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Want to make your world a greener place? Let Us Build Aquaponics In Our Garden The number of people who take care to enquire where and how their food is produced is growing steadily. More and more people want a guarantee that their foodstuffs, whether vegetables, salads or fish, are produced locally, in an ecologically impeccable manner, and in harmony with nature. Fruit and vegetables produced oneself or grown in the region, ok; but fresh fish too? Aquaponics = Hydroculture + aquaculture. The number of people who take care to enquire where and how their food is produced is growing …

People who supply weapons, sow the seeds of war. Those who sow war will reap refugees. But those who supply clothing, sow charity. The volunteer helpers from Aljezur and Lagos sent a shipping container full of clothing and other household goods by road from Lagos to Setúbal, and then from there by ship to Piraeus. The transport costs of around 1,400 euros were covered by donations to the Portuguese Red Cross in Lagos. The Greek logistics company Arkas Hellas S.A. is not charging anything for the final leg from Piraeus to Lesbos. In the container are 270 boxes of non-perishable …

Around 80 participants from 20 countries came to the international conference on solar cooking “Consolfood 2016” at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Algarve (ISE). They were warmly welcomed by Professor Celestino Ruivo (photo) and his team. During the two-day meeting, new technologies were presented and knowledge exchanged from different fields. Solar fruit driers for figs, plums, mangoes, for foodstuffs such as spirulina, tomatoes and beans – the different techniques and construction methods for solar cookers – the new solar refrigerators – and the variety of recipes and preparation methods for solar cooking, were the focus of the …

The Algarve Way is a long distance footpath that a good walker can finish in fourteen days. The route is not especially challenging but that does not mean it does not need treating with respect. We are trekking from the Spanish border all the way over to the Cape Saint Vincent – a unique crossing of Portugal running some 328 kilometres in length. We do need to be in relatively good physical shape. Furthermore, it does make sense to wear the right kind of footwear and carry only the essential. In our backpacks, there is only the minimum needed making …

Local solutions for global problems By definition, an eco-village can be a traditional village community, part of a city, or a living community founded for this purpose. An eco-village in Europe or North America mostly comes into being because its inhabitants want to live healthier or more community-based lives. In the global south, in contrast, it is often a matter of survival: food autonomy, protection and survival in conflict regions, or about escaping poverty. In the process, worldwide cooperation through sustainability strategies has developed. We invite you on a journey to several different parts of the world. Auroville, India – …

The “Festival of Bird Watching and Nature Activities” will be held in Sagres from 1st to 4th October. This event, which earned Vila do Bispo the award of “Municipality of the Year”, takes place at the peak of autumn migration, when migratory birds leave our shores and head for the warmer climes of Africa. This initiative has a varied programme with some 200 activities planned that are connected with nature, with a special focus on birds. Indeed, during the four days of the festival, participants can enjoy nature interpretation outings into the countryside, boats trips, thematic mini-courses, workshops for children, …

48-year-old “solar chef” Celestino Ruivo is a lecturer at the Higher Institute of Engineering of the University of Algarve, and he started using solar ovens in July 2006. His interest in solar ovens developed after he attended an international conference on solar cooking in Granada. Celestino Ruivo says that he “brought back a solar oven made of cardboard, called a solar cookit, in which I started cooked rice and chickens”. He adds: “From then on, I organised several activities spreading the word about solar cooking”. Solar ovens can cook just like a stove, or gas or electric ovens. The main …

A system inspired by natural ecosystems – permaculture – has been attracting the attention of a number of people who wish to create a sustainable form of life in order to produce their own food. Eco123 went to see one of these projects located in Monchique that is registered with the Rede Convergir network. The project ‘Terra do Milho’ (Land of Maize) was created by Monique Volkers, aged 52, and her husband, Tom Stobbelar, aged 59, who have been working independently since 2010. “My parents bought a piece of land and I came to Portugal, now I am working here …

Seedrs is a new English online platform in Portugal (from London) for discovering and investing in startup companies. That platform makes it possible for people to invest as much or as little as someone like in the startups they choose through a simple, online process. Seedrs let startup businesses raise seed capital seamlessly from friends, family, members of their communities and independent investors. Two core objectives: Transform the startup world by giving entrepreneurs a platform to leverage their friends, family and existing base of supporters to collectively raise investment. These investors represent a large new pool of capital and can …

The magazine ECO123 has started a reforestation campaign in Castelão with the Parish Council of Cachopo and the basic education school “Professor Joaquim Moreira” in Martim Longo. This village is located in one of the areas in the Algarve that was badly affected by the major fires in the municipalities of Tavira and São Brás de Alportel between 18th and 22nd July 2012. It thus contributes to the awareness-raising and training campaign carried out by the teacher Sílvia Barbosa and the President of the Parish Council of Cachopo, Otília Cardeira, which primarily involved the participation of 30 1st cycle pupils. …