FEB 26 PERU BEATS DROUGHT WITH FOG CATCHERS

FEB 26 PERU BEATS DROUGHT WITH FOG CATCHERS

If you talk to Californians today about their concerns these days, one worry is one every one's mind: THE DROUGHT. Not a drop of precipitation fell in San Francisco in January, adding more woe to a vicious three year cycle. But it's not just the Golden State with problems. In Brazil, São Paulo is currently turning off the faucets three days a week. Meanwhile, Aussies have long had water rationing as a way of life. However, one desert city is solving its water worries using nothing but air: Lima, Peru gets water from fog.

Here's how it works: Thick mesh is stretched out over a large rectangle frame made by bamboo and metal rods. At the bottom, you'll find plastic gutters which drain into a bio-filter. Finally, water is collected into giant, one thousand liter tanks. It's simple, effective and energy-efficient. Boy, does Lima need water. It's the exact opposite of the damp Amazonian rain forests which are hundreds of miles away. Peru's capital receives a mere two inches of rain a year. It is the world's second largest desert metropolis...behind Cairo.

"The water is crystalline," explains Lima resident Abel Cruz. "Just don't drink it." It's true: Fog Water is not potable. But you sure can use it for the other 95% of the city's water needs. Agriculture, cleaning, washing clothes and dishes, light industry...you name it. Free water is also liberating for the poor of Lima. Normally, they spend six soles ($2.50) for 100 liters of water. This is a large percentage of income that has been freed up for the poor.

But what impressed us most about this story here at the DUNER BLOG is the simple fact that the Peruvians are planning for the future. There are three river that flow through the sprawling capital: The Chillion, Rimac and Lurin Rivers. These are fed almost entirely from Andean tropical glaciers, which are melting at an accelerated rate. Faced with this dire reality, Peruvians looked elsewhere for answers.  They found a way to exploit the 97% air humidity that blows in from the Pacific every day.

It's not just Peru that is using this valuable resource. Around the globe, thirsty nations are turning to Fog Catchers to supplement water supply. You'll find them in South Africa, Yemen, Morocco and Guatemala. Unfortunately, they will likely never work in drought-plagued California. See, the black mesh is unsightly, and will disfigure local landscapes. They are placed near the shore, where property values are high. While Californians are thirsty, keeping up appearances is still more important!

FEB 19 FINALISTS SELECTED FOR MARS COLONY

FEB 19 FINALISTS SELECTED FOR MARS COLONY

Last week, the Mars One Project announced the names of the hundred finalists for their unique mission. One lucky winner will be the first human to walk on the Red Planet. It is quite an honor! During the 1960's Space Race, twelve Americans set foot on the moon. However, no attempts have been made since to go to other planets. Without the threat of Soviet occupation, NASA has shifted focus elsewhere. Fortunately, the private sector that has taken up the mission. Mars One, based in Holland, has big plans ahead. Let's open the mailbag!

How long does it take to get to Mars? Yuri, Kharkov. According to the Mars One website, earthlings can reach Mars in six to eight months, or about the time people currently spend on the International Space Station. See, the orbits of Earth and Mars vary wildly. But...if you time it right, you can use the "Hohmann Transfer Orbit" which shaves two months off the trip.

Who would be crazy enough to do this? Henri, Lyon. Believe it or not: Over 200,000 people signed up for the space mission. From these, a (lucky?) one hundred were announced on Friday. The candidates range in age from 19 to 60 years old. Thirty-eight are Americans. Thirty-one are European. Some are engineers and technicians, others are students and adventurists. Half are men; half are women. However, they do share one trait: They are all crazy!

Is the mission scientifically sound? Sunjay, Allahabad.  Not exactly, Sunjay. According to a report from M.I.T., the Mars One mission is "overly optimistic." Should they be able to land on the planet's surface (half of all un-manned landings have failed), their supplies would likely run out in a mere 68 days. Plans to melt Martian ice into drinking water and to plant crops in oxygen filled domes are also "not really feasible. There are just so many unknowns."

Who will finance the mission? Irwin, New Jersey. This is the most difficult question! Estimates for the initial launch in 2024 range from four to six billion dollars. Quite a daunting task for a non-profit organization. The solution? A reality TV show! The BBC, National Geographic and Discovery Channels have already shown commercial interest. It's true: The photos and bios for the candidates read like an article in People Magazine.

How do you fit 100 people in a spaceship? Chuck, Calgary. To clarify: The first voyage of Mars One will have only four people, including the next Neil Armstrong. Then, every two years, another four astronauts will blast off to Mars. A grand total of thirty-six will be fortunate to go to Mars. Hopefully, they will return, but Mars One only promises a one-way trip.

