Environmental Graffiti

Image by Landfeldt

It’s Audrey II, from the Little Shop of Horrors, down under! This smiley creature was snapped in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. A member of the giant clam family Tridacna gigas, the bivalve mollusc can reach up to 1.2 meters across and 200 kgs (440 lbs) and if left to flourish can live up to 100 years. This great shot captures an unusual, almost human-like grin – most clams have undulating lips so these straight lips are extraordinary.

We hope you’re enjoyed all the images and articles of the various environmental curiosities we’ve published over the past year. We wouldn’t be anything without our readers though, so would like to thank each and every one of you for logging on and spending time on the site.

All is left for us to say now, is Happy New Year! See you in 2009!

From

The Environmental Graffiti team x

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All images by Aly Lenon and friends – thanks guys!

Anyone who lives in a country prone to heavy snowfalls will understand the strange pull of the powdery white stuff, as if it comes with a magnetic force able to draw even the most unplayful into interacting with it. And it’s almost completely impossible to pass an untainted area of pristine snowfall without leaving a mark, whether it’s foot prints or snow angels. Others like to, er, stick their face in it…

In a recent snow fall in Seattle, while everyone else was seeking warmth and protection from the elements, Aly Lenon and his friends were getting creative. The guys just pushed their faces into the fresh fallen powder on car bonnets and with a simple point and shoot camera captured these very cool 3D snow reliefs, replete with rucksack straps and catches.

We spoke with Aly, who is still reeling from the reaction the images have received online:

“Making these prints I think represents a process that is essential to street art that I am really inspired by. I stumbled upon them by accident, leaning up against a car in the snow and letting my face fall into the new powder. I took a picture with my point and shoot camera with flash and the images just popped off the snow. My friends and spent the next hour running from car to car making prints with our bodies. The process was very on the spot and improvisational, it energized my friends, was easy to do and very fun.”

“Knowing the ephemeral nature of prints in snow make them feel very delicate and add a sense of impermanence to the photos. I have really enjoyed the internet blogosphere response to the postings and hope that everyone gets as much enjoyment out of them as they can.”

Though there are always a few who want to rain on the parade, with the usual cries of ‘fake’ and ‘’shopped’, it won’t hold others back from trying out their own snow sculptures when the fresh snow falls again.

We can feel a whole new reverse snow graffiti craze coming on.

Source 2pie via Neatorama

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Photographer unkown via DRB

Not happy with being full to bursting with yuletide chocolates people will be putting their minds to the next holiday season, so it’s no wonder the Easter Bunny is trying to steal some trade secrets. Only Father Christmas seems to have caught him in the act and sent his furry behind flying (or should that be flurry?)… into a tree.

We’re not sure who the talented photographer is but hope they own up to the image. It certainly gave us a giggle over the holidays. And thanks to Dark Roasted Blend for bringing it to our attention. Only one week to go before stores are laden with chocolate bunnies and Easter eggs. Probably. Happy holidays!

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If you were in Madrid, Spain just before Christmas you may have noticed some very odd looking street lamps. As part of the Luz Interruptus (Red) Project, 26 street lights on Calle del Pez were subjected to guerrilla street art tactics.

Spanish designers LuzInterruptus set up a temporary lighting installation using domestic square, frilly lampshades, which they taped to the existing lights, producing a more intimate feel on the public street.

The total outlay for the project was reported to be 180 euros, took three hours to install and ran for seven hours. The images, taken by Gustavo Sanabria, are really successful in portraying the desired effect – a sensual ambience – and work well with the graffiti in the background. They seem to make what could be a scary street at night quite attractive.

Many of Madrid’s art galleries are in and around Calle del Pez, but the street was once more connected to fish than art. Calle del Pez literally means Fish Street.

Many moons ago the street had several ponds filled with fish but the King at the time, Felipe II, dedicated the space for new construction. Over time, as houses were erected the fish and their ponds disappeared. Soon there was only one fish left, which was rescued by one of the residents, Juan Coronel. He gave it to his young daughter, who had loved watching the fish, but the fish eventually died too and his daughter was inconsolable. So Mr Coronel made a plaque of a fish in remembrance and fixed it outside their house. The street soon came to be known as the street with the fish, and so the name stayed.

The Coronel’s original family house is no longer standing but the new building built in its place also has a fish plaque hanging outside.

