1. Leaf by Jeff Kubina

2. His Fingerprints Fern Leaf by Randy Robertson

3. Sailing by Steve H

4. A Frosty Morning in Denmark by Flemming

5. Random Assemblage from Yard by Ctd 2005

6. Untitled by Dave Morrow

7. HerbstFeuer by Wolfgang Staudt

8. Netting by Jenny Downing

9. Rain Drops by OurEverydayEarth

10. Plant Shadows by Kevin Dooley

The River Thames in London

During the ‘Great Stink’ of 1858 so much raw sewerage and waste from tanners, slaughterhouses, and other polluting industries flowing into the Thames that the smell became literally unbearable.

The Great Stink of 1858

It worked, to a degree. The Great Stink was not repeated but the Thames remained heavily polluted. It was still a river of dead dogs, sewerage, and chemical soup. The salmon that were common in lower Thames up until the 1800s were gone by 1833 and they didn’t return after the sewers were built- they just moved the problem downstream. By the time of the Great Stink there were few or no fish left in the tidal Thames at all.

The fish markets of London either closed or were supplied with fish from the coast. Cholera epidemics were common and polluted water was to blame. Attempts were periodically made to clean up the river but they were never anything like enough to halt the decline of the lower Thames. By the second world war it was complete. There was not enough oxygen in the water to support life even if fish could survive the contamination. For a 30 mile stretch between Fulham and Tilbury it was a dead river.

The tide began to turn in 1961. In the 60s environmental consciousness was rising. Sewerage treatment facilities were expanded and improved and serious efforts were made to restrict the industrial effluent running into the Thames. In 1974, just 13 years after the program of water quality improvements began, a salmon was found in the lower Thames. After an absence of more than a century and a half, they came back.

Efforts to clean up the river have continued and these days more than 100 fish species call the Thames home, many of them in the lower reaches. Smelt, sole, and bass have all returned to the river and so have countless invertebrates, plants species, and water birds. Sometimes seals are even sighted in the London Thames.

While there are still problems with sewerage outflow and pollutants, the Thames clean-up has enjoyed outstanding success. In just a few decades it has taken a moving toxic sludge and turned it into a living, breathing watercourse with a working ecosystem. There is still a lot to be done, but the Thames example shows that no river is beyond saving if we’re willing to try hard enough.

Jess Spate lives in Wales not far from the River Taff, a watercourse with pollution problems of its own. One day she hopes it’ll be clean enough to go for a swim. She works as a sustainable business consultant for Fountain Spirit and Appalachian Outdoors, one of America’s best sources of outdoor and travel clothing .

You may have read the excellent article posted by Jessica Root in 2008 over on TreeHugger.com titled “The World’s 5 Most Wicked Green Wineries”

We thought it was only right to bring you the latest news on the worlds greenest wineries;

Parducci Wine Cellars

Mendocino, California

Parducci has effectively made the switch over from fossil fuels to power their winery to completely 100% solar and wind driven. This change over was announced in April of 2008 and made Parducci the first carbon-neutral winery. This winery is the oldest family operated winery in California’s Mendocino Valley. According to the owner, the transition to sustainable energy has been the equivalent of planting 242 acres of trees or removing 172 cars from the road for a year. The partners who own the winery, as well as their employees, have committed themselves to finding ever-increasing ways to produce and process their product with eco-friendly in mind. They use things such as bio-diesel trucks and eco-friendly packaging for their finished product. Parducci feels that businesses are the key to leading society into a greener future.

Parducci Wine Cellars

Image by Tides Momentum

Some the key features which make the Parducci Wine Cellars so green are;

• Locally Owned & Operated
• Grapes from Local Family Farms
• 1st U.S. Carbon Neutral Winery
• Sustainable Farming Practices
• Earth-Friendly Packaging
• 100% Green Power
• Water Conservation & Recycling

Navarro Vineyards

Philo, California

Visitors to this vineyard are sure to get that “warm and fuzzy” feeling inside when they cast their eyes over the vast landscape. Navarro does not own lawnmowers, well at least not the mechanical kind. Instead, baby doll sheep can be seen grazing among the vines. This keeps the rows between the plants free of invasive grass and weeds. The use of these adorable creatures cuts down on the fuel consumption of the winery.

Navarrao Vineyards in California

Image by -nanio-

This winery also believes in composting its organic wastes and uses the compost to help keep the soil rich. They also believe in refraining from herbicide use. This winery is a smaller winery, and they do most of their business through direct ordering.

