Codelco and Solarpack will build the first industrial solar plant in South America

Solarpack, the Spanish multi-national company specializing in solar photovoltaic power plant development, investment, consulting, and services, and Codelco, the largest copper producer in the world, will construct the first industrial solar electric power plant in South America.

The Calama Solar 3 project agreement specifies construction and operation of 1MW of installed power in a new solar photovoltaic power plant (equivalent to the consumption of 1,500 households). It will provide electric power to the mining company facilities in Chuquicamata, located in the north of Chile.

Constructed from cross-laminated timber panels from the first floor upwards, Stadthaus is the tallest modern timber structure in the world. The nine-storey building is the first of this height to construct load bearing walls and floor slabs as well as stair and lift cores entirely from timber. Each panel is made up of 5 layers of timber crossing each other, making a panel that could be compared to precast concrete. Doors and window openings are pre-cut into the panels during manufacturing and the panels arrive at site in lengths up to 9.0 m. The building was completed within 49 weeks.

This building is a result of the practice’s research in reducing the carbon emissions not only of the finished building but of the whole build process. Waugh Thistleton Architects estimate the wooden structure of the building will store over 186 tonnes of carbon for its lifetime. Moreover, by not using more traditional concrete building techniques, a further 125 tonnes of carbon is saved from entering the atmosphere. They anticipated carbon emissions saved from a building of this size to be the equivalent to 21 years of use.

More pictures @ Waugh Thistleton Architects

Given enough time, sea life could adapt to climate change. Sadly animals evolve far too slowly. But we can change as quickly as we choose to. Small actions can make a real difference.

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/climate/

Endangered natural reserves in Chile: Damas y Choros, Chanaral

Chile is a coastal country, with more than 4,000 km of coastline there is no doubt about that. But it only has 5 marine reserves, which represent around 0.03%, much less than the 10% the country is supposed to preserve according to the summit at Johannesburg in 2002.

Today the marine reserve Isla Chanaral (Chanaral Island) and Isla Damas y Choros (Damas y Choros Island) and also the natural reserve Pinguino de Humboldt are endangered

Ecuador, Yasuní initiative a historic deal

The Government of Ecuador and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed this week a historic deal to leave an estimated 846 million barrels of crude oil untapped beneath Yasuní National Park, a World Biosphere Reserve since 1989, Ecuador is going to receive a trust found from donor countries in compensation for leaving the oil reserves untouched.

About Barrick, Pascua Lama-Veladero Project

Pascua Lama-Veladero is a mine project operated by the subsidiaries of the Canadian transnational company Barrick Gold, the Compañía Minera Nevada Ltda. (Chile) and Barrick Exploraciones Argentina S.A. They plan to set up a gold, silver and copper mine in a semi-desert region of the Andean Cordillera, on the Chilean-Argentinean border. This project is located on the source of the Huasco river system on the Chilean side, and of the Cura Valley, on the Argentinean side. In Argentina, the mine lies within the San Guillermo Biosphere Reserve territories in the province of San Juan. In Chile, Pascua Lama is on the southern border of the Atacama Desert, one of driest in the world, and intrudes into ancestral Diaguita indigenous territory.

Nigeria Oil Spill

Meanwhile at the other side of the planet in Nigeria, the oil spills are an everyday problem that doesn’t reach international media so often.

The Nigerian governement has estimated around 7000 oil spills between 1970 and 2000, more than 200 spills per year, which amounts to the same quantity as the Exon Valdez each year. Some environmentalists believe the Niger Delta is the most polluted ecosystem in the world.

Nigeria is the largest producer of oil in Africa, and the fifth exporter to the USA.

Chile, transgenic shame!!!

After the earthquake, in the middle of the worldcup, behind everybody’s back, the chilean parliament is trying to approve a law that would allow companies like Monsanto and Syngenta to freely sell their transgenic seeds, moreover giving them the power to ‘call the cops’ if someone is growing ‘natural’ seeds. Thus virtually transforming permaculture and organic farmers in outlaws. 

Bonnaroo, a Green Festival

Bonnaroo is a Music and Arts Festival which is annually held at a farm in Manchester, Tennessee. This year the festival will take place between June 11 th and 14 th.

Some artists that are going to be at Bonnaroo this year are: Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Conan O’Brien, Tenacious D. Weezer The Flaming Lips performing Dark Side of the Moon featuring Stardeath and White Dwarfs, Regina Spektor… and the list goes on and on.

HidroAysen demonstration & Government corruption?

This picture is from another demonstration protecting the Geyser at El Tatio, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. 

Enersis CEO, Pablo Yrarrazaval made a donation of US $10 million to the Chilean Government to help with the reconstruction of the country affected by the earthquake. After this Yrarrazabal asked the government to look for an “equilibrium” (according to him, there where to many exigencies for the approval of the HidroAysen Project).