Source 1, 2, 3, 4

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All images by Free Spirit Spheres

If hobbits lived in the sky, this is probably where they would live – in wooden forest cocoons! Ideal for meditation, relaxation or a quick forest getaway, Free Spirit Spheres in Vancouver Island, Canada has capitalized on our need to burrow – among the tree tops. The wooden or fibreglass spheres are suspended between the trees and can be rented for the night or bought for home use. They not only look amazing but are also fairly luxurious inside.

The idea for the spheres was born from inventor Tom Chudleigh’s need for a permanent space to meditate. He was also searching for a concept that would allow people to move into the forest without having to take it down first by chopping trees to make room for houses. Free Spirit Spheres have been in the news on and off since June 2005, when Chudleigh had two wooden prototypes ready and set up. Since then, he has added fibreglass spheres and individual frames, windows, stairs, etc. to his product list for anyone who wants to build their own sphere.

If the sphere’s interiors seem familiar, that’s no coincidence as Chudleigh borrowed heavily from sailboat construction and rigging practice. Each sphere starts with a wooden framework and strips of wood that get attached to the frame to form the walls, which are then sanded down. The door and the windows are cut out next. Then, work on the interiors starts: wiring, insulation, laying the wooden floor, making the cabinets, the bed and seating area. Spheres are either made from local and lightweight woods like cedar and spruce or cast in a fibreglass mould.

Once assembled, the spheres have to be taken to their final destination or a shipping dock, which is usually done by car. They look quite big even on a pick-up truck; though the smaller sphere fits quite well, the bigger sphere seems to dwarf the truck.

Spirit spheres come in two sizes: 9 feet or 2.7 m (called Eve) and 10 ½ feet or 3.2 m (called Eryn) in diameter and weigh around 500 kg. The smaller sphere sleeps one person comfortably and includes a seating area, counter and cabinets. The bigger prototype sleeps three; two on a double bed (with storage drawers underneath) and one on a loft bed. It also has a seating area and a galley with a small refrigerator, sink and microwave.

Raising a sphere is done with a system of ropes and tackles and quite a bit of tree climbing. Spheres are attached by three almost vertical ropes to three separate trees, reducing movement of the sphere while allowing free movement of the trees. It takes a team of three workers a day to raise a sphere and then several more to attach the stairs and the suspension bridge. The whole setup can be dismantled and apparently vanishes without a trace.

Spheres are insulated and come with a heater, allowing them to stay comfortable for temperatures down to –20 degrees Celsius. Imagine lying on the loft bed and watching the night sky through the sky light while being swayed by a gentle breeze – cosy indeed. What greater luxury than undisturbed sleep and dreams that are bound to be excellent. And no need to go anywhere. Well, at least not until nature calls…

But then, a few steps lead down to the composting outhouse. Afterwards, all one has to worry about is whether to go back into the cosy cocoon or to take a stroll in the forest. Those inspired to own a sphere might want to go for a shell (from $6,300) or a do-it-yourself kit ($35,000) as readymade spheres do not come cheap – they start from $45,000 for a fibreglass or $150,000 for a wooden one. Or renting one for $125 and up per night for anyone making a trip to Vancouver Island might be a better alternative.

Source: 1, 2, 3

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Images by Jeremy Olden

It looks as if Jack Frost is getting brave. This icicle hanging from a house in Lake Stevens, Washington bares an uncanny resemblance to a face, could it be the infamous ice sprite’s calling card?

The eyes, nose and lips are clearly defined in this frozen spectacle, but who says if Master Frost was to appear to us that he would be in human form? After all, he is meant to be an elf or pixie of some sort.

Hailing from Viking folklore, Jack Frost is thought to be the anglified version of Jokul Frosti, meaning ‘icicle frost’. The mythical creature dances at night decorating the land with intricate ice patterns and icicles, some of which we featured recently in 10 Abstract Masterpieces of Frost.

Source Komo News via Telegraph

Human nature’s versatility is evident in their ability to survive in some of the most hospitable and remote places on Earth. What’s more is that humans don’t just survive but often flourish in these settlements, so it’s no wonder that vast, sprawling cities and bustling trading villages can be found in the world’s highest peaks and valleys.

We present seven of the highest cities on the planet, some of which have become capitals of their country, some long abandoned and left to the elements.

1. The Bolivian city of Potosí is reportedly the highest city in the world, sitting at 4,090 m (13,420 ft) above sea level. The peak of Cerro de Potosí, or Cerro Rico – Rich Mountain, dominates the city’s skyline, and towers a further 800 m above the rooftops.

