National Geographic:

On October 30, 2008, “Snowstorm Leopard” was named best overall photo in the 2008 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, which is organized by the Natural History of London and BBC Wildlife Magazine.

“This is the hardest story I have ever done because of the altitude and the steepness of the mountains,” the U.S. photographer told National Geographic. “At night it was 30 below zero [Fahrenheit].”

Over ten months Winter’s 14 “camera traps” shot more than 30,000 frames in pursuit of the endangered cat.

A new site I’m reading a lot, WorldChanging.com.

Worldchanging is a solutions-based online magazine that works from a simple premise: that the tools, models and ideas for building a better future lie all around us. That plenty of people are working on tools for change, but the fields in which they work remain unconnected. That the motive, means and opportunity for profound positive change are already present. That another world is not just possible, it’s here. We only need to put the pieces together.

(via No Impact Man)

Incredible. 

The world’s first commercial wave farm went live at the end of September in Agucadoura, located off the coast of northern Portugal. Designed by Pelamis Wave Power, the farm employs three Wave Energy Converters - snakelike, semi-submerged devices that generate electricity with hydraulic rams driven by waves. This first phase of the new renewable energy farm is rated at 2.25 MW with 3 machines, and the the second phase will add an additional 25 machines to bring the capacity to 21 MW – enough to power 15,000 homes!

(via Inhabitat)

National Geographic News:

Rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have overtaken the headquarters of a park that is home to most of the world’s last mountain gorillas.

The Sunday takeover by former Congolese army general Laurent Nkunda and his troops forced more than 50 rangers in Virunga National Park to escape into the forest.

Africa’s oldest national park, Virunga made headlines in 2007 as the site of several gorilla murders.

Earlier this summer, my sister Stephanie launched a new blogsite dedicated to gluten-free cooking and recipes. Her recipes use only organic ingredients and gluten free by nature is now a blossoming destination for people searching for healthy and gluten-free eating.

I’m very proud to share that she has just launched a brand-new version of her successful website featuring a new design, fresh navigation, new sections, and even a shop. Stop on by at glutenfreebynature.com, and let her know what you think of the new digs.