A month has gone since we left our footprint at the Lembus Forest with 100 saplings planted in June & 250 in July. We are planning for another tree planting event on the coming weekend, of 1st August 2009.

The Lembus forest is the most easterly part of the MAU complex and is home to a unique range plant & animal species with abundant biodiversity that is continually under threat. 12 beetle species unknown to science were recently discovered in a study.

For those who can make it, we plan to go ahead on 31st July and spend time visiting local initiatives, raising public awareness at local schools and education on how the natural resource can have substantial economic use from eco-tourism, etc. The rest of the guys can still travel on the 1st.

Our target:

• To plant 200 trees or more.
• To view progress of trees planted on the earlier tree planting sessions.
• Raise public awareness
• 1-2-1 sessions with Kenya Forest Service officials
• Have fun, learn and enjoy the environment

Location:

• Tentatively Narasha Forest within the larger Lembus forest next to the District Forest Office.
• Distance of about 700 m from Eldama Ravine town along the Ravine Eldoret road.
• Eldama Ravine is 60 kms from Nakuru town and 2 1/2 hrs drive from Nairobi.

Accommodation & Meals:

• We will pitch camp on the 1st and enjoy roast goat, drinks (BYOB), bonfire, music, etc. We have located the best campsite (a small fee will be charged to give back to the local community)
• Taidys Restaurant offers accommodation at KES 1,500/- pppd bb (very nice en-suite rooms).
• There is also Riverside hotel with fairly decent accommodation at a lower cost.
• Taidys has good food and open late. That’s where the party will be @ on the 31st.

Excursions:

• Sight seeing
• Forest hike
• Trout fishing (bring your on lines. I can also show you how to improvise one)

Weather:
The weather is generally good and actually a break from the dull Nairobi weather. If camping come with warm gear coz nights can be quite chilly and unpredictable hoar frosts do happen dipping to minus.

If you have a telescope, Eldama Ravine has a very clear and nice night view for star gazing.

Friday, Jul 31 Forecast – Cloudy with possible Thunderstorms (Max 21 Celsius – Min. 5 Celsius)
Saturday, Aug 1 Forecast – Sun and some clouds (Max 22 Celsius – Min. 4 Celsius)
Sunday, Aug 2 Forecast – Cloudy with some (Max 19 Celsius – Min. 6 Celsius)

Road:
Accessible via 2WD saloon.

The tree planting event starts at 11.00 a.m. 1^st August 2009

Kindly confirm attendance. Link http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126774281360

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Putting lime into the oceans could stop or even reverse the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere, according to proposals unveiled at a conference on climate change solutions in Manchester today.

According to its advocates, the same technique could help fix one of the most dangerous side effects of man-made CO2 emissions: rising ocean acidity.

The project, known as Cquestrate, is the brainchild of Tim Kruger, a former management consultant. “This is an idea that can not only stop the clock on carbon dioxide, it can turn it back,” he said, although he conceded that tipping large quantities of lime into the sea would currently be illegal.

The oceans are a key part of the natural carbon cycle, in which carbon dioxide is circulated between the land, seas and atmosphere. About half of the CO2 released into the air by humans each year is soaked up by the oceans. This helps slow the rate of global warming but increases ocean acidity, posing a potentially disastrous threat to marine ecosystems.

Kruger’s scheme aims to boost the ability of the oceans to absorb CO2 but to do so in a way that helps reduce rather than increase ocean acidity. This is achieved by converting limestone into lime, in a process similar to those used in the cement industry, and adding the lime to seawater.

The lime reacts with CO2 dissolved in the water, converting it into bicarbonate ions, thereby decreasing the acidity of the water and enabling the oceans to absorb more CO2 from the air, so reducing global warming.

Kruger said: “It’s essential that we reduce our emissions, but that may not be enough. We need a plan B to actually reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. We need to research such concepts now – not just the science but also the legal, ethical and governance considerations.”

Kruger’s plan was one of 20 innovative schemes proposed at the Manchester Report, a two-day search for the best ideas to tackle climate change staged by the Guardian as part of the Manchester International Festival.

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If you are attending the Rhino Charge, its not too late to RSVP on the Facebook event page,, kindly do so as the number of confirmed attendees will determine how many saplings will be made available. The District Officer has pledged to provide a sapling for each person who shows up.
DATE: 1st June 2009
TIME: 10:30 am – 01:30 pm
LOCATION: Narasha Forest right behind the district forest office at Eldama Ravine.
DIRECTIONS: At the town, turn right after the Kobil gas station (DO NOT proceed towards Maji Mazuri – Timboroa – Eldoret Rd), through the town along the Ravine – Kamwosor – Kaptagat – Eldoret Road. After the river/bridge drive about 0.7 kms from town center on your left sign board, M.E.N.R. Eldama Ravine Forest Station.

I applaud the organizing team, lead by Gerald Chelelgo, the contributions of Kipkorir Chemirmir, and last but not least, the District Forest Officer Timon Mboga.

The idea of coming together during social events to do something positive for the environment is so inspiring to me, and I hope to join Gerald for the next excursion, and to incorporate this for the forthcoming Mobile For Change event in Nairobi.

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According to an article from WIRED magazine March 27th 2009

It’s taken 10 years, but Richard Jenkins has at long last achieved his dream of setting the land speed record for a wind-powered vehicle. The British engineer climbed into the land yacht he calls the Ecotricity Greenbird and peeled off a 126.1-mph run across a California desert Thursday to take his place in the record books.

Instead of a conventional sail, Greenbird uses a rigid wing that produces thrust in much the same way an airplane wing produces lift. The vehicle is made entirely of carbon composite materials, and the only metal parts are the bearings for the wing and the wheels. Jenkins says the aerodynamic design and light weight lets Greenbird achieve vehicle speeds three to five times greater than the wind speed. An earlier prototype once hit 90 mph in a 25 mph wind…

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Brief blurb…

why high-altitude wind?

Along with solar, wind represents the only renewable source of energy that is substantially larger than the world’s current energy needs. Moreover, of all of the renewable energy technologies (wind, solar, tidal, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal), high-altitude wind has the largest energy per square foot. Capturing a small fraction of the global high-altitude wind energy flux could be sufficient to supply the current energy needs of the globe. Makani is developing high-altitude wind energy extraction technologies aimed at the most powerful wind resources.

Crossposted on Afromusing.com

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Spotted October 2008 at Moyo Lake Gift shop in Johannesburg, South Africa.

crossposted from Afromusing.com

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