Image: gianluca.nastasi

2. Sitting at 2,850 m above sea level and around 22 km from the equator is the Ecuadorian city of Quito. It is flanked either side by the Andes, and on a clear day it’s possible to see the snowcapped volcano, Cotopaxi in the distance.

Image: Whirling Phoenix

3. Close to the Tibetan border, 12,630 ft high above sea level is the small secluded town of Laya. It is one of the most remote towns in Bhutan, so remote that routes to the area are often closed or impassable over the winter months.

Image via Bhutan Abbot Tours

4. It’s hard to believe the area around the towering peaks of the Atakor Mountains are populated; the area is so dry and desolate. But even here life goes on, in a city located around 2,728 m above sea level, called Assekrem. The city lies on one of the oldest trade routes through the Sahara.

Image: Gruban

5. La Paz, also in Bolivia, is a sprawling city 3,500 m above sea level and home to just under one million people. It’s in a great position for those who want to spend some time visiting a number of sights at altitude – the old ruins of Tiahuanacu are nearby (much older than Machu Picchu), as is Lake Titicaca.

Image: Natmandu

6. The tiny Principality of Andorra is a small landlocked country nestled in the Pyrenees mountain range, between Spain and France. The whole country is no bigger than 470 sq km (181 sq m) and the highest of the peaks – Coma Pedrosa – is 2,946 m (9,665 ft) above sea level. It’s also one of Europe’s most popular ski destinations.

Image: Fran Ontanya

7. No list about cities in the clouds could be complete without the ancient city of Machu Picchu, high in the Andes. Thought to be built between 1460 and 1470 AD, the city sits at 2,430 m above sea-level and is often covered in cloud. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is popular with trekkers, some would say almost too popular.

Image: Michael McDonough

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Image: © Anup Shah, courtesy of Sony World Photography Awards 2009

A very contented looking warthog, with a few grooming maids in attendance, stares into the lens of the camera; giving photographer Anup Shah the perfect picture pose, which won him a finalist place in the Sony World Photography Awards (SWPA) 2008.

We reported recently that Environmental Graffiti is partnering with the SPWA in 2009 and have some more good news, the submission deadline for the Prince’s Rainforest Project (PRP) Award has been moved to the 28 of February (it was previously the end of December), which means you have more time to get come up with some awesome shots.

The PRP Award was created to “better understand the importance of the rainforests to the global climate and to increase awareness of The Prince’s Rainforests Project.”

In 2009, for the first time, wildlife and nature photographers will have the opportunity of putting their images forward for the PRP Award for the best environmental photographer, which is open to both professional and amateur photographers.

“The award seeks images which capture the essence of what the rainforest means to the photographer.”

David de Rothschild, environmentalist and explorer, said in his appeal for images:

“Creative expression through photography is a very powerful tool. It not only has the ability to present the facts and tell stories, but it has the capacity to give insights that can turn reflection into change. The Sony/PRP Awards are an ideal platform to harness creativity to implement change and in turn inspire, educate and engage individuals, communities and industry to take positive action for our planet.”

Image: © Anup Shah, courtesy of Sony World Photography Awards 2009

Environmental responsibility has been a significant part of the Sony ethos for many years, and the partnership between the Sony World Photography Awards and The Prince’s Rainforests Project is part of Sony’s eco programme of initiatives and programmes.

Emily Young, General Manager, Environmental Communications at Sony Europe explains:

“This partnership is all about using photography to raise awareness about the importance of climate change. Photography is the perfect way to communicate the fundamental beauty of our environment, and the importance of preserving it for future generations. We are very excited about the outcome of these awards and in aiding the category winner to document some of the major deforestation areas in the world, and to communicate its impact on overall climate change.”

We look forward to seeing your photos and will feature all winning entries here on Environmental Graffiti!

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Massive Planet in close orbit to its sun.
Image by European Space Agency and NASA

Space telescopes have catalogued a universe of previously unknown wonders and mysteries. The list still grows monthly and certainly far away planets orbiting other stars are hypnotically fascinating. Will any of these prove up as ‘Earth-like’ with an environment that could support DNA, cellular tissue, life-as-we-know-it? Astronomers now catalog 330+ exoplanets in far away solar systems with a great diversity in size and environment. But all variations on the planet theme have not been found and a recent planet discovery in the fall of 2008 proved to be the first of its kind.

