William Kamkwamba, one of the TED presenters. Photo: whiteafrican

Here are six of our favorite TED Talks about the environment:

1. Yann Arthus-Bertrand captures fragile Earth in wide-angle.

“You know the problem [is that] we don’t want to believe what we know,” Arthus-Bertrand says at the beginning of this 15 minute talk, in which he presents large-format photos he’s shot that show exactly how we’re damaging the planet. The statistics he superimposes on the photos of Kilimanjaro, the North Pole, and the New Caledonia coral reef are given weight by the fact that those images illustrate numbers that remain abstract unless we see the damage with our own eyes.

I first saw Arthus-Bertrand’s photos in Puerto Rico a couple years ago and recall thinking, “This is important. It’s only by presenting familiar information in a new way that we’ll take action.”

Though Arthus-Bertrand’s photos might leave you feeling desperate, the other part of his talk provides reason for hope. He presents his other projects, an Internet-based multi-media documentary called “6 Billion Others,” and a film, “Home,” both of which aim to collect and disseminate people’s stories about their own lives.

These two projects complement his large-format photos of destruction in an important way: they put a human face on the problems we’ve caused and show just how much is at stake. “It’s too late to be pessimistic,” Arthus-Bertrand concludes. “We can all be part of the solution.”

By showing us the problems, Arthus-Bertrand helps point us toward solutions.

2. James Balog on time-lapse proof of extreme ice loss

I learned about James Balog’s work in the NOVA special, “Extreme Ice.” Balog, a photographer like Arthus-Bertrand, is also director of the Extreme Ice Survey, and it’s through this research project that Balog documents the rapid recession of glaciers in time-lapse photography. “Ice,” Balog says, “is the canary in the global coal mine.”

Photos and film of receding ice can help reshape our understanding of why glacial melt is important.

You can argue all you want about climate change, but once you see Balog’s work, you’ve got to concede that the planet is heating up… and that the consequences are likely to be devastating.

3. Edward Burtynsky photographs the landscape of oil

Do you really know where your oil comes from? Burtynsky shows you where it comes from–and where it goes–in this super-short but profoundly powerful talk. To me, Burtynsky’s photos of the landscapes of oil–the places where oil comes from and the places where oil-powered and oil-based objects end up– are evocative of Chris Jordan’s photographs of mass consumption, and they have the same effect: that of making us more conscious about our consumption.

4. John Francis walks the Earth

The fact that John Francis even gave a TED Talk is fairly remarkable: the man spent 17 years in silence. That’s just one of the unconventional commitments he made in his personal campaign to improve environmental awareness.

That campaign began in 1971, when Francis watched two oil tankers collide in the San Francisco Bay, spilling 1/2 million gallons of oil. He immediately decided to stop driving, choosing to walk everywhere instead.

It’s an unusual journey, he acknowledges in this TED Talk, but one that can serve as a means of reflection for all of us on our own journeys.

If you think environmentalism is for boring people, then bump Francis’s talk to the top of this list.

5. Nalini Nadkarny on conserving the canopy

Nadkarny’s verbal intensity can be a bit much, especially by the end of this 16 minute talk, but it matches her passion for her subject: the importance of the canopy in forests around the world.

Nadkarny believes that the life of the tops of forests can tell us a lot about the health and future of these vital areas. But she also believes that most people could care less about the forest because they have little experience with it.

Rather than simply try to convince listeners by presenting them with scientific facts, she conveys this information through creative approaches, including distribution of TreeTop Barbies and scientist-artist collaborations she refers to as canopy confluences. These have resulted in dances, art installations, and urban youth rap.

I’m a big fan of making academic information accessible and engaging, so Nadkarny’s talk was inspiring.

You’ve got to sit through seven minutes of no-nonsense, fast-talking fact-dropping before you get to that, but the wait is worth it.

6. William Kamkwamba on harnessing the wind

I just love the absolute honesty and transparency of Kamkwamba as he talks about what it was like for him to be invited to give his first TED Talk in Tanzania. Kamkwamba, of Malawi, said: “Before that time, I had never been away from my home. I had never used a computer. I had never seen an internet. My English lost,” he says. “I wanted to vomit. I’d never been surrounded by so many azungu (white people).”

One of seven children, Kamkwamba was forced to drop out of school in the midst of a famine. Looking at his father and seeing the dry fields was “a future I couldn’t accept,” he said. So he changed it.

He taught himself English by looking at graphs and diagrams in physics books he borrowed from a library. And then he built a windmill, which generated both electric and water power. “People started queuing up at my house,” he explained, “to charge their mobile phone. I could not get rid of them. And the reporters came too, and the bloggers, which led to something called TED.”

And why did he agree to give a TED talk?

“Because maybe one day, you’ll watch this on the Internet” and will be inspired to “not give up on your dreams.”

Community Connection:

For some home-grown Matador inspiration, check out Ian MacKenzie’s Interview with Casey Kochmer on Taoist Travel.

UN forces performing rescue operations in Haiti. Photo: UN Development Programme.

[Special Note 1/14/10 @2:15 EST]

We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and willing volunteers. Thank you.

We’ll continue to keep you updated as we learn more.

Here’s the update as of January 14, 2010, 7:30 PM EST

I’m writing after having spent the better part of today at the Haitian Consulate of New York City, where I met with the Consul and representatives from American Airlines to discuss how Matador and the immense energy of those of you who have reached out can best be directed to help Haiti intelligently and meaningfully.

The highlights of that meeting are as follow:

1. The on-the-ground situation in Haiti and basic infrastructure cannot support an influx of volunteers at this point.

American flew two planes of equipment from San Juan, Puerto Rico into Port-au-Prince yesterday. The American representatives indicated that the airport, while open, may not be structurally sound and the control tower needs repairs. In addition, commercial planes are having difficulty landing, as aid and military planes are taking up a great deal of space at the airport. They do not have an immediate timetable for flying people into Port-au-Prince.

In addition, the Consul indicated that fresh water and other aspects of infrastructure are not sufficiently intact to be able to support an influx of volunteers. Although it’s difficult to watch the destruction and need that undeniably exist on the ground right now, the Consul considers a mass deployment of volunteers to be an action that would complicate current efforts.

2. American will prioritize delivery of medication and medical supplies.

Immediate flights will deliver medication and medical supplies. Commercial carriers are limited in their ability to deliver other items because of TSA and packaging regulations.

3. American will be collaborating with Matador to organize the collection of donated goods in New York City.

Most relief efforts need to be organized locally at this point. Matador will be collaborating with American to collect, sort, and pack donated goods in New York City. We are currently speaking with another NYC organization about the logistics of shipping those goods. We will continue working directly with the Consul to determine which organization will receive and distribute the goods in Haiti.

Additional information will be provided about the NYC collection effort after a logistics meeting tomorrow afternoon.

4. If you are not in New York City, you can still help.

In addition to donating money to the trusted organizations indicated at the opening of this article, you can reach out to your local Consulate to determine how you can best direct your efforts. As Matador members organizing efforts in other US cities are able to coordinate with their local Consulates, we will post their information here. Such efforts are currently underway in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Miami.

5. Be patient.

My mom has a saying: “Hurry up and wait.”

It’s hard to sit still and watch the news of such devastation and not feel compelled to help. Hundreds of the messages we have received start by saying “I have to go to Haiti to help.” Matador will continue working on organizing a trip; however, all of our contacts and organizations with direct contact to Port-au-Prince have indicated that the time for that trip is not now. We will maintain our list of volunteers and provide information about on-the-ground opportunities as they arise.

