uses the most and which uses the least? Does the variation surprise you? What do you think might have an effect on how much water a community uses? Where does your country fall in the water usage list? How does your family’s use compare to the national average? Do you think it is fair that some people can easily have so much water and others must struggle to even have a small amount?
How Can We Create More Sustainable Water Practices?
Water Usage
Using less is obviously one of the important ways in which we can lessen our impact on water. What things can you implement in your home to use less water?
Ideas that cost little or nothing:
  • Fix dripping taps, etc.
  • Limit shower time.
  • Showers usually use less water than baths.
  • Where appropriate, shower or bathe together, or re-use bath water for more than one person.
  • Don’t run water continuously while brushing your teeth or washing hands.
  • Don’t wash dishes under a running tap.
  • Save water when getting shower up to temperature, by sitting a bucket under it, then use the water on the garden or for household uses.
  • Bucket out the bath and use on garden.
  • Mulch garden well.
  • Water at ideal times and for the needs of the plants.
Ideas that do cost, but will save water — and money — long term:
  • Install low flow shower heads.
  • Install a dual flush toilet.
  • Install a grey water system.
  • Wash full loads of clothes or dishes — don’t just run for a few things. Choose a small load option if you have one and want to run it for a small load.
  • When replacing washing machines and dishwashers, choose low water usage and small load option models.
  • Dishwashers can often use less than hand washing dishes.
  • Design and plant a low water needs garden.
Catching Water
Catching water that would otherwise just run off is a good way to get extra water. Rain water tanks are ideal; however, barrels, large containers, etc., can adequately catch water for use on the garden.
Roof evaporative air conditioner run-off outlets can have a hose attached, with water run down off the roof and into garden areas.
Makeshift collectors for gutter drain pipes can be made out of cut-off milk or juice bottles, taped to the outlet, with grey water hoses attached, which can then be run to the garden.
What Affects Water Quality?
There are lots of things that affect the quality of our water… most of the detrimental effects are caused by humans! They include things such as pesticides, herbicides, runoff from factory farms, factories, industry, oils spills, chemical spills and litter.
Let’s have a closer look at some of the things that endanger the health of our rivers… and the water we use.
Follow the River’s Journey
Kids love this fun interactive activity! It helps show them, in a hands-on way, what happens to our rivers as they travel across the country and the kinds of pollution we need to be aware of and concerned about. It can be done just as a family activity, or a group — we had fun doing it for our home-schooling group and also my son’s scout troop.
Gather around your ‘river’, preferably with easy access to the water for all involved. Read the story below to the children and have them add the ‘pollutants’ as the story requires. ‘Fish, boats and waves’ are then used to create a natural mixing of the water and pollutants.
The Equipment:
  • A container for your ‘river’, such as a children’s clam shell, blow up toddler pool; or a large plastic container or aquarium if you only have a small group.
  • Cut-out plastic fish, boats or waves can be made, stuck on sticks, and then used to mix the water, as real fish, boats and waves would do.
The ‘Pollutants’:
  • Litter (can be the same basic composition for each lot) — lolly wrappers, can ring pulls, paper scraps, ice cream sticks, etc.
  • Sawdust — if possible, obtain real sawdust. Alternatively you could use bran or similar.
  • Soil — use real soil.
  • Piggery Sludge — thin gravy with a little green colouring
  • Barrel Chemicals — bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, mixed immediately before adding. Add food colouring, if you wish. (Warning: this will foam up, so should be mixed over the water.)
  • Mud — make real mud or gravy.
  • Cow Manure — formed brown play doh or sultanas.
  • Tannery Chemicals — vinegar or water with red food colouring.
  • Fertiliser and Pesticide (can be same for each time) — bicarbonate of soda, or cornflour, or flour.
  • Sewage — water with yellow food colouring, sultanas and toilet paper scraps.
  • Boat oil — car sump oil, or used (brownish) vegetable oil.
  • Sink Scraps — find coleslaw mix or other fine food scraps.
  • Shampoo — shampoo mixed with water and shaken up.
  • Sheep Manure — same as cow manure.
  • Factory Effluent — water with dish detergent and green food colouring, shaken up.
  • Dog Poo — same as other manures.
  • Quarry Sand and Gravel — sand and gravel.
  • Soil and Rubble — soil and rubble.
  • Supermarket Litter — plastic bags, packaging, cigarette butts, etc.
  • Lawn Clippings — lawn clippings or finely chopped green paper.
  • Fishing Line — fishing line scraps, also hooks and sinkers if desired.
  • Salt
  • Algae — dark green powder paint or spirulina/wheatgrass powder.
The Story
The journey of our river starts high up in the mountains, as snow begins to melt when the warmer weather arrives. Melted snow trickles down the steep slopes, joining with other rivulets as it goes. This happens all over the mountain area, forming small creeks as the volume grows. Springs also gush with clear water and join the creeks. As the water travels across the land, creeks join up and eventually the flowing water becomes big enough to be called a river. This river will flow many kilometres as it makes its way to the sea, passing through all sorts of countryside. What does it encounter? What do people do with, and in it? Let’s follow its path and see!
