Nicaragua is Ahead of the Curve: a Hydropower Destination
A whopping 33.8% of Nicaragua’s energy came from renewable resources in 2008. That is more than twice as much as China (17.8%) and well over three times as much as the United States (10%). What is Nicaragua doing that allows it to be so reliant on renewable energy? Investing in hydroelectric power. Nearly 46% of Nicaragua’s renewable energy comes from a hydroelectric turbine. Turbines like the one found on Lago Apanás are responsible for powering the small country. source Lago Apanás, or Lake Apanas, is a quick 10-minute drive from the municipal of Jinotega. The 51-square...
Read MoreThe Caribbean Goes Wild
The more we prepare for Honduras, the more delighted we become about running this trip. Check out this video clip that originally came from the BBC’s Wild Caribbean special: (source: BBCWorldWide) You can see that we’ll be staying in the perfect place for visiting the Mesoamerican reef. (The Roatán islands are above the northern Honduran...
Read MoreGoing Solar: What You Probably Didn’t Know
Solar energy- you’ve heard about it. You may have even been stopped by an environmentalist saying you should support it. If you’re really cool, maybe your own house uses it. But how much do you really know about solar energy? Plants make the process of turning light into energy look easy, but producing a solar cell is far from simple. Here’s what you need to know about solar energy. The beginning: A french physicist, Antoine-César Becquerel, first observed the effects of solar power while experimenting with an electrode in an electrolyte solution. As light graced through...
Read MoreGrowing Beyond Rice and Beans
In off-the-grid Nicaraguan villages, lack of infrastructure has it’s consequences. Labeled as “food deserts,” families have little to no access to certain food essentials that most of us take for granted. Almost all of the farm land in these areas is used for subsistence farming: staple crops like corn and beans. The crop from these staples is one of the only food sources the community has. While corn and beans can fill tummies, a diet based on only a few ingredients leaves gapping holes in the nutritional intake of growing children. These holes are widened further in the...
Read MoreSecrets from Copán: Unsolved Mystery of the Collapse
After studying the Mayan ruins of Copán for three decades, William Fash, and archeologist from Harvard University, is still trying to figure out one thing: how did such a powerful dynasty fall? The sudden drop off in construction of new temples leaves archeologists wondering: Did the entire city collapse suddenly? Or was the decline slow and gradual, the lack of new buildings simply evidence of economic turmoil? Each major Mayan city seems to have it’s own story, but determining the exact reason for their fatal end has proven to be almost impossible. Signs of malnutrition and the...
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