Photo: CarbonNYC

Hanukkah doesn’t seem to pose the same kinds of environmental problems that Christmas does, what with the latter’s cut and artificial trees and excess waste in the form of wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows.

But that doesn’t mean that Hanukkah can’t be greener.

Though most menorahs lit at home feature candles, public menorahs often blaze with the glow of electric light.

Two Yeshiva University physics students wanted to “green” these public menorahs, so they invented a wind-powered menorah, which they tested out this evening to mark the first night of Hanukkah.

From the New York Times City Blog:

“Their menorah is four feet wide and four feet tall, made of plastic and spray-painted gold. The lights are nine compact fluorescent bulbs. A cable connects them to a car battery. Another cable connects the battery to a wind turbine with a two-foot propeller…. The propeller turns a generator that generates current to charge the batteries. They provide a constant current and voltage to the compact fluorescent bulbs, which give more light on less power than incandescent bulbs.”

As Mark Stauber, one of the student inventors, remarked:

“In the miracle of the menorah, they got back to the temple and there was only enough oil for one night, but they made it last eight days…. I see an analogy with the world’s fight for sustainable energy, to take that and make it last as long as we’re going to need it.”

Happy Hanukkah.

Photo: imgur

In his New York Times Op-Ed column championing sweatshops in third world countries, Kristof admits he is “just about the only person in America who favors sweatshops.”

Despite suffering the common criticisms of unhealthy conditions, abuses, low wages, etc., sweatshops, Kristof maintains, “are only a symptom of poverty, not a cause, and banning them closes off one route out of poverty.”

For many citizens in poverty stricken nations, a factory job is a “cherished dream, an escalator out of poverty,” says Kristof. To take that away is more harmful than helpful. To be a garment worker is far from the worst thing out there.

In order for poor countries to pull themselves out of poverty, they must develop their manufacturing businesses. And if this means constructing sweatshops in third world countries, well, as “bad as sweatshops are, the alternatives are worse.”

Kristof makes strong points about looking at sweatshops through the lens of impoverished third world residents and being realistic about what factory jobs, no matter how low the wages in comparison to US standards, can provide.

Though, as Matador member Kelsey Timmerman points out in his comment on the post, “[Kristof's] argument ’sweatshops are good’ is too simple, just as is the one ’sweatshops are bad.’ ”

While Timmerman agrees that such factory jobs are incredibly important to the workers, he worries that Kristof’s column “encourages apathy” among consumers through it’s bottom line.

Rather than taking a black or white, good or bad side on the sweatshop debate, Timmerman feels that what people should be doing is becoming engaged consumers, asking brands where they manufacture their products and whether or not they have codes of social conduct for their factories.

“In my eyes, if an engaged consumer discovers something they don’t like about a brand they are wearing, they shouldn’t just write off the brand, they should pick up the phone and give them a call or drop them an e-mail. They should express what their concern is and see what, if any, action or response the brand is taking to correct it.”

It’s hard to say whether or not such phone calls or emails would have significant impacts on the way companies do business, but what is for sure, what both Kristof and Timmerman can agree upon, is that a general boycott of companies whose products are made in sweatshops is not the answer as it damages the lives of very workers its trying to help by putting them out of work.

What’s your take on sweatshops? Share your comments with us below.

Photo: rq?

Recently, The Fun Theory, a group promoting behavioral and environmental change, turned an average subway staircase in Stockholm into a giant, musical piano to see if they could motivate people to take the stairs more if fun were a factor. Watch the video of their results:

Additionally, the group is promoting recycling by creating a recycling bin arcade machine that makes the act of recycling ordinary bottles and cans feel a bit like playing skee ball and some serious fun.

The Fun Theory believes that “the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better.” And after watching the videos, it’s easy to see why they are so consistently successful. As BNT Editor Christine Garvin points out in her article “Yogis At Play”, one of life’s most important qualities is play.

Photos courtesy of author

We were a Be the Cause volunteer group visiting Casa de Paz, an orphanage just outside of Ensenada, Mexico. During the impromptu welcome tour, the director, Jonatán Lopez Sánchez, had quietly noticed young Jesus drinking from a plastic soda bottle. Later, he let us in on the significance of the moment:

“About two weeks ago I gave Jesus a soda after I returned from the market.“ Jonatán explained how he had forgotten about giving the soda-present until this particular afternoon. Tears building in his (and our) eyes while continuing, “Little things like this show me how much these children value and care for their home here. This is one of the reasons why my wife and I have been at Casa de Paz for the past eight years.”

Jonatán previously worked with a bank and owned his house in Veracruz. But he and his wife were not satisfied with this lifestyle, and felt a calling to give more. They decided to take a two year hiatus at Casa de Paz in Ensenada. It is apparent that this hiatus has turned into a lifelong project for the couple.

After this group-tear session, meeting other employees, and spending time with children, we had found another family, just as we had with the Door of Faith Orphanage (DOFO). At DOFO we had seen an amazingly organized operation that contested the dreary picture normally associated with an orphanage. But while Casa de Paz is well constructed and planned, it’s not the polished environment achieved by the Door of Faith Orphanage.

What it lacks in polish, however, it makes up with its structure, vision, and character:

Structure

Casa de Paz houses 48 children between the ages of four and 18. Like other orphanages, Casa de Paz has a casa de niños (boys’ house) and a casa de niñas (girls’ house). But there is also a casa verde (green house) housing special needs children. They require 24-hour care and attention, provided by a rotating staff, including a psychiatrist.

When the special needs children arrived at Casa de Paz, they were not accustomed to sleeping on beds or eating on tables. They promptly destroyed all the beds in the house and tore apart the living room tables. Over time, and with love and care, Casa de Paz was able to show the children a better way to live. Not only do they sleep on their beds now, but the orphanage focuses on giving them contact with the other children. They all eat dinner together. They spend free time on the playground with each other. They are being taught they are not different.

Vision

Self-Sufficiency:
Currently, Casa de Paz operates via private donations. The Mexican government also provided a greenhouse built next to existing farmland. The orphanage now grows onions, citric fruit, spinach, pumpkin, watermelon and more. It’s also beginning to raise goats. Casa de Paz ultimately plans to sell the extra fruit, vegetables, and goats to become completely self-sufficient. They will also be teaching their children how to manage and operate the farmlands.

An Infants’ Home:
A newly-built home is ready to accept infants, but funds for operation are lacking. Due to the constant care needed for this age group, Jonatán has estimated it will cost the orphanage $300-$400 dollars a month to hire an adequate staff.

Jonatán explained the need for urgency. In Mexico, many orphaned infants are kept in shelters managed by “D.I.F.” (Mexico’s National System of Family Development). He had the chance to visit one of these establishments and painted a picture of 35 babies incessantly crying in a small room with minimal supervision. Casa de Paz pushed to finish the building; now, they seek funding to make this care a reality.

Plans for Kids’ Futures:
Jonatán was asked about the rule requiring that kids 18 years old and over need to be enrolled in school to stay at orphanages. His answer revealed the Casa de Paz spirit:

“After they turn 18, we would like them to attend more school. If the child does not want to attend more school, but lets us know their productive plan for the future, they are more than welcome to stay with us.”