Did anyone from Berkeley win? Virginia, Oakland. Of course! Meet Yvonne Young, a workout instructor. She blames "childhood dreams and watching way too many Star Trek episodes" as her main motivation for the mission.

In summary, we here at the DUNER BLOG fully support the Mars One Mission. After all...They all laughed at Columbus when he said the world was round. Also, we are starved for a new Reality Show that doesn't involve the Kardashians or female wrestlers!

FEB 10 FATHER JUNIPERO SERRA TO BECOME A SAINT

FEB 10 FATHER JUNIPERO SERRA TO BECOME A SAINT

This September, Pope Francis will make his first official visit to the USA. When his Excellency makes it to California, he is expected to make a historic announcement: The canonization of Father Junipero Serra. Never heard of him? Well, every kid who went to Elementary School in California sure knows him. In Fourth Grade History, we were taught how the benevolent priest built a string of missions in the 1700's. As the 'Columbus of California,' he carefully placed all 21 churches one day's walk apart. NOTE: This dude walked 20 miles a day! At any rate, Father Serra is a beloved part of the Golden State's heritage.

However, not everyone is thrilled over the Pope's upcoming announcement. "During the colonial period, we lost 90% of the Indians in California," explains Ron Andrade of the LA Native American Commission. "Serra was no saint to us." It's true: The 250,000 natives living in California in 1750 perished within fifty years of Father Serra's arrival. First, cattle ruined their creeks and food supply. Then, new diseases ripped through the populations. Also gone are centuries of wisdom, culture and folklore. Finally, today we miss their secrets on how to live in the semi-arid lands of California.

While it is easy to take Ron's point of view, historians know better. As the figurehead of the colonial movement, Junipero Serra has taken the lion's share of the blame for history's unfortunate path. The truth is the native peoples who lived in California in the 1700's were horribly isolated from the outside world. They had no agriculture, no metallurgy and had no permanent homes. Sooner or later, another group...Native or European...would have moved in and annexed their territory.

As to the true nature of Father Serra, we have very few primary sources available to establish any hard facts. However, we do know of one event in San Diego that occurred in 1775. Angry Kumeyaay Natives sacked the mission and killed three Spaniards. Afterward, the Spanish Viceroy called for the immediate execution of the dozen Indians captured in the skirmish. But Father Serra disagreed: "As to the killers, let them live so that they can be saved, for that is the purpose of our coming here and its sole justification." Hmm. Doesn't sound like a tyrant to us!

Sadly, the vast majority of the famed Spaniards who came the New World do not enjoy popularity today. For example, Columbus Day is being replaced by Indigenous People's Day. In Mexico, the Sea of Cortez has been renamed the Vermilion Sea. But it is truly unfair to lump Father Serra in with these conquistadors. He was a man of peace, ignorant to micro-bacteria that was killing natives and unaware of native grass types he destroyed. Fortunately, Pope Francis understands this. See, the Pope took his name from Serra's Franciscan Order. He has great respect for Saint Junipero Serra's legacy.

FEB 6 DUBAI IS WORLD'S BUSIEST AIRPORT

FEB 6 DUBAI IS WORLD'S BUSIEST AIRPORT

The figures came in last week.  There is a new Top Dog when it comes to the world's busiest airport. Dubai International Airport logged in 70.5 million passengers in 2014. London's Heathrow...long the reigning champion in this category...serviced 68.1 million international travelers last year and is now in second place. How did Dubai do it? First: Location, Location, Location. 70% of the world's population lives within a four-hour flight away. Second: Emirates Airlines is based there. With sleek Airbus A380 SuperJumbo jets, they are now the world's fifth largest fleet. Lastly: Dubai is "in." Remember the Mission Impossible movie? Tom Cruise scaled the Burj in an unforgettable scene. Recently, Kendall Jenner and Selena Gomez partied in the exclusive nightclubs. Sorry, Las Vegas, but Dubai is hotter!

Not so fast, Dubai! There are more ways than one to measure who is #1 when it comes to the title of World's Busiest. In fact, if you measure Total Passengers, not just International Passengers, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta is numero uno. It posted 72 million total travelers last year, thus besting Dubai. Since Atlanta has tons of short flights to boring places like Charlotte and Chattanooga this accomplishment becomes a bit tainted.

Hold on, Atlanta! The number of passengers doesn't matter...but the number of planes does. Specifically, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport can boast the most total number of plane movements; a departure or landing. Using this criteria, ORD is tops with 659,401 different aircraft coming and going from this important domestic hub. Many people have never been to the city of Chicago, but have transferred between flights at the airport numerous times!

