Cerdeira Village

 

Samhain

O Samhain (pronuncia-se “souen” e significa o “fim do verão”) era um festival no qual os celtas celebravam o final das colheitas, dando as boas-vindas ao Inverno e tempos difíceis que se avizinhavam.

 Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival which has been commemorated by some Pagans (in the Northern Hemisphere at least) since around the time Stonehenge was constructed. It’s celebrated between sunrise on 31st October until sunset on 1st November, and it’s thought that the holiday of ‘Halloween’, as we know it today, derives from this festival.

 

The start of darker days

Samhain, meaning ‘summer’s end’ is a time to celebrate the dead; it’s a time when the land of the living can most easily interact with the land of the dead. The festival marks the beginning of winter and the ‘darker half’ of the year, but it also heralds the start of the old Celtic new year. Samhain is traditionally a time for regeneration and reflection. Today, some Pagans still practice ways of marking the event, but how did our ancient ancestors do it?

 

Fire and ritual

Traditional rituals focused around the fire. Hearths in the family home were kept lit while the harvest was gathered, and left to die down and to eventually go out. The hearth was important as it was the heart of the home, it was a place where the family would gather, the source of warmth, and also, like today, where the cooking was done. If the hearth fire was put out by hand, it was believed it would anger the gods, and so it was left to dwindle – the dying fire perhaps symbolising the final passing moments of the year.

 

The fire was only relit after the harvest and the start of the old Celtic new year. The community, alongside Druid priests, would gather to create a sacred bonfire to honour the dead, using a wooden wheel to spark the fire. It was from this fire that a flame was taken back to each home to relight the hearth. The wheel is an important symbol in Pagan religion as it represents the sun and its associated qualities of daylight, warmth and hope. The Pagan year is also divided in a ‘wheel of the year’, marking out the annual cycle of solar festivals such as Samhain, Ostara (the Spring Equinox) and Litha (Summer Solstice).

 

Festivals and feasts

Along with the ritual element, Samhain would also have been a time to celebrate. People from the community would have brought harvest food for a great feast, and some would even wear costumes made from animal skins or heads. The offering of cattle bones onto the bonfire would also have played a key part in proceedings, and in fact the name ‘bonfire’ derives from this ‘bone fire’.

 

Amidst all the festivities there was a darker side, however, and there could be a price to pay if you didn’t make an offering or take part in proceedings. The deities associated with the festival would be very cross indeed, and their punishment? It could be illness or even death. You really had to keep the gods onside or suffer as a result.

 

Samhain today

Samhain is still observed by some Pagans today, though these days the celebrations are a little more private. Feasting still plays an important part in observing the festival, along with private prayer and small ceremonies in the home. Apple-bobbing might form part of festivities, and small bonfires may be lit. Time is also spent outdoors appreciating nature, and altars to the ancestors are set up.

 

Remembrance of the dead remains the focus throughout. At its core, Samhain is a chance to reconnect with passed loved ones and celebrate their lives. Although the modern, more commercialised version of ‘Halloween’ now dominates the date today, it’s important for us to reflect on its spiritual origins, to pause, and offer a moment’s reverence.

 

 Celtic Samhain

 

Celtic Samhain simply means the ‘end of summer for the Celts in Ireland’. It was not and could not be celebrated on a catholick calendar because Samhain existed thousands of years before the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great created the catholick (universal) church to instill spiritual fear into his subjects in 325ad.

 

Samhain fue la festividad más importante del mundo Celta en Europa, en un principio, se celebraba entre el 5 y el 7 de noviembre que correspondía a la mitad entre el equinoccio de otoño y el solsticio de invierno. Más tarde, fue el papa Gregorio III (741) quien pasó la fiesta al 1 de noviembre, absorbiendo de esta manera la festividad pagana (ya que hasta entonces el mundo cristiano celebraba el día de Todos los santos el 13 de mayo)

 

 Links:

https://www.stneotsmuseum.org.uk/articles/samhain-the-precursor-to-halloween/

 https://www.celticdruidtemple.com/blog/celtic-samhain-or-catholick-helloween

 https://www.socdelmontseny.cat/samhain-noche-de-difuntos/

 

https://www.cerdeirahomeforcreativity.com/samhain

 

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New Report - Wildlife Populations Have Dropped 69% Since 1970

 

“Today we face the double, interlinked emergencies of human-induced climate change and the loss of biodiversity, threatening the well-being of current and future generations.”