Character

Jonatán and his wife Marisol sit on an outside bench contentedly watching the kids play on the basketball court and run on the mini track. Oscar, the chef and father figure for the boys’ home, concocts one of the spiciest, tasty hot sauces of the Americas while his larger than life presence fills a room with his kindness.

Maria and Laura, two children at Casa de Paz, poke fun at a visiting gringo who speaks Spanish with a strange Uruguayan accent. The children’s bus is about to leave for Sunday morning Mass on the other side of town. Eddy, one of the oldest children at Casa de Paz, jumps out of the bus and gives one of the volunteers a warm hug, saying, “See you when you come back.”

For More Information:

If you would like to organize a visit, Casa de Paz can be contacted at jona_losa@hotmail.com or via telephone (646) 155-21-66.

Donations can be sent directly to their U.S.A. address:

P.O. Box 4113, Chula Vista, CA 91909

Community Connection:

Plan on documenting the lives of kids during your travels? Check out these tips for approaching children appropriately from Lola Akinmade’s “How to Photograph Children During Your Travels.”

Photo: Phillie Casablanca

Throughout its history, South America has been the “X” on the map of the metal mining industry. Multi-national corporations have extracted copper in Chile, iron in Brazil, gold in Ecuador, and other precious metals across the continent, causing intense controversy about environmental and human impacts of the practice.

In recent years, though, mining has been nationalized by various Latin American countries whose political and business leaders recognize that the lucrative practice could help them achieve greater economic autonomy. Decisions to nationalize mining are hardly conflict-free, however. It’s as much the practice of mining as who’s doing it that has caused communities to mobilize in support of anti-mining initiatives, such as El Salvador’s recent nation-wide ban on gold mining.

According to this recent article from the Americas Society, Bolivia is the latest country to be confronting the conflict between the economic lure of and the potential political mire that mining represents. The Americas Society indicated that approximately 5.4 million tons of lithium are buried under Bolivia’s salt desert, representing almost half of the world’s entire lithium reserves.

Lithium is an important ingredient in batteries, and is considered a more attractive metal for battery manufacturing than zinc due to its higher voltage.

Bolivian president Evo Morales has been praised for warding off salivating foreign investors from mining his country’s lithium. He’s also been praised for his long-term plans for the lithium: turning the metal into a usable resource for electric car batteries.

But his plans to nationalize lithium extraction have failed to gain widespread support.

As this BBC report indicates, the salt desert is a pristine landscape; mining would likely have profoundly negative environmental effects on “one of the world’s most unspoiled” places. Lithium mining on the salt flats would also be likely to detract from tourism, a significant part of Bolivia’s economy.

So how does Bolivia negotiate two seemingly competing needs: the need to become economically autonomous, on the one hand, and the need to preserve a pristine place on the other? Share your ideas in the comments below.

Community Connection:

Matador Nights’ editor Tom Gates went to Chile to learn more about the mining industry there. Read about what he learned–and didn’t learn–in “The Battle for Pascua Lama.”

Bolivia’s salt flats topped our list of the world’s most alien landscapes. Check out the photo essay here.

Photo: irene.

When I was watching Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s address to the California legislature last week, I wasn’t sure I could believe my eyes or ears: The Terminator, er, Governator, almost sounded emotional as he talked about “seeing the faces behind those [budget] cuts,” which he’d made with his executive power.

“It’s an awful feeling,” Governor Schwarzenegger said, describing the sound of protesters outside the Capitol building and recounting the tales of civil servants, Alzheimer’s patients, and children who will be affected directly by cuts to the state’s three largest areas of spending: education, health care, and the prison system.

In addition to critical services, the governor announced that he plans to shut down 220 state parks as a cash-saving measure to help correct the $24 billion budget deficit.

Acknowledging that legislators’ decisions about the budget will likely be the most difficult choices they’ve ever faced, Schwarzenegger said that the state will run out of money if they don’t make those tough calls by June 15.

He’s right, of course– the only way the budget can be reined in is by making hard choices. But closing state parks doesn’t just affect people’s ability to enjoy California’s abundant natural resources; it will also affect their health and quality of life. As The Gaia Conservancy noted, state parks may actually help bail out the foundering economy. When local tourism is promoted, money goes directly to the state.

You can view the full speech in the video below:

Community Connection:

Want to take action? The Gaia Conservancy is sponsoring an online petition, which you can sign here. You can also view other resources and calls to action on the California State Parks Foundation’s Facebook account, which is here.

And if all your efforts don’t prevent California’s state parks from being closed, check out Matador contributor William Moss Wilson’s article about California’s best treks… some of the urban options may surprise you!

Kingston Coal-Ash Spill, Tennessee

Last December 22, over one billion gallons of toxic slurry burst through a faulty retention wall of the Kingston Fossil Plant and sludged its way over 300 acres of rural land and into nearby tributaries of the Tennessee River.

As the largest fly ash spill in the history of the US, it might take months, or even years, to clean up the 6 feet deep gray goop. And while officials say that the elevated poisonous metal levels in the water and soil isn’t too dangerous, this does throw a bit of a wrench in the political support on clean coal.

Chevron-Texaco’s Pollution of the Amazon

Destroying the rain forests is a lot like jaywalking. Just because a lot of people do it, doesn’t make it right.

Well, actually it’s a lot worse than that. But that still didn’t stop Texaco from allegedly devastating 1,700 square miles of the Ecuadorian Amazon through deforestation and dumping carcinogenic waste products into the surrounding waters of their drilling fields for 20 years.

In the face of increased cancer and birth defect cases in the local population, Chevron, which took over Texaco in 2001, cites previous agreements with Ecuador’s federal government that absolved the company of any responsibility after a $40 million buy-off.

As of now, the epic 15-year court case filed against the corporation by the sick residents is finally awaiting a verdict.

Gorilla Massacres in the DR Congo

Photo by Philip Kromer

With poaching, the violence of the civil war, and the deforestation of their habitat for illicit coal production, the critically-endangered mountain gorillas of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park have been having a hard time of it lately (as well as the rangers—120 have been killed in the line of duty since 1994).

With only 700 mountain gorillas left in the world and 81 of which inhabit the reserve, even the loss of one individual is an immeasurable tragedy.

So when, in July of 2007, suspected charcoal traffickers sneaked into Virunga, shot four gorillas execution style, and left their bodies as a message about park officials’ new campaign against coal production, it was not without much hyperbole that some equated it to the obliteration of the entire population of England. When the rebels took control of the park later in the year, the gorillas’ fate became even more uncertain.

The good news? With international attention turned towards the perilous situation, the rebels and government have made a tentative truce over gorilla conservation and a recent population census claims 10 new additions have been born to the families.

Click here to see other animals on the verge of extinction.

1997 Southeast Asian Haze

Photos by Ke Wynn Lee

Unmonitored slash-and-burn deforestation and a delayed monsoon season caused rampant wildfires that raged October-November during 1997 in Indonesia. The oppressive smoke hung over most of Southeast Asia with the densest concentrations having 300-feet visibility and a pollution index equivalent to smoking 80 cigarettes, i.e., Keith Richards’ daily supply.

You can imagine the health toll on a population of around 6 million, but the impact on one of the world’s most biodiverse environments has been much greater, and in some ways incalculable. Five million acres of rainforest, 150,000 of which were protected, went up in smoke, and several species of have either gone extinct or were severely threatened—the insect index decreased 87% and numerous reports were made of villagers killing orangutans trying to escape fires and haze.

