Portugal

What is presumed to have been the last Portuguese lynx was seen at the beginning of the 1990s in the Monchique uplands. It was probably shot by hunters. But the species had already been driven to the verge of extinction. The population of wild rabbits, on which the lynx fed almost exclusively, shrank owing to a viral epidemic and to hunting. The lynx gradually starved. The greatest enemy of the Iberian lynx, however, continues to be human beings and their favourite toy, the car. Against this backdrop, we have become more modest and celebrate the anniversary with humility. Exactly ten …

Ecolã is a micro-business that has been owned by the Clara family in Manteigas for three generations. In “burel” – a Portuguese artisan fabric of local origin made wholly from wool – they found the basis for their success. For years, it was used for shepherd’s coats, for the costumes of the confraternities and religious orders. Despite retaining its original rustic character, this fabric is used today to make new, contemporary items. And over the last 20 years, there has been increasing demand for it abroad. What’s more, it is made using an entirely artisan and ecological process, using no …

Even though seaweed has featured in people’s diets in Europe in some way or another owing to the fact that there is a lot of it in the Atlantic Ocean, this product has not been a normal component of the Portuguese diet. However, in recent years, this superfood has been becoming more common on our tables. This change is not just a consequence of cultural globalisation and the speed of information, it also comes from people’s growing concern about their diet, and consequently about their health. Seaweed has a number of known benefits, such as its great nutritional value, specifically …

The vision of www.redeconvergir.net is to have a platform that maps sustainable and inspiring projects so that the network members can cooperate, enhance synergies, and contribute to a balanced society and a human life in harmony with the surroundings. The aim is to link projects in their activities and to promote reflection and awareness on the role of every human being in stimulating a critical, constructive, active and emancipated society. The idea of starting Rede CONVERGIR emerged in 2011 when a group of people gathered at the “Ecovillage and Sustainable Living” conference in Portugal. The group realized that there were …

It is quiet and quite fast. And let’s be clear from the outset: it does 160 km/h. I swung myself inside and simply drove off, but not before listening to a long list of worries from the anxious patentee. The vehicle only had third party and no comprehensive insurance. I should be sure to drive carefully. It was a disguised prototype and in Monchique the farmers with their tractors were … and so on and so forth. I pulled down my scissor door and it fell into the lock with a solid clunk. Turned the key. Humming quietly, the spaceship …

Mr. Mark Smith has made an adventurous hobby into his profession. From Marylebone Station to Buckinghamshire to the north-west of London, where he lives with his wife Nicolette, their two children Nathaniel (8) and Katelijn (6), and their cat Phoenix, his Chiltern Railways train takes up to 90 minutes to cover 60 km. Mark himself once worked for British Rail, today he gives all travellers information about all railway routes worldwide. You want to travel by train from Portugal to England, or from Lisbon to Moscow, Vladivostok, Beijing or Calcutta? No problem. Mark Smith tells all adventurers via which routes …

Desertification and depopulation have been emphasized through all of the country´s interior during the last decades: a scenario that has been getting worse with the times. ECO123 spoke with Alberto Espírito Santo Fernandes. He is a member of the National Fight against Desertification Comission (CNCD) since 2004 and is responsible for the Regional Center against Desertification in the Algarve. The 61 year-old engineer relies on a broad experience in this area after, around 40 years ago, more precisely in 1976, having been the first technician placed in what was the first Natural Reservation created in continental Portugal – the Reserva …

I’ll start by saying that I’ve surrendered to my discovery of the Lisbon restaurant Rota das Sedas (The Silk Route). The name revives the local history, for situated in that area was the Real Fábrica das Sedas (Royal Silk Factory) until mid-century XIX, a fact that is highlighted by the various advertisement on this gastronomic corner. But for those who used to pass by Rua da Escola Politécnica almost daily for two years, 23 years ago, it is hard not to feel comfort from the new life blooming there. Decaying buildings remodelled, while still taking the original prints into consideration, …

A nicely decorated chimney has become a kind of Algarve trademark. It is a form of expression through which the people of the Algarve capture the working techniques of our forebears. The different appearances given to the chimneys, the different shapes, colours and styles, ensure that Algarve people are seen to be both tasteful and refined. The more distinctive and ostentatious the chimneys, the better. Chimneys in the shape of balloons and cones, with a grille or decorated with a series of tiles, and in a wide range of colours, attract the attention of onlookers. This sight on the rooftops …

ECO123: Are you working in Braga at present? Roberto Merrill: Yes, I came back to Portugal as a post-doctoral researcher funded by the FCT (Foundation of Science and Technology). I did research in political philosophy and two weeks ago I went to live in Braga, because I managed to arrange a miracle there: a post as a lecturer, so I’m feeling very fulfilled. How did you get involved with the unconditional basic income movement? My doctoral thesis in political philosophy was about the neutrality of the state. The topic of what it is that makes the authority of the state …