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El petit municipi de l'Estany, situat al nord-oest del Bages i en ple altiplà del Moianès, ocupa un indret frescal que es caracteritza per la seva alçada i per una pluviositat més gran que la resta de la comarca. A la població, situada a 870 m., s'hi accedeix sobretot per la carretera que s'enfila cap al nord de Moià. Després d'una àrea de grans pagesies disperses entre boscos i conreus, molt aviat s'entra en un pla ben aprofitat on destaca la població de l'Estany. El nucli de l'Estany, arrecerat al nord per un serrat, s'alça a la vora d'on hi havia un antic estany, dessecat l'any 1570 per ordre de l'abat Carles de Cardona per tal d'escórrer les aigües i evitar així els focus d'epidèmies que comportava. L'estany encara es torna a omplir en època de grans pluges. Les cases són de pedra i constitueixen un bon exemple de poble rural, gairebé muntanyenc. Els visitants van a l'Estany atrets pel seu bon clima i per l'extraordinari monestir romànic de Santa Maria, amb la seva església restaurada, un claustre magnífic amb 72 capitells de temes bíblics, heràldics i florístics, i un petit museu annex on es resumeix la història del cenobi. Altres indrets destacables del municipi són el Puig Rodó i el Puig de la Caritat, i la diversitat de fonts naturals que hi ha. Les festes i tradicions més notables són la Festa Major (8 de setembre), la Fira (8 de desembre) i el Pessebre Vivent.
El pequeño municipio de l'Estany, situado al noroeste del Bages y en pleno altiplano del Moianès, ocupa un lugar fresco que se caracteriza por su altura y por una pluviosidad mayor que el resto de la comarca. En la población, situada a 870 m., se accede sobre todo por la carretera que sube hacia el norte de Moià. Después de un área de grandes campesinas dispersas entre bosques y cultivos, muy pronto se entra en un plan bien aprovechado donde destaca la población de l'Estany. El núcleo de l'Estany, protegido al norte por una loma, se alza a orillas de donde había un antiguo lago, desecado en 1570 por orden del abad Carles de Cardona para escurrir las aguas y evitar así los focos de epidemias que comportaba. El lago aún se vuelve a llenar en época de grandes lluvias. Las casas son de piedra y constituyen un buen ejemplo de pueblo rural, casi montañoso. Los visitantes al Lago atraídos por su buen clima y por el extraordinario monasterio románico de Santa María, con su iglesia restaurada, un claustro magnífico con 72 capiteles de temas bíblicos, heráldicos y florísticos, y un pequeño museo anexo donde se resume la historia del cenobio. Otros lugares destacables del municipio son el Puig Rodó y el Puig de la Caridad, y la diversidad de fuentes naturales que hay. Las fiestas y tradiciones más notables son la Fiesta Mayor (8 de septiembre), la Feria (8 de diciembre) y el Pesebre Viviente.
The small town of Lake, located northwest of Bages and full Moianès plateau, occupies a cool place that is characterized by its height and a higher rainfall than the rest of the region. In the town, located 870 m above is accessed by the road that climbs north of Moia. After a large area of scattered peasant between forests and crops, soon entered into a plan which highlights the best advantage of the lake population. The core of the lake, sheltered on the north by a serrated stands at the edge where there was an ancient lake dried up in 1570 by order of Abbot Charles Cardona to drain water and prevent outbreaks of epidemics entailed. The lake is still refills at times of heavy rainfall. The houses are stone and are a good example of rural village, almost mountainous. The visitors were attracted to the lake for its good climate and the extraordinary Romanesque monastery of Santa Maria, with its restored church, a magnificent cloister with 72 capitals of biblical themes, floristic and arms, and a small museum in which there are summarizes the history of the monastery. Other notable places are the town's Round Puig and Puig de la Caridad, and diversity of natural resources there. The festivities and traditions most notably the Festival (September 8), Fair (December 8) and the Living Nativity.
I saw these two during my afternoon in millenium park...The one on the left is the same person in the destiny photo further down in my photostream...I asked them if i could take their picture and they didn't speak a bit of english...In return they asked me to take their pic as well...So, it was a cool opportunity and shot with some interesting guys in which we had no common language other than our cameras...That was an epic afternoon, everyone was out and in a good mood. It was the essence of Chicago and everything we love about it. I hope I did these two justice...
btw, I found it this one made it into the flickr explore set of photos...thx all for looking this is the first one I have had make it into the flickr explore set...
Copyright © Assandri Michele
Unforgiven II On Black and large
Theme - Unforgiven-II-metallica
Lay beside me-Tell me what they've done-And speak the words I wanna hear
To make my demons run-The door is locked now-But it's open if you're true-
If you can understand the me-Then I can understand the you
Lay beside me-Under wicked sky-Black of day-Dark of night
We share this paralyze
The door cracks open
But there's no sun shining through
Black heart scarring darker still
But there's no sun shining through
No there's no sun shining through
No there's no sun shining
What I've feared
What I've known
Turn the pages
Turn the stone
Behind the door
Should I open it for you
Yeah!
What I've feared
What I've known
Sick 'n' tired of staying alone
Could you be there
Cause I'm the one who waits for you
Or are you unforgiven too
Come lay beside me-This won't hurt I swear-She loves me not
She loves me still-But she'll never love again-She lay beside me
But she'll be there when I'm gone
Black heart scarring darker still
Yes she'll be there when I'm gone
Yes she'll be there when I'm gone
Dead sure she'll be there
What I've feared
What I've known
Turn the pages
Turn the stone
Behind the door
Should I open it for you
Yeah!
What I've feared
What I've known
Sick 'n' tired of staying alone
Could you be there
Cause I'm the one who waits for you
Or are you unforgiven too
Lay beside me
Tell me what I've done
The door is closer on your eyes
But now I see the sun
Now I see the sun
Yes now I see it
What I've known
I take this key and I bury it in you
Because you're unforgiven too
Cause you're unforgiven too
Happy Thursday my friends!!!!!!!thanks for the visit, comments, notes and fave!!!
Pls don't post here any group invite, glitter text or stuff like that.
Three of the ferries servicing Port Aransas viewed on the Aransas Pass side as our ferry prepared to dock.
The Port Aransas Ferry System provides FREE marine transportation service seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. The ride connects Mustang Island and Port Aransas with the mainland via Aransas Pass. There are six operational ferries in Port Aransas, each carrying 20 regular passenger vehicles on each trip.
During peak hours, especially during holidays and summer months, some travelers may be required to wait their turn while the ferry makes the trip back and forth across the channel. A 24-hour radio message advisory (AM 530) provides information on ferry regulations and can be used for live broadcasts in case of emergencies. A total overall length (for combined vehicles such as a car and boat) is 55 feet. The maximum width allowed is 96 inches.
The Ferry is operated by the State of Texas. View TxDOT website. www.txdot.gov/travel/ferry_schedules.htm
View here for ferry webcams: www.cityofportaransas.org/ferrycam.cfm
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Radagast the brown? That guy with the bird poop in his face?
-Exactly! ;)
About one year ago Peter Jackson brought us the first Hobbit movie and i love it like the three Lord of the Ring movies. I'm especially a fan of the nice landscapes and great settings. Not at least they are phenomenal inspiration for MOCs i build and MOCs i will build.
One of my favorite characters of the movie is of course Radagast. His outfit, doing and in particular his house are so strange and unique but that makes him so cool.
My realization of this hut was build for the Bricking Bavaria 2013 in Munich and a i really liked the challenges this build gave me. And especially to solve them and find a solution.
I hope you like it. More pictures on MOCpages and in my Photostream.
Morocco.
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Morocco (Arabic: المغرب al-Maghrib ; Berber: ⴰⵎⵕⵕⵓⴽ or ⵍⵎⴰⵖⵔⵉⴱ[8] Ameṛṛuk or Lmaġrib; French: Maroc), officially the Kingdom of Morocco.[2] Arabic name al-Mamlakat al-Maghribiyyah (Arabic: المملكة المغربية) translates to "The Western Kingdom". Al-Maghrib (Arabic: المغرب), or Maghreb, meaning "The West", is commonly used. The Kingdom of Morocco is the most westerly of the North African countries. It has Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines, and a rugged mountain interior.
Morocco has a population of over 32 million and an area of 446,550 km2 (172,410 sq mi); if Western Sahara is included that would be 710,850 km2 (274,460 sq mi). The political capital is Rabat, although the largest city is Casablanca; other major cities include Marrakech, Tangier, Tetouan, Salé, Fes, Agadir, Meknes, Oujda, Kenitra, and Nador. Morocco has a history of independence not shared by its neighbours. Its rich culture is a blend of Arab, Berber (indigenous African) and also other African and European influences.
I was in New Orleans for business and had gone the night before to dinner & to see the famous "Bourbon Street". It lived up to it's reputation, lol...as I was getting ready for bed I was thinking about all the people & mess (beads, garbage) I saw on the street. I wondered what it would look like the morning after..so, I got up at 6 am (didn't sleep much, excited wondering, lol) and wandered over there before my 8 am meetings. I got there at 6:35, but it took almost 10 minutes for my lens to defog and I was able to shoot..lol (I did try to shoot anyway - no dice) My lens wasn't completely fog free here but I was missing the best...
As most things it looked a lot different in the light of day!
The truck had jet hoses and two guys (one on each side) that blew the trash into the middle of the street and then a big sweeper truck sucked it all up...
It was sooooo humid all the windows were fogged, someone (staff I guess) drew the heart in the resturant window. 2nd Photo - It made me think of Adri ( <---there ) and this beautiful shot she took somewhat along these lines...
Be well my friends...the party is not over yet, not by a long shot! lol
;0}
View Large On Black (Recommended).
La Malbaie was named by Samuel du Champlain in 1608.
La Malbaie, a riverside community first settled in the 17th century, owes its name to Samuel de Champlain, who spent the night here only to find that the bay went completely dry at low tide – "Ah! La malle baye!" he bemoaned.
Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada.
28 de Abril, 2008: Día Mundial de la Seguridad y la Salud en el Trabajo
El Día Mundial de la Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo es una campaña internacional destinada a promover tanto la salud y la seguridad en el trabajo como el trabajo decente.
Cada año mueren más de 2 millones de personas a causa de accidentes o enfermedades relacionadas con el trabajo.
De acuerdo con estimaciones moderadas, se producen 270 millones de accidentes en el trabajo y 160 millones de casos de enfermedades profesionales.
La seguridad en el trabajo difiere enormemente de país en país, entre sectores económicos y grupos sociales.
Los países en desarrollo pagan un precio especialmente alto en muertes y lesiones, pues un gran número de personas están empleadas en actividades peligrosas como agricultura, construcción, industria maderera, pesca y minería.