Wait a second, Chicago! There is yet another way to measure who is the busiest airport on earth. People and planes don't matter...but Cargo does. And if we measure the total tons of commercial traffic handled at one airport, Hong Kong International is the busiest. A whopping 3,214,000 tons of cargo was shipped from Lantau Island's runways last year. NOTE: This just barely bests Memphis, home to the FedEx Empire.

Boy...now everyone must be thoroughly confused. Which statistic truly measures the World's Busiest Airport? Don't worry. We here at the DUNER BLOG naturally have the answer, and it's not one of the four categories discussed above. Nope, the true measure is how much people spent on Duty-Free shopping. With $2. billion in sales, it topped Seoul's Incheon International ($1.9 billion) for the top shot. Dubai Wins!

JAN 29 OBAMA'S PRESIDENTIAL LIMO IS A BEAST

JAN 29 OBAMA'S PRESIDENTIAL LIMO IS A BEAST

Over the weekend, President Obama visited Indian President Modi in New Delhi. The occasion was Republic Day...when the world's largest democracy was born. To celebrate, finely decorated camels proudly paraded in front of Punjabi paratroopers. Barack and Michelle looked on in pure amazement. However...later in the ceremony...things were reversed. It was the people of Delhi who looked at the Obamas in pure amazement. Why? Because The Prez cruised down under India Gate in one helluva cool Cadillac Limousine. Not familiar with The Beast? Here's a quick primer..

It has its own plane. I'm sure you were already wondering... How does Obama get The Beast to India in the first place? Well, the Secret Service has a specially designed C-17 GlobeMaster aircraft. Its sole purpose is to carry Limo One anywhere President Obama travels.

It isn't a Cadillac.  Although The Beast has Escalade tail lights, trim and rims, the rest of the vehicle is pieced together from other Chevrolet models. The chassis and engine are from the Chevy Kodiak, which is mostly used for commercial dump trucks. The transmission is from a sports car. All in all, it adds up to one of the most expensive cars in the world: $1.5 million dollars each.

It has a desk.  The most powerful man in the free world needs an office...even when he is driving. Part of the interior folds down to create a four-foot long work space. It's linked directly to a military satellite through a SATCOM dome on the roof.

It is extremely well protected. Let's check on the specs on Limo One. It has five-inch thick, multi-layered bulletproof glass. The tires are Kevlar-reinforced and can never go flat. Nuclear strength foam protects the gas tank. Armor plating on the door is eight inches thick...which is twice as thick as as an airplane's exterior. Put this all together and you have ten tones of protection.

It guzzles gas. Despite having a Dura-max Diesel engine, The Beast is not fuel efficient. We're talking a paltry eight miles to the gallon! Despite this, and the extreme weight, The Beast can really fly! It can go from zero to sixty MPH in just fifteen seconds...in case Barack needs to get away really fast..

It has a sample of Barack's blood. Be careful if you're rummaging around the trunk of Limo One. Next to the oxygen tanks, shot guns, grenade launchers and tear gas containers, you'll find a red box. Inside is a sample of the President's blood. See, you never know what the evil Bio-Terrorists are planning. Like the Boy Scouts say... Be Prepared!

It has a new license plate. Last year, The Beast sported a license plate for the first time. (Not that any Highway Patrol officer would pull the Presidential Limo over!)  Nonetheless, Barack wanted to make a statement, so a Washington, DC plate was affixed. "Taxation Without Representation" is the motto on the bottom of all DC plates, which references the fact that the 700,000 residents of the nation's capital still cannot vote. NOTE: With the Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, this will not change soon!

JAN 22 ONE TREE IN GUINEA IS THE SOURCE OF EBOLA EPIDEMIC

JAN 22 ONE TREE IN GUINEA IS SOURCE OF EBOLA EPIDEMIC

One of last year's top stories was the dreaded EBOLA EPIDEMIC. Eight thousand people died worldwide. An astounding two of the deaths were in America...so naturally a media-fueled panic engulfed the nation. Media outlets whipped up a frenzy of foreboding stories and dire predictions. With the help of social media, insane rumors somehow seemed credible. Here's an example: Ebola is a Bio-Weapon unleashed by ISIS that will kill millions of Americans daily. While this is creative, it is not even close to being true.

The Ebola scare lead to many unfortunate stereotypes about the African continent in the American psyche. As the source of the deadly disease without a cure, many newscasters and politicians called for immediate suspension of all incoming flights from Africa. Andrea Tantaros of Fox News quipped: "We cannot trust people from Africa to be truthful about their activities, so they are not allowed to come here." Late night comedians took it a step further: "If Santa stops by West Africa before coming to New York.. I'm boarding my chimney up!" Ouch!

