fairytale treasury: Bean' Beautiful Thursday...: "www.etsy.com/shop/spora"
Brazil's Climate Modellers Are Set to Go Global
Climate modellers in Brazil are getting ready to unleash a silicon god.
Named Tupã, after a native South American god of thunder, a Cray XT6 supercomputer is gradually coming to life at Brazil's Centre for Weather Forecast and Climate Studies in Cachoeira Paulista, northeast of São Paulo. By late November, when the machine is expected to be fully operational, it will have a peak processing speed of more than 244 teraflops, ranking it among the top 25 most powerful computers in the world. So great is Tupã's thirst for electricity that it will only run at 20% capacity until a new power source comes online in February 2011.
read full article: nature news
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Drought in the Amazon, Up Close and Personal
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| Choked by a long drought, rivers throughout the Amazon rainforest are at historically low levels. |
In the field we worried about why it was raining so little. Back in Iquitos, Peru, we discovered that our field work had coincided with the worst drought ever recorded in the Amazon basin. ... http://bit.ly/ga3c7s
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$50,000 Cash Reward for Anaconda Snake
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| anaconda |
Eunectes murinus (derived from the Greek "Ευνήκτης" meaning "good swimmer" and the Latin "murinus" translated into "he who predates on mice") is a non-venomous boa species found in South America. It is the most massive of all known snake species. The term "anaconda" (without any further description) often refers to this species, though the term could also apply to several other members of the genus.
The Green Anaconda is one of the world's longest snakes, reaching more than 5 m (17 ft) long. Reports of anacondas 35–40 feet or even longer also exist but such claims need to be regarded with caution as no specimens of such lengths have ever been deposited in a museum and hard evidence is required. There is a $50,000 cash reward for anyone that can catch an anaconda 30 feet or longer, but the prize has not been claimed yet. Although the reticulated python is longer, the anaconda is the heaviest snake. The longest (and heaviest) scientifically recorded specimen was a female measuring 521 cm (18.1 ft) in length and weighing 97.5 kg (214 lbs).
The color pattern consists of olive green background overlaid with black blotches along the length of the body. The head is narrow compared to the body, usually with distinctive orange-yellow striping on either side. The eyes are set high on the head, allowing the snake to see out of the water while swimming without exposing its body. http://bit.ly/dsV7Db
Brazil Using Condoms to Protect Rainforest
Brazil has unrolled an ambitious plan to preserve vast areas of the Amazon rainforest by tapping its rubber trees to make sustainable condoms. Most "rubbers" are now made from cheaper synthetic materials, but officials of the Brazilian government—which buys 1 billion condoms a year—say the project will reduce its dependence on imports and give local people a livelihood dependent on trees which ensures they will battle deforestation.
The condoms will be the only ones in the world made from rubber harvested from a tropical forest. Similar schemes are under way to produce handbags and other items from rainforest rubber. If the condom project proves successful, Brazil's image as a "sexy country" could make the sustainable rubbers a hot-selling export, the Guardian notes.
The condoms will be the only ones in the world made from rubber harvested from a tropical forest. Similar schemes are under way to produce handbags and other items from rainforest rubber. If the condom project proves successful, Brazil's image as a "sexy country" could make the sustainable rubbers a hot-selling export, the Guardian notes.