En todo el mundo, los pobres y los menos protegidos – con frecuencia mujeres, niños y migrantes – son los más afectados.
La OIT (Organización Internacional del Trabajo) pone especial atención en desarrollar y aplicar una cultura de seguridad y salud preventiva en el lugar de trabajo.
En 2003, la OIT instituyó el 28 de abril como Día Mundial de la Seguridad y la Salud en el Trabajo para destacar la necesidad de prevención de enfermedades y accidentes laborales, utilizando como punto de apoyo el tripartismo y el diálogo social.
El 28 de abril es también el Día Mundial que el movimiento sindical asocia a la conmemoración de las Víctimas de Accidentes o Enfermedades relacionadas con el Trabajo.
Para escuchar, una sugerencia: Madrugada
¡Espero que empiecen muy bien la semana!!! ¡Un besote inmenso para todos!!!
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Dear Santa,
I’ve been a very good boy this year. For example I helped the world economy by buying a new D300, Tokina 11-16, a new back pack and all kinds of accessories. I didn’t swear that much nor did I drink too much. I didn’t do anything bad to my sister and listened to my mommy and daddy. I listened, that doesn’t mean I did what they said.
So this year I’d like a new tripod as my 25 year old Manfrotto is just not as good as a new one. Oh yeah, considering how good of a boy I’ve been, maybe you can load that sleight of yours with a new Nikon D3 and a small smorgasbord of FX lenses. While you are at it, throw in a Mac Pro and MacBook – don’t be cheap on the memory and disk space as that won’t take any extra space in your sleight.
I’d also like to broaden my photographic creativity. It was a toss up between coin photography and boudoir. The sheer excitement off handling exotic coins was too much for me so I’ve opted for boudoir. I’ve got absolutely everything I need for this except for one thing, willing models! So could you trade in that old red sleight of yours for a big yellow school bus and fill it with models. Don’t forget to leave that back seat for all the wonderful camera gear you plan on giving me.
Oh yeah one last thing. I have so many good Flickr friends and they too have been very good this year. So could you please rent a U-Haul trailer to hook behind that bus and load that puppy up with camera gear, both Nikon and Canon. Then go through my contact list and drop off a little surprise to each of them.
Your good buddy,
Pierre
P.S. No need to waste your time to confirm how good I was with my wife, sister, mommy or daddy. I’d hate to get into a debate on semantics. Good is good!
Highest Explore Position #257 ~ On Tuesday January Thirteenth 2015.
East African Crowned Crane ~ Wingham Wildlife Park ~ Wingham ~ Kent ~ England ~ Friday January 2nd 2015.
Click here to see My most interesting images
Purchase some of my images here ~ www.saatchionline.com/art/view/artist/24360/art/1259239 ~ Should you so desire...go on, make me rich..lol...Oh...and if you see any of the images in my stream that you would like and are not there, then let me know and I'll add them to the site for you..:))
You can also buy my WWT cards here (The Otter and the Sunset images) or in the shop at the Wetland Centre in Barnes ~ London ~ www.wwt.org.uk/shop/shop/wwt-greeting-cards/sunset-at-the...
Grey crowned crane ~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ~
The grey crowned crane (Balearica regulorum) is a bird in the crane family Gruidae. It occurs in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats. They can also be found in marshes, cultivated lands and grassy flatlands near rivers and lakes in eastern from the Uganda and Kenya, south to South Africa. This animal does not migrate. There are two subspecies. The East African B. r. gibbericeps (crested crane) occurs from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo through Uganda, of which it is the national bird represented in its national flag, and Kenya to eastern South Africa. It has a larger area of bare red facial skin above the white patch than the smaller nominate species, B. r. regulorum (South African crowned crane), which breeds from Angola south to South Africa. This species and the closely related black-crowned crane are the only cranes that can roost in trees, because of a long hind toe that can grasp branches. This habit, amongst other things, is a reason why the relatively small Balearica cranes are believed to closely resemble the ancestral members of the Gruidae.
Behaviour ~ The grey crowned crane has a breeding display involving dancing, bowing, and jumping. It has a booming call which involves inflation of the red gular sac. It also makes a honking sound quite different from the trumpeting of other crane species. Both sexes dance, and immature birds join the adults. Dancing is an integral part of courtship, but also may be done at any time of the year.
Flocks of 30-150 birds are not uncommon.
Reproduction ~ During the breeding season, pairs of cranes construct a large nest; a platform of grass and other plants in tall wetland vegetation. The grey crowned crane lays a clutch of 2-5 glossy, dirty-white eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 28–31 days. Chicks are precocial, can run as soon as they hatch, and fledge in 56–100 days.
Description ~ The grey crowned crane is about 1 m (3.3 ft) tall and weighs 3.5 kg (7.7 lbs)and a wingspan of 2 m (6.5 ft). Its body plumage is mainly grey. The wings are also predominantly white, but contain feathers with a range of colours. The head has a crown of stiff golden feathers. The sides of the face are white, and there is a bright red inflatable throat pouch. The bill is relatively short and grey, and the legs are black. They have long legs for wading through the grasses. The feet are large, yet slender, adapted for balance rather than defence or grasping. The sexes are similar, although males tend to be slightly larger. Young birds are greyer than adults, with a feathered buff face.
Seen in Explore
Very large specimen of one of my favourite eating mushrooms.
Note: The British Mycological Society prefers the common name "Clustered Domecap".
Many mushrooms are poisonous, some are deadly poisonous, the responsibility for eating any mushroom or fungus must rest with the individual. If you collect any mushrooms to eat make sure that your identification checks out in every detail. Never eat any wild mushroom until an expert mycologist has checked your identification.
synonyms: Brauner Rasling, Chicken Mushroom, Clustered Domecap, Fried Chicken Mushroom, Lyophille en touffes, Tricolome agrégé
location: North America, Europe
edibility: Choice
fungus colour: Grey to beige
normal size: 5-15cm
cap type: Convex to shield shaped
stem type: Simple stem
spore colour: White, cream or yellowish
habitat: Grows in woods, Grows on the ground
Lyophyllum decastes (Fr. ex Fr.) Sing. syn. Clitocybe decastes (Fr. ex Fr.) Kummer syn. Tricholoma aggregatum (Schaeff. ex Secr.) Gill. Chicken Mushroom, Brauner Rasling Tricolome agrégé, Lyophille en touffes, Clustered Domecap. Cap 4–10cm across, convex then expanded, becoming wavy, grey-brown to brown, with silky or silvery streaks. Stem 30–60 x 10–20mm, tough, fibrous, often excentric, white at apex becoming brownish towards the base. Flesh whitish. Taste and smell not distinctive. Gills white to greyish. Spore print white. Spores subglobose, 5–7 x 5–6um. Habitat in clusters on the ground in open woodland. Season summer to autumn. Occasional. Edible – good, This is a much sought after edible species in America but should be tried with caution as there have been some reports of gastric upset. Distribution, America and Europe.
Note some mycologists synonomise Lyophyllum decastes and Lyophyllum loricatum. There also seem to be differences in colour between European specimens and American specimens.
Info by Roger Phillips:
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"The Petrified" at the entrance to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum
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I love the sumptuous jewel like nature of these drops on the cotinus leaves. When I took this in October we had had an unsually dry autumn and this day was like a magical gift, of fat heavy raindrops on the leaves.
This coincidentally is a bit like my outfit that I wore last night when I sang in a band for the first time, in front of 600 people (just the one song). Although unfortunately there is no photoographic evidence as people were constantly told not to take photos.
for the record: I was wearing a pink short sleeved dress in t shirt material that miraculously, being a size 10/12 fitted me (I am not sure how), and it had jewels sewn on the bodice. Shocking pink leggings, black boots (unfortunately I was not able to put my hands on a pair of silver platform boots) a long piece of tinsel and a reddish wig.
Considering how little practice we were able to have, our one song in the concert went well except my mike was not loud enough, which I am gutted (really gutted) about.
I nearly forgot to write about the floods in Cumbria UK which have been really bad - there's me obsessing about a mike that didn't work - so these raindrops remind me of the floods. Luckily we have had no floods here, although it is raining (again)
On Sunday we were just north of Leeds at a memorial to remember the fallen from a battle which took place at a remote Yorkshire village called Towton.
The battle took place on March 29th 1461 between the waring factions of the Yorkists and the Lancastrians. This was the largest, bloodiest and most murderous battle ever fought in Britain. It is estimated that around 30.000 people died on Psalm Sunday all those years ago - more men died here on that day than on the first day of the battle of the Somme during the 1st world war. No quarter was given at all on this killing field. This was one of the battles fought during the Wars of the Roses
Anyway there was a display of Falconry at the re-enactment this Owl was amongst the birds of prey on display and he is in my opinion a very fine chap.
fr: La Conciergerie de Nuit, Paris, France
EXIF: Nikon D200 - ISO 100 - 36mm - F/8.0 - HDR from 3 exposures (2s, 4s, 8s)
See it LARGE On Black
More of the Set Night Scenes | See More of the Set Paris.
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This is the midway point in the laerdal tunnel, the 24,5 kilometers long tunnel has 3 of these colored caves. They are designed to break up the mind numbing monotony that sets in during the 20 minute drive, the other two are blue. The rooms are truly astounding, beautifully lit, and the acoustics are just plain freaky. I wanted to make a 360 pano, but standing in the middle of the road with a tripod just seemed like a very bad idea..
From wiki: "Construction started in 1995 and was completed in 2000, thus succeeding the Gotthard Road Tunnel as the longest road tunnel in the world. The tunnel is a part of the E16 main route between Oslo and Bergen."
Note : Hope the color is correct here, it looked way to green in firefox, so i had to mess around with the colorprofile. This one is uploaded as adobe rgb, looks ok in safari and firefox on my imac now. I am also unsure if i should crop more of the ceiling, any thoughts?
View On Black Explore FP # 11 @ 06/20/09
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY !!!
Five years old bringin comedy.
Everytime I look at you I think man a little me, just like me.
If the world attacks and you slide off track,
you can cry isn’t shame in it.
Remember one fact I got your back.
I hear the cyrstal raindrops fall
On the window down the hall
And it becomes the morning dew
Just the two of us
Building them’ castles in the sky
Just the two of us
You and I
Just two of us by Will Smith & Bill Withers.
( thank you Tess for saving the screen shot for me and thank you all my friends for your wonderful visit and support. )
www.qflick.com/index.php?user=78367597@N00
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.
Children's rights in Swaziland (2006)
Children's access to education was limited by the impact of poverty, HIV/AIDS, sexual violence and discrimination on the basis of gender and disability. The number of children orphaned by AIDS was estimated at 70,000 and 10 to 15 per cent of households were headed by children, mostly by girls who were vulnerable to multiple forms of abuse.