There’s also the of the ginormous release of greenhouse gases, which hasn’t helped our current clusterfuck with accelerated climate change.

Sydney Tar Ponds, Nova Scotia

Eighty years of steelmaking turned the eastern shore of Sydney Harbor, Nova Scotia into some hellish locale straight out of Dicken’s Hard Times. Commonly called the largest toxic dump site in North America, the dismantled steel mill, nearby hazardous waste ponds, and hundreds of miles of underground pipes contain 700,000 tons of chemicals, including arsenic, lead, kerosene, bezene, and a lot of other ‘enes’ that apparently drop you to your knees if you get too strong of a whiff.

In fact, no one is quite sure what industrial byproducts might have leaked into the soil over the century, but scientists note that puddles of rainwater turn florescent green and residents from the bordering community, which suffers from a high rate of respiratory illness, cancer, birth defects, and miscarriage, say an orange ooze leaches into their basements.

Shrinking of the Aral Sea

Photo by Gilad Rom

Lying between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the Aral Sea was once the world’s fourth largest salt-water lake until the Soviet Union diverted the two main rivers for irrigation projects in the 1960s. Now at one-tenth its original size, the Aral Sea consists only of a large desert and three rapidly shrinking small lakes, the increased salinity of which has decimated most of the flora and fauna, including the fish that supplied a once booming fishing industry.

If this doesn’t sound terrible enough, what remains of the lakes has been seriously polluted by nearby weapons testing, industrial chemicals, and pesticides from those farms for which the Aral Sea’s water sources were stolen in the first place. The airborne salt and dust from the exposed seabed has created a major health hazard in the area as it tends to kill nearby crops and contaminate the drinking water and air of the local community.

And desertification has negatively impacted the regional climate, causing longer, colder winters and hotter, more arid summers.

Community Connection

Do you know of other environmental catastrophes that have gone underreported? Then share in the comment forum below.

All images courtesy of Rafael Smith

A few weeks later, he stumbled upon an article about the need for better shelter solutions in refugee camps. It was then that Smith knew he wanted to focus his design on refugee shelters.

“From the beginning I knew I wanted to get away from consumer products, which is a grand majority of what we concentrate on as industrial design students. I knew I wanted to do something that addresses the basic needs of the living,” Smith said. “I wanted to design a project that would impact people’s lives.”

Conceptualized as Smith’s senior undergraduate thesis project, Über Shelter is quickly gaining national attention for its innovative and philanthropic attributes.

Primarily made of recycled aluminum, the refugee shelter Smith designed utilizes lightweight materials and focuses on sustainability. The Uber Shelter is collapsible and intentionally designed to be erected with few tools, minimizing potential transportation and construction complications. Additionally, each structure is stackable, which can help cut the size of refugee camp sites in half.

As a base unit, Über meets the immediate need for shelter after an initial crisis. But Smith is also focused on providing the most beneficial design for refugees. After speaking directly with a Sudanese refugee about camp needs, Smith decided to incorporate the three modern conveniences of a stove, electric lights, and a refrigerator in his design.

These conveniences are shipped and distributed in a separate upgrade package after basic shelter needs have been satisfied. For Smith, Über is a “shelter solution that meets the needs of emergency response but also provides refugees with a more personal place to live.”

While the Über Shelter is the recipient of designer, environmentalist, and activist acclaim, it still has a long road of refinements ahead. Smith is currently focused on reducing the shelter’s weight and cost for easier shipment and maximum dispersion.

“I think the base idea is very strong; however, there are several improvements that need to be made before this idea will be a serious candidate for replacing other shelter solutions,” Smith said.

“My plan is to create the best possible product with the resources I have. If the idea is good enough, I have no doubt that along the way the right people will help take this to the next level.”

Among those who have taken an interest in Smith’s project is Josh Messmer, who offered his civil engineering skills to help refine Über’s structural stability and engineering issues. Smith knows that for Über to become a truly useful shelter solution, he needs the input of other professionals.

With this in mind, he elicits opinions and criticism from other designers and engineers; he also presents his project in front of panels of competition judges. Smith also admits to the personal need to experience poverty first-hand in order to design truly effective products to help combat it.

“I come from a middle class western culture,” Smith said. “A dream for me would be to live or volunteer somewhere in the developing world, in order to better understand certain environments and situations. My goal is [to design] products that assist the developing world, especially products that will assist people living in extreme poverty.”

For Über, Smith ultimately hopes the final product can be shipped all around the world by being able to adapt to different climates. Once a crisis is resolved, the shelters can be cleaned out, packed up, and shipped to the next location that needs them.

“I realized how much potential and need there is for design as a means to address poverty. The separation that exists between rich and poor nations and individuals became very real to me during this project,” Smith said. “If [my] idea is truly good enough, I can’t imagine any better feeling than seeing people benefit from this product in a refugee camp or after a disaster.”

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Learn more about refugee situations by reading “Waiting for Life to Begin in a Burmese Refugee Camp.” If you’d like to make a direct difference in the lives of refugees, be sure to peruse more than 350 organizations in Matador’s community, many of which provide services to various refugee groups.

When I made the decision to leave Japan and start a new life in Thailand, I was a tad wary. I knew from the plethora of English-teaching opportunities in the land of the rising sun that one’s experience can vary greatly, and, more often than not, it’s best to get a sense of the people and the teaching environment before you sign your soul over to a contract.

Enter the NGOs. I wanted a way to learn about Thai culture, get away from touristy areas like Bangkok and the major cities, see how the kids behaved, and above all, experience Thailand without the pressure of paperwork or a huge time commitment if I found something to be amiss.

Thai Mueang Volunteers

Thai Mueang Volunteers was founded by a Dane after he spent some time in Phang-nga Province helping with tsunami relief. Employed in a Thai primary school at the time, he noted the low English level of the students and the lack of preparation other volunteers exhibited, as if they were fresh off the bus from Bangkok.

And so a volunteer organization was born, setting up shop in the small town of Thai Mueang, two kilometers from the nearest beach and in a prime position to give aid to under-funded government schools in the area that would not otherwise see any native English speakers.

Volunteers are given support from staff for every aspect of their life in Thailand, most notably lesson preparation.

Photo by René Ehrhardt

Opportunity Overview

A month or a week. Six months or a year. The choice is yours. The organization is very flexible in terms of time commitment and starting date. However, no one should adopt a “come as you please” attitude to schools in Thai Mueang; if you want to volunteer, expect to spent at least four to five days a week teaching regular classes, all of which require lesson plans and your presence.

Volunteers are asked to donate 400 Euros for one month of service (discounts apply the longer you stay). In exchange, housing, food, transportation, and Thai language lessons are provided. Be warned: If you would prefer not to ride on the back of a motorcycle, you might have a difficult time making the commute to neighboring schools and towns (although a car will be arranged for your pickup from Phuket International Airport).

For a typical day in the life of a TM Volunteer, click here.

Ideal Volunteer Profile

Photo by Mr Huevo

“Open-minded people who are not afraid of coming out of the ordinary, the safety of their homes… who come wanting to do this, not just as a holiday.”

Voluntourists beware. There is fun to be had, but your focus should be on the needs of children… some are too poor to afford pencils and papers for class. People interested in getting trained for TEFL certification are most welcome, and your classes in Phuket will be accommodated.

Do you genuinely like teaching, and knowing you have something to offer that most of these kids have never seen before? Sign up!

