Environmental Graffiti

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9. February 2010

Where Neon Signs Go to Die

Neon signs are so commonplace today that we hardly give them a second glance, unless they are extremely bright, huge or colourful. Neither do we reflect on how the labour-intensive, long-lasting signs are crafted and where they go after they are not needed any more. Well, what better place to look than neon sign heaven, Las Vegas. It is here also, in Vegas' Neon Museum, that old signs go to die.

8. February 2010

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The Ultimate Reason to Visit South Korea

Ever thought about taking a trip to South Korea? If so, make it in July. That’s when the otherwise sleepy seaside town of Boryeong explodes to life in a squelching, face-caked orgy of oozing grey mud and partial nudity. Don’t know about you, but we’re already booking our plane tickets. Us and the astonishing 2 million other people who flock like naughty children or mud-starved wader birds to the Boryeong Mud Festival each year. It’s all about getting down and dirty.

7. February 2010

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10 Most Incredible Abandoned Mental Asylums

Many modern psychiatric hospitals – which themselves replaced the old lunatic asylums – were closed down during the late 20th century as Britain moved away from a policy of isolating people suffering from mentally illness in secure institutions – a transition marked by the Care in the Community Act of 1980. We’ve taken an expedition to show you the ten creepiest yet most fascinating abandoned asylums in Britain.

5. February 2010

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The Tiniest Snails On Earth!

Freshly hatched baby snails are not an uncommon sight to behold, given that adult snails can lay eggs up to once a month with broods of up to 100 eggs. The difficulty lies in spotting them as these tiny, only mm-long creatures require a keen eye and a good macro lens. Luckily, quite a few photographers share our interest in snail babies and have captured the following awww-inspiring moments.

4. February 2010

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Metamorphosis of the Damselfly

It is one of nature’s most fantastic transformations and a rebirth the like of which we can but dream. Yet faced with the magic of insect metamormorphosis, dream the human mind has tried to do - while struggling to avoid slipping into a nightmare. Kafka's famous story of the same name imagined what might happen if a man underwent metamorphosis, and we suspect the creators of Alien were inspired by an emergence sequence as amazing as that of this damselfly.

3. February 2010

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Flamingos Hiding in Mumbai’s Filth

Every year, Mumbai opens its doors wide to thousands of visitors. Searching for food, they descend on the coastal areas of the city from late November to early March. Hosts of Lesser Flamingos stop by on their migration route to tank up on the algae and shrimp that the mud flats provide. The average Mumbaikar is not impressed – though everyone knows about these feathery visitors, hardly anyone bothers to pay them a visit. We did some urban exploring to find out why.

3. February 2010

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The World’s Rainforests in Pictures

Other than beauty, rainforests are invariably associated with logging, poaching and shrinking habitats. Photographer Daniel Beltrá, winner of the 2009 Prince's Rainforest Project Award at the Sony World Photography Awards, shows exactly how much there is that is worth preserving. During his three-month trip to Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, no tribe was too small, no species too obscure and no detail too ordinary not to be captured, leaving us with this stunning selection of life in three of the world's major rainforests.

3. February 2010

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Evil Fairies Massacre Insects in Mid-Air

Evil fairies fighting, torturing and even riding on the backs of swarming insects might sound like the fantastical product of an earlier age – the imagination of a young child, perhaps, or a sick Victorian mind. But such miniature scenes exist in the real world, brought to life by the creative energy and deft hand of artist Tessa Farmer. When Farmer exhibits, the fairies take over the museum – macabre hybrid creatures, sprouting insect wings, hell bent on malice and destruction.

2. February 2010

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Concrete Alchemy

Concrete alchemist Maxx Moses a.k.a. Pose 2 has little to do with medieval scientists’ quest for a formula to make gold. In today’s world threatened by climate change and extreme conditions, finding a balance between nature and our urban needs seems to be the gold we’re striving for. Pose 2 has found his own formula for turning grey, inner city spaces into art oases. Inspired by the nature around him, he uses his own blend of street style and fine arts to create livable art for and by the community.

1. February 2010

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Insurgents, War and Death: Pakistan’s Cauldron of Hell

Manipulation of Pakistan by the United States crossed a fresh threshold in the fall of 2009. Seduced by a new round of US dollars, Pakistan's military finally went after the Taliban in earnest. Terrorists were killed, two million new refugees were created, and Taliban suicide bombers were unleashed into Pakistan's cities. Welcome to the Cauldron of Hell.