Let's fast-forward to the present. Now that the quarantines have ended, the scientists are sorting out how this horrid epidemic began. Was is a sordid cesspool of human waste in Lagos? Nope. How about rotting wildebeest carcasses in Mali? Wrong again. Thankfully, epidemiologist Fabian Leendertz has the answer. He has located the exact spot where the epidemic began. It's a Red Ironwood tree in the village of Meliandou in the nation of Guinea. Now that's precise!

Here's what happened. This tree is infested with Angolan free-tailed bats (Mops Condyluras). Naturally, the children of the nearby village love to hurl rocks at it. One kid came into contact with a bat (or as the locals call them: Mice That Fly) and contracted the Ebola virus. How does Fabian know this? He tested all possible animal carriers of the Ebola virus. This included thirteen other bat species as well as duikers (small antelope), chimps and monkeys. He then cross referenced the spread of the virus on a map and found this tree. What a cool scientist!

We here at the DUNER BLOG want Americans to get a more rational view of Africa. With more land in the tropics than any other continent, unique animal species have evolved there. Some are loved outside of Africa. For example, zebras and giraffes. These animals are imported to zoos, made into cartoon characters and inspire millions of stuffed toys. However, the Angolan Free-tailed bat...a unique species found also only in Africa...falls into the other category: A feared creature from a strange land. C'mon! You can't love the butterfly and disrespect the caterpillar. Africa is a treasure. Let's respect all her wondrous creatures!

 

JAN 14 TOP TEN BULLET TRAINS WORLDWIDE

JAN 14 TOP TEN BULLET TRAINS WORLDWIDE

Last Tuesday, California Governor Jerry Brown went to Fresno for a most important event. He attended the groundbreaking ceremonies for California's High Speed Rail Project. Soon, it will take around two hours to get from San Francisco to Los Angeles. To celebrate the first bullet train in the Western Hemisphere, we will list the TOP TEN BULLET TRAINS routes currently in operation.

#10. TGV  Paris-Marseilles. In the 1960's, France was drunk in the technology craze. Engineers designed underwater cars, hovercraft buses and high speed trains. While the first two ideas failed, the très grande vitesse (very high speed) train became a source of French pride when it opened in 1981.

#9. Afrosiyob.  Tashkent - Samarkand. When Marco Polo traveled between these two cities in the year 1265, it took weeks. Nowadays, Uzbek Rail can do the task in just over two hours. In a region deemed unsafe for air travel, this is a welcome sight. And...at just $25 for a one-way trip...it is the least expensive on the list.

#8. THSR  Taipei - Kaohsiung. When Taiwan's High Speed Rail opened in 2007, it did more than just whisk folks around an island. It also improved strained relations with Japan. A joint project with the motorcycle giant Kawasaki resulted the coolest looking trains you'll ever see!

#7. Talgo  Madrid - Barcelona. A similar story of a bullet train uniting cultures happened the next year in Spain. High speed rail means that Catalonia and Castile are now just two and a half hours apart. With seventeen El Pato (the duck) trains daily, communications between the two regions are improving.

#6. ICE  Frankfort - Cologne. Germany was slow to join the High Speed craze, but nowadays, it boast the second fastest train on earth. At 279 MPH, it takes less than an hour to link the two important cities.

#5. KTX.  Seoul - Pusan. Whoop! Whoop! Gangnam Station! From here, you can board the Korea Express. Constructed with a curious mix of public and private funding, ticket prices are fixed: Exactly half the current plane fare. The beautiful scenery becomes a blur when the top speed of 217 MPH is reached.

#4. Italo.  Rome - Milan. As everyone knows, Italians like to go fast. Hence, they invented the "Ferrari of the Rails," the Alta Velocità. It holds the record for the fastest all time rail speed of  356 MPH. There were no passengers...only terrified squirrels...as it accelerated through Emilia-Romagna.

#3. HSR.  Beijing - Shanghai. This train is the future of rail travel. Using Maglev technology, it levitates above the tracks. There are no vibrations whatsoever! This baby also achieves the top speed to legally travel on land: 302 MPH. In a nation that clearly represents the world's economic future, the HSR is the backbone.

#2. Eurostar.  London - Paris. Since Roman times, the crossing of the English Channel has been an issue. In the 1500's, Leonardo da Vinci proposed a floating bridge. Napoleon envisioned a platoon system. Then, in 1994, the world's longest undersea tunnel officially opened. It is truly a marvel showing how humans can overcome any obstacle!

#1. Shinkansen.  Tokyo - Osaka. Last year, the world's first bullet train celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 1964, Japan joined the jet age in spectacular fashion, whisking people past Mount Fuji at 275 MPH. Since then, over ten billion passengers have boarded the first and the best. However, perhaps the most impressive statistic is the average delay: Thirty-six seconds. Now that's efficiency!