Advice for TM Volunteers

• Learn about the culture. Thailand is not just Phuket and Bangkok. This out-of-the-way corner is the perfect area to acclimate.
• Let Thai students understand where English comes from. Remember you’re more than their teacher, you may be their first contact with American, British, or other English-speaking culture.
• You’re living in the middle of a rubber tree forest, a short ride to an unspoiled beach area. Incidentally, a Filipino serves some great wood-burning stove pizza right on the sand.

One Volunteer’s Experience

I was escorting a few students back to the school after morning services at Wat Patchatikaram. It’s hard to describe, but in those few minutes of travel, there was complete clarity between us. A young girl picked up a flower, presented it to me as a gift, and, although I couldn’t understand her words, my mind didn’t have to struggle to understand her message.

I could read her expression and the reaction of her friends as clearly as looking through crystal. No, I don’t have a girlfriend… yes, we give flowers as gifts too… yes, I think you’re pretty.

Even though they were my brightest and best-behaved class, I had failed to remember that although they were Thai students I could barely comprehend at times, they’re just kids. Young adults thinking the same thoughts, going through the same feelings as those anywhere else in the world.

I took the flower with me as a far as Kou Tao, where I left it in my bungalow. I kept the memory, though.

For more information

• Thai-mueang-volunteers on Matador.
• Thai-mueang-volunteers website
• Thai-mueang-volunteers blog

Matador members believe they can change the world, and they’re out there doing it every day.

Sure, we publish the same sorts of articles you find in print publications, but these articles are just window-dressing. The editor in me cringes, but it’s true.

But no matter what we write, the most important part of Matador is the community. Whenever I need a little stoke, I browse Matador member profiles. I’m always awed by the sheer human optimism in this remarkable community.

Thank you so much for inspiring us.

Here are 10 incredible members of the Matador community. To meet the other 40 featured travelers, please follow the links at the bottom of this page.

Alsawo

Growing up in a two-stoplight Midwestern town, I had no idea how vast and interesting the world was.

In college, I did my best to make up for lost time, trekking to Norway to track down my great-grandparents’ village, studying abroad in Niger (where I apprenticed with a Tuareg silversmith and bought myself a pet donkey), trading my Spanish class for Zulu when I learned it would lead to a free summer in South Africa, building houses in Nicaragua, and so forth.

Alsawo’s full profile

DeepSeaGangster

I believe that the meaning of life is to acquire virtues. I think Travel makes that process a whole lot more interesting.

I travel solo, but not without help. I have a definite plan, but it keeps changing. I’m trying to follow my spirit by whatever means necessary.

deepseagangster’s full profile

Roots-Koa

My birth name is Kalish, but my parents always called me Kalie. Koa is also a nickname I acquired after living in the wilderness for two months.

In June I moved out of my house in Santa Cruz for some free-spirited vagabonding. I did a lot of camping and even got to go horse camping in the High Sierras. On September first I moved into a house in Berkeley, and currently am making and selling delicious sorbets out of local, seasonal and organic produce from the farmer’s markets!

Something I have gained from the Matador community is the realization that there are many other people out there with the same interests and passions I have (i.e., TRAVELING, not just to be a tourist but to see.feel.hear the world, to experience other cultures, to learn experientially, to live creatively through photography, art, and to seek the joy, excitement and openness that traveling brings from stepping outside ones own mental and physical box…

Roots-Koa’s full profile

Good Farmer

I am traveling between the US and Asia – in the US I work with university researchers to develop simple, inexpensive, robust, and sustainable drinking water purification systems. In Asia (and also in Latin America through colleagues there) I implement and field-test systems serving rural communities with compromised drinking water sources.

I also co-facilitate programs in appropriate technology design with an agrarian community in Thailand that leads workshops and trainings in natural building and organic farming and seed saving for rural people from Thailand as well as Westerners interested in sustainable and self-reliant living.

Matador is an excellent networking tool, and a lot of the writing is top-notch.

GoodFarmer’s full profile

Keri

I have no idea where I will be next week. And the week after that. In the last year and a half I have lived and partied hard in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I traveled the infamous Ruta 40 down to Patagonia to see the remains of the glaciers that once were. I then headed through the salt flats and killing mines of Bolivia. Saw a sunset at Lake Titicaca.

A few days later I was on a five day hiking trip through the snow-peaked mountains and jungles of Peru. Saw the sun rise at Machu Picchu. I flew home to Georgia for a while in order to graduate from college and the next day took a flight down to Costa Rica for two months. Watched a volcano erupt. Realized this world is incredibly beautiful.

Now I’m back in the U.S. without a clue as to my next move. I don’t have goals that involve money or promotion. I really just hope for a future of love, happiness, and eventually babies. Call me a dreamer. I’ll take that.

Keri’s full profile

Hal Amen

My name is Hal. I’m a freelance writer, so ideally that means I’m traveling AND working all the time. English-language-learning texts pay the bills, but I’m currently slaving away on some personal projects as well.

My favorite thing about Matador is its supportive environment. As a newcomer to travel writing, I can’t emphasize how beneficial it’s been to receive the encouragement and constructive criticism that I have from the folks in charge–folks who obviously know what they’re talking about.

Whereas other online groups often dissolve from excessive cynicism, selfishness, and internal conflict, Matador has stayed positive. Quite the inspiration.

Halamen’s full profile

DanOnTheSnow

sometimes I roll in hotels and sit on beaches with funny colored drinks, sometimes I go three days in a tent with nuts, dried fruit, protein powder, ramen, energy bars and bear spray.

DanOnTheSnow’s full profile

AnthonyGatti

I like to go deep; to speak in vibration and blend without losing the stark silhouette of a stranger.

I want to make a difference by channeling the inspiration I get from others.

Before I die I’d like to see a spectrum of light cast by the moon.

Anthony Gatti’s full profile

vardoyger

I want to make a difference by recording and sharing the good times & things, sad times & things, horrible times & things, and the wonderous times and tings via pictures so that we may remember to repeat the good; cherish, honour and learn from the sad and prevent the horrible..all in all to enjoy life to its fullest…

vardoyger

Switzin

My real name is Judy Swiss. Swiss is my maiden name translated into English. Since I am a Swiss citizen, I’ll stick with it.

Interestingly enough, when I was new to the United States, people – especially guys – would call me Swiss Miss since I LOVE chocolate and am from Switzerland. They never realized that this was actually my name!

When I discovered Matador, I felt home – virtually home that is. I love reading about the travels other people do and one of my favorite things is to browse pictures. I think it lends a picture so much more when I know who the person is who snapped it.

It’s a special bonus when I learn about that person, his or her interests, the reasons he/she was in that country, and why that picture is special to him/her. It all is part of Matador. Matador brings the world to me when I am sitting alone in my home office at the computer and need a little shot of adventure!

Switzin’s full profile

To meet more Matador members, please follow the links below:

Travelers 1-10 at MatadorTrips.com
Travelers 11 – 20 at BraveNewTraveler.com
Travelers 21 – 30 at TheTravelersNotebook.com
Travelers 31 – 40 at MatadorStudy.com

Community Connection

These are only 50 out of thousands of travelers in our community. Who else should get a mention? Big them up in the comments, and if you haven’t yet, link up with us.

Photo by Jenny Sherman

We park our 36-foot school bus on top of a giant sundial in front of the student resource center at the University of Wisconsin Steven’s Point. Da Vinci’s Vitruvian man sits high upon a wall behind us. It is early morning, and I watch a handful of students stroll to class through the dew-covered windshield.