In the beginning the water is clear and pure, travelling through isolated wild areas, rushing, gurgling along, tumbling over rocks.
As it makes its way down the slopes, it passes a ski resort, now closed for the season, where skiers have carelessly littered the area while skiing. Some of this litter is caught up in the water and carried along. (Add litter.)
A logging operation and sawmill are located on the lower slopes. Sawdust from the sawmill drifts into the river on the breeze. (Add sawdust.)
The cutting down of so many trees causes erosion of the river banks, causing soil to be washed into the flow of water. (Add soil.)
A large smelly piggery is round the bend. The effluent ponds for their waste is located too close to the river, and is not large enough for all they produce, so revolting stinky sludge often overflows into the water. (Add piggery sludge.)
A pretty spot, downriver a few kilometres, is ruined by the old rusty leaking barrels of chemicals dumped on the river bank. Toxic frothy chemicals seep down into the water. (Add barrel chemicals.)
As the river winds down into the valley, we travel through a large cattle station. Cows’ hooves dig up the earth on the banks as they drink. This makes the banks unstable and mud often slides into the water. (Add mud.)
They also poo as they eat and their manure also drops into the river. (Add cow manure.)
There’s a tannery not far away, where nasty chemicals are disposed of illegally, straight into the river. (Add tannery chemicals.)
Wheat is also grown in this area and the fertiliser and pesticides often end up in the river, especially after rain or during careless application. (Add fertiliser and pesticide.)
A few kilometres downstream is a picturesque campground. Unfortunately, visitors are careless with their litter and it blows into the river. (Add litter.)
Someone camping here is very thoughtless and empties their portable toilet directly into the river, rather than disposing of it in the proper place. Yuck!!! (Add sewage.)
Many visitors also bring their ski boats, which often leak oil into the water. (Add oil.)
It’s a popular stretch of river and many houseboats motor past with happy holiday makers. Water from their kitchen sinks run out into the river, carrying with it grease and food scraps. (Add sink scraps.)
People showering on the boats also release shampoo, soaps and other chemicals into the water. (Add shampoo.)
Orchards line the river for the next few kilometres. Once again, fertilisers and pesticides often drift or wash down to the water. (Add fertiliser and pesticide.)
Next we wind through a sheep station. Attracted by the river water, sheep frequent the banks often, leaving lots of manure that slips into the water. (Add sheep manure.)
Around a few more bends the peaceful rural scene is disturbed by factories, spewing toxic fumes into the air. Some also illegally empty their waste chemicals directly into the river. (Add factory effluent.)
Too close for comfort we come upon a picnic area, where children frolic in the shallow water. Of course, where there are picnics there is often litter, and this spot is no exception. Wrappers, plastic wrap and other refuse blows into the river. (Add litter.)
People also love to bring their dogs along for the fun, but they don’t always pick up what their dogs ‘leave behind’ and the poo often ends up in the water. (Add dog poo.)
The magnificent cliffs on the other side are spoiled by quarrying. Sand and gravel from the operations end up in the river. (Add sand and gravel.)
The quarry is working to supply the new housing development which is in the process of being built, just down the river. Builder’s rubble and disturbed soil make their way into the water. (Add soil and rubble.)
The new development already boasts a fully operational shopping centre. Unfortunately, litter from shoppers such as plastic bags, wrappings, cigarette butts, etc., end up in the river. (Add supermarket litter.)
To keep everything looking ship shape the extensive lawns around the shopping centre and nearby river bank parks are mowed regularly and lawn clippings blow into the river. (Add lawn clippings.)
Fishing has been a popular pastime on the river banks (although less so now, as for some reason the fish seem to be dying. I wonder why…?), but when lines break, hooks, sinkers and fishing line ends up in the river. (Add fishing line, etc.)
There are discussions about building a dam upstream a bit to help supply water to the new community, but because of its high pollution level, there are concerns over the quality and the expense and practicality of making it drinkable.
High salinity is also a worry, as so much of the water has been removed and used by people upstream. (Add salt.)
The algal bloom appearing in this area is also very concerning. (Add algae.)
The river soon makes its way into the nearby sea, taking with it all it has collected along the way. People grumble about the smell of the river water and how dirty and littered their beach is….
I bet you could tell them the reasons why!
Here are a few things to think about:
  • How would you feel about swimming or washing in this water? What about drinking it?
  • How many of these episodes of pollution do you think are illegal? Should they be? What sort of punishments do you think people who pollute our rivers should get?
  • How do you feel about the problems facing our rivers today and what do you think could be done to help? What could you do?
Salinity
As mentioned in the above story, taking too much water from our rivers increases the salinity of the water that is left. This can cause great problems, both for ecosystems (as has been happening in the Lower Murray and Coorong areas in South Australia) and for us in the water we use in our homes and gardens.