Additional training and capacity for the police Domestic Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (DV Unit), the establishment of child friendly interview facilities and the development of Community Child Protection Committees at local level began to improve children's access to justice in cases of abuse.
In September the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) expressed concern at the lack of a "systematic and comprehensive" legislative review to bring domestic legislation into line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The CRC was also concerned at the lack of protection under the law against early and forced marriage, the position of adolescent girls suffering marginalization and gender stereotyping and their low school completion rates. The CRC criticized the persistence of corporal punishment in the family and in schools, and the provision in the Constitution which permitted "moderate chastisement" of children. The courts continued to impose corporal punishment on under-18-year-old boys.
The government significantly increased its national budget allocation for the education of orphans and vulnerable children, but continuing delays in payments to schools jeopardized the children's access to education. In November the Swaziland National Association of Teachers applied to the High Court for an order to compel the government to make the payments. The case was postponed until 2007 because of the shortage of judges.
fr: La maison haute dans la ruelle, Belvès, Dordogne, Périgord, France
See it BIGGER On Black | See More of the set Pittoresques Villages de France.
See my most interesting pictures here or take some time to view the slideshow .
Explore Highest position: 16
Histoire: Fortifiée au moyen âge en raison de sa position stratégique et surnommée "ville du Pape" sous la protection du pape Clément V, Belvès conserve les vestiges d'un passé tourmenté : remparts, tour de l'Auditeur, beffroi à cloche, tour de la Mairie, ancien clocher du couvent des Frères Prêcheurs, tour de l'Hôpital, château au donjon du XIIe siècle, hôtel à façade renaissance, ancienne maison des Consuls, halle aux bois et habitations troglodytiques. L'église Notre Dame de Montcuq est une ancienne prieurale bénédictine des XIIe et XIVe siècles. Source: Villages de France
History: It was fortified in the Middle Ages because of its strategic position and came to be known as the "Pope’s city" as it was under Clement V’s protection. Belvès bears witness to a tormented past: walls and the auditeur’s tower (11th c); the belfry (15th c) the city hall tower, the castle (14th/15th), the hotel with a Renaissance façade and troglodyte dwellings. Source: Come To France
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Continuing my snowy Rattlesnake lake serie. reaching the end of it though. i still have several valuable captures that i got to process in the best way possible. i sometimes keep shots aside for weeks. i suppose it's a good thing.
i often have the feeling that photography is like illustration. if you capture (or paint) something, it's better to serve it hot instead of waiting. otherwise the hesitation you initially had, will grow stronger and stronger. there are many exception though. and i'm slowly learning to go against that feeling.
basically it still is just a feeling. i still process old shots. for my illustrations it's more of a problem. i have tons of sketches left in folders, that i will probably never use. i'll certainly have to push on the same mental process here.
70-200 f4 L
- large -
Where: Sweden, Östergötland, Linköping. google maps
When: 20101222
How and why: The heron is a pretty elusive bird and this is the best I ever managed to catch it, so of course I had to share. I don't have the patience for animal photography, but sometimes you get lucky. It was darker than is een here, so it was difficult to spot too! It completely disappears in its surroundings when it's darker too.
Editing: Brightening the scene, smoothing out the noise with added blur on everything but the heron itself.
On Black | Original Size | Facebook Fan Page
From Wikipedia:
ANZAC Square, which is named in honour of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, is a Queensland state memorial to men and women who participated in overseas armed service. It is located between Ann Street and Adelaide Street (opposite Post Office Square), in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. ANZAC Square is adjacent to ANZAC Square Arcade.
ANZAC Square contains the Shrine of Remembrance and the 'Eternal Flame of Remembrance' held in a continuously lit bronze urn, dedicated on Tuesday, 11 November, 1930.
There is also the World War II Shrine of Memories. Daphne Mayo sculptured the Women's War Memorial that forms part of the memorial's wall.
The external wall of the Shrine of Memories is dedicated to the 60 000 Queenslanders who fought in World War I.[3] There are also war-related statues, for various wars, including memorial statues for the Queensland soldiers who fought during the Second Boer War (1899-1902), as well as World War II, the Vietnam War and campaigns in Korea, Borneo and New Guinea.
On 25 April, every year, a Dawn Service is held at the Shrine of Remembrance and ANZAC Square.
ANZAC Square was registered on the Register of the National Estate in 1980 and is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.
Details:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Exposure: 3 exposures (-2,0,+2 EV)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 24mm
ISO Speed: 100
Accessories: n/a (hand-held)
Date and Time: 24 February 2010 3.43pm
Post Processing:
Imported into Lightroom
Exported 3 exposures to Photomatix
Tonemap generated HDR using detail enhancer option
Exported HDR to CS3
Contrast adjustment
Lens Distortion filter
Unsharp mask filter
Exported back to Lightroom
Crop tool
Spot Removal tool
Added keyword metadata
Exported as JPEG
Please View On Black for a whole lotta' of shakin' going on!!
For the Urban Energy Challenge at "The Award Tree"
Las Vegas on a Friday or Saturday night seems to shimmy and shake with excitement like no other city around!! The very ground seems alive!!
Harrahs and The Venician are to the left, Caesars Palace is Dead ahead, and the erupting volcano at The Mirage can be seen to the right.
Cloud Gate is British artist Anish Kapoor's first public outdoor work installed in the United States. The 110-ton elliptical sculpture is forged of a seamless series of highly polished stainless steel plates, which reflect the city's famous skyline and the clouds above. A 12-foot-high arch provides a "gate" to the concave chamber beneath the sculpture, inviting visitors to touch its mirror-like surface and see their image reflected back from a variety of perspectives.
Inspired by liquid mercury, the sculpture is among the largest of its kind in the world, measuring 66-feet long by 33-feet high. Cloud Gate sits upon the At&T Plaza.
"What I wanted to do in Millennium Park is make something that would engage the Chicago skyline…so that one will see the clouds kind of floating in, with those very tall buildings reflected in the work. And then, since it is in the form of a gate, the participant, the viewer, will be able to enter into this very deep chamber that does, in a way, the same thing to one's reflection as the exterior of the piece is doing to the reflection of the city around."
-Anish Kapoor
Ave Maria (Schubert) - Pavarotti
La Piedad del Vaticano (Pietà), 1498-1500 es un grupo escultórico realizado en posición piramidal con la Virgen como eje vertical y el cuerpo muerto de Cristo como eje horizontal. Está situada en la primera capilla a la derecha según se entra en la basílica de San Pedro.
Es la única obra firmada por su autor. El joven escultor, a sus 22 años por aquel entonces, se enteró de que un par de viajeros había atribuido su obra maestra a un artista de tercer orden oriundo de Lombardía. Furioso, una noche se coló en el interior del templo y a la luz de unas velas esculpió en la banda diagonal de cruza el torso de la Virgen unas letras que dicen: "MICHAEL ÁNGELUS BONAROTUS, FLORENT. FACIENBAT", es decir, "la hizo Miguel Ángel Buonarotti, florentino".
Demonstrators on top of the statue Place de la Nation.
Merci de lire les explications en début d'album / Please read the explanations at the beginning of the set
Part of Régimes Spéciaux (Recommended as a slideshow)
View On Black please, it's much better there.
I don't know if you all know but this year's Vday clashes with the first day of the Lunar New Year.
And to be honest, I can't be arsed with both.
I don't celebrate V-day, even if I'm attached, I just don't see the point. I'd rather have a good make out session than a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates, but that's just me.
And Chinese New Year?
I really dislike visiting people, especially certain relatives whom my family members aren't on good terms with.
And this year, my Chinese New Year break is pathetic because I've got 2 major assignments due right when school starts again. One good thing though, is that I've gotten my hands on Dante's Inferno Death Edition, I have ALWAYS been fascinated with the poem and it's awesome that there's a game based on it!!! Will probably do an inspired shot or something soon =)
I think the next game I want to get my hands on will be Heavy Rain.
This shot was pretty spontaneous, I wore that qipao thingy and was wondering what to shoot, so I just randomly threw my quilt on the floor, grabbed some random items from my table and took some photos.
I had quite a few different edits for this shot and an outtake which will be in the comments.
Happy Vday to all and Happy CNY to asian flickrites =)
(Ps. I hope the colour looks ok on your screen cause on some screens it can tend to look toooo yellow, sorry if on your screen it does!)
www.parks.it/parco.piana.crixia/Epun_dettaglio.php?id_pun...
Pentax K100D Super + Tamron 18-200mm, f/6.7, 1/250 sec., ISO-200, esp 0, dist. foc. 18 mm. Scatto a mano libera.
Stupid me forgot my tripod today aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh !! thank god for a jessops bean bag and a pebble or two for support
VIEW MY GETTY COLLECTION HERE
www.gettyimages.com/search/search.aspx?assettype=image&am...
VIEW MY WEB SITE AND SHOP HERE
Here is my first published work even though i did it as a freebie its great seeing your work on a web site !
www.thewhitehartvillageinn.com/index.html
Here is the flickr set
Desde hoy voy a abrir un pequeño paréntesis.
Esta serie se va a llamar: Dibujo, cátedra Figueroa.
Recién empezaba mi año de CBC e imagino que esta foto debe pertenecer a mi primera clase de dibujo el primer (o segundo) día de clases. La saqué desde el taller
A propósito de Dibujo:
Cabe aclarar que la cátedra en la que tuve la suerte de terminar me llamó la atención desde el primer día por su manera de relacionarse con los alumnos. La típica barrera que los profesores suelen anteponer entre ellos y sus alumnos simplemente había desaparecido... Me acuerdo (y con mi capacidad para olvidar cosas ya es un milagro) las primeras palabras de Barbosa (JTP): “Nosotros a las clases le vamos a poner muchas pilas. Lo que nos esperamos de ustedes es que respondan con la mismo interés”...
Continúa...
Badewald. Switzerland.
Check it out my Portfolio: GETTY IMAGES
Maybe you like this: / Facebook / 500px
Switzerland (German: Schweiz[note 3] [ˈʃvaɪts]; French: Suisse [sɥis]; Italian: Svizzera [ˈzvittsera]; Romansh: Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ] or [ˈʒviːtsʁːɐ]), officially the Swiss Confederation (Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica, hence its abbreviation CH), is a federal parliamentary republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western and Central Europe,[note 4] where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.
Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning an area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8 million people is concentrated mostly on the Plateau, where the largest cities are to be found. Among them are the two global cities and economic centres – Zürich and Geneva.