One of the most fascinating groups of exoplanets are those whose size approaches that of brown dwarfs, objects that are neither planets nor stars. Giant planets often zip around their suns at high speed in orbits that are very close to their star. Astronomers have found many of these giant extrasolarplanets during the past 15 years but until this past October, there was a missing group. No planet had been found whose size was between 12X to 70X the mass of Jupiter. This gap in the data was mysterious.

Massive Extrasolar Planet that has methane and water in its atmosphere.
Image by European Space Agency and NASA

In the fall of 2008, the COROT space mission of the French Space Agency found the heaviest planet yet discovered. COROT-exo-3b packs 22X the mass of Jupiter packed into a planet only 25% larger than Jupiter. This heaviest of planets has a density that is three times that of lead! Also, COROT-exo-3b orbits its sun very rapidly and completes one circuit of its star in 4 days, 6 hours. Although in their size range, COROT-exo-3b is not a brown dwarf, those exotic objects that are neither stars nor planets. Lithium is the spectral signature of brown dwarfs and it is absent in COROT-exo-3b. Now owning well deserved notoriety, let’s hope that COROT-exo-3b soon gets a more reader friendly name.

Sources 1, 2, 3

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COROT spacecraft approaching a star field that contains brown dwarfs
Image by D Ducros/CNES

Our early science classes taught us the difference between stars and planets, the description and properties of each were clear. Now astronomers have found objects in the Milky Way that are neither planets nor stars. Not confirmed until 1995, brown dwarfs emit very little visible light because nuclear fusion reactions cannot be maintained in their interior. And they are extremely difficult to observe at any wavelength. Above 13X the mass of Jupiter, they do fuse deuterium (’heavy hydrogen’) and that serves to distinguish them from giant, super dense planets. The heaviest brown dwarfs are 65X the mass of Jupiter or heavier and they rapidly ‘burn’ lithium. Find lithium in the spectrum of a super dense ‘object’ and you’ve found a brown dwarf those ‘exotic objects that are the link between massive planets and small stars.

Another remarkable feature of brown dwarfs is their constant radius, they are all about the same diameter as Jupiter. The heaviest brown dwarfs are not larger than the smallest, massive planets, only much denser and therefore much heavier. Distinguishing them from huge planets is difficult because the diameter of all brown dwarfs is about the same. Anything more than 10X the mass of Jupiter is very unlikely to be a planet.

Brown Dwarf flare 1999, 60X Jupiter, 16 light years
Image by NASA Image Archive

The strongest spectral emission of brown dwarfs is in the infrared and that is how present day astronomers study them. Old brown dwarfs will accumulate methane in their atmosphere, a compound often taken to indicate active organic molecule kinetics. Atmospheric temperatures of brown dwarfs range from 2500K to 750K.

A world wide network of observatories that includes one atop the Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii participate in brown dwarf and exoplanet research as coordinated by the European Space Agency. There are now hundreds of confirmed brown dwarfs, the nearest of which is only 12 light years away from Earth. There are two confirmed discoveries of planets orbiting brown dwarfs and at least one brown dwarf that orbits a star that also has a Saturn size planet in orbit around it. Analysis of brown dwarf spectra suggests cool, opaque clouds patterns obscuring a hot interior that is stirred by extreme winds. Weather on a brown dwarf would be extremely violent and much worse than Jupiter’s famous storms.

Brown Dwarf and Dust Ring That Will Form Planets
Image by NASA Image Archive

The smallest brown dwarf known is 8X the mass of Jupiter and located 500 light years distant. It is surrounded by a ring of dust and gas and appears to be forming a solar system. If that is confirmed, it will be the smallest object known to have planets in orbit around it. That conclusion would be big news and force revision of current theories and models for planetary systems.

Let’s return to our solar system, where Nemesis is a brown dwarf that is predicted but not confirmed, to orbit our sun. Unless… Although lighter and less dense than typical brown dwarfs, Jupiter and Saturn have sometimes been considered stillborn stars and in some ways fit the definition of a brown dwarf. Both of these ‘giant planets’ emit more heat than they absorb. (Neptune does also.) Following this line of thought, our solar system would contain not only planets orbiting their star, but two brown dwarfs in such orbits as well. The many satellites of Jupiter and Saturn would then be called planets. Thereby re-classified, Jupiter and Saturn would be ‘brown dwarfs’ that have their own solar systems, and in turn be said to orbit a star called the ‘Sun’.

“In beauty and truth, there is multiplicity.”

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4

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