The following activity helps children discover the effects of varying degrees of salinity on plant growth.
The Equipment:
  • At least half a dozen small pots to grow your plants in — more if you wish. You can use plant pots or containers such as yoghurt or ice cream tubs, or even cut down milk or juice cartons. You will need to make some holes in the bottom for drainage.
  • Small stones or gravel to increase good drainage in bottom of pot.
  • Garden soil or potting mix.
  • Seeds, such as wheat or beans or something else easy to grow.
  • Water.
  • Salt.
  • Container and spoon to mix water and salt solutions.
  • A warm, light area to grow the plants, protected from pests.
The Experiment:
  • Place some stones or gravel in the base of your pot. Top up with the soil/potting mix until about 3 cm from the top of the pot.
  • Using the depth recommended for your specific type of seed, push 2 or 3 seeds down into the soil in each pot. Push the soil back over the seed and firm down.
  • Water the first pot with plain water. Measure the amount you use, so that you can give the other plants the same amount of their water. Water carefully, so as not to disturb the seed. This plant will be your control sample, which will show you how the plants grow normally, with plain water. You can then compare the differences you observe in plants with increasing salinity in their water.
  • Make batches of water with varying salinity. The change of degree in each will depend on the number of plants you are growing. Begin with barely salty water, right up to saltier than sea water, with equally increasing amounts per batch. Water each plant with one of these mixes — the same amount as the first plant.
  • Record how much salt you added to each solution so that you can replicate it over the course of the experiment, and have it to refer to when you finalise your results. Also, make sure you know which plant is receiving which salinity.
  • Carefully water each pot, with the same amount of its water, as often as required. Keep moist, but not soggy.
  • Record what you notice as the plants appear and grow — or don’t. Photos at various stages are a good idea too to help track their progress.
Consider these questions:
  • What do you notice during the first few days after they appear?
  • What happens after a while?
  • Can you theorise what is happening and why?
  • Can you relate your experiment to real world situations and problems?
  • What could be done to help solve these problems?
  • Are any of these being done?
If you want to do more, you could repeat the test to make a comparison between the growth of salt tolerant plants and less salt tolerant plants, under the same conditions as applied before. What do you discover?
How Can We Help Make a Difference?
Apart from adopting sustainable water practices in your own home and other places you use water, a great way for kids to get actively involved with protecting our water is by becoming involved in a Waterwatch group — or starting one if there isn’t one in the area they would like to work to protect.
Waterwatch was established by the Australian Government. It coordinates community participation in monitoring, protection and management of the water quality of our waterways. Waterwatch groups also come up with solutions to pollution problems and put them into action, as well as raising community awareness in the issues facing our waterways. It’s a great way to learn about the scientific principles involved in testing in a hands-on manner and learning to generate solutions and work in a group environment. A really worthwhile activity for the whole family.
You could also carry out your own monitoring of river areas or beaches, noting things such as litter, health of plant life and fauna, erosion and degradation, community use. Can you think of ways to help with any problems you discover?
What about a litter hunt, where you hunt for any litter in the area and dispose of it in a proper manner? Consider taking part in the annual Clean Up Australia Day, choosing a beach or river area to work in. Always wear strong gloves or use tools to pick up litter, in case of germs or sharp dangerous items such as syringes, glass and rusty metal.
Safety Note: Always be aware of safety issues when exploring or working near water. Young children should be supervised at all times, and even older children should be observed. It is also important to make sure all participants understand water safety issues, as well as what to do should an emergency occur.
Below are some useful websites for information on our water to use for research purposes and to follow up on areas of interest that you discover.
Hopefully these activities have given your children a more in depth understanding of water, how we use it and how we can protect it for the future. We need to instill the importance and urgency of addressing the problems facing our water today — and into the future. A clean accessible source of water is one of the most important aspects of creating a resilient life, as well as preserving vital ecosystems for all life on earth.




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BANIR AGROTÓXICOS.

Assine o Abaixo-Assinado virtual que pede o banimento dos agrotóxicos já proibidos em outros países do mundo e que circulam livremente no Brasil.

A Campanha tem o objetivo de alertar a população sobre os perigos dos agrotóxicos, pressionar governos e propor um modelo de agricultura saudável para todas e todos, baseado na agroecologia.

Assine já, pelo banimento dos banidos! Entre no link abaixo.

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