La fin de Suburbia: L’épuisement des réserves de pétrole et l’effondrement du rêve américain
Oil, smoke & mirrors - sous-titré français Video
wiki.les-verts.infini.fr/index.php/Accueil
Pierre Gevaert, le célèbre fondateur du groupe d'alimentation biologique belge "Lima" (à présent racheté par des Canadiens), fondateur de plusieurs éco-villages en France, et d'une école d'éco-agriculture au Sénégal, vient partager l'expérience de 80 années de vie, les écueils du retour au monde rural mal préparé, etc. Conférence Nature & Progrès, Marche-en-Famenne jeudi 10 avril 2008 Video
Entretien avec Jean Laherrère, fondateur d'ASPO Video
www.wolfatthedoor.org.uk/francais
Nous mangeons du pétrole by Dale Allen Pfeiffer texte original sur le site http://www.fromthewilderness.com/ (FTW)
(Sur le même thème voir aussi le texte en anglais Why Our Food is So Dependent on Oil de Norman Church)
© Copyright 2004, From The Wilderness Publications, www.copvcia.com. All Rights Reserved. May be reprinted, distributed or posted on an Internet web site for non-profit purposes only.
Note de l'éditeur (Michael C. Ruppert) Il y a quelques mois, interpellé par un rapport réalisé par le Professeur Kenneth Deffeyes de Princeton concernant son travail sur l'impact du pic de pétrole (Peak Oil) sur la production d'engrais, j'ai demandé à l'éditeur responsable de la section énergie de FTW, Dale Allen Pfeiffer d'étudier ce que produira la diminution de gaz naturel sur les coûts de production des engrais. Ses recherches le menèrent à étudier la production globale de nourriture aux USA et, puisque les USA et le Canada nourissent une partie du monde, les réponses ont une porté globale.
Ce qui suit est probablement l'article le plus effrayant que j'ai lu et la contribution la plus alarmante que FTW ait jamais publiée. Même si l'on a vu CNN, Britain's Independent ou Jane's Defence Weekly reconnaitre la réalité du pic de pétrole (Peak Oil and Gas) ces dernières semaines, admettant que les réserves mondiales de pétrole et de gaz sont inférieures de 80% à celles estimées, nous voyons le peu de réflexions consacrées à prévoir ces crises à venir ; au moins en terme de réflexions accessibles au public.
L'article qui suit est si sérieux dans ses implications que j'ai pris l'inhabituelle initiative de souligner certains points clés. J'ai fais cela avec l'intention que le lecteur considère chaque passage souligné comme un fait séparé incroyablement important. Chacun de ces faits doit être lu et digéré séparément pour assimiler son importance. Je me suis trouvé lisant un fait, me levant et marchant de long en large jusqu'à pouvoir revenir continuer (in)confortablement à lire la suite.
Tout ce que rapporte les recherches de Dale Allen Pfeiffer confirme les pires doutes de FTW à propos des conséquences du pic de pétrole, et pose de sérieuses questions sur ce qu'il faut faire après. La moindre n'est pas pourquoi, au cours d'une année d'élection présidentielle (aux USA) aucun des candidats n'a reconnu le problème. Aujourd'hui, il est clair que les réponses à ces questions, sans doute les plus importantes auxquelles l'humanité doit faire face, doivent nécessairement être trouvées par des individus et des collectivités privées, indépendamment d'aide gouvernementale. Savoir si la recherche de réponse débute maintenant, ou bien lorsque la crise deviendra inévitable, ne dépend que de nous. - MCR
3 octobre 2003, 1200 PDT, (FTW) -- Les humains (comme tous les autres animaux) tirent leur énergie de la nourriture qu'ils mangent. Jusqu'au siècle dernier, toute l'énergie de la nourriture disponible sur cette planète était dérivée de l'énergie solaire par photosynthèse. Soit vous mangiez des plantes soit vous mangiez des animaux qui se nourrissaient de plantes, mais l'énergie provenait finalement du soleil.
Il aurait été absurde de penser qu'un jour nous manquerions d'ensoleillement. Non, l'ensoleillement était une ressource abondante, renouvelable et le processus de photosynthèse nourrissait toute vie sur la planète. Il plaçait également une limite sur la quantité de nourriture qui pouvait être produite à chaque instant, et ainsi limiter la croissance de la population. L'énergie solaire a un flux limité sur la planète. Pour augmenter votre production de nourriture, il fallait augmenter la surface cultivable et déplacer vos concurrents. Il n'y avait pas d'autres moyens pour augmenter l'énergie disponible pour la production de nourriture. La population humaine crût en déplaçant tout et en s'appropriant de plus en plus de l'énergie solaire.
Le besoin d'augmenter la production agricole est l'une des causes qui motiva la plupart des guerres, associé à l'accroissement des besoins énergétiques (et la production agricole est vraiment une partie essentielle des besoins énergétiques.) Quand les Européens ne purent plus étendre leur surfaces agricoles, ils commencèrent à conquérir le monde. Les explorateurs furent suivis des conquérants, puis des commerçants et des colons. Les raisons annoncées de l'expansion pouvait être le commerce, l'avarice, l'empire ou simplement la curiosité, mais à l'origine, tout était question d'augmentation de la productivité agricole. Où que les explorateurs et conquérants voyagèrent, ils ont pu ramener des butins, mais ont laissé des plantations. Ensuite, les colons travaillent à rendre la terre cultivable pour y établir leur propre ferme. Ces conquêtes ont duré tant qu'il y avait des terres pour s'étendre. Jusqu'à aujourd'hui, les propriétaires terriens et les fermiers luttent et réclament plus de terres pour la production agricole, mais ils se battent pour des restes. Aujourd'hui, virtuellement toutes les terres productives de cette planète sont exploitées pour l'agriculture. Ce qui reste inutilisé est trop escarpé, trop humide, trop sec ou sur un sol trop pauvre en nutriment.1
Au moment où la production agricole ne peut plus s'étendre par accroissement de la surface, de nouvelles innovations rendent possible une meilleure productivité des terres disponibles. Le processus de déplacement des "nuisibles" et d'appropriation pour l'agriculture, accéléré par la révolution industrielle et la mécanisation de l'agriculture, a accéléré le nettoyage et le labourage de la terre et augmenté la taille des exploitations qui pouvaient être tenues par une seule personne. A chaque accroissement de la production agricole, la population humaine augmentait aussi.
A présent, les humains se sont approprié environ 40% des capacités de photosynthèse de toutes les terres.2 Aux USA, c'est plus de la moitié de l'énergie capturée par photosynthèse.3 Nous nous sommes approprié la meilleure moitié de la planète. Le reste de la nature est forcé de faire avec ce qui reste. Ceci est le premier facteur d'extinction des espèces et du stress de l'écosystème.
La Révolution Verte
Dans les années 1950 et 1960, l'agriculture a subit une transformation radicale souvent appelée la Révolution Verte. La révolution verte est le résultat de l'industrialisation de l'agriculture. Une partie des avancées provint de nouvelles plantes hybrides, donnant des récoltes bien plus productives. Entre 1950 et 1984, alors que la révolution verte transformait l'agriculture dans le monde entier, la production de semence mondiale crût de 250%.4 C'est un accroissement considérable de la quantité de nourriture disponible pour la consommation humaine. Cet accroissement d'énergie ne provenait pas d'une augmentation de l'ensoleillement, ni de l'apparition de nouveaux horizons de terres agricoles. L'énergie de la révolution verte provenait des énergies fossiles sous la forme d'engrais (gaz naturel), de pesticides (pétrole) et d'irrigation motorisée.
La Révolution Verte a accru la quantité d'énergie consommé par l'agriculture de 50 fois en moyenne par rapport à l'agriculture traditionnelle.5 Dans les cas les plus extrêmes, la consommation d'énergie de l'agriculture a été multipliée par 100 ou plus. 6
Aux USA, 730 kg d'équivalent pétrole (400 gallons) sont dépensés par an pour nourrir chaque Américain (données de 1994). 7 La consommation d'énergie pour l'agriculture se répartie comme suit :
31% pour la fabrication d'engrais non organique
19% pour les engins agricoles
16% pour le transport
13% pour l'irrigation
08% pour élever le bétail (sans sa nourriture)
05% pour l'assèchement des récoltes
05% pour la production de pesticide
08% divers8
Les coûts énergétiques pour emballer, refroidir, transporter vers les revendeurs finals et cuisiner ne sont pas pris en compte dans ces chiffres.
Pour donner une idée au lecteur du besoin en énergie de l'agriculture moderne, la production d'un kg d'azote pour les engrais requiert l'énergie équivalente de 1,4 à 1,8 litres de diesel. Sans considérer le gaz naturel de base.9 Selon le Fertilizer Institute (http://www.tfi.org/), du 30 juin 2001 au 30 juin 2002 les USA ont utilisés 12 009 300 tonnes d'engrais azoté.10 En utilisant le chiffre bas de 1,4 litres de diesel équivalent par kilogramme d'azote, ceci correspond à l'énergie contenue dans 15,3 milliards de litres de diesel, soit 96,2 millions de barils.
Bien sûr, ceci n'est qu'une comparaison grossière pour aider à comprendre les besoins d'énergie de l'agriculture moderne.
Dans un sens littéral, nous pouvons dire que nous mangeons du pétrole. Cependant, à cause des lois de la thermodynamique, il n'y a pas de correspondance directe entre l'énergie consommée et l'énergie produire par l'agriculture. Tout au long du processus, il y a une perte d'énergie. Entre 1945 et 1994, l'énergie utilisée par l'agriculture a été multipliée par 4 tandis que les récoltes ont été multipliées par 3.11 Depuis lors, l'énergie consommée n'a cessé d'augmenter sans augmentation correspondante des récoltes. Nous avons atteint le point des retours marginaux décroissants. A cause de la dégradation des sols, de la demande croissante de gestion des nuisibles et des coûts pour l'irrigation (qui sont détaillés ci-dessous), l'agriculture moderne doit continuer d'augmenter ses dépenses énergétiques simplement pour maintenir sa production actuelle. La révolution verte va à la faillite.
Les coûts du pétrole fossile
L'énergie solaire est une ressource renouvelable limitée seulement par le flux de lumière du soleil vers la terre. Le pétrole fossile, au contraire, est une ressource stockée qui peut être utilisée à un taux presque sans limite. Cependant, à échelle de temps humaine, le pétrole fossile est non renouvelable. Il représente un stock d'énergie planétaire dans lequel nous pouvons piocher au rythme que nous voulons, mais qu'on finira par épuiser sans renouvellement. La Révolution Verte exploite ce dépôt d'énergie pour améliorer la production agricole.