Big Fish in a Big River
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| pirarucu |
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| giant catfish |
The Amazon River is not only the greatest in the world, it is home to many other "extremes" of the natural world. Have you ever seen a catfish? They're usually found in warm, slow moving waters of lakes and streams, and some people keep them as pets in aquariums. Catfish are pretty creepy looking fish with big flat heads and "whiskers" on either side of their heads (hence the name, catfish). Most catfish that we're familiar with here in the U.S. are anywhere from eight inches long to about five feet, weighing in at up to 60 pounds. But the catfish that live in the world's greatest river have all the room in the world to grow as big as nature will allow - they have been captured weighing over 200 pounds! One of the largest freshwater fish in the world is found living in the waters of the Amazon River. Arapaima, also known locally as Pirarucu, Arapaima gigas are the largest, exclusively fresh water fish in the world. They have been found to reach a length of 15 ft/4m and can weigh up to 440lbs/200kg.http://bit.ly/b1w3gY
Brazil Using Condoms to Protect Rainforest
Brazil has unrolled an ambitious plan to preserve vast areas of the Amazon rainforest by tapping its rubber trees to make sustainable condoms. Most "rubbers" are now made from cheaper synthetic materials, but officials of the Brazilian government—which buys 1 billion condoms a year—say the project will reduce its dependence on imports and give local people a livelihood dependent on trees which ensures they will battle deforestation.
The condoms will be the only ones in the world made from rubber harvested from a tropical forest. Similar schemes are under way to produce handbags and other items from rainforest rubber. If the condom project proves successful, Brazil's image as a "sexy country" could make the sustainable rubbers a hot-selling export, the Guardian notes.
The condoms will be the only ones in the world made from rubber harvested from a tropical forest. Similar schemes are under way to produce handbags and other items from rainforest rubber. If the condom project proves successful, Brazil's image as a "sexy country" could make the sustainable rubbers a hot-selling export, the Guardian notes.
Serbian Swimmer Conquers Amazon River
BELGRADE, Nov. 17(Xinhua) -- Serbian swimmer Darko Novovic has set a world record, swimming the length of the Amazon River - 5,450 kilometers - in just over 46 days, Reported Belgrade daily “24 Hours” Wednesday.
According to an interview with the Belgrade daily “24 Hours” on Wednesday, the 37-year-old Novovic began his feat on September 29 in Atalaya, Peru, near the source of the Amazon and swam for an average of 16 hours and a distance 188 kilometers daily. On November 13, Novovic finished by swimming 150 kilometers out into the Atlantic Ocean beyond Belem, Brazil, at the mouth of the Amazon River.
Novovic, who also successfully swam the English Channel, shattered the previous Amazon River record of 66 days held by Slovene Martin Strela.
“I was afraid of being attacked by bacteria which can blind you, or encounter any number of 'monsters,' said Novovic, who did come across a dead crocodile in the river. He said this 'fear' was a daily motivator to swim as quickly as possible.
Novovic said the swim was part of a fund-raising effort to build a pier around the church in the Montenegrin coastal town of Petrovac na Moru. He said he is already planning to tackle the Danube River from Belgrade to Schwarzwald at the river’s source in Germany next year. http://bit.ly/bRajUd
How did the Amazon River get to be so big?
The Great Amazon River
"Everything about the Amazon staggers the imagination. As one approaches Pará from the Atlantic, the banks of the southern, smaller mouth of the river are 150 miles apart. The island of Marajo, one of several in the mouth, is half the size of Ireland. The province of Pará, with a capital city also called Pará and with a population then [1865] of fifteen thousand, is the size of western Europe. The Amazon, with a flood-stage discharge ten times that of the Mississippi, has the greatest flow of any river on earth, accounting for 20% of all the water that runs into the oceans. It is so large that most of the lower river seems not like a river at all but like freshwater sea. For a hundred miles inland the river is indistinguishable from the ocean except for its calmness and its discolored water. There is little visible current; the slope of the lower river is a fifth of an inch per mile. Three hundred and fifty miles up, the Amazon is still forty miles wide. It is four thousand miles long, with a thousand tributaries, some of which are themselves a thousand miles long, and several are twenty miles wide where they meet the main river."
from William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism by Robert D. Richardson
Tagua Nut in Contemporary Design
Christiane Theise is a German artist who carves tagua nut (vegetable ivory) into the most amazing jewelry.
The tagua nut is the seed of the Phytelephas macrocarpa, a low South American palm. When the seed is mature it has a similar density and color as animal ivory -- thus its nickname "vegetable ivory." In the 1900's it was exported for the manufacture of buttons, but after the Second World War it was replaced by plastic buttons.