A girl asks me about the bus and our message. She informs me that Da Vinci was the first to note that the geometric patterns of a leaf match the branches of the tree it came from, and I admire a large oak next to us while imagining these patterns.

I can already tell this campus will bring a positive experience.

She directs me to my morning cup of coffee and I make my way back toward the bus, passing several smiling faces along the way. “You guys are awesome,” someone says while admiring our solar panels. “This bus is sweet, it smells like egg rolls!” a visitor says coming up the stairs. “I’m jealous of your adventures,” another says as she’s leaving.

Biotour: a brief history

BioTour began in August 2006 when two friends decided to take a road trip across the country, but didn’t want to go broke doing it. They bought a 989 Bluebird school bus converted to run on vegetable oil – read: free fuel – and Ethan Burke and Alan Palm drove it from the East Coast to Burning Man on waste restaurant grease.

As they stopped in cafes, at gas stations and rest stops, and, of course, behind Chinese restaurants, the positive reaction and support from truck drivers, park rangers, gas station attendants, policemen and passersby inspired the recent college graduates to turn their BioTour into an sustainability education non-profit.

Beginning its fourth cross-country tour this fall with two buses and a chase car, the BioTour stops in communities, K-12s, colleges and universities proving to people in this petroleum-guzzling country that there are viable fuel and energy alternatives.

Photo by Jenny Sherman

The crew shows onlookers – sometimes dozens at a time – a vehicle that once ran purely on diesel that is now powered by a waste product that smells like fried food.

After peeking crowd interest, BioTour invites them in for discussion on current issues. These range from high gas prices to mountaintop removal coal mining to rainforest depletion to confined feeding operations.

One example raised in several of the final visits of the Spring 2008 tour, created perplexing debate: In the face of pervading food shortages around the world, are biofuels good or bad?

There is no short answer to a question like this, but starting a discussion is the first step to spreading knowledge and finding solutions.

A BioTour visit includes a formal presentation outlining the world’s dependence on fossil fuels, then demonstrates a “fill-up” by pumping school cafeteria grease into the gas tank.

Local bands can power up with the solar panels on the bus’s roof, and oftentimes, drum circles will start in the center of campus.

The idea is to create excitement around a growing Sustainability movement and encourage participation in the democratic system. While crossing 43 states, we’ve met passionate and concerned individuals who make changes by actively involving themselves, and who most certainly will be this country’s future leaders.

the future?

While Alan is doing an interview for the local news and Ethan and Fernando explain the vegetable oil-conversion kit in the engine, I take pictures, listen and observe. At my periphery are books and articles describing our current energy crisis. Jack Johnson sings, “the cars were all spitting diesel fuels” on the stereo.

Two students outside argue the probability that we’ve reached peak oil. This frame of mind harasses me. Do I run and return to a less mobile, more established and blissfully ignorant lifestyle that smells less of French fries and more of chemically laden room deodorizers?

Photo by Jenny Sherman

No, instead I feel exhilarated. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep from driving through the night, maybe it’s the coffee kicking in. But more so I believe it’s the people – young people – who are interested in making a difference.

There is no better sensation than knowing people do care, that they are listening, and that our message will captivate them enough to be passed along.

community connection

For more on BioTour, or if you’d like to jump on a bus, find us at www.biotour.org.

For a step by step guide on converting your own vehicle to veggie oil, check out How to Stop Paying for Gas and Run o Free Veggie Oil in 8 Easy Steps.

Photo by Julie Schwietert

Rebuilding a city after a natural disaster takes lots of hands and hearts. New Orleans is the perfect voluntourism destination and offers hundreds of opportunities to help.

6. Latino Farmers’ Co-op

Co-op founder Kathia Duran recognizes that part of rebuilding New Orleans involves providing residents with work… and with food. The Latino Farmers’ Co-op will eventually do both.

Planted on what was a rough corner lot in Central City, the Latino Farmers’ Co-op will eventually supply local residents and restaurants with fresh vegetables and fruits. To realize the dream, Duran says, lots of volunteer help is needed. If you’re in New Orleans for a day or more, you can get your hands in the dirt and help directly with some gardening.

If you’re in New Orleans for a longer period of time, the Co-op could use your skills in website development, fundraising, and grant and partnership research. For more information, contact Duran at: kathia@global-trade-network.com.

5. Green Light New Orleans

One of the silver linings in the cloud of Hurricane Katrina is that rebuilding the city from the ground up provided urban planners and residents the opportunity to design a greener city.Green Light New Orleansis playing an important role in greening the new New Orleans by attempting to correct urban poverty and environmental degradation through an energy efficient light bulb distribution program.

Volunteers go directly to residents’ homes to install energy-efficient lightbulbs, so this opportunity is perfect for anyone visiting the city, even if for just a few hours.

To volunteer, e-mail green@greenlightneworleans.org.

Photo by Julie Schwietert

4. Edible Schoolyard New Orleans

Possibly the coolest school in the United States, the Samuel J. Green Charter School for kindergarteners through eighth graders is an urban oasis where classroom lessons are supported and reinforced through hands-on experiences in the school’s organic garden.

The Edible Schoolyard New Orleans is a teaching garden where students learn “the transformative values of nourishment, community, and stewardship of the land.”

Kids are involved in every aspect of the garden’s care: from planning and planting to harvesting and cooking meals. ESYNOLA offers numerous opportunities to volunteers, including helping with gardening and cooking classes, providing support during weekly activities, and performing general garden maintenance.

To inquire about volunteering with the Edible Schoolyard contact Renee Allie at: info@esynola.org

3. Habitat for Humanity

Most people know about Habitat’s volunteer opportunities, which involve building homes, but did you know that Habitat NOLA needs 500 volunteers a week if it hopes to achieve its goal of building 1,500 homes in the next five years?

Click here to learn more about the sign-up process for volunteering with Habitat in New Orleans.

2. New Orleans Adolescent Hospital

The rate of mental health problems skyrocketed in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and social service programs have had difficulty responding to the overwhelming need for counseling and psychosocial services. The New Orleans Adolescent Hospital is seeking volunteers who are able to facilitate recreational activities for young people in a hospital setting.

This opportunity is perfect for someone who plans to be in New Orleans for an extended period of time. Contact Allison Dillman at 504-897-4639.

1. The Green Project

The Green Project is a non-profit organization that runs a retail store and warehouse selling recycled building materials to local residents. The Green Project also oversees paint recycling programs and runs a garden, so many different opportunities exist for volunteers with a passion for environmental issues. E-mail lpaul@thegreenproject.org to offer your skills.

community connection

Didn’t find something on our list that matches your interests or skills? Check out Volunteer New Orleans or VolunteerMatch, both of which allow you to plug in your skills, dates of availability, and other data to find a great volunteer experience for you.

In New Orleans for just a short stay or can’t get to New Orleans but still want to help? Drop by Café Reconcile for a delicious lunch. This work and life skills program for at-risk teens funnels your lunch bill into a number of important community-building projects. They also accept donations.

Feature photo by ksbuehler. Photo above by TimS

1. Water pollution

According to the Worldwatch Institute, the water is not safe to drink in many areas of China.

Industrialization has polluted many lakes and streams, resulting in chemical pollution and increased algae blooms. Algae blooms also contribute to fish die off by chocking off the oxygen supply that aquatic life needs to survive.