Le total de pétrole fossile utilisé par les USA a été multiplié par 20 dans les 40 dernières années. Aux USA, nous consommons 20 à 30 fois plus d'énergie issue de pétrole fossile par personne que dans les nations en développement. L'agriculture compte directement pour 17% de toute l'énergie utilisée dans ce pays.12 En 1990, nous utilisions approximativement 1000 litres (6,41 barils) de pétrole pour produire de la nourriture avec un hectare de terre.13
En 1994, David Pimentel et Mario Giampietro estimaient que le rapport produits/intrants de l'agriculture était environ 1,4. 14 Pour 0,7 kcal d'énergie fossile consommée, l'agriculture des USA produisait 1 kcal de nourriture. Le chiffre d'entrée de ce ratio était basé sur des statistiques de la FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization des Nations Unies) qui ne considère que les engrais (sans inclure la matière de base des engrais), l'irrigation, les pesticides (sans inclure la matière de base des pesticides), et les engins agricoles et leur carburant. Les autres énergies en entrée de l'agriculture qui ne sont pas considérées étaient l'énergie et les machines pour assécher les récoltes, le transport des intrants et des produits de et vers la ferme, l'électricité, et la construction et l'entretien des bâtiments et infrastructures. Ajouter dans les estimations ces coûts énergétiques conduisent le ration produits/intrants vers une valeur proche de 1.15 Ceci n'inclut pas non plus les dépenses d'énergie de l'emballage, du transport vers les détaillants, le refroidissement ou la cuisson finale.
Dans un rapport ultérieur de la même année (1994), Giampietro et Pimentel réussirent à construire un ratio plus précis de l'utilisation de l'énergie fossile dans l'agriculture.16 Dans cette étude, les auteurs définirent deux types d'énergie en entrée : l'énergie endosomatique et l'énergie exosomatique. L'énergie endosomatique est générée par la transformation métabolique de l'énergie de la nourriture en énergie musculaire dans le corps humain. L'énergie exosomatique est générée par la transformation de l'énergie en dehors du corps humain, comme brûler du pétrole dans un tracteur. Cette donnée permet aux auteurs de se concentrer sur les entrées de fuel fossile uniquement et de son ratio par rapport aux autres entrées.
Avant la révolution industrielle, virtuellement 100% des énergies endomatiques et exosomatiques étaient d'origine solaire. Le pétrole fossile représente maintenant 90% de l'énergie exosomatique utilisée aux USA et dans les autres pays développés.17 La ratio typique exo/endo des sociétés pré-industrielles, basées sur le soleil, est environ de 4 pour 1. Le ratio a décuplé dans les pays développés, passant à 40 pour 1. Aux USA, il est supérieur à 90 pour 1.18 La nature de la manière dont on utilise l'énergie endosomatique a évolué de la même manière.
La grande majorité de l'énergie endosomatique n'est plus dépensée pour produire de la puissance dans les processus économiques. La majorité de l'énergie endosomatique est maintenant utilisée pour générer le flux d'information dirigeant le flux d'énergie exosomatique pour conduire les machines. En considérant le ration de 90/1 aux USA, chaque kcal d'énergie endosomatique dépensée aux USA induit la circulation de 90 kcal d'énergie exosomatique. Par exemple, un petit moteur à essence peut convertir les 38000 kcal d'un gallon (3,785 litres) d'essence en 8,8 kWh (kilowatt heure), ce qui équivaut à environ 3 semaines de travail pour un humain.19
Dans leur étude plus précise, Giampietro et Pimentel trouvèrent que 10 kcal d'énergie exosomatique étaient requises pour produire et fournir 1 kcal de nourriture au consommateur Américain. Ceci inclut l'emballage et toutes les dépenses de livraison, mais exclut la cuisson. 20 Le système d'alimentation Américain consomme 10 fois plus d'énergie qu'il produit en nourriture. Cette asymétrie repose sur les stocks de pétrole fossile non renouvelable.
Avec une hypothèse de 2500 kcal par personne pour une ration quotidienne aux USA, le ratio de 10/1 se traduit en un coût de 35000 kcal d'énergie exosomatique par personne et par jour. Cependant, considérant que le retour moyen d'une heure de travail endosomatique aux USA est d'environ 100000 kcal d'énergie exosomatique, le flux d'énergie exosomatique réquis pour fournir la ration quotidienne est atteint en seulement 20 minutes de travail dans notre système actuel. Malheureusement, si l'on supprime l'énergie fossile de l'équation, la ration quotidienne requiert 111 h de travail endosomatique par personne ; c'est-à-dire, qu'il faudrait près de 3 semaines de travail par personne pour produire la ration quotidienne américaine.
Assez simplement, quand la production de pétrole commencera à diminuer dans les années à venir, il y aura moins d'énergie disponible pour produire de la nourriture.
Sol, terre arable et eau
L'agriculture intensive moderne n'est pas durable. L'agriculture améliorée technologiquement augmente l'érosion du sol, pollue et surconsomme les eaux souterraines et de surface, et même (essentiellement à cause de l'usage des pesticides) provoque de sérieux problèmes d'environnement et de santé publique. L'érosion du sol, les terres surexploitées et les ressources en eau surutilisées conduisent à leur tour à une encore plus grande utilisation des hydrocarbures. On utilise plus d'engrais à base d'hydrocarbure, ainsi que plus de pesticide ; l'irrigation par pompage consomme aussi plus d'énergie ; et les pétroles fossiles sont utilisés pour traiter l'eau polluée.
Il faut 500 ans pour remplacer 2,56 cm de terre arable.21 En environnement naturel, la reconstitution de la terre se fait par décomposition des matières végétales, protégée de l'érosion par les plantes qui apparaissent. Dans les sols fragilisés par l'agriculture l'érosion réduit la productivité de 65% tous les ans.22 Les prairies, qui constitue l'essentiel des terres aux USA, ont perdu la moitié de la couche arable après environ 100 ans d'exploitation fermière. Ce sol s'érode 30 fois plus vite qu'il ne se forme.23 Les récoltes sont bien plus gourmandes que l'herbe qui couvrait les Grandes Plaines. En conséquence, la terre arable restante est de plus en plus pauvre en nutriments. L'érosion du sol et l'appauvrissement en minéraux coute environ 20 milliards de dollars en nutriments à l'agriculture américaine chaque année.24 Le sol de la Grande Plaine est maintenant en grande partie comme une éponge qu'il faut alimenter en engrais carbonés pour pouvoir produire les récoltes.
Chaque année aux USA, plus de 800 000 ha de terre agricole sont perdues à cause de l'érosion, du sel ou du (water logging ?). De plus, l'urbanisation, la construction de route et les besoins industriels requièrent annuellement 400 000 ha de terre.24 Approximativement 3/4 des terres aux USA sont dédiées à l'agriculture et à l'exploitation forestière.25 L'expansion de la population humaine ajoute une pression croissante sur les disponibilité de terre. En conséquence, seulement une petite partie de la surface des USA reste disponible pour les technologies d'énergies solaires nécessaires à une économie basée sur l'énergie solaire. La surface pour exploiter la biomasse est également limitée. Pour cette raison, le développement du solaire et de la biomasse doit se faire au détriment de l'agriculture.
L'agriculture moderne contraint également nos ressources en eau. L'agriculture consomme 85% de toutes les ressources américaines en eau douce.26 De nombreuses ressources d'eau de surface sont surexploitées, particulièrement à l'ouest et au sud. L'exemple typique est la rivière Colorado, qui est détourné goutte après goutte avant qu'il n'atteigne le Pacifique. L'eau de surface ne représente que 60% de l'eau utilisée pour l'irrigation. Le reste, et par endroit la majorité de l'irrigation, vient de nappes phréatiques. Les nappes phréatiques se remplissent doucement par percolation de l'eau de pluie au travers de la croûte terrestre. Moins de 0,1% de l'eau souterraine stockée et puisée par an est remplacé par la pluie.27 La grande nappe Ogallala qui fournit l'eau pour l'agriculture, l'industrie et les foyers des états du sud et du centre des USA est exploité à 160% de son taux de rechargement. La nappe d'Ogallala deviendra improductive d'ici quelques dizaines d'années.28
Nous pouvons illustrer la demande que place l'agriculture moderne sur les ressources en eau en regardant un champs de maïs. Une récolte de maïs qui produit 118 boisseaux/acre/an (104 quintaux/hectare/an) requiert plus de 500.000 gallons/acre d'eau (4.731 mètres cubes/hectare) pendant la croissance. La production d'un kilo de maïs requiert 1.400 litres d'eau.29 A moins de faire quelque chose pour réduire cette consommation, l'agriculture moderne va propulser les USA dans une crise de l'eau.
Ces vingts dernières années, l'utilisation de pesticide aux USA a été multiplié par 33, et chaque année, il y a plus de pertes dues aux parasites.30 C'est le résultat de l'abandon de la pratique traditionnelle de rotation des cultures. Près de 50% des surfaces de maïs américain est dédiée uniquement à la monoculture du maïs.31 Cela provoque une augmentation des parasites du maïs, qui à son tour déclenche l'utilisation de plus de pesticides. L'utilisation des pesticides sur les récoltes de maïs a été multipliée par 1000 même avant l'introduction de maïs résistant aux pesticides par génie génétique. Et cependant, les pertes de maïs ont tout de même été multipliée par 4.32
L'agriculture moderne n'est pas durable. Elle abîme la terre, en drainant les ressources en eau et polluant l'environnement. Et ceci requiert de plus en plus de pétrole fossile pour pomper l'eau pour irriguer, pour remplacer les nutriments, pour protéger des parasites, pour compenser l'environnement et simplement maintenir le niveau de production constant. Pourtant cette entrée nécessaire de combustible fossile va devoir affronter la diminution de la production de combustible fossile.
La consommation des USA
Aux USA, chaque personne consomme une moyenne de 987 kg de nourriture par an. Cela fournit au consommateur américain une moyenne d'apport quotidien d'énergie de 3600 kcal. La moyenne mondiale est de 2700 kcal par jour.33 Aux USA, 19% des apports en calorie proviennent directement des fast food. Les fast food participent pour 34% à la consommation totale de nourriture des citoyens américains. Le citoyen moyen mange en dehors de chez lui une fois sur quatre.34
Un tiers des apports caloriques des américains moyens provient de sources animales (y compris les produits laitiers), pour un total de 363 kg par personne et par an. Ce régime signifie que les citoyens américains dérivent 40% de leurs calories de graisse - près de la moitié de leur régime.35
Les Américains sont également de gros consommateurs d'eau. Il y a 10 ans, les Américains consommaient 4589 litres/jour/personne (l/j/p), la plus grande part utilisée pour l'agriculture. En tenant compte de l'augmentation de population prévue, la consommation d'ici 2050 est estimée à 2650 l/j/p, que les hydrologistes considèrent comme minimaux pour les besoins humains.36 C'est sans compter sur le déclin de la production de carburant fossile.
