A sympathetic pitch contest of Christmas trees

Earlier this month, the Keele Christmas Tree Farm, a farm that is dedicated to the production of Christmas trees, in Staffordshire, in England, organized one of the most unusual casting contests ever seen. The aim was to launch as far and as high as possible a Christmas tree.

Each participant was given a tree with about 1.8 meters and 10 pounds that had to use in two tests: a height and throwing another pitch in distance. Each participant could perform three trials for each of the pitches. For the event were necessary 100 trees.

Although the event seems a waste of trees, the contest was for a good cause, since the aim was to raise funds for Help for Heroes, an organization that helps war veterans who were disabled, writes the BBC.

The contest was inspired by a similar competition that is organized in Germany for at least eight years, which typically occurs after the Christmas festivities. The difference is how the German competition is after Christmas, the Organization invites the participants to take the trees themselves will no longer have use.

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Dubai is selling the cheapest solar energy in the world

The race to provide the market with cheaper solar power energy is being led, at least for now, by the Dubai. This month the Dubai Electricity Water Authority (DEWA) &, the public energy company, announced the sale of solar energy for only €0,05/kWh. This is the lowest price ever per kilowatt hit by solar energy.

The explanation for a price so cheap solar energy can be the past investments made by DEWA. Earlier this year, the company opened a tender for the installation of a solar plant with a capacity of 100 megawatts, which is incorporated in the second phase of the solar Park Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Currently, this park of 40 square kilometers is home to a 23-megawatt solar plant, built in 2013. However, the goal is to reach 1,000 megawatts of capacity in 2017. In order to achieve this objective, the DEWA asked the companies operating in the solar energy sector to submit proposals for a fixed fee over 25 years, referred to the Inhabitat. Of the 24 companies that apesentaram proposals, the winner was the Acwa Power, a Saudi conglomerate, which presented a proposal to sell the energy to the lower price, the €0,05/kWh.

This value means that the solar market in the Middle East is expanding rapidly and competition and this could be the big economic bets of this region of the globe when oil, abundant still here, finish.

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The images that changed photography

It's amazing to realize how much has changed the picture in the last 20 or 30 years, but this trend was not always so fast. The early days of the eighth art, iconic images today, were public figures, Queens or inhospitable scenes of everyday life â€" a hippopotamus at the London Zoo.

Many of these photos belong to the archives of the Royal Photographic Society, at the Science Museum in Kensington (United Kingdom) and recently saw the light of day and be exposed to the public soon.

Many of them have already been published in the British press, and is this first sample of exposure that you bring here. See the photos and, below, the corresponding caption. The exhibition "Drawn by Light" derives from 2 December and until March 1, 2015.

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1. Queen Victoria of England photographed by Roger Fenton in 1856. 

2. Hippo photographed at London zoo, by Juan Carlos Maria Isidro, in 1852

3. Afghan girl photographed by Steve McCurry in 1984 â€" one of the best-known pictures ever

4. advertising Image commissioned by the u.s. Government to Nickolas Muray in 1940.

5. Christina, photographed by Colonel Mervyn O'Gorman in 1913.

6. Leicester Square, London, photographed in 1896 by Paul Martin.

7. In 1858, Henry Peach Robinson photographed a young dying â€" an image that caused great controversy

8. A photo of John Hinde of 1944, used in a propaganda war.

9. another picture of Hinde, also of 1944 and also about the war.

10. Audrey Hepburn photographed in 1950 by Angus McBean.

11. Charis Wilson photographed by Edward Weston, in 1936, in Ocean Beach, California (USA)

12. A Sepervivum Percarneum photographed in 1922 by Albert Renger-Patzsch.

13. Photo of John Linde, without any reference to a year.

14. the village of Hernandez, New Mexico, photographed in 1941 by Ansel Adams.

15. a chimney photographed in 1934 by Noel Griggs.

16.Imagem of Oscar Rejlander, 1857.

17.Fotografia of Calum Colvin of 1986.

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Obese dog lose more than 20 pounds and becomes calendar template

There was never any moment when Obie wasn't adorable and affectionate. But his health was not the best so far. About two years ago, the little dachshund five years led a lifestyle that could lead to an early death.

Initially, Obie belonged to an elderly couple with the best of intentions but who often gave him food and sweets as a way to show affection by the animal. Being elderly, the couple not practiced much the animal and with the excess food that was given, Obie came to weigh 35 pounds, more than twice the normal weight for a dog of this breed of small businesses.