 

So begins the executive summary of the Living Planet Report 2022. Released every two years by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the study examines global biodiversity and the health of the planet. The latest report reveals an average 69% drop in world vertebrate species in less than 50 years.

 

Links:

https://livingplanet.panda.org/pt-PT/

https://livingplanet.panda.org/en-US/ 

 

The report considers nearly 32,000 populations of 5,230 species from the Living Planet Index (LPI). Provided by the Zoological Society of London, the index tracks trends in species abundance around the world. This year’s report includes data on more than 838 new species and 11,000 new populations since the last report was released in 2020.

 

In addition to putting numbers to species declines, the report shows the threats behind those drops, how these statistics relate to planetary health, and offers possible solutions.

 

The report details the connection between climate change and biodiversity loss and focuses on some species that have plummeted, as well as some that have rebounded.

 

For example:

 

There was an estimated 80% plunge in the population of eastern lowland gorillas in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo between 1994 and 2019. The main threat to the species, also known as Grauer’s gorilla, is hunting.

 

Hunting was one of the main causes of the 64% decline in Australian sea lion pups in South and Western Australia between 1977 and 2019. The pups are also often caught in fishing gear and die from diseases.

 

But there have been some promising discoveries with species that have been recovering.

 

The population of loggerhead turtle nests grew by 500% on the coast of Chrysochou Bay in Cyprus from 1999 to 2015. Credit conservation efforts that include relocating nests and using cages to protect others from predators.

 

Conservation measures have also helped mountain gorillas. In the Virunga Mountains along the northern border of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda, populations of mountain gorillas increased to 604 animals, up from 480 gorillas in 2010.

 

Rebecca Shaw, WWF's chief scientist, spoke to Treehugger about the highlights and lowlight of the report.

 

(…)

 

Why is this report important?

 

This report is an indicator of overall ecosystem health from the lens of biodiversity, the web of life that supplies the clean air, water, and soil we all rely on. These findings are a red flag that warns of a larger systems failure on the horizon. Even one species population decline can affect other species, eventually impacting an ecosystem’s ability to function. While some fluctuation in population sizes is natural, the current trends are severe enough to threaten many life-sustaining systems. Humans depend on a stable climate, predictable precipitation patterns, and productive farmland and fisheries to thrive. Our planet needs us to take action now so that it can continue to support future generations.

 

Links:

https://www.treehugger.com/wildlife-populations-dropped-69-finds-wwf-report-6747779 

https://livingplanet.panda.org/en-US/ 

https://livingplanet.panda.org/pt-PT/

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The Green Energy Scandal Exposed

 The Green Energy Scandal Exposed

The BBC's Joe Crowley and Tim Robinson investigate the British company that makes and burns wood pellets for electricity

 

Link:

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/science-environment-63123774

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Now Available: VAQUEIRINHO T-shirts !

 

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Portugal: Accelerate rights-based climate and environmental action, says UN expert

 

27 September 2022

 

LISBON/GENEVA (27 September 2022) -- Portugal’s global leadership in recognising the human right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment needs to be matched by urgent, accelerated actions to address the climate emergency, a UN expert said today.

 

“This year Portugal has endured more than 1,000 deaths related to heatwaves, lost 110,000 hectares of forest to wildfires, and suffered a severe drought affecting the entire nation, with enormous impacts on human rights, including the right to a healthy environment,” David Boyd, the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, said after a nine-day visit to the country.

 

In his end-of-mission statement, Boyd issued recommendations on a series of issues, including Portugal’s legal framework for human rights and the environment, the climate crisis, air pollution, the rights of children, solid waste management and the transition to a green economy.

 

“Portugal has a very strong legal framework for protecting human rights and the environment, from the pioneering provisions in the 1976 Constitution (Article 66) to the new Basic Law on Climate”, the UN expert said. Further, key actions have been taken, such as closing the last coal-fired power plants, achieving 99 per cent access to safe drinking water and creating an Environmental Fund with a 2022 budget of more than €1.1 billion.

 

“However, Portugal needs to raise its level of ambition and most importantly increase the pace of implementation in addressing key human rights concerns such as air pollution and waste management, applying a rights-based approach to all climate and environmental action,” Boyd said.

 

Portugal has huge solar potential but only ranks 13th in the EU in generating electricity from sunlight. Wind energy production has only grown two per cent annually in Portugal since 2012, compared to more than 20 per cent annually for the world. Recycling rates have failed to reach EU targets, air pollution in urban areas ­-- mainly from traffic -- exceeds healthy levels, and many low-income Portuguese still live in buildings that are not energy efficient.