Pour fournir toute cette nourriture, il faut 600 000 tonnes de pesticide par an en Amérique du Nord. C'est plus d'un cinquième du total mondial des pesticides utilisés, estimé à 2,5 millions de tonnes.37 Au niveau mondial, on utilise plus d'engrais azoté par an que la nature ne peut en produire. De même, l'eau est pompée des nappes phréatiques à rythme supérieur à celui qu'elles ne se remplissent. Les stocks de minerais importants comme le phosphore ou le potassium s'approchent rapidement de l'épuisement.38
Le total d'énergie consommée par les USA est trois fois le montant de l'énergie solaire collectée sous forme de produits forestiers ou de récoltes. Les USA consomment annuellement 40% plus d'énergie que le montant total d'énergie solaire capturée en un an par toute la biomasse des USA. L'Amérique du Nord utilise par habitant cinq fois plus de carburant fossile que la moyenne mondiale.39
Notre prospérité est construite sur le principe d'épuisement le plus rapide possible des ressources mondiales, sans considération pour nos voisins, les autres formes de vie de la planète, ou nos enfants.
Population et développement durable
En considérant un taux d'accroissement de 1,1% par an, la population des USA devrait doubler d'ici 2050. Comme la population croît, environ 0,4 ha de terre sera perdu pour chaque nouvelle personne ajoutée à la population des USA. A ce jour, il y a 0,73 ha de terre cultivable pour chaque citoyen américain. D'ici 2050, ceci devrait passer à 0,24 ha. Pour maintenir les rations standards il faut 0,48 ha par personne.40
Aujourd'hui, seules deux nations dans le monde sont des exportateurs majeurs de grain : les USA et le Canada.41 D'ici 2025, il est prévu que les USA cessent d'être un exportateur de nourriture à cause de la demande intérieure. L'impact sur l'économie américaine pourrait être désastreuse, puisque les exportations de nourriture rapportent 40 milliards de dollars annuellement aux USA. Plus important, des millions de gens pourraient mourir de faim dans le monde sans les exportations de nourriture américaines.42
Aux USA, 34,6 millions de gens vivent dans la pauvreté selon des données du recensement 2002.43 Ce nombre continue d'augmenter à un rythme alarmant. Trop de ces gens n'ont pas de ration quotidienne suffisante. Comme la situation s'aggrave, ce nombre augmentera et les USA seront témoin d'un nombre de plus en plus important de morts de famine.
Il y a plusieurs choses que nous pouvons faire pour alléger cette tragédie. On pourrait améliorer l'agriculture pour qu'elle se débarrasse des pertes, gaspillages et mauvaise gestion pour réduire la consommation d'énergie dédiée à la production de nourriture de moitié.35 On pourrait utiliser les engrais issus du bétail qui sont gaspillés pour remplacer les engrais basés sur le pétrole. On estime que les engrais issus du bétail contiennent 5 fois la quantité d'engrais utilisé chaque année.36 Le plus efficace serait peut-être de supprimer la viande de nos repas.37
Mario Giampietro et David Pimentel estiment qu'il serait possible d'avoir un système d'alimentation durable si quatre conditions étaient réalisées :
1. Des technologies agricoles environnementalement saines doivent être mises en place.
2. Des énergies renouvelables doivent être utilisées.
3. Des augmentations majeures de l'efficacité énergétique doivent réduire la consommation d'énergie exosomatique par personne.
4. La taille et la consommation de la population doivent être compatibles avec le maintient de la stabilité des processus environnementaux.
Si les trois premières conditions sont réalisées, avec une réduction de moins de la moitié de consommation d'énergie exosomatique par personne, les auteurs estiment à 200 millions la population maximale dans une économie durable.39 Plusieurs autres études ont produit des chiffres de cet ordre(Energy and Population, Werbos, Paul J. http://www.dieoff.com/page63.htm; Impact of Population Growth on Food Supplies and Environment, Pimentel, David, et al. http://www.dieoff.com/page57.htm).
Sachant que la population des USA actuelle est de 292 millions, 40 cela signifie une diminution de 92 millions. Pour réaliser une économie durable et éviter un désastre, les USA doivent réduire leur population d'au moins un tiers. La peste noire du XIVe siècle tua environ un tiers de la population européenne (et plus de la moitié de la population Asiatique et Indienne), plongeant le continent dans une période difficile dont il fallut près de deux siècles pour sortir.41
Aucune de ces études ne considère l'impact de la baisse de la production de pétrole. Les auteurs de toutes ces études croient que la crise de l'agriculture ne commencera à avoir un impact qu'après 2020, et ne deviendra pas critique avant 2050. Le pic actuel de production de pétrole (et le déclin qui va suivre), associé au pic de production du gaz naturel d'Amérique du Nord va très vraissemblablement provoquer cette crise de l'agriculture plus tôt que prévu. Il est fort probable qu'une réduction d'un tiers de la population des USA ne sera pas très efficace pour la durabilité ; la réduction nécessaire pourrait dépasser la moitié. Au niveau mondial, la durabilité ne pourrait être atteinte qu'après une réduction de la population de 6,32 milliards d'habitants42 à 2 milliards - une réduction de 68% ou plus des deux-tiers. La fin de cette décennie pourrait voir des prix de la nourriture se développer sans contrôle. La décennie suivante pourrait voir apparaître des famines à niveau jamais subit par la race humaine.
Trois choix
Considérant l'absolue nécessité de la réduction de population, il y a trois choix évidents devant nous.
Nous pouvons, comme une société devenue consciente de ses options faire lucidement le choix de ne plus augmenter notre population. C'est la solution la plus raisonnable des trois options : choir volontairement et librement de réduire de manière responsable la population. Cependant, cela heurte notre impératif biologique de procréation. C'est aussi compliqué par la capacité de la médecine moderne d'étendre notre longévité, et par le refus des Religions d'accepter des règles de gestion de la population. Et puis, il y a aussi un fort lobby pour maintenir un niveau élevé d'immigration pour maintenir bas le coût du travail. Bien que ce soit probablement notre meilleur choix, il y a peu de chance qu'il soit retenu.
Si l'on n'arrive pas à diminuer volontairement notre population, on peut forcer des réductions dans la population à travers des règlements gouvernementaux. Est-il nécessaire de préciser à quel point cette option peut être désastreuse ? Combien d'entre nous choisiraient de vivre dans un monde de stérilisation forcée et de quotas de population maintenus par des lois ? Avec quelle facilité ceci pourrait mener à un sélection de la population utilisant des principes d'eugénisme ?
Reste le troisième choix, qui, à lui seul, présente une indicible image de souffrance et de mort. Si nous devions échouer à reconnaître cette crise à venir et décider de la gérer, nous ferions face à une décroissance dont la civilisation ne se remettra peut-être jamais. Nous perdrions probablement plus que le nécessaire pour assurer la durabilité. Avec ce scénario de décroissance, les conditions se détérioreraient tellement que les survivants seraient une fraction négligeable de la population actuelle. Ces survivants vivraient dans le souvenir de la mort de leur civilisation, leurs voisins, leurs amis et leurs familles. Ces survivants auront vu leur monde s'effrondrer.
Les questions que nous devons nous poser maintenant sont, comment peut-on laisser cela se produire, et que peut-on faire pour l'empêcher ? Notre façon de vivre actuelle signifie-t-elle tant que nous nous placions nous même et nos enfants devant cette tragédie approchant rapidement pour quelques années de consommation de plus ?
Note de l'auteur
C'est probablement l'article le plus important que j'ai écris à ce jour. C'est certainement le plus effrayant, et la conclusion est la plus triste que j'ai jamais écrite. Cette article va probablement déranger le lecteur ; il m'a sans aucun doute perturbé. Pourtant, il est important pour notre futur que cet article soit lu, compris et discuté.
Je suis par nature positif et optimiste. En dépit de cet article, je continue à croire que nous trouverons une solution positive aux multiples crises qui nous font face. Bien que cet article puisse provoquer de nombreux courriels haineux, c'est un simple rapport factuel de données et de la conclusion évidente qui en découle.
---
Notes
1 Availability of agricultural land for crop and livestock production, Buringh, P. Food and Natural Resources, Pimentel. D. and Hall. C.W. (eds), Academic Press, 1989.
2 Human appropriation of the products of photosynthesis, Vitousek, P.M. et al. Bioscience 36, 1986. http://www.science.duq.edu/esm/unit2-3
3 Land, Energy and Water: the constraints governing Ideal US Population Size, Pimental, David and Pimentel, Marcia. Focus, Spring 1991. NPG Forum, 1990. http://www.dieoff.com/page136.htm
4 Constraints on the Expansion of Global Food Supply, Kindell, Henry H. and Pimentel, David. Ambio Vol. 23 No. 3, May 1994. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. http://www.dieoff.com/page36htm
5 The Tightening Conflict: Population, Energy Use, and the Ecology of Agriculture, Giampietro, Mario and Pimentel, David, 1994. http://www.dieoff.com/page69.htm
6 Op. Cit. See note 4.
7 Food, Land, Population and the U.S. Economy, Pimentel, David and Giampietro, Mario. Carrying Capacity Network, 11/21/1994. http://www.dieoff.com/page55.htm
8 Comparison of energy inputs for inorganic fertilizer and manure based corn production, McLaughlin, N.B., et al. Canadian Agricultural Engineering, Vol. 42, No. 1, 2000.
9 Ibid.
10 US Fertilizer Use Statistics. http://www.tfi.org/Statistics/USfertuse2.asp
11 Food, Land, Population and the U.S. Economy, Executive Summary, Pimentel, David and Giampietro, Mario. Carrying Capacity Network, 11/21/1994. Résumé, Rapport complet
12 Ibid.
13 Op. Cit. See note 3.
14 Op. Cit. See note 7.
15 Ibid.
16 Op. Cit. See note 5.
17 Ibid.
18 Ibid.
19 Ibid.
20 Ibid.
21 Op. Cit. See note 11.
22 Ibid.
23 Ibid.
24 Ibid.
25 Op Cit. See note 3.
26 Op Cit. See note 11.
27 Ibid.
28 Ibid.
29 Ibid.
30 Op. Cit. See note 3.
31 Op. Cit. See note 5.
32 Op. Cit. See note 3.
33 Op. Cit. See note 11.
34 Food Consumption and Access, Lynn Brantley, et al. Capital Area Food Bank, 6/1/2001. http://www.clagettfarm.org/purchasing.html
35 Op. Cit. See note 11.
36 Ibid.
37 Op. Cit. See note 5.
38 Ibid. 39 Ibid.
40 Op. Cit. See note 11.
41 Op. Cit. See note 4.
42 Op. Cit. See note 40
Thank you for comments, adding to fav's - and your time :-)
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Here is my first published work even though i did it as a freebie its great seeing your work on a web site !