Coco Bells in the Daily Art Muse Blog
The DailyArtMuse was established in 2006 by Susan Lomuto. It has an incredible selection of contemporary handcrafted excellence. It is truly inspiring -- check it out. http://dailyartmuse.com/
This is one of the designs featured today -- the splash ring:
This is one of the designs featured today -- the splash ring:
Is the coconut a nut, a fruit, or a seed?
nut:
a fruit consisting of a hard or tough shell around an edible kernel.
fruit: the sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains seed and can be eaten as food.
seed:
a flowering plant's unit of reproduction, capable of developing into another such plant.
A nut is a fruit, so the coconut is all three.
But botanically (technically) speaking, the coconut fruit is a drupe, not a true nut. A drupe is a fruit with a hard stony covering enclosing the seed (much like a peach or olive.) Like other fruits it has three layers: exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp. The exocarp and mesocarp together make up the husk, and the mesocarp is composed of fibers called coir. The endocarp or shell is the hardest part of the coconut. The shell has three germination pores (stoma) or eyes that are clearly visible on its outside surface once the husk is removed.
Dendemona
I think that when one starts giving their necklaces a name... I'm not sure... But it could be a sign...
The seed in this pendant is called dendê - therefore, this is Dendemona.
Dendemona's little skirt is made with bronze freshwater pearls and brass.
If you would like to know more, go to http://bit.ly/ak3SxR.
Good News
"Brazil and the United States Sign Debt-for-Nature Agreement to Conserve Tropical Forests"
For the next five years, the U.S. will reduce Brazil's debt payments by $21million. Brazil will use this money to fund conservation projects in the tropical forests.
For the next five years, the U.S. will reduce Brazil's debt payments by $21million. Brazil will use this money to fund conservation projects in the tropical forests.
Olho-de-Boi (Oxen Eye) Amulet Protects Against Evil Eye
This gorgeous orange/red seed is believed to bring good luck in Brazil. As they say: one can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much good luck!
How Many Countries Are in the Amazon Rainforest?
The Amazon rainforest spreads into nine countries:
Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana
These are big numbers!
60% of the Amazon rainforest is in Brazil.
33% of all species in the world are in the Amazon.
About 2.5 million insect species inhabit the Amazon rainforest.
Up to today, 40,000 plant species were identified in the Amazon.
Click here to see photos of some of the 1,500 bird species that can be found in the rainforest:
http://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/birds.html
Which is your favorite picture?
This is mine, a macaw that has the colors of the Brazilian flag -- blue, green, and yellow:
Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana
These are big numbers!
60% of the Amazon rainforest is in Brazil.
33% of all species in the world are in the Amazon.
About 2.5 million insect species inhabit the Amazon rainforest.
Up to today, 40,000 plant species were identified in the Amazon.
Click here to see photos of some of the 1,500 bird species that can be found in the rainforest:
http://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/birds.html
Which is your favorite picture?
This is mine, a macaw that has the colors of the Brazilian flag -- blue, green, and yellow:
Not Only Pretty...
... but educational too! When you buy a necklace that is made with the jatobá seed, it comes with a small brochure giving information about the seed -- similar to the information in this blog.
Is Coconut a Nut, a Seed, Or a Fruit?
nut:
a fruit consisting of a hard or tough shell around an edible kernel.
fruit: the sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains seed and can be eaten as food.
seed:
a flowering plant's unit of reproduction, capable of developing into another such plant.
A nut is a fruit, so the coconut is all three.
WWW.SPORADESIGN.COM
But botanically (technically) speaking, the coconut fruit is a drupe, not a true nut. A drupe is a fruit with a hard stony covering enclosing the seed (much like a peach or olive.) Like other fruits it has three layers: exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp. The exocarp and mesocarp together make up the husk, and the mesocarp is composed of fibers called coir. The endocarp or shell is the hardest part of the coconut. The shell has three germination pores (stoma) or eyes that are clearly visible on its outside surface once the husk is removed.