 

To prevent wildfires and protect the population, more sustainable landscape management is urgently needed such as replacing the coverage of non-native species like eucalyptus with native species that are more fire resistant -- oak, cork and chestnut -- and replacing large monocultures with diverse mosaics of farms, pastures and forests.

 

Actions to advance the transition to a green economy, from large renewable energy projects to proposed lithium mines, must not proceed unless they meet the highest environmental standards, maximize public benefits, and respect human rights.

 

The Special Rapporteur noted that Portuguese youth are among the most concerned and outspoken in the world about the climate crisis. “To fulfil their rights, the government must give them a seat at the table, listen to their concerns and act upon their recommendations.”

 

During his visit, Boyd met with Government officials from national and local governments, representatives of civil society, business, academia, youth, UN agencies and other experts. He had field visits to Porto, Covilhã, Serra da Estrela, Boticas, Covas do Barroso and Reserva Natural das Dunas de São Jacinto.

 

The Special Rapporteur will present a full report to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2023.

 

ENDS

 

 

Source/Link:

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/09/portugal-accelerate-rights-based-climate-and-environmental-action-says-un

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The autumn equinox 2022

 

The autumn equinox 2022 in the northern hemisphere is on Friday 23 September. The autumn equinox marks the first day of astronomical autumn, and the precise time of the autumn equinox in 2022 will be at 3:04am BST.

 

For the two hemispheres, the equinoxes are opposite each other. When it’s the autumn equinox in the northern hemisphere, it’s the spring equinox in the southern hemisphere. For the purposes of this article, when we refer to the autumn equinox, it is from the perspective of the northern hemisphere, and we are referring to the September equinox, unless stated otherwise.

 

What exactly happens during the autumn equinox? Put simply, the autumn equinox is when the Sun crosses the celestial equator (this being an imaginary line in the sky above Earth’s equator), going from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere. It's caused by the cyclical tilt of Earth's axis, and at the equinoxes, this tilt aligns with the orbit around the Sun.

 

At the equinoxes, the Sun is exactly above the equator, and both hemispheres receive (nearly) equal amounts of sunlight. In other words, day and night are (almost) equal in both hemispheres. After the autumn equinox, we start to receive more darkness and less daylight.

 

The word ‘equinox’ derives from the Latin words aequi, meaning ‘equal’, and nox, meaning ‘night’. Taken together, 'equinox' translates as ‘equal night’.

 

The September equinox denotes the start of astronomical autumn in the northern hemisphere, and the start of spring in the southern hemisphere. From our perspective, the Sun moves to be south of the equator, in the western portion of the constellation Virgo.

Link:

https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/autumn-equinox/

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The Useless Web

 

Need a little something more entertaining? The Useless Web is a website that's somewhat similar, except that its only goal is to show you the most pointless websites that exist on the internet. Just click the big pink button to discover one, and it will automatically open in a new tab.

 

You can even submit one of your own using the link at the bottom if you want.

 

The Useless Web

 

 Link:

https://theuselessweb.com/

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Louzanskyrace - September 4th

 

Additional Info:

https://louzanskyrace.com

 

Sources:

https://www.record.pt/record-running/detalhe/louzanskyrace-regressa-este-fim-de-semana

 

https://cm-lousa.pt/louzanskyrace-toma-conta-da-serra-da-lousa/

 

Other Links about this event:

https://www.skyrunnerworldseries.com/

https://www.skyrunnerworldseries.com/races-2020-official-2/2022-skyrunner-world-series-calendar/

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Today the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species released it’s first update for 2022

 

IUCN 2022 Red List Update

Wed, 24 Aug at 14:06

Today the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species released it’s first update for 2022 and with it 2,437 new tree species assessments were published. This brings the number of tree assessment available on the IUCN Red List to 37,411 assessments.

Using information on tree assessments from both the IUCN Red List and ThreatSearch database, we can account for assessments of 79% of the world’s tree species. Our analysis also finds that at least 29% of all tree species are threatened with extinction globally.

In this update many more tree assessments for each region have been published. With several countries (Australia, Gabon, Mexico, Panama, Papua New Guinea, and Venezuela) having more than 50 assessments published in 2022. In addition, advances were made for assessments in Colombia, Indochina, Nicaragua, and Southern Africa. Taxonomically 153 assessments in the families Lamiaceae and Lauraceae were assessed and 76 species of Annonaceae tree, along with smaller contributions from other taxonomic groups.
 