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You are looking at the Bridal Veil Falls of the American (Niagara) Falls on the extreme right of this photo..This is the beauty of the American Falls as I saw it on Sunday. I'm happy with the sensor in this new little sony of mine ;) I hope you enjoy this wintery scenic view of Niagara Falls...USA. Each and every time we go I see the beauty no matter what the weather conditions. I like the sensor on this new little sony ;) camera.
Niagara Falls is Romantic, 'kitschy' and fun!!
"•The Falls at Niagara are about 12,000 years old
•Falls were formed when melting glaciers formed massive fresh-water lakes (the Great Lakes) one of which (Lake Erie) ran downhill toward another (Lake Ontario). The rushing waters carved out a river in their descent and at one point passed over a steep cliff like formation (the Niagara escarpment). From the original falls going over the Niagara Escarpment, the water began to wear its way back up the river. The path that it left is known today as the Niagara Gorge (a deeply-cut and very scenic river path).
•The word Niagara comes from the word "onguiaahra" which means "a thundering noise".
•An "Old Scow" (a steel barge) remains stranded a few hundred meters above the Falls and has been marooned there since August 6, 1918 when a near tragedy was averted by three men who opened the dumping hatches of the barge to let water in and ground the out-of control boat.
•Water that flows over the Falls at Niagara ultimately ends up in Lake Ontario - from there, water drains by way of the St. Lawrence River in to the Atlantic Ocean.
•One of the bloodiest battles of the War of 1812 took place on July 25, 1814 at Lundy's Lane in Niagara Falls, Ontario... A total of 7500 Americans and Canadians fought for six hours. At the end, 1,000 soldiers lay dead or wounded."
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I was hoping to center myself more, but after taking said shot this one really stood out to me more!
But I hope everyone had a great holiday! So great to be with family and celebrate; it's sad how fast it goes.
On another note I got a flash! I love it so much and actually used it in this shot! (It's in the comments below) I do prefer natural light but it will be a major help indoors and shadowy places outdoors.
Hope everyone has a great week!
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Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
Following, a text, in english, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or "Fountain of the Four Rivers" is a fountain in Rome, Italy, located in the Piazza Navona. Designed by Gianlorenzo Bernini, it is emblematic of the dynamic and dramatic effects sought by High Baroque artists. It was erected in 1651 in front of the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone, and yards from the Pamphilj Palace belonging to this fountain's patron, Innocent X (1644-1655).
The four gods on the corners of the fountain represent the four major rivers of the world known at the time: the Nile, Danube, Ganges, and Plate. The design of each god figure has symbolic importance.
Design
Bernini's design was selected in competition. The circumstances of his victory are described as follows:
So strong was the sinister influence of the rivals of Bernini on the mind of Innocent that when he planned to set up in Piazza Navona the great obelisk brought to Rome by the Emperor Caracalla, which had been buried for a long time at Capo di Bove for the adornment of a magnificent fountain, the Pope had designs made by the leading architects of Rome without an order for one to Bernini. Prince Niccolò Ludovisi, whose wife was niece to the pope, persuaded Bernini to prepare a model, and arrange for it to be secretly installed in a room in the Palazzo Pamphili that the Pope had to pass. When the meal was finished, seeing such a noble creation, he stopped almost in ecstasy. Being prince of the keenest judgment and the loftiest ideas, after admiring it, said: “This is a trick … It will be necessary to employ Bernini in spite of those who do not wish it, for he who desires not to use Bernini’s designs, must take care not to see them.”
Paraphrase from Filippo Baldinucci, The life of Cavaliere Bernini (1682)
Public fountains in Rome served multiple purposes: first, they were highly needed sources of water for neighbors in the centuries prior to home plumbing. Second, they were monuments to the papal patrons. Earlier Bernini fountains had been the Fountain of the Triton in Piazza Barberini, the fountain of the Moor in the southern end of Piazza Navona erected during the Barberini papacy, and the Neptune and Triton for Villa Montalto, whose statuary now resides at Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Each has animals and plants that further carry forth the identification, and each carries a certain number of allegories and metaphors with it. The Ganges carries a long oar, representing the river's navigability. The Nile's head is draped with a loose piece of cloth, meaning that no one at that time knew exactly where the Nile's source was. The Danube touches the Papal coat of arms, since it is the large river closest to Rome. And the Río de la Plata is sitting on a pile of coins, a symbol of the riches America could offer to Europe (the word plata means silver in Spanish). Also, the Río de la Plata looks scared by a snake, showing rich men's fear that their money could be stolen. Each is a river god, semi-prostrate, in awe of the central tower, epitomized by the slender Egyptian obelisk (built for the Roman Serapeum in AD 81), symbolizing by Papal power surmounted by the Pamphili symbol (dove). In addition, the fountain is a theater in the round, a spectacle of action, that can be strolled around. Water flows and splashes from a jagged and pierced mountainous disorder of travertine marble. A legend, common with tour-guides, is that Bernini positioned the cowering Rio de la Plata River as if the sculpture was fearing the facade of the church of Sant'Agnese by his rival Borromini could crumble against him; in fact, the fountain was completed several years before Borromini began work on the church.
The dynamic fusion of architecture and sculpture made this fountain revolutionary when compared to prior Roman projects, such as the stilted designs Acqua Felice and Paola by Fontana in Piazza San Bernardo (1585-87) or the customary embellished geometric floral-shaped basin below a jet of water such as the Fontanina in Piazza Campitelli (1589) by Giacomo della Porta.
Unveiling
he Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi was unveiled to the populace of Rome on 12 June 1651. According to a report from the time, an event was organised to draw people to the Piazza Navona. Beforehand, wooden scaffolding, overlaid with curtains, had hidden the fountain, though probably not the obelisk, which would have given people an idea that something was being built, but the precise details were unknown. Once unveiled, the full majesty of the fountain would be apparent, which the celebrations were designed to advertise. The festival was paid for by the Pamphili family, to be specific, Innocent X, who had sponsored the erection of the fountain. The most conspicuous item on the Pamphili crest, an olive branch, was brandished by the performers who took part in the event.
The author of the report, Antonio Bernal, takes his readers through the hours leading up to the unveiling. The celebrations were announced by a woman, dressed as the allegorical character of Fame, being paraded around the streets of Rome on a carriage or float. She was sumptuously dressed, with wings attached to her back and a long trumpet in her hand. Bernal notes that "she went gracefully through all the streets and all the districts that are found among the seven hills of Rome, often blowing the round bronze [the trumpet], and urging everyone to make their way to that famous Piazza." A second carriage followed her; this time another woman was dressed as the allegorical figure of Curiosity. According to the report, she continued exhorting the people to go towards the piazza. Bernal describes the clamour and noise of the people as they discussed the upcoming event.
The report is actually less detailed about the process of publicly unveiling the fountain. However, it does give ample descriptions of the responses of the spectators who had gathered in the Piazza. Once there, Bernal notes, the citizens of the city were overwhelmed by the massive fountain, with its huge life-like figures. The report mentions the "enraptured souls" of the population, the fountain, which "gushes out a wealth of silvery treasures" causing "no little wonder" in the onlookers. Bernal then continues to describe the fountain, making continuous reference to the seeming naturalism of the figures and its astonishing effect on those in the piazza.
The making of the fountain was met by opposition by the people of Rome for several reasons. First, Innocent X had the fountain built at public expense during the intense famine of 1646-48. Throughout the construction of the fountain, the city murmurred and talk of riot was in the air. Pasquinade writers protested the construction of the fountain in September 1648 by attaching hand-written invectives on the stone blocks used to make the obelisk. These pasquinades read, "We do not want Obelisks and Fountains, It is bread that we want. Bread, Bread, Bread!" Innocent quickly had the authors arrested, and disguised spies patrol the Pasquino statue and Piazza Navona
The streetvendors of the market also opposed the construction of the fountain, as Innocent X expelled them from the piazza. The Pamphilij pope believed they detracted from the magnificence of the square. The vendors refused to move, and the papal police had to chase them from the piazza. Roman Jews, in particular, lamented the closing of the Navona, since they were allowed to sell used articles of clothing there at the Wednesday market.
Navona Square (Piazza Navona).
Following, a text, in english, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Piazza Navona is a city square in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in first century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium.[1] The ancient Romans came there to watch the agones ("games"), and hence it was known as 'Circus Agonalis' (competition arena). It is believed that over time the name changed to 'in agone' to 'navone' and eventually to 'navona'.
Defined as a public space in the last years of 15th century, when the city market was transferred to it from the Campidoglio, the Piazza Navona is a significant example of Baroque Roman architecture and art. It features sculptural and architectural creations: in the center stands the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers (1651) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini; the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone by Francesco Borromini and Girolamo Rainaldi; and the Pamphilj palace also by Rainaldi and which features the gallery frescoed by Pietro da Cortona.
The Piazza Navona has two additional fountains: at the southern end is the Fontana del Moro with a basin and four Tritons sculpted by Giacomo della Porta (1575) to which, in 1673, Bernini added a statue of a Moor, or African, wrestling with a dolphin, and at the northern end is the Fountain of Neptune (1574) created by Giacomo della Porta. The statue of Neptune in the northern fountain, the work of Antonio Della Bitta, was added in 1878 to make that fountain more symmetrical with La Fontana del Moro in the south.
At the southwest end of the piazza is the ancient 'speaking' statue of Pasquino. Erected in 1501, Romans could leave lampoons or derogatory social commentary attached to the statue.
During its history, the piazza has hosted theatrical events and other ephemeral activities. From 1652 until 1866, when the festival was suppressed, it was flooded on every Saturday and Sunday in August in elaborate celebrations of the Pamphilj family. The pavement level was raised in the 19th century and the market was moved again in 1869 to the nearby Campo de' Fiori. A Christmas market is held in the piazza.
Other monuments on the Piazza Navona are:
Stabilimenti Spagnoli
Palazzo de Cupis
Palazzo Torres Massimo Lancellotti
Church of Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore
Palazzo Braschi (Museo di Roma)
Sant'Agnese in Agone
Literature and films
The piazza is featured in Dan Brown's 2000 thriller Angels and Demons, in which the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi "The Fountain of the four rivers"(the Danube, the Gange, the Nile and the River Plate) is listed as one of the Altars of Science. During June 2008, Ron Howard directed several scenes of the film adaptation of Angels and Demons on the southern section of the Piazza Navona, featuring Tom Hanks.
The piazza is featured in several scenes of director Mike Nichols' 1970 adaptation of Joseph Heller's novel, Catch-22.
The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi was used in the 1990 film Coins in the Fountain. The characters threw coins into the fountain as they made wishes. The Trevi Fountain was used in the 1954 version of the film.