Rodney Strong Vineyards

Healdsburg, California

Located in the lush Sonoma Valley, this winery has taken solar power to a whole new level by installing over four thousand solar panels. They live entirely “off the grid” by generating their own power; in fact, enough electricity to power 800 homes. They are committed to using sustainable energy and take a lot of pride in that fact. The same family has owned the winery since 1989, and was Sonoma’s first carbon-neutral winery.

Honig Vineyard and Winery

Rutherford, California

Located in Rutherford California, this winery is notable for putting man’s best friend to work helping with their vineyards. Mealy bugs are the scourge of the winery. Every year, mealy bugs damage anywhere from 30 to 40 thousand acres of grapes. They are difficult to detect since they hide in the bark and under the roots of the plants. The dogs that Honig uses are specially trained to detect the scent of mating mealy bugs, and then workers can go in and remove the infestation. Honig Vineyard is also well known for its use of solar power, you can read more about their solar power here;
http://www.honigwine.com/solar

University of California

Davis, California

Who would have thought that a prestigious university like U.C. Davis would become known for its contribution to the eco-friendly wine business? Not many people would have thought this, but it is true and bears mentioning. U.C. Davis has recently completed construction on the world’s first winery to earn the LEED Platinum certification. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and is given by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED has handed out its certification to several wineries, but the platinum certification is the most coveted. The 20 million dollar complex is a winery, brewery and food processing plant and is expected to become fully self-sustainable in energy and water use once all components are online.

Greenest Wineries in America Interactive Map:

This is a guest post written by Guillermo Bravo.  Guillermo enjoy writing about wine, the outdoors, and everything related to his native land Sonoma, California. If you have the opportunity to visit Northern California, indulge in the best Sonoma Wine Tours and Napa Wine Tours the area has to offer!

Our list of the most luxurious green hotels on the planet shows that; no longer does being “green” require a sacrifice in quality. In fact, for the hotels mentioned below it is often their pursuit of “greenness” which elevated their luxuriousness and feeling of tranquility.

Be careful though, as we can’t be held responsible for your sudden desire to book a holiday!

1.    Chumbe Island, Zanzibar

Chumbe Island - Eco Getaway

The mere mention of Zanzibar evokes ideas of shipwreck islands and deserted coves. Well, you aren’t far wrong. This island paradise offers visitors the chance to stay in one of seven “Eco-bungalows”, each of which is no further than a thirty second walk from the sea. The Chumbe Island is a privately managed nature reserve which includes the first gazetted reef in Tanzania. The park wardens undertake numerous research projects in association with the University of Dar es Salaam.

image by Olivier Lejade

2.    Morgan’s Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge

Morgans Rock Eco Hotel

Nicaragua is a country jam packed full of natural beauty, no surprises then that it houses one of the world’s most picturesque ecolodges. Located just twenty minutes from San Juan del Sur, the Morgan’s Rock Ecolodge is located in the middle of a 2000 hectare property. Dedicated to sustainable, responsible tourism this ecolodge is massively involved in protecting the local ecology. It is a wonder that anyone can bear to leave, as it really is nestled amongst the most breathtaking scenery.

3.    A Whitepod, Switzerland

A Whitepod - Eco Holiday!

Nothing invigorates the soul quite like waking up to the morning sunlight glistening against pure un-trodden snow. Unless of course you are having little to no negative impact on the environment – in which case you can smile a little more. Each Whitepod is fitted with wood burning stoves, luxury bedding and full-service bathrooms. The resort won the world prize for sustainable tourism in 2005 and constantly has sustainability in mind. Limiting water consumption, choosing renewable materials and driving home their ethos to all who stay. There really can’t be a more inspirational way of hitting the slopes.

image by mfavez

4.    Bardessono, California

Bardessono in California

Definitely living up to the title ‘luxury’ the Bardessono boasts rooms designed to double up as personal spa areas! It is also one of only three hotels worldwide to be ‘LEED Platinum Certified’ – basically a very authoritative and respected third-party stamp on the Bardessono’s green efforts. It seems every aspect of the hotel has been considered in regards to not damaging the environment. From the reuse of materials or fact that each room is designed to capture just the correct amount of heat from the sun; the Bardessono is a true marvel of a hotel. Definitely not a budget option either, but what better way to treat yourself and feel good doing it too.