Eventually, a relative of the couple realized the plight of the animal and contacted an Association of animal rescue to help in the case. Shortly before, Nora Vanatta, a veterinary technician, had knowledge of the situation of Obie and volunteered to stay with the animal. So he took the animal in August 2012, Vanatta started improving the health conditions of the little dog.

No more excess food and high-calorie, which was traded for a diet with fewer fats and high protein content, designed especially to help dogs like Obie to slim down. Progressively, the excess weight of Obie began to disappear. In the first week the animal lost three pounds, but his body was not yet ready to support the exercise.

With the passage of time and as the dog was going to lose weight, the new owner was introducing new activities for which Obie if shifted more. After six months the animal was weighing about 20 pounds, closer and closer to the ideal weight-11 lbs. But in the spring of 2013 came a new problem to Obie. As had lost so much weight, excess skin was making your new healthy lifestyle.

Then, in April 2013, Obie underwent a surgical procedure to remove excess skin. After recovering from the operation, Obie was totally unrecognizable and more playful than ever.



In total, Obie has lost more than 22 pounds in 12 months. "Obie is evolving very well and with a stable weight, between nine and ten pounds", indicates Nora Vanatta, cites the Dodo. "There's some residual fat pockets on the sides and has no muscles toned as you would expect, but is healthy overall," he adds.

To celebrate the feat of Obie, Vanatta created a calendar where each month corresponds to the evolution of the little dog. The aim is to help animals, or even people in the former situation of Obie.

Fotos: Obie Dog Journey

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American company makes popcorn with solar energy

The Bjorn Qorn is a company based in Broolkyn, United States us, which produces popcorn the way more unlikely: with solar energy. To fabricate the popcorn, the Bjorn Qorn uses mirrors giant solar reflecting the Sun's rays, concentrating them in a pot with the grains of corn. As the pot gets warmer, the corn turns into popcorn.

The company was born from the hands of two friends, Bjorn and Jamie, who met at the University of Bard. Bjorn is the son of farmers and grew up on a corn farm in Minnesota. Jamie is an inventor and advocate of solar power, writes the Inhabitat.

Years later, the two friends realized they could reconcile their talents. Bjorn provided the family's secret recipe for yummy popcorn and Jamie technology to manufacture popcorn and so was born the Bjorn Qorn.

Currently, the company sells only to shops in the area of Brooklyn and New York.

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Greenpeace activists damaged the Nazca lines

The Peruvian Government accuses various environmental organization Greenpeace activists of causing "irreparable damage" in an area of 1,600 square meters of the Nazca lines, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Attorney General of Peru opened a preliminary investigation after receiving a complaint filed by the Ministry of culture of the country. The prosecution wants to now determine the identity of the Greenpeace activists who were in the area of the figure of the "Hummingbird" â€" where were caused the damage â€" inaccessible to the public.

Than the Peruvian judicial entity established now, all indications are that are involved 12 people who "incurred a crime against cultural heritage," writes the Guardian, a crime that can be punished with up to eight years in prison.

However, Greenpeace issued a communiqué apologizes "without reservation" for the activists ' action associates. "Without reserve, Greenpeace apologises to the people of Peru for the offense caused by the recent activity that left a message of hope in the historic site of the Nazca lines. We deeply regret the event. Instead of transmitting a request for urgency and hope the leaders who gathered at the UN Climate Summit, held in Lima, our message had a very distinct effect, perceived as disrespectful ", indicates the organization.

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Pousadas de Portugal will accept animals

The Pousadas de Portugal are going to allow access of animals to their installations. So, when you want to stay in one of the many hostels around the country won't have to give up your pet company.

The measure will enter into force on 15 December and will allow small dogs up to 15 pounds, have partial access to Hostels.

According to news the Publituris, the cost of accommodation for animals is € 25 per night and includes the provision of a complete kit consists of bed, feeders and water fountain, floor base, hygienic bags and a bag of snacks.

Initially, the measure will be in force at the Inns of Marvão, Arraiolos, Estoi, Tavira and Sagres. From January 1, the measure is extended to the Hostels of Caniçada, Guimarães, Amares, Desgravo, Serra da Estrela, Ria, aimed at, palmela, Alvito, Vila Viçosa and Alcácer.

Foto: rschnaible/Creative Commons

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