The illlustration above is from Wayne's World: http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph10.htm
The "functional pore" is the germinating eye where the seed breaks through the coconut shell. The coconut is known as "the tree of life" because virtually every part of the coconut palm can be used by humans in some manner.
WWW.SPORADESIGN.COM
The Coconut / Coconut Palm / Cocos Nucifera
This is the most economically important palm tree in the world. The coconut fruit contains a milk that is rich in protein, vitamins, and mineral salts (sodium and potassium). Its pulp is used to make fat, its fiber is used for making ropes and rugs, and its shell is used in craft. In medicinal use it has properties to reduce cholesterol, fight dehydration, nausea and water retention in the body. It grows in all tropical regions around the world.
The Coconut Flower
WWW.SPORADESIGN.COM
Coconut Husk
Coir, the fibrous husk of the coconut, is used in a large number of ways. There are two varieties of coir. Brown coir is harvested from fully ripened coconuts. It is thick, strong and has high abrasion resistance. It is typically used in mats, brushes and sacking. White coir fibres are harvested from the coconuts before they are ripe. These fibres are white or light brown in color and are smoother and finer, but also weaker. They are generally spun to make yarn that is used in mats or rope.
Coir fibres are found between the hard, internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut. The individual fibre cells are narrow and hollow, with thick walls made of cellulose. They are pale when immature but later become hardened and yellowed as a layer of lignin is deposited on their walls. There are two varieties of coir. Brown coir is harvested from fully ripened coconuts. It is thick, strong and has high abrasion resistance. It is typically used in mats, brushes and sacking. Mature brown coir fibres contain more lignin and less cellulose than fibres such as flax and cotton and so are stronger but less flexible. They are made up of small threads, each about 1 mm long and 10 to 20 micrometres in diameter. White coir fibres are harvested from the coconuts before they are ripe. These fibres are white or light brown in color and are smoother and finer, but also weaker. They are generally spun to make yarn that is used in mats or rope.
WWW.SPORADESIGN.COM
Coconut Water
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is made by processing grated coconut with hot water or milk, which extracts the oil and aromatic compounds; it has a fat content of 17%. When refrigerated and left to set, coconut cream will rise to the top and separate from the milk. The milk is used to produce virgin coconut oil by controlled heating and removing the oil fraction.
WWW.SPORADESIGN.COM
Coconut Meat
Coconut meat is the flesh of the coconut fruit. There are two types of coconut meat: young or “green” coconuts have very soft meat which is almost gelatinous in texture, soft enough to easily scoop out of the fruit with a spoon. This type is sometimes called coconut jelly, and it is classically served as a snack. Mature coconuts have firmer white, dry, meat. In Brazil, coconut meat is used in a variety of delicious dishes; one of my favorites is called "cocada," a sweet that can be bought from stands throughout the streets of Bahia.
Coconut Shell
In Brazil, coconut shells are used as bowls and in the manufacture of various crafts products, including buttons and beads like the ones I use in my jewelry.
Here are some of my designs using the coconut shell:
coconut disks and pearls
for more designs, please check my website: WWW.SPORADESIGN.COM
Olho-de-Boi - Oxen Eye Pendant
The unusual pendant is made with a dried rind of a fruit or flower I cannot discover the name -- which makes it even more interesting. The smooth and bright carnelian bead looks like an unlikely pit for such a fruit, but it dangles from it happily. The oxen eye seed is red/dark orange and adds another form and texture to the composition. Unfortunately, I cannot find the dried rind anywhere to buy, so this is truly one of a kind. The metal chain is about 30 inches long and has a lobster clasp; the pendant is 3 inches long.
Where Poetry and Design Intertwine
This is a detail from a necklace in the Branca collection, a collection made with seeds, shells, mother of pearl, bone, horn, and fish vertebrae combine in shades of white. To see the whole necklace go to
http://www.1000markets.com/users/spora/collections/10255/products/59164
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