This might be the largest biomass power plant in the world that runs only and only on chicken manure. Netherlands has come up with an innovative eco-friendly method which is expected to provide renewable electricity to somewhere around 90,000 households.

With a capacity of 36.5 megawatts, the biomass plant will generate more than 270 million kWh of electricity per year. Insiders reveal that the plant is a good way to get rid of the chicken manure, which if spread over the farm land would release a massive amount of CO2 as well as methane.
In other words, the plant is more than just ‘carbon neutral’. It will use up approximately 440,000 tons of chicken manure, which is one third of the total chicken manure produced in Netherlands every year. Indeed a good way to get rid of pollution by excess of different kinds of animal manure, a problem faced by many agrarian economies.
Via enn

This is one of the best news coming out of Congo and the bloody war that has plagued the nation and its borders now for long. Africa is a continent of amazing natural resources and some very special animals which are rare and amazing. It is only stupid for the nations of the continent to engage in never ending, meaningless conflicts when the whole of Africa has greater demons to deal with- Poverty, disease and ignorance. In a positive move in all this, Congo’s government chose to withdraw more than 1,000 troops from an area in eastern Congo near Virunga National Park.

There are only about 700 mountain gorillas left in the wild, and Virunga National Park is thought to provide homes to around 72. The threat to their survival is ever-present as ten mountain gorillas were killed last year. While the rebels still take shelter in these forests, it is a giant step by the government in an attempt to demilitarize the land and protect some of the most magnificent animals of the African jungles. The rebel group, led by Nkunda, still roams these lands and its time they took a step from their side to help save the rare species.

The Congo government receives plenty of slack for lot of stuff and rightfully so, but in this case credit must go to them for thinking of the larger cause.� Hopefully common sense will prevail and the park will be demilitarized very soon so that the park staff can get back to protecting and studying the rare Mountain Gorillas.

Via Ecoworldly

We have celebrities across the world shooting animals for fun and often getting themselves in all kinds of mess for hunting animals. But Vladimir Putin is a real wise man and irrespective of what much of the West thinks about him, he comes off as a very charming and multi-talented bloke. He is one politician who has seriously impressed many across the planet with his ways over the years. He can get down and do most stuff but even for Putin you would say it is tough to tag and place a collar on a Tiger… Or so you would think.

Putin put on a cameo and embarked on a visit to the Far East, home of the rare Ussuri tiger. He participated in a hunt to track down an escaped 5-year-old female tigress after it had freed itself from a restraint. But the Tiger managed to surprise the Television crew who were playing in its home turf now and was charging to take them down. But Putin would have none of that and just like an Olympic marksman shooting for the gold he shot a perfect shot and tranquilized the Tiger.

It is not often that politicians shoot for a good cause and it is not often that it ends up pretty. But in this case Putin just went on to tag the Tiger and placed a tracking device on it. The Ussuri Tiger’s are endangered and it seems Putin just saved one of them and also a TV crew from getting severely injured. All in a day’s work for Vladimir! So, why was he not at the Beijing Games shooting for gold? I suggest you enroll for London 2012 Mr. Putin… Job Well Done.

Via Ecorazzi

WWF has found that a new fish technology is proving to save turtles while not affecting fish catches. Simply changing from the conventional J hook to circular hooks has been helpful in releasing turtles accidentally hooked. Moises Mug from WWF said that using circular hooks is the right choice as it does not even hamper the economy of artisanal fisheries.

Reports suggest that the alternate fishing method has brought about a significant trend in bycatch reduction, where marine turtle bycatch has been reduced by 89 per cent per thousand hooks. It was quite a relief to find that ninety-ive per cent of turtles caught while fishing were recovered alive and the fishing ability of the circle hook was as good as the J-shaped.
Indeed a strong example to show how conservation and industry can work hand in hand for a better and greener life.
Via enn

Believe it or not but Batman star Christian Bale credits his acting skills to the company of horses. Okay, let’s begin from the beginning. Bale grew up a vegetarian and always harboured a love for animals, right from his childhood. This means most of his pets were stray cats and dogs. And recently, Bale told the Japan Times how much he loved horses and all that he has learnt from them. In a slightly philosophical mode he said that horses are magnificent creatures and they can walk without self-consciousness, which is a great quality to learn especially for them actors. As per him, when you master a horse, remember it also masters you. The whole experience is very fulfilling. It gives a boost to your confidence. But the most important achievement is when you can mount a horse, are able to move it as well as move along with it.
But hey, let’s not forget Bale’s notoriety with the media. Well, isn’t he best known to make up stories and fabricate background info to trouble the media? The same could be the case here, and if it isn’t, let’s appreciate Bale for such an interesting insight to the animal world.
Via newsyahoo