A Fontana Dei Quattro Fiumi, é maior das três fontes, localizada no centro da praça. Na fonte dos rios, Bernini projetou quatro estátuas representando os rios dos quatro continentes: o Nilo, o Danúbio, o rio da Prata e o Ganges. As estátuas estão montadas sobre um obelisco egípcio, sendo circundadas por leões e outros animais fantásticos, tendo no cume uma pomba em bronze, símbolo da paz no mundo e da família Pamphili. Para realçar a rivalidade entre Bernini e Borromini, que fez a igreja de Santa Agnese, os romanos criaram uma lenda em torno da fonte dos rios, que fica em frente a esta igreja. Segundo os romanos, as estátuas duvidam da solidez do projeto de Borromini. A que retrata o rio da Prata, tem a mão erguida, a proteger o corpo do desabamento da igreja; a que retrata o Nilo, traz a cabeça coberta por um véu, a recusar a ver a obra de Borromini.
A seguir um texto, em português, da Wikipédia a Enciclopédia Livre:
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fonte dos Quatro Rios), foi esculpida por Gian Lorenzo Bernini entre 1648 e 1651, artista do barroco italiano, foi concebida por uma ordem do Papa Inocencio X o Papa da familia Pamphili, cujo tinha sua casa nesta praça.
Esta localizada na Praça de Navona, em Roma. Ela representa os quatro principais continentes do mundo cortados por seus principais rios: Rio Nilo, na África; Rio Ganges, na Ásia, Rio da Prata, na América e o Rio Danúbio, na Europa.
A seguir, texto em português do site Wiki lingue:
A escultura da Fonte dos Quatro Rios, encontra-se na Piazza Navona de Roma (Itália) e foi criada e talhada pelo escultor e pintor Gian Lorenzo Bernini em 1651 baixo o papado de Inocencio X, em plena época barroca, durante o período mais prolífico do genial artista e cerca da que em outro tempo fué a Chiesa dei San Giacomo de gli Spagnoli
A fonte compõe-se de uma base formada de uma grande piscina elíptica, coroada em seu centro de uma grande mole de mármol, sobre a qual se eleva um obelisco egípcio de época romana, o obelisco de Domiciano .
As estátuas que compõem a fonte, têm umas dimensões maiores que na realidade e são alegorias dos quatro rios principais da Terra (Nilo, Ganges, Danubio, Rio da Prata), a cada um deles em um dos continentes conhecidos na época. Na fonte a cada um destes rios está representado por um gigante de mármol .
As árvores e as plantas que emergem da água e que se encontram entre as rochas, também estão em uma escala maior que na realidade. Os animais e vegetales, gerados de uma natureza boa e útil, pertencem a espécies grandes e potentes (como o leão, cavalo, cocodrilo, serpente, dragão, etc.). O espectador, girando em torno da fonte, descobre novas formas que dantes estavam escondidas ou cobertas pela massa rocosa. Com esta obra, Bernini quer suscitar admiração em quem olha-a, criando um pequeno universo em movimento a imitação do espaço da realidade natural.
A fonte foi submetida a restauração, um trabalho que se deu por concluído em dezembro de 2008. Constitui um dos palcos finque da novela e o filme Anjos e Demónios, à qual é arrojado um dos cardeais sequestrados, e Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) se lança à água para lhe salvar.
Os animais da fonte
A fonte apresenta figuras de sete animais, além de uma pequena pomba e o emblema dos Pamphili. Para poder observá-las basta com dar uma volta ao redor da fonte. As figuras são: um cavalo, uma serpente de terra (na parte mais alta, cerca do obelisco), uma serpente de mar, um delfín (que funciona também como desagüe), um cocodrilo, um leão e um dragão. Notar também a vegetación esculpida que parece real.
Praça Navona.
A seguir, um texto em português, da Wikipédia a Enciclopédia livre:
A Praça Navona (em italiano: Piazza Navona) é uma das mais célebres praças de Roma. A sua forma assemelha-se à dos antigos estádios da Roma Antiga, seguindo a planificação do Estádio de Domiciano (também denominado entre os italianos de Campomarzio, em virtude da natureza rude e esforçada dos exercícios - manejo de armas - e desportos atléticos que aí se realizavam). Albergaria até 20 mil espectadores sentados nas bancadas. A origem do nome deve-se ao nome pomposo que lhe foi dado ao tempo do Imperador Domiciano (imperador entre 81-96 d.c.): "Circo Agonístico" (do étimo grego Agonia, que significa precisamente - exercício, luta, combate). Actualmente o nome corresponde à corruptela da forma posterior in agone, depois nagone e finalmente navone, que por mero acaso significa também "grande navio" na língua italiana.
As casas que entretanto e com o passar dos anos foram sendo construídas sobre as bancadas, delimitariam e circunscreveriam até à actualidade o tão afamado Circo Agonístico.
A Navona passou de fato a caracterizar-se como praça nos últimos anos do século XV, quando o mercado da cidade foi transferido do Capitólio para aí. Foi remodelada para um estilo monumental por vontade do Papa Inocêncio X, da família Pamphili e é motivo de orgulho da cidade de Roma durante o período barroco. Sofreu intervenções de Gian Lorenzo Bernini (a famosa Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fonte dos Quatro Rios, 1651) ao centro); de Francesco Borromini e Girolamo Gainaldi (a igreja de Sant'Agnese in Agone); e de Pietro de Cortona, que pintou a galeria no Palácio Pamphilj, sede da embaixada do Brasil na Itália desde 1920.
O mercado tradicional voltou a ser transferido em 1869 para o Campo de' Fiori, embora a praça mantenha também um papel fundamental em servir de palco para espectáculos de teatro e corridas de cavalos. A partir de 1652, em todos os Sábados e Domingos de Agosto, a praça tornava-se num lago para celebrar a própria família Pamphili.
A praça dispõe ainda duas outras fontes esculpidas por Giacomo della Porta - a Fontana di Nettuno (1574), na área norte da praça, e a Fontana del Moro (1576), na área sul.
Na extremidade norte da praça, por debaixo dos edifícios, foram postas a descoberto ruínas antiquíssimas, a uma cota muito abaixo da actual, comprovando a primeva utilização daquele imenso terreiro. Outros monumentos com entrada para a praça:
Stabilimenti Spagnoli
Palazzo de Cupis
Palazzo Torres Massimo Lancellotti
Church of Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore
Curiosidades
Na Piazza Navona, está localizado o Palazzo Pamphilj, propriedade da República Federativa do Brasil, sede da Embaixada Brasileira e da Missão Diplomática do Brasil para a Itália.
From the Website
The Tower Hamlets Trayned Bandes were, of course, by their nature, a social as well as military organisation. This is also especially true of the re-created regiment, and is reflected in the civilian roles: craftsmen make useful items and repair equipment, musicians entertain us and the public, preachers watch out for our moral wellbeing, servants and clerks bring order to the lives of officers and goodwives and families lend their support and cater to the inner man!
Upcoming Events
14th/15th August 2010, Tattershall Castle, Lincolnshire
28th/29th/30th August 2010, Basing House, Hampshire (Major Muster)
11th September 2010, St John the Evangelist Church, Leeds.
Texture by
Sterling Silver
Skeletal Mess (bruised ego)
A little break from the California trip. This is from last evening on the VA side of Great Falls Park.
Sort of a 3 part story. The Good = this shot. I was happy with the location I found right down on the water coupled with the pretty tones in the sky. The Bad = the below shot. Not that it's terrible or anything, but I wish it were 'epic' or something along those lines, because I paid for it. The result of the below shot, was The Ugly. A cracked filter, and more painful, a cracked knee...it's an evening I won't soon forget.
A reminder that bad things can happen very very quickly. Stay safe out there...
Thanks for looking!
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Comments and constructive criticism always appreciated.
I was going through my archives when I found this picture. It's a shot I took last winter at the end of the day when it was dark already.
ISO 800 - fill-in flash.
Have a great sunday!
The Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the largest canid of South America, resembling a dog with reddish fur.
The distribution includes southern Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia east of the Andes. It is an endangered species.
The Maned Wolf has often been described as "a Red Fox on stilts" due to its similar coloration and overall appearance, though it is a far larger animal and is not related to the genus Vulpes. The adult animal stands almost 1 m (3 ft) tall at the shoulder, and weighs 20 to 25 kg. (50 to 55 lb). Its fur is reddish brown to golden orange on the sides, with long, black legs and a distinctive black mane. The coat is further marked with a whitish tuft at the tip of the tail and a white "bib" beneath the throat. The mane is erectile, and is typically used to enlarge the wolf's profile when threatened or when displaying aggression.
Unlike other large canids (Wolves, African Hunting Dogs, Dholes) the Maned Wolf does not form packs.Monogamous pairs may defend a shared territory, though the wolves themselves may seldom meet, outside of mating. Several adults may congregate in the presence of a plentiful food source; a fire-cleared patch of grassland, for example, which would leave small vertebrate prey exposed to foraging wolves.
They use their urine to communicate. It has a very distinctive smell, which some people liken to just opened beer, or cannabis. The responsible substance is very likely a pyrazine, which occurs in both cannabis and hop (which is used in beer). In Rotterdam Zoo, the police even once searched for cannabis smokers because of this. (HA!)
The Maned Wolf is not closely related to any other canid. It is apparently a survivor from the Pleistocene fauna of large South American mammals; its closest relatives seem to be the dogs and wolves (genus Canis). Previously, some authorities placed it with the various South American foxes, others with the Bush Dog.
from Wikipedia
Looking northwest from Chandrashila...the visible peaks right to left
- Chaukhamba I (6854m, 22486ft), II (6995m/22949ft), III (7088m/23254ft), IV (7138m/23418ft) peaks
- Mandani(6190m/20308ft)
- Danesh Parbat(unk)
- Mahalaya(5970m/19586ft)
- KedarDome(6970m/22867ft)
and then moving on to the Gangotri-Bhagirathi group of peaks
Panorama created using 2 images stitched together manually. Each image an HDR with 3 different exposures.
See this image and the entire collection on a black background, visit the new CoSurvivor website.
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© 2010 Cosurvivor ~ / Rohit
McGreer Hall is named in honour of Arthur Huffman McGreer (1883–1947), Principal from 1922 to 1947. Under his leadership, the curriculum in Arts was greatly strengthened, teaching in experimental science was initiated, enrolment was doubled and financial stability and academic autonomy achieved. The original central five bays of the Hall were constructed in 1846, and the Lodge at the west end was added in 1847 as the residence of the first Principal. Following the fire of 1876 which gutted the central block, the Hall was rebuilt with improved facilities, and in 1898, thanks to a fund established in memory of Robert Hamilton, it became possible to extend the third floor from the Lodge to the ante-chapel and to add the central tower. In 1908 the Lodge was converted to student and faculty use and in 1909 the Library wing was added.[...Wikipedia