Following the release of the State of the World’s Trees in September 2021, the Global Tree Assessment is now in it’s second phase focusing on publishing assessments from Threat Search and the National Red List on the IUCN Red List and updating assessments for trees published before 2010. This follows the IUCN Guidelines which recommend updating assessments for a species every 5-10 years. In this update we begin to see more reassessments of species completed in 1998.

Source:
https://www.bgci.org/news-events/iucn-2022-red-list-update/
 

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Wildfires: A climatologist explains what you need to know

Wildfires are unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable. Here's what you need to know.

Image 1

 Wildfires have occurred on our planet ever since terrestrial plants started appearing over 400 million years ago, in the period of Earth’s history known as the Silurian.

 

While certain regions are well known for them, such as Australia, Greece, the Amazon and the western USA, they actually take place on most areas of land around the globe. Wildfires can even occur in some of the most unexpected places, such as the Arctic Circle, where so-called ‘zombie fires’ can burn peat and permafrost under the ice, persisting throughout the cold seasons.

 

The more well-known events, such as the devastating fires in Turkey last summer, are generally associated with the fast burning of large areas of forests. These can be clearly seen as smoke plumes from a distance, and are even visible from space.

Image 2

 

Wildfires can wreak havoc on everything in their path, be it humans, animals or buildings. In some parts of the world, the loss in biodiversity can be catastrophic. But in other cases, the natural occurrence of wildfires is so ingrained that some species have evolved to work with it. For example, some plants’ seeds require exposure to fire in order to sprout.

 

What are the conditions for a wildfire to start?

 

Wildfires start when the vegetation is ignited, with drier vegetation making this process much easier. The ignition can be either human-caused (from barbecues, arson, or discarded cigarettes) or natural (from lightning strikes or volcanic eruptions, for example). A lot of fires are caused by humans, which is why many countries have laws on what months people are allowed to have a barbecue, even on their own property.

 

These things on their own are not normally enough to allow the fire to spread. The moisture accumulation over the preceding months, especially in soils, can help prevent spread. Likewise, the current humidity, or whether or not it is raining, is also critical. In some countries where wildfires spread rapidly, it is the wind that is doing the real damage – fuelling the fire with replenished oxygen, pushing the flames to adjacent vegetation, and spreading burning embers far and wide.

 

Forest fires can sometimes reach speeds of up to 11km/h, with smoke being particularly disorientating for anything in the vicinity of the fire.

Image 3

 

Is climate change the biggest factor to changes in wildfires?

 

Despite climate change leading to an increased risk of wildfires, satellite data from the 1990s onwards has actually shown that the global area burnt from wildfires has gone down. A large part of this decrease is due to forested areas being converted to farmland. It is therefore known that societal interventions are at least as important for wildfires as climate change is, but for many regions around the world, the interplay between each factor is not clear.

 

For some particularly well-studied hotspots, such as western North America, there is strong evidence that supports climate change as the dominant driver of the increases in burnt land. But for most other regions around the globe, this is not the case, and it is believed that natural climate cycles, deforestation, fire suppression and agricultural burning can play a more dominant role.

 

The human interventions here can be particularly important if the right policies are in place, and the more that climate change leads to increases in wildfires, the more we will need these societal interventions to combat that.

Image 4

 

Are fires changing due to climate change?

Given the different weather types that influence fire risk, the links with climate change are complex. For many active wildfire regions around the world, fire risk is projected to increase, mainly driven by elevated temperatures, but also from decreasing humidity. This combination is ideal for drying out vegetation, creating the perfect fuel for the fires.

 

Wildfires tend to occur in summer, where temperatures are highest, but what goes on in the earlier seasons can also be important. The amount of vegetation, or fuel, is also critical, and we expect this to increase for many parts of the world, as atmospheric carbon dioxide makes plant photosynthesis (and therefore growth) more efficient.

Image 5

 

Even today, and all else being equal, it is believed that climate change could be doubling the land that is being burned from wildfires. On around a quarter of vegetated land, the wildfire season has also increased, due to a combination of increasing droughts and raised temperatures.

 

When trees burn, they release their stored carbon into the atmosphere, and this can cause up to a third of ecosystem carbon emissions. This is a vicious negative feedback cycle, whereby climate change is causing more wildfires, which in turn leads to more climate change.

 

Source:

https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/wildfires/

 

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