Challenge Climate Change

Our Earth in our Solar-System in the Milky Way is rather small. Billions of Galaxies, Suns and Planets are out there. We are not alone in this Great Universe. What will happen if one day we would get in contact with extraterrestrial intelligent life and societies. Are they developed? Are they already gone? Or will they emerge? Do they destroy their living conditions? Or have they already learned how to live right on their planet? In any case, we should be prepared, for the best and for the worst. In such a fictional encounter, our planet should be in its best form, with healthy ecosystems, rich biodiversity, moderate global temperatures, peaceful nations, developed human societies, prospering sustainable economies, within a global democracy system, etc. Maybe one day in the future there would be a “Planet Competition - Universe Sustainable Development Challenge”, where all existing intelligent civilizations of the Universe would take part. The respective planet-inhabitants who care best for their home-planet

The sun is an essential enabler of life. Without her life on earth - as we usually know it - would not exist. It is the gravity center of our solar system and its planets. It drives the life processes in mother nature, e.g. starting the nourishment-chains via photosynthesis in plants. It drives the wind and weather. Hereby water has a vital role, with its unique molecule characteristics and the temperature ranges related to the state of matter as ice, fluid or steam and the respective energy content. It has the second highest heat-capacity (around 4,19 J/kg*K at 20°C) after ammonia. It is used as energy carrier in conventional power plants - mainly based on fossil fuels - since the invention of the steam machine. Ancient tribes, old and indigenous civilizations had honored the sun as a god or goddess. The existence of the world in space is a miracle.

The species can be found in many parts of Europe, Scandinavia and Siberia. It belongs to the chicken birds and prefers Coniferous Forests. In middle Europe – for instance - it can exist in the Alps, Black Forest, Bavarian Forest, Pyrenees, Jura, and in the Vosges. In Germany it mostly does not live under 1000 meters above sea level, e.g. in the National Park Black Forest or in the NP Berchtesgaden. It needs rather big habitats for its specific living procedures and nourishment over the year. The cock is bigger than a goose, the hen is much smaller. The species has a special Courtship display (Balz ritual). Globally these birds are categorized as least concern according to the IUCN Red list, in Germany it is endangered. As with many other species, root causes are Habitat destruction and/or disturbances by Tourism, and/or the consequences of global warming. In a nutshell, the living conditions of a species are influenced by its necessary Habitat, the given or lack of Nourishment and Predators. Some links

The power of the wind is used since a very long time, like sail-ships and windmills. The origin of the winds has a simple explanation. The rays from the sun are shining on the different surface structures of mother earth, like deserts, seas, forests, land and mountains. The respective air masses are heated - more or less. Different temperatures and pressures lead to different air densities and air movements, while the earth is rotating. One vital formula to describe a given wind power is: P = A * v³ * 0,5 * ϱ P stands for power, A for a certain area (the blade wide of a wind turbine), v is the wind velocity, 0,5 is a physics factor, and ϱ stands for the air-density. The higher the variables are, the higher the harvested wind power could be. It depends on the local conditions and the efficiency of the used technologies. Usually, the wind speeds are higher more above the earth surface, because the surface acts like a brake. Most types of wind turbines work against the wind. Some links for further informatio

Renewable Energies are all possibilities of almost endless resources, as solar and wind energy, waterpower, tidal and wave energy, biomass, heat and cold from air or the upper earth-layers. Furthermore geothermal energy can be used. The Earth is circling around the Sun with an average distance of 150 million km. Hereby the solar radiation that comes on Earth is in average around 1.367 W/m². In Germany on a clear summer day it is around 1.000 W/m². The average of a year in Germany is around 110 W/m², that is around 1000 kWh/m². Such figures are used to project solar energy plants. The solar radiation is also driving the wind energy potentials. For example, while the solar energy can only be directly used in the day time, wind energy is also possible at night. In the time when the sun doesn’t shine and no wind blows, stored renewable energy in electric batteries could be used. Such kind of concepts should be preferred wherever possible, building decentralized-energy-systems instead of large-scale-power ...

In this photo we see 3 harvested beech tree (Fagus sylvatica) stems with a red core. The stems are good quality due to size, geometry, and wood quality, usually from the lower part of the standing tree. The beech tree belongs to tree species that can develop a facultative core or red core because of external factors. The size, color and structure of this red core can vary. It is mostly caused by injuries of the stem or via dry branches so that oxygen can get into it. Then phenol contents can be built. These cannot get into the cell wall structures of the tree. This happens mostly in older trees when the humidity of the wood is less than 60 percent. It can begin at a tree age of 80 years, mostly at the age of 100 to 130 years. In the sustainable economic used forests in Germany, beech trees are harvested mainly up to the tree age of 150 years, at the latest. Normally the technological characteristics of the wood are not affected by the facultative core. The respective wood has special color variations and ...

This nice animal was on the balcony already in the mid of April 2024 maybe waiting for the energy rays of the sun. The beetle belongs to the scarab family Scarabeidae. To this family also belong the cock chafer (german: Maikäfer) or the dung chafer, and others. The Rose chafer is 1,4 – 2 cm long. It can be seen on blossoms of trees, shrubs, roses, etc. Normally the beetles fly from May till August, maybe because of global warming this period is longer. