In early October, the Spanish town of Terrassa, north of Barcelona, made headlines for taking an unusual step to protect its feline population. From October 1 to November 10, all adoptions and fostering of cats — particularly black ones — have been suspended. The local animal welfare service said the measure was taken “to prevent possible risk … derived from superstitions, rituals, or irresponsible uses” during the Halloween period.

The announcement, made on October 6, echoes a growing concern among animal-welfare groups in Europe and North America: that black cats face abuse, abandonment, or death around Halloween. The folklore that links them to witches and bad luck still casts a long, dangerous shadow.

According to Noel Duque, Terrassa’s councillor for animal welfare, adoption requests for black cats tend to spike each October. Some people, he told the local Diari de Terrassa, want them “for ritual purposes” or “as decoration because it’s cool.”

On his own Facebook page, Duque sits next to a ginger cat — a small sign of solidarity with the animals he’s sworn to protect.

In previous years, Spanish shelters reported disturbing incidents: cats adopted as “Halloween mascots” and later abandoned, and others used in occult ceremonies. While many of these claims are difficult to verify, the risk is real enough for Terrassa to take precautionary action. “We cannot look the other way when faced with a grim topic,” Duque said.

The stereotype of the black cat as an omen of death dates back to medieval Europe, when cats were believed to be witches’ familiars. Despite centuries of scientific progress, superstition still dictates their fate each October. Social-media trends have made matters worse: black cats are sometimes adopted as props for Halloween photo shoots, only to be discarded afterward.

Terrassa’s policy is not absolute. “Exceptions will be duly justified and assessed by the technical team of the centre, where there is a full safety guarantee and a reliable history of the applicant,” the municipal welfare office said. Regular adoption procedures will resume after November 10, though the city hasn’t ruled out making the seasonal ban permanent.

Terrassa is home to more than 9,800 cats, according to municipal data — a population that lives quietly among its 220,000 residents. The temporary ban forces the town, and perhaps the rest of us, to confront a deeper contradiction. How can a culture that loves animals and fills social media with cat memes still tolerate cruelty in the name of tradition or aesthetics?

Halloween began as Samhain, the Celtic festival marking the boundary between life and death — a time to honor ancestors, not harm the living. Terrassa’s decision reminds us that compassion, not superstition, should guide how we celebrate.

So when the candles flicker this Halloween and black cats cross your path, consider it not a curse but a challenge — to outgrow our ghosts and protect those still paying for them.

The post Black cats banned from this Spanish town – until after Halloween appeared first on Green Prophet.

AI could be the key to protecting our solar-powered future — making grids smarter, safer, and resilient against blackouts and cyberattacks.

Elon Musk has been saying it for years and it’s something that solar power pioneers already know: the sun has enough energy to power all of our energy needs. The problem is limited not only by making sure that people get the technology to harvest the sun on solar panels, but in cities and urban centers one of the biggest issues is storage and what to do with a surplus of energy when the sun shines? Consumers and businesses, when they can, typically shoot back the energy to the grid where they earn money or credits for what they’ve contributed.

But electricity grids can’t always handle excessive or varying amounts of energy. It’s a complicated switchboard that can be overloaded during extreme heat waves when everyone turns on their air conditioners. Energy managers want to make the grids most efficient and mixed with the least carbon intensive energy sources, but how? And what about cyber attacks that can bring down an entire nation’s power like what happened in Spain and Portugal this year. A  team of scientists say they can predict attacks and blackouts, making the grid more resilient –– and they are using AI.

Related: Maria Telkes, solar over and solar home energy pioneer

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed brain-inspired AI algorithms that detect physical problems, cyberattacks and both at the same time within the grid. And this neural-network AI can run on inexpensive single-board computers or existing smart grid devices.

“As more disturbances occur, whether from extreme weather or from cyberattacks, the most important thing is that operators maintain the function and reliability of the grid,” said Shamina Hossain-McKenzie, a cybersecurity expert and leader of the project. “Our technology will allow the operators to detect any issues faster so that they can mitigate them faster with AI.”

The importance of cyber-physical protection

As the United States adds more smart controls and devices to the grid, it becomes more flexible and autonomous but also more vulnerable to cyberattacks and cyber-physical attacks. Cyber-physical attacks use communications networks or other cyber systems to disrupt or control a physical system such as the electric grid. Potentially vulnerable equipment includes smart inverters that turn the direct current produced by solar panels and wind turbines into the alternating current used by the grid, and network switches that provide secure communication for grid operators, said Adrian Chavez, a cybersecurity expert involved in the project.

Because the neural network can run on single-board computers, or existing smart grid devices, it can protect older equipment as well as the latest equipment that lack only cyber-physical coordination, Hossain-McKenzie said.

Related: Could AI save Ivanpah from shutting down?

“To make the technology more accessible and feasible to deploy, we wanted to make sure our solution was scalable, portable and cost-efficient,” Chavez said.

The package of code works at the local, enclave and global levels. At the local level, the code monitors for abnormalities at the specific device where it is installed. At the enclave level, devices in the same network share data and alerts to provide the operator with better information on whether the issue is localized or happening in multiple places, Hossain-McKenzie said.

At the global level, only results and alerts are shared between systems owned by different operators. That way operators can get early alerts of cyberattacks or physical issues their neighbors are seeing but protect proprietary information.

The Sandia team collaborated with experts at Texas A&M University to create secure communication methods, particularly between grids owned by different companies, Hossain-McKenzie said.

The biggest challenge in detecting cyber-physical attacks, or if we go further to predicting major power outages from over-use, is combining the constant stream of physical data with intermittent packets of cyber data, said Logan Blakely, a computer science expert who led development of the AI components.

Physical data such as the frequency, voltage and current of the grid is reported 60 times a second, while cyber data such as other traffic on the network is more sporadic, Blakely said. The team used data fusion to extract the important signals in the two different kinds of data.

Then the team used an autoencoder neural network, which classifies the combined data to determine whether it fits with the pattern of normal behavior or if there are abnormalities with the cyber data, physical data or both, Hossain-McKenzie said. For example, an increase in network traffic could indicate a denial-of-service attack while a false-data-injection attack could include atypical physical and cyber data, Chavez said.

Unlike many other kinds of AI, autoencoder neural networks do not need to be trained on data labeled with every type of issue that may show up, Blakely said. Instead, the network only needs copious amounts of data from normal operations for training.

The use of an autoencoder neural network makes the package pretty much plug and play, Hossain-McKenzie added.

Once the team constructed the autoencoder neural network, they put it to the test in three different ways.

First, they tested the autoencoder in an emulation environment, which includes computer models of the communication-and-control system used to monitor the grid and a physics-based model of the grid itself, Hossain-McKenzie said. The team used this environment to model a variety of cyberattacks or physical disruptions, and to provide normal operational data for the AI to train on.

Then the team incorporated the autoencoder onto single-board computer prototypes that were tested in a hardware-in-the-loop environment, Hossain-McKenzie said. In hardware-in-the-loop testing, researchers connect a real piece of hardware to software that simulates various attack scenarios or disruptions. When the autoencoder is on a single-board computer, it can read the data and implement the algorithms faster than a virtual implementation of the autoencoder can in an emulation environment, Chavez said. Generally, hardware implementations are a hundred or thousand times faster than software implementations, he added.

The team is working with Sierra Nevada Corporation to test how Sandia’s autoencoder AI works on the company’s existing cybersecurity device called Binary Armor, Hossain-McKenzie said.

“This will give a really great proof-of-concept on how the technology can be flexibly implemented on an existing grid security ecosystem,” she said.

The team is testing both formats — single-board prototypes interfaced with the grid and the AI package on existing devices — in the real world at the Public Service Company of New Mexico’s Prosperity solar farm as part of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, Hossain-McKenzie said. These tests began last summer, Chavez said.

“There’s nothing like going to an actual field site,” Chavez said. “Having the ability to see realistic traffic is a really great way to get a ground-truth of how this technology performs in the real world.”

The team also worked with PNM early in the project, to learn what AI design might be most useful for grid operators. It was during conversations with PNM staff that the Sandia team identified the need to connect cyber-defenders with system operators rapidly and automatically.

The post How artificial intelligence can stop grid cyber-attacks and over-load appeared first on Green Prophet.

Tourism is an economic powerhouse, but over-tourism has strained many beloved destinations, leading to environmental degradation, cultural dilution, and declining quality of life for locals. To counteract these issues, various hotspots have introduced regulations to curb excessive visitor numbers. Many have also developed eco-volunteering opportunities and sustainable lodging options for travelers who want to give back. Below, we explore the measures being taken in different locations and how visitors can engage in meaningful, sustainable tourism.

Ibiza, Spain

To address the influx of cruise tourists, Ibiza has introduced new regulations limiting the simultaneous docking of cruise ships to no more than two at a time. This measure aims to ease congestion and reduce environmental strain.

Eco-volunteering opportunities in Ibiza:

• IbizaPreservation: Works on marine and land conservation efforts.
• Plastic Free Ibiza & Formentera: Dedicated to reducing plastic waste on the islands.
• GEN-GOB Ibiza: Focuses on biodiversity conservation and sustainable farming.

Sustainable Lodging in Ibiza:

• Cas Gasi: A boutique eco-hotel focusing on organic farming and renewable energy.
• Finca Can Marti: A rustic retreat offering organic food and sustainable living.
• La Granja Ibiza: A farmstead that embraces permaculture and community-driven experiences.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Peru has implemented a strict ticketing system requiring visitors to arrive within designated time slots, preventing overcrowding and ensuring sustainable site management.

Eco-volunteering opportunities in Peru:

• Conservamos por Naturaleza: Supports conservation initiatives across Peru.
• Inkaterra Asociación: Engages in biodiversity conservation and research.
• Centro de Rescate Amazónico: Works on Amazon rainforest preservation and wildlife rehabilitation.

Sustainable Lodging in Machu Picchu:

• Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel: A leading eco-lodge with conservation programs.
• Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel: A luxury lodge promoting Andean traditions and sustainability.
• Tierra Viva Machu Picchu: A sustainable hotel using eco-friendly practices.

Santorini & Mykonos, Greece

The Greek government plans to limit cruise ships to mitigate the effects of overtourism on the Cycladic Islands, preserving their natural beauty and cultural integrity.

Eco-volunteering opportunities in Greece:

• Aegean Marine Life Sanctuary: Protects marine ecosystems in the Aegean.
• Archelon – The Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece: Focuses on sea turtle conservation.
• Hellenic Ornithological Society: Protects bird species and their habitats.

Sustainable Lodging in Santorini & Mykonos:

• Santorini Eco Retreats: Offers sustainable stays with renewable energy sources.
• Mykonos Earth Suites: Built with eco-friendly materials and solar power.
• Eros Keros: An off-grid retreat on Koufonisia near Mykonos.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam is taking drastic measures to curb overtourism, including limiting river cruises, banning new hotels, reducing annual visitor numbers by 271,000, and capping overnight stays at 20 million.

Eco-volunteering opportunities in Amsterdam:

• Plastic Whale: Organizes plastic-cleaning boat trips on the canals.
• Stichting De Noordzee: Works to protect the North Sea ecosystem.
• IVN Natuureducatie: Focuses on nature education and conservation projects.

Sustainable Lodging in Amsterdam:

• Conscious Hotel Westerpark: A fully sustainable hotel powered by green energy.
• Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam: Built with sustainable materials and featuring an indoor rainforest.
• Ecomama Hotel: A boutique eco-hostel with a strong focus on social responsibility.

Menorca, Spain

Residents of Binibeca Vell have set time restrictions for tourists, only allowing visits between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. to prevent noise pollution and overcrowding.

Eco-volunteering opportunities in Menorca:

• Menorca Preservation Fund: Supports local conservation efforts.
• GOB Menorca: Focuses on environmental protection and sustainable agriculture.
• Fundació Foment del Turisme de Menorca: Promotes sustainable tourism initiatives.

Sustainable Lodging in Menorca:

• Torralbenc: A luxury eco-retreat using sustainable farming methods.
• Agroturismo Son Vives: A rural eco-hotel supporting organic agriculture.
• Hotel Rural Biniarroca: A boutique hotel committed to sustainable tourism.

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona has reduced cruise dockings to seven per day and removed a popular bus route to Parc Güell to discourage peak-season tourism.

Eco-volunteering opportunities in Barcelona:

• Projecte Boscos de Muntanya: Works on forest conservation.
• Rezero: Focuses on waste reduction and sustainability.
• Surfrider España: Engages in marine conservation and beach cleanups.

Sustainable Lodging in Barcelona:

• Hostal Grau: A carbon-neutral eco-hotel.
• Yurbban Trafalgar Hotel: Focuses on sustainable energy and community projects.
• EcoZentric Hotel: Uses renewable energy and eco-friendly products.

Sustainable Travel: A Collective Effort

While governments enforce new regulations, travelers also play a key role in ensuring sustainability. Opting for eco-volunteering experiences and choosing eco-friendly accommodations provide a more meaningful connection to a destination while actively contributing to its preservation. By making mindful travel choices, we can ensure that these breathtaking places remain vibrant and welcoming for generations to come.

The post The Battle Against Over-Tourism: How Destinations Are Fighting Back appeared first on Green Prophet.

Babaà was founded in 2012 by Marta Bahillo, a textile designer with a passion for natural fibers and sustainable fashion. After studying textile design in Dublin, Ireland, and gaining experience in Argentina, Bahillo returned to her roots in Spain, where she created Babaà with the goal of offering beautifully crafted, eco-conscious clothing. Her vision was to bring timeless, locally made garments to life, using the finest natural materials sourced from Spanish sheep. Marta’s commitment to sustainability and the slow fashion movement is embedded in every piece, ensuring that each sweater is crafted with care, precision, and respect for the environment.

Babaà’s mission wasn’t just about creating clothes—it was about creating a lifestyle. Bahillo, who values simplicity and a natural way of life, made sure that every aspect of her brand aligned with those values. Whether it’s her preference for wearing only natural fibers or her choice to get movies from a “video club” in Madrid instead of streaming services, Bahillo’s dedication to a more mindful and authentic way of living is at the heart of Babaà.

The Appeal of Babaà Sweaters:

Babaà sweaters have a special place in the hearts of those who love a combination of comfort, style, and sustainability. These thick, cozy pieces have a nostalgic, almost “homemade” charm, reminiscent of something your grandmother might have knitted—if she were an expert at working with the best wool and colors. The sweaters are designed with large buttons, simple yet aesthetically pleasing patterns, and come in a variety of vibrant hues as well as calming shades of oatmeal. Their timeless design and high-quality craftsmanship give them an effortlessly cool, vintage feel, making them perfect for anyone who loves to feel cozy without sacrificing style.

Related: Adrian Pepe and his sheep

The brand has gained a loyal following over the years, especially among women who appreciate the slow-fashion movement and a natural lifestyle. In fact, The New Yorker even covered the brand’s appeal to a group of women the author dubs “organic moms,” who are known for their love of co-ops, clogs, and laid-back, sustainable living. These women are drawn to Babaà not just for its beautiful designs, but because it aligns with their values—supporting local craftsmanship, ethical production, and natural materials.

Babaà Sweater Review:

I recently had the chance to try out two Babaà sweaters, and I have to say, they absolutely live up to the hype.

The Oversized Blue Sweater

Bold Yet Comfortable: This oversized blue sweater immediately grabbed my attention. With its bright, bold color and relaxed fit, it has that 80s vibe that feels both nostalgic and modern. The sweater is soft—softer than you might expect from a wool sweater—and it drapes beautifully. It’s the kind of piece that stands out on its own, making a statement without feeling over-the-top.

The softness of the blue sweater is definitely a win. Compared to the natural brown one, it’s much softer against the skin, which makes it ideal for those days when you just want to be wrapped up in warmth and softness. It’s the kind of piece that stands out, whether you’re at a casual get-together or just chilling at home. It’s fun, cozy, and the perfect nod to a past decade of fashion.

The Natural Dark Brown Sweater

A Nod to Nature: The natural dark brown sweater has a completely different vibe. This one is all about authenticity and connection to nature. The undyed wool gives it a raw, earthy feel, and the short-neck design adds to its simplicity.

The sweater smells like a sheep—something that may seem odd to some, but for me, it only adds to the charm. It’s clear this sweater was made with the finest natural materials. The texture of the wool is a bit more rugged compared to the softer blue sweater, but it’s still incredibly cozy. This piece is perfect for anyone who appreciates raw, unprocessed materials and loves that “earthy” feel.

A Minor Drawback – Pilling: One minor downside to both sweaters is the pilling. After a few wears, they do show some light fuzzing. It’s not a huge deal, and honestly, it’s easy to overlook because the overall comfort and style of the sweaters far outweigh this small imperfection. If you’re someone who’s sensitive to pilling, you might want to keep a fabric shaver handy, but for the most part, it’s a minor issue in the grand scheme of things.

That said –– my new babaa sweaters add to my collection of 3. The green cardigan has been a go-to favorite for the last 5 years.

The post Babaa Sweaters Review – A Bold 80s Vibe and a Nod to Nature appeared first on Green Prophet.

When you buy a sweater you are going to want it to last years not just a season. You will want it to be warm and sustainably made, so the obvious answer is a sweater from the Spanish company babaa.

I saw a babaa sweater in green online and I knew I had to have one. It started with the striking emerald colour, but then I heard the babaà story, how they raise their sheep and knit their products, and knew I wanted babaà to be my primary wool sweater for the winter. babaa speaks about the place where we need to go to slow down mass consumerism and lack of connection to ourselves.

Maybe the biggest joy this sweater gives me is knowing that it journeyed through the Spanish countryside and if I look hard enough, I can still find bits of nature where the sheep travelled.

Looking decent is important to me, but I want my clothes to represent my values. It’s hard for me to buy fast chain fashion: it doesn’t feel good, it doesn’t look right, it’s not the right thing to do. Educated readers know that the skills of fine craftspeople in fashion are disappearing in Europe and around the world, now that Zara and H&M can produce clothes and shoes for a throwaway, runaway plastic culture.

How do we slow down and recoup what we are losing? Supporting artisan designers and the farms and the craftspeople who keep them in business, of course.

Of course you can go to a local mall and likely find something decent, but babaà is more than just clothes. It’s connecting us to our past, present and future.

babaà is founded by Marta Bahillo (pictured below), from Madrid. She studied Fashion and Textile Design in Dublin, Ireland and after graduating – with a particular passion for knitwear and natural textiles – Marta moved to Argentina to design womenswear for a major fashion house before returning to Spain and founding babaà in 2012.

According to Marta, “All the materials we use are 100% natural which means our yarns are not mixed with acrylics or any other synthetic fibres. Better quality material means warmer, longer lasting clothes that even improve with wear.”

A big part of their work in creating great sweaters is sourcing local providers and supporting the local textile industry. Their wool comes from sheep in the north of Spain where it compiled, processed, and dyed by Spanish artisans using traditional methods and tools, like the ones shown below.

According to Malta, “These sheep that you see all over Spain are the ones that provide our beautiful pure Spanish wool. Many of you see bits of nature in your babaà jumpers when you get them. Now you know where it comes from! We are very proud to support this traditional local industry so important for the biodiversity and the environment.”

Read more about the sheep shearing process here.

The sheep are also brought out to pasture through a ritual called trashumancia ––  the seasonal movement of people with their livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures.

The cotton for the cotton sweaters is sourced in Andalucia, in the south of Spain.The wool and cotton is then shipped to a workshop in Barcelona where it is knit. Designs are all oversized to make you feel cozy and to leave space for growing children.

(Updated Dec, 2023)

::babaa

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They say that loose lips sink ships, and for the fourth time in two years, it’s not just lips but orca whales sinking ships. A pod of orcas attacked a sailing boat off the coast of Morocco on Oct. 31 and didn’t stop for 45 minutes until the boat sunk. Luckily the crew sent out a mayday and everyone on board was rescued in time. We wrote about avenging orcas just this past May and see the orcas have struck again.

It wasn’t a Halloween prank, says the company that runs cruises on Grazie Mamma — a sailing yacht owned by Polish cruise company Morskie Mile. Marine zoologists believe that a specific orca was attacked by a fishing boat some years ago. She carries her trauma and has taught other orcas how to help get revenge.

The company announced, “Yesterday in the Strait of Gibraltar early afternoon our yacht was attacked by a herd of orcas. They hit the steering fin for 45 minutes, causing major damage and leakage. Despite attempts to bring the yacht to the port by the captain, crew and rescuers, port tugs and the Moroccan Navy, the unit sunk near the entrance to the port of Tanger Med. The crew is safe, unharmed and safe in Spain.

It’s been reported that orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar have been harassing boats for over three years. Most of them don’t sink.

The orcas (Orcinus orca), also known as killer whales, hit the Polish yacht’s rudder causing major damage, allowing water to enter the hull.

Attacks have been reported as early as 2020, and all come from the Strait of Gibraltar — a narrow strait between Spain and Morocco that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

The attack highlights the intelligence of killer whales.

Since 2020, this orca pod has been regularly harassing boats believed to be started by White Gladis, a female orca who may have been traumatized by a past boat collision. The whales are becoming better at sinking ships, sinking three boats since 2022. In June a rudder was ripped off a yacht in 15 minutes. We reported earlier how the whales appear to be teaching each other how to maximise damage.

Witnesses have also reported seeing orcas “teach” other individuals how to maximise the damage they cause.

 

The post A pod of orcas sink another boat, a mid-sized yacht from Poland appeared first on Green Prophet.

Spain, famous for its long, sun-soaked coastlines and architectural wonders, relies heavily on tourism to stimulate its economy. In most years, this recipe is a successful one, as not only Barcelona and Madrid but all corners of the Mediterranean nation attract tens of millions of visitors per year. 

While many European countries can say the same thing, Spain is perhaps unique because of its heavy reliance on making the most, economically speaking, of the summer months. 

It isn’t that there’s not plenty to do during the cooler times of the year, just that Spain’s blend of cuisine, coastline, and calm waters makes it a particularly attractive place to visit during the hotter seasons. 

All of this contributed to the focus by Spanish government officials, who continue to work in close tandem with health advisors towards opening up their borders. The hope was that international tourists would be eligible to enter Spain just in time for the 2021 summer season. 

After a largely lost 2020 due to the pandemic, rolling out an effective vaccination campaign, as well as monitoring the COVID-19 levels of other nations allowed Spain to partially open itself up for vacationers from countries like the U.S. and Canada in June of 2021. 

Now, after a few months of rocky transmission numbers abroad, the Spanish government is revisiting its decision to allow for certain passport holders to open, including those from Canada. 

It is always wise to check with the Spanish embassy in Canada for any advisories or warnings. For now, read on for the most up-to-date information on travel restrictions for tourists wishing to enter Spain.

What Are the Latest Updates For U.S. Travelers to Spain?

The hope for both the Spanish government and for American passport holders is that Spain won’t need to continue to implement mandates restricting access to foreigners. The constant updates to the rules don’t only deter people with current travel plans, but they can also stop others from making future plans. 

Unfortunately, as long as the pandemic continues to rage on, there will be flight cancelations, unforeseen hiccoughs, and travel mandates. 

American travelers were eventually allowed back into Spain after some fifteen months. When the ban was lifted, there were very few restrictions left in place. However, due to the uptick in COVID-19 cases in the United States, the Spanish government has instituted new rules.

As of early September, all American passport holders are no longer allowed into Spain. In fact, only those passengers who can show proof that they are two weeks removed from being fully vaccinated will be eligible to cross the Spanish border. 

The reason for this shift in approach comes via recommendations from European health officials who are constantly monitoring transmission rates in each country around the world. 

What Other Passport Holders Are Being Restricted From Spain?

The United States contributes a tremendous number of tourists to Spain each year. With that said, it is hardly the only nation in the world whose citizens want to see the Sagrada Familia or try pintxos in San Sebastian. 

In addition to America, there are five other nations whose citizens European health officials have deemed to currently be high risk. They are North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Israel, Lebanon 

Travelers from these other countries will have to wait until the situations in their respective countries improve before they travel to Spain. 

When Might These Latest Restrictions Be Lifted?

Guessing when any government might lift their travel restrictions is difficult. Unless expressly stated, most governments tend to be non-committal when it comes to their plans. The reasoning behind the stock-language updates is due to the difficulty in predicting the movements of the pandemic. 

It was not that long ago that the numbers in the United States were good enough for Spain to allow unvaccinated visitors. Israel was once the poster-child for vaccination plans and now it is on the list of countries whose passport holders can’t visit Spain. 

While restrictions are in place until the end of the month, it remains unclear whether the government will extend them or loosen their restrictions. For now, the best thing to do is to stay informed about the latest updates.

What Are Spain’s Latest COVID Trends?

As Spain continues to update their mandates for foreigners, it is also important for those planning a trip to Spain to understand the latest domestic guidelines inside Spain. 

The Spanish government gives advice to each region but there is a semblance of autonomy that each city enjoys. The good news is that things are heading in the right direction. Masks are no longer required in public and bars and restaurants are open later than they have been in months. 

Hopefully, if these trends continue, more and more visitors will soon be able to enjoy Spain. 

The post Is Spain Updating Its Entry Restrictions for Tourists? appeared first on Green Prophet.

For years empirical evidence has suggested that the Mediterranean diet, which includes a lot of fish, nuts, olive oil, fruits and vegetables, is superior to others, but it has been exceptionally difficult to prove the relationship between food and diet given that so many other factors can influence a person’s health. Plus, let’s face it: how disciplined are any of us when it comes to food?

So professor of medicine Dr. Ramon Estruch and other researchers from the University of Barcelona traveled the globe to determine whether diet alone can be used to treat people who are at high risk of heart disease and then came up with a fail-proof method to test that hypothesis, the New York Times reports.

After consulting with professionals from around the globe, the researchers rounded up 7,447 people from Spain that exhibited all of the risk factors associated with heart disease, including smoking and excess weight, and split them into three control groups.

One of these was instructed to follow a low fat diet, while the other two groups were encouraged to consume stipulated quantities of olive oil or nuts; drinkers were even encouraged to drink seven glasses of wine each week.

After five years the study concluded early because of overwhelming evidence that a Mediterranean diet reduces risk of heart disease by 30 percent, according to NYT.

Rachel Johnson, a professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association, told the paper that she thought the study was very impressive.

“And the really important thing — the coolest thing — is that they used very meaningful endpoints. They did not look at risk factors like cholesterol or hypertension or weight. They looked at heart attacks and strokes and death. At the end of the day, that is what really matters,” she said.

Even though no weight loss occurred as a result of the new diet, which eliminated processed, sugary foods while permitting high calorie nuts and oils, participants of the study experienced a dramatic increase in health and in a shorter amount of time than Dr. Estruch expected. He said he was surprised.

Results of the study were recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine and some researchers have since expressed doubt of their merits. Doctors who advocate for vegan diets, for example, claim that the “awful control diet” of toxic junk food actually caused some of the participants to die of stroke or heart attack.

The researchers did admit that more research must be done to determine whether the diet would be effective for people who are at low risk of disease.

Other diets that complement the Med diet featured on websites like https://www.tasteaholics.com, includes the keto diet. The keto or ketogenic diet is a high-fat, protein and low carb diet that is used by nutritionists and doctors to force the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates.

Olive oil, anyone? Here are 10 weird and wonderful uses.

The post The Mediterranean diet is officially awesome and heart smart appeared first on Green Prophet.

Siza has been visiting Alhambra since he was a youngster and developed a lifelong fascination with the place. In addition to the remarkable architecture set high on a hill overlooking the Andalusian city, the architect seeks to emulate the light and shadow play evident throughout the palace.

Over the years he has compiled various sketches, models, drawings and photographs of the palace (we have a few too from a fairly recent visit – see those here.) This collection, along with renders of a new entrance gate and visitor center, called “Visions of the Alhambra” will soon be on display in Berlin.

In addition to showcasing Siza’s lifelong devotion to the magnificent Moorish design, the exhibition will present a new way to visit the site. At is it currently set up, it’s difficult to know where to enter, and visitors – up to 8,000 per day, must stand in two long lines: first to get tickets (which are allocated in certain time slots) and then to actually get into the building.

Siza aims to improve this system with a new entrance gate that will be partially buried to reveal the scale of the architecture, as Designboom puts it, through “spatial sequencing and topographical systemization.”

Related: Morocco’s Berbers had water management sorted

Light wells placed throughout will ensure plenty of natural light reaches most areas, though – in keeping with the Alhambra’s playful lighting – they will not flood the building. Instead, visitors will be introduced to areas of partial shade and partial light and near complete light or darkness, to authenticate the preview experience as much as possible.

After proceeding through the new entrance center, visitors will come upon a courtyard outside which then leads to an auditorium and a central plaza, where water is channeled “in a continuous cycle of repetition.”

Aedes Architecture Forum Berlin and the Council of the Alhambra & Generalife will present the exhibition at Aedes Pfefferberg in Berlin between March 22 and May 8, 2014; thereafter, it will be permanently displayed the heritage site starting in Spring 2015.

Images © Álvaro Siza Vieira + Juan Domingo Santos / 3D rendering – LT studios

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In order to bridge the divide between electricity prices and costs and recoup an estimated loss of nearly $2.39 billion, Spain has slashed and in some cases completely eliminated the subsidies that first made renewable energy projects competitive against fossil fuels.

Masdar took advantage of these subsidies in 2008, when Torresol Energy was established. The Spanish engineering group SENER has a 60 percent controlling interest in the company, while Masdar has a 40 percent interest.

Through Torresol, Masdar helped to established the 20 MW Gemasolar power plant, which produces renewable energy around the clock thanks to groundbreaking solar storage technology, and the Valle 1 and Valle 2 plants with a capacity of 50MW each are still in progress.

Gemasolar alone diverts roughly 30,000 tons of CO2 emissions from the atmosphere each year.

Related: Super green Masdar Headquarters design awarded to Brookfield Complex

But Spain’s decision to cut tariffs jeopardizes Masdar’s investment in the country, so the company filed their complaint through the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) on February 11, 2014.

“As a result of the Spanish government’s unwillingness to overturn the regulatory changes, we are pursuing legal action to protect our investments,” a spokesman for a Dutch subsidiary of Masdar, Solar & Wind Cooperatief UA told Reuters.

The paper adds that foreign funds RREEF Infrastructure and Antin Infrastructure have also filed suits over the new energy laws.

:: Reuters

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