Anti-whaling activists are facing a hard time in Japan. Apparently, the authorities are miffed with the brouhaha they have created and have released arrest warrants for three of them (two Americans and a Briton from the Sea Shepherd group), who are believed to be a part of the heated clash with Tokyo’s whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean last year.
Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said, “Physical protests will not be tolerated by the authorities, no matter what you feel about whaling.” The three activists will soon be placed on the international wanted list once the arrest warranst are obtained. They are suspected of jamming a ship’s propeller with a rope to prevent whaling.
Environmentalists the world offer are troubled over the issue of whaling as it violates the 1886 global moratorium on commercial whaling. However, the Japanese say in defence that whaling is part of their tradition and they only perform it for scientific research.
Yep, the reasons are vague!
Via enn

Sometime back we heard that actor Hayden Panettiere was issued an arrest warrant in Japan and was no longer welcome in the country. Well we heard the whole story only now and thought of sharing it with you. Actually, Hayden along with other animal rights activists had gone to the whaling town of Taiji in Japan to protest against the slaughter of dolphins. So the whole series of events.
But good news is that things were sorted for Hayden by Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura. In Hayden’s words, “I think it was an attempt to scare the protestors. But it’s okay now. The Foreign Minister was very kind and welcomed me to his country.” And now the pretty actor cannot wait to return. “Japanese culture is one of the kindest, most polite, most welcoming cultures you can ever run across,” she exclaimed happily.
Wow, quite a story that is!
Via starpulse

There is a whole group of people miffed at Gwyneth Paltrow. Apparently, at a charity party hosted by photographer Steven Klein in Hamptons where guests paid up to 2,500 dollars, Paltrow just refused to spend any time with them. The main objective of the gathering was to benefit the Amarayllis Farm Equine Rescue Organisation, a charity that even the beautiful actor supports. But even then, she chose to stay away from the entire affair. And so to the irritation of her fans, she spent most of the evening in Klein’s house which was off-limits to the paying party guests. “It was rude,” exclaimed an angry fan. Word is that even Billy Joel’s wife, Katie, was turned back.

However, there were many who found the ‘black’ theme of the evening even more offending. Everybody was asked to wear black. Klein ad a bonfire off to the side of an otherwise unlit horse riding field where guests were herded. It was a dark dark affair!

Perhaps even worse, Klein demanded that guests wear all black, and herded them into his unlit horse riding field. Later, Paltrow did emerge for about five minutes to address the group, which included Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Andrew Saffir, Nicole Miller, Sale Johnson, Russell Simmons, Rosanna Scotto, Rocco DiSpirito and Marcy Warren, and talked about Amaryllis, which helps stop the slaughter of horses, donkeys and mules for dog meat in Mexico.
Via celebwarship

Great news for the heart patients of the world. A team of Israeli scientists have worked on a miracle gel made out of the ordinary seaweed that could help save lives suffering from heart attacks. Led by Smedar Cohen, this team claims to have discovered an amazing gel which can strengthen the scar tissues of the heart when it is injected in the heart through the groin vein in liquid form. Upon contact with the scar tissue, the liquid condenses into a thick gel leading the otherwise thin tissues to be thick.

Now these thick tissues heal gradually and even function as normal tissue, thereby reducing the chances of further heart attack. Usually, heart patients suffer from weak heart tissues and an enlarged left ventricle. That is why it has to work harder for pumping blood around the body thereby multiplying the chances of further heart attacks. Tests have been conducted on animals with amazing results. 90 per cent of animals injected with the gel survived a heart attack compared to just 40 per cent who received no treatment at all. The trial on human has been initiated in Germany, Belgium and Israel, as per sources.

At present, there is no treatment of healing the scar tissues of heart. British Doctors claim that if the miracle gel can enter the market commercially by 2011, it can save as much as 20,000 lives every year.

Via� newstrack�

In current eon, every nation has to face the crisis situation of electricity shortage. To crack this hitch regimes in all states are probing pioneering energy generation prospects. It would be a real bliss, particularly in rural areas if a nation builds up techniques to produce electricity out of fritter away stuff. Lately it has been guesstimated based on a report that electricity generated via cow dung could be of enormous aid as it is capable of fulfilling approximately 3% of US electrical demand. Subsequent to this, one of the largest chicken farms in China has lately set up a chicken waste consumption plant that claims to be one-of-its-kind in the whole country.

The electricity generating poultry waste biogas plant forenamed Beijing Deqingyuan Chicken Farm is sited around 50 kilometers north of Beijing. This chicken waste utilization set up will operate on 220 tones of compost coming out from farm daily to produce electricity as well as heat. Anaerobic digesters supplied with cow’s manure would produce biogas, which would be again employed to stimulate two GE Jenbacher gas engines.

Nearly 14,600 MWH of electricity is anticipated to be produced by this set up every year and it would result in a yearly cutback of $1.2 million in energy overheads. Moreover, it is being said that it will cut down farm’s carbon emissions by 95,000 tones per annum.

I strongly believe other nations must also value this eco project as apart from providing renewable electricity source, this set up would facilitate them in creating a green emanation free environment.

Via BioEnergySite