2. Exacerbated dust storms

China is experiencing an increase in dust storms. Dust storms can spread as far as North America from China and these storms can become deadly when they pick up airborne toxins from factories. Lester R. Brown of the Earth Policy Institute cites over-plowing and overgrazing as contributing causes of the desertification process.

3. Coastline swamped by red tides

Untreated sewage is being dumped into surrounding estuaries, creating a surplus of red phytoplankton. Red tides are becoming a common ocurrence in China, killing off marine life and adversely affecting the surrounding coastal communities. Toxins from this algal growth make seafood unsafe to eat.

4. Thermal insulation rare in Chinese buildings

Because of poor (or no) usage of insulation, Chinese buildings require twice as much energy to heat or cool as those in similar climates in the US or Europe. The World Bank states that 95% of these buildings do not meet meet China’s own codes for energy efficiency.

According to Wang Tiehong, chief engineer of The Ministry of Construction, 30% of China’s total energy consumption is used for building infrastructure, such as new residential or shopping areas.

Photo by pdvos

5. All new buildings require China to build new power plants.

Chinese infrastructure is increasing at an astronomical rate of growth. China added 66 gigawatts of electricity to its power grid in 2005, according to the The New York Times. That’s about as much power as Great Britain generates in an entire year.

6. Heavy industry plants do not operate efficiently or control pollution as adequately as factories in other parts of the world.

On average Chinese steelmakers use one-fifth more energy per ton than the estimated international average. The World Bank says that cement manufacturers need 45% more power and ethylene producers need 70% more power than producers elsewhere.

Another study done by the World Bank in conjunction with the State Environmental Policy Act, or SEPA, the national environmental Agency, concluded that 350,000 to 400,000 premature deaths are a direct result of outdoor air pollution.

7. Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River is triggering landslides.

With the degradation of the Yangtze River, entire ecosystems may are altered or destroyed. The Times Online reports that geologists have found banks are weakening as a result of water seeping out of the reservoir and the huge pressure changes that occurs during drawdowns of the dam.

A Chinese official noted that the reservoir shore had collapsed in 91 places, affecting a total area of 22 miles. Algal blooms are accumulating downstream from the Yangtze.

Photo by hleung

8. China’s emissions growth is 2-4 times greater than expected

The International Energy Agency predicted that China’s carbon emissions would not reach those of the United States until 2020.

The agency now states that China overtook the US in emissions growth in 2007. China is the world’s second-largest consumer of oil after the US, and uses more coal than the US, the European Union, and Japan combined.

9. Extinction of Yangtze river dolphin is confirmed.

After an extensive six week survey of the mammal’s habitat, scientists now believe that the 20 million year old Yangtze river dolphin is now extinct. The BBC News stated that the team of scientists thinks that unregulated fishing was the main reason for its extinction.

10. US firms are driving pollution in China.

According to Jane Spencer of the Wall Street Journal, US firms are helping to drive the current environmental degradation in China. By demanding lower prices on products, manufacturers are forced to reduce environmental safeguards in order to compete internationally.

As an example, she states that prices on fabrics and clothing imported from China to the US have fallen 25% since 1995.

What You Can Do/ Community Connection

Support local and international organizations promoting awareness of and remedies for the current industrial environmental degradation of China. Matador is affiliated with The Green Camel Bell, a non-profit located in Lanzhou, China, which focuses its efforts on environmental conservation, activism, youth development, and education. On an international level, Oxfam International works to fight poverty and injustice.

Serra do Divisor National Park

This park includes a huge swath of Amazon rainforest, notably the Serra do Divisor mountain range along the Brazilian-Peruvian border.

Photo by islandspice

The Amazon rainforest is as large as Western Europe or the entire United States. It covers 5 percent of the world’s land, and is thought to be the most diverse ecosystem on Earth – home to nearly 10 percent of the world’s mammals and 15 percent of the world’s terrestrial plant species.

It is home to more than 20 million people, including an estimated 220,000 people from 180 different indigenous nations. This forest ecosystem is also one of the most threatened on the planet.

Muir Woods National Park

The ancient forest ecosystems of North America are extremely diverse. Included in this system is the boreal forest belt stretching between Newfoundland and Alaska; the coastal temperate rainforest of Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Western Canada; and the myriad of residual areas of temperate forest surviving in more remote regions.

These forests store massive amounts of carbon, which helps to stabilize climate change. They also provide habitat for large mammals such as grizzly bear, grey wolf, and puma.

Muir Woods National Park is home to one of the last coastal stands of redwood in the San Francisco Bay are.

Defensores del Chaco National Park

The temperate forest ecosystem of South America, which covers areas of Southern Chile and Argentina, represents the largest tract of essentially undisturbed temperate forest in the world.

The Great Chaco and Yungas Rainforests of Argentina are neighboring ecosystems within this forest complex. Rich in biodiversity, they are home to rare jaguars.

The forests here are being destroyed faster than almost anywhere else in the world. The rate of destruction has accelerated even further after Monsanto introduced genetically engineered soya beans to Argentina .

Lake Khovsgol National Park

The Snow Forests of Asian Russia have contiguous tracts of land ranging from the arctic zone in northeastern Sahha, to the subtropical region along the Amur and Ussuri river basins to the south. Because of its large size, the Amur-Sakhalin region shelters more types of plants and animals than any other temperate forest in the world. Many of these species are unique to this area and exist nowhere else.

The Snow Forests of Asian Russia are also home to indigenous peoples including the Nanai of the Kahbarovsk region.

Photo by mr-c

Ovre Pasvik National Park

The last ancient forests of Europe encompass the last few remaining tracts in Scandinavia with the adjoining forest of European Russia . This contiguous forest area provides habitat for many species that require large tracts of unbroken land such as bears, flying squirrels, and the highly endangered eagle owl.

These boreal forests are also home to tens of thousands of indigenous peoples, such as the reindeer-herding Saami.

Rinjani National Park

The cultural diversity of this area is astounding – more than 1000 languages are spoken on the island of New Guinea alone.

These contiguous forests stretch from South East Asia, across the islands of Indonesia to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in the Pacific. The island of New Guinea , the world’s second largest island, has the largest continuous tracts of primeval forest in the Asia Pacific region.

The Paradise Forests are home to a rich diversity of species, many of which occur nowhere else on earth. The Sumatran Tiger, the Orangutan, and the Rafflesia, a one meter-wide flower, all reside here.

Virunga National Park

Home of the Congo rainforest, this is the second largest rainforest on earth after the Amazon. This enormous forest covers and area three times the size of France, and plays a vital role in regulating the global climate. It is the fourth largest forest carbon reservoir of any country in the world.

The gorilla, chimpanzee, and bonobo – primates that are our closest relatives, depend on the Congo for survival. This forest is also home to 270 species of mammals, of which 39 are unique to this area.

Tens of millions of people, Bantu farmers, the Twa people, and fishing communities, depend on the Congo for their survival.

Regional causes of forest loss and degradation vary, but the primary factors are agricultural expansion, settlement, mining, shifting agricultural crops, and infrastructure development. Recent research by the World Resources Institute (WRI) indicates that, “commercial logging poses by far the greatest danger to frontier forests…affecting more than 70 percent of the world’s threatened frontiers.”

Community Connection

What can you do to help? Besides visiting these places and studying the issues facing them firsthand, check out the Rainforest Action Network , and Nativeforest.org.