image by Rob Lew

5.    Waipiata Lodge, New Zealand

Waipiate Lodge - Eco Hotel

Designed by renowned architect Noel Lane, this 5-star luxury bed and breakfast was awarded the 2007 New Zealand award for residential architecture. Situated 40 minutes from the capital Auckland, this open plan retreat is set in 5 acres of gardens on a coastal peninsula. The couple who own the Waipiata lodge have really focused on sustainability insisting on processes such as; capturing and re-using rain water, on-site organic waste composting and ensuring the design and materials of the lodge area as energy efficient as possible. All of this added to the stunning location; make Waipiata lodge a hidden gem. Be sure to book in advance though as the lodge can only accommodate two couples at a time.

Post authored by Nick Williams: These luxury ‘green’ hotels have been brought to you in association with Yale Composite Doors. All Yale doors adhere to the strict new U value legislation; each Yale door ordered comes with its own bespoke certificate of compliance independently verified by the BRE (Building Research Establishment).

Critical to the success of this annual event is the participation of local area non-profits and community volunteers. This year 42 non-profit organizations and corporate groups were showcased at the Festival.

The event takes place at Oak Point Park and you can get all the details here;

http://www.planoballoonfest.org/fest-facts.html

To celebrate this wonderful outdoor event we wanted to share the photographs that we took. We really enjoyed the Plano Balloon Festival and we hope you enjoy our photographs of this great experience;

Photograph from the Plano Balloon Festival

A Hot Air Balloon Starts to Rise - Plano Balloon Festival

Two Hot Air Balloons Take Shape - Plano Balloon Festival

One of the First Balloons Takes Flight - Plano Balloon Festival

The Balloons Passed Right Overhead - Plano Balloon Festival

Very Patriotic Balloons on Display - Plano Balloon Festival

Crowds of Families Gather - Plano Balloon Festival

Balloons Drift into the Sunset - Plano Balloon Festival

Personal Favorite Balloon - Plano Balloon Festival

The Glow Was Superb - Plano Balloon Festival

Off Into the Sunset at the Plano Balloon Festival

Today we had the pure luck to witness a meetig of two sharp eyed yard prowlers, a Hawk and a Squirrel…

Below are the photos we took documenting the epic battle of Hawk Vs Squirrel;

Hawk vs Squirrel - The first encounter!

Hawk vs Squirrel - Getting to know each other

Hawk vs Squirrel - Back away, back away!

Hawk vs Squirrel - The hawk appears to have won

Hawk vs Squirrel - Parting is such sweet sorrow!

We saw the hawk return several times and it appeared to be hunting grass snakes, a couple of snakes were snatched up from the grass below and swallowed whole (still wriggling!).

After a quick search we figured out that our visitor was a Red Shouldered Hawk which is common in Texas, below is a closup of one of these beautiful birds;

Red Shouldered Hawk - Common in Texas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdn/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

The Red Shouldered Hawk likes to hunt in forested areas and will typically wait on a perch and swoop down on their prey. When hunting in clearings, they sometimes fly low in order to surprise prey. They normally feed on small mammals with voles, mice and chipmunks locally favored. Other prey can include amphibians and reptiles (especially small snakes), small birds, and large insects. During winters, they sometimes start to prey on birds commonly found at bird feeders, such as House Sparrows, Mourning Doves, and European Starlings!
Let is know if you see any Red Shouldered Hawks in your neighborhood, they’re a beatiful hunter and a wonderful creature to observe up close.

Who do you think would win this epic battle? Take our poll…

Step 1: Fill in your destination and use the “Get Directions” option to add your start address, for example, my wife and I recently went to Fredericksburg (which is a great little town) and here are our directions by car;

Google Walking Maps - Step 1

Step 2: Pick the “Walking” option from the drop down list and click “Get Directions” again;

Selecting the Google Walking Maps Directions

There are a few things to note, the first thing is that this is still in development and there is a note to use caution as the route may be missing some sidewalks or pedestrian paths. The second thing to note is that it would have taken us about 3 days and 1 hour to get to Fredericksburg if we had walked, but we would have saved all our gas money and been the greenest visitors around!

Switch Off Your Lights!

Here is a snippet from the Earth Hour website;

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.

For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Visit their site for more info;

http://www.earthhour.org/home/

We look forward to seeing, well… No Lights!!!