Are you a member of a conservation org or know someone who is? We encourage you to join our network of organizations at matador, where you’ll find a captive audience of thousands of travelers and environmentally-conscious people worldwide.

Feature photo by tim.matsui. Photo by camera_rwanda

2008 witnesses the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in America. Amidst the celebrations, what many people fail to realize is that slavery persists today in the modern world on an enormous scale.

In spite of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN in 1948 stating that “slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms,” the figures accompanying the modern slave trade seem inconceivable in a global society that prides itself upon its modern-day values and emphasis on human rights.

1. There are more people in slavery now than at any other time in human history.

According to research carried out by the organization Free the Slaves, more people are enslaved worldwide than ever before.

In its 400 years, the transatlantic slave trade is estimated to have shipped up to 12 million Africans to various colonies in the West. Free the Slaves estimates that the number of people in slavery today is at least 27 million.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center suggests that three out of four slavery victims are women and that half of all modern-day slaves are children. ‘Countless other’ people are in other forms of servitude which are not legally classified as slavery, according to the Anti-Slavery Society, described ambiguously by some as ‘unfree labour’.

2. The value of slaves has decreased.

A slave in 1850 in American South cost the equivalent of approximately $40,000. According to figures published by FST, the cost of a slave today averages around $90, depending on the work they are forced to carry out.

Photo by saibotregeel

A young adult male laborer in Mali might only fetch $40, whereas an HIV-free female might attract a price of up to $1000.

Expert Kevin Bales says that because modern slavery is so cheap, it is worse than that of the Atlantic slave trade.

People have become disposable and their living conditions are worse than ever before as a result of their value.

3. Slavery still exists in the US.

Estimates by the US State Department suggest up to 17,500 slaves are brought into the US every year, with 50,000 of those working as prostitutes, farm workers or domestic servants.

According to the CIA, more than 1,000,000 people are enslaved in the US today. Thousands of cases go undetected each year and many are difficult to take to court as it can be difficult to prove force or legal coercion.

4.Slavery is hidden behind many other names, thus disguising it from society.

These names are chattel slavery (the traditional meaning of slavery), bonded labor, trafficking, forced labor, and forced marriage, amongst others.

Photo by saibotregeel

5. The least known method of slavery is the most widely used.

Bonded Labor occurs when labor is demanded in order to repay a debt or loan and the cyclical nature of debt and work can enslave the person for the rest of their life. Some conditions are so controlled that slaves are surrounded by armed guards while they work, many of whom are slaves themselves. This has been found in Brazil. It is estimated that there are 20 million bonded labourers in the world.

6. Human trafficking has recently been described as “the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world.”

This shocking claim was made by former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright. The UN estimates trafficked human cargo generates around $7 billion dollars a year.

Photo by gigawebs

7. To buy all bonded laborers out of slavery could cost as little as $40 per family.

The $40 figure was provided by the Center for Global Education, New York. Kevin Bales compares the total cost of ending all slavery with one’s week’s cost of the war on Iraq.

8. Free the Slaves believe it is possible to end all slavery within 25 years.

Ending slavery won’t be easy, but humanity is up to the challenge.

9. Many slave-produced goods might reach your home without you realizing their origin.

Industries where slave labor is often highly suspected include cocoa, cotton, steel, oriental rugs, diamonds and silk. Currently the only way to ensure the products you buy are slave-free is to buy Fair Trade certified goods.

Photo by saibotregeel

10. Your actions affect global slavery.

By buying fair trade, learning more about modern slavery, spreading the word, and joining a movement such as Free the Slaves, Anti-Slavery International, or the American Anti-slavery group, you as an individual can help abolish slavery completely.

With the number of slaves rising due to increasing economic returns, a universal lack of awareness and anti-slavery laws not being enforced, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center believes “efforts to combat slavery will have only limited effectiveness” unless something is done on a larger scale.

The bicentennial of the abolition of the slave trade would be better commemorated by every individual taking meaningful action to help end the exploitation of human labor once and for all.

Community Connection

Slavery is a sober matter, an issue humanity must confront immediately. We need to communicate, to organize at grass-roots level.Please consider joining the global Matador community today. Share your voice.

Feature Photo by sparkyluma. Photo above by carpeicthus

Organization: Culinary Corps

Opportunity: Short-term volunteer travel projects in New Orleans

Organization Overview:

“My elevator speech is ‘Culinary Corps is the Peace Corps for cooks,’ says founder and director Christine Carroll. Carroll, a professional chef, founded Culinary Corps in 2006 after attending a conference in New Orleans and identifying a gap in the existing volunteer services.

Carroll has a long history of volunteer experience. When she was 18, she worked in Alaska as a member of the AmeriCorps VISTA Program. “I had few applicable skills as a college student,” she says, “but now, as a seasoned cook, I do. Unfortunately, culinary professionals are not tapped for immersion volunteer projects as often as they could be. I wanted to provide opportunities for cooks to use their talents to make a difference.”

The result is Culinary Corps, which designs, organizes, and facilitates volunteer experiences for skilled culinary students and chefs.

Photo by sparkyluma

Opportunity Overview:

Currently, Culinary Corps’ efforts are focused on providing services in New Orleans, and the next trip is scheduled for June 1-6, 2008. Volunteers pay their travel expenses to and from New Orleans in addition to a nominal fee that covers on-the-ground expenses (housing, meals, and ground transportation).

The trip is an intense, active, hands-on experience in which participants prepare meals for volunteers and community members, as well as coordinate food-related events with community partners (past events have included food field days for local schools and a fundraising brunch for a community-supported agriculture program). The emphasis of every project is respecting the local culture’s culinary traditions, creating sustainable connections between volunteers and community members, and supporting rebuilding efforts through collaboration and “culanthropy.”

Ideal Volunteer Profile:

-21+ years of age

-Advanced cooking skills, with professional cooking experience preferred

-Hard-working, collaborative, spirited, patient, sensitive, responsible, flexible, and invested in the organization’s core values

Expectations of Volunteers:

Volunteers are expected to work together as a diverse team to fulfill each day’s cooking tasks, as well as participate in all planned activities with community hosts and partners.

Photo by sparkyluma

Bonus Points for Culinary Corps!

-Lodging is provided by Xavier University, a historically black university with the ultimate purpose of promoting a more just and humane society.

-Each trip involves hands-on learning experiences for participants. Culinary Corps provides a pre-trip package with resources about local food and local culture, and organizes events that bring participants into direct contact with both. Past events have included a tour of the Crescent City Farmer’s Market and meals with the curator from The Southern Food and Beverage Museum.

-Culinary Corps is currently planning expansion of its volunteer activities to include a service trip to Nicaragua in November, 2008.

Details:

For full details about Culinary Corps and to download an application and instructions, please visit http://culinarycorps.org. (The application for the June 2008 trip will be available March 1).

Feel Good Story:

Angela Sagabaen relocated to New Orleans after her March 2007 trip with Culinary Corps, and is now working as a test kitchen chef at Emeril’s Homebase. She reflects upon her experiences: “I did my deed and felt good about my volunteering efforts, which I hadn’t felt in a long time working with other organizations or in restaurants. I worked hard and got little sleep, but I also laughed and played hard. And in the end, I think that is the point of [CulinaryCorps]…to not only help your fellow man, but to create warm and meaningful relationships during the process that not only makes another person’s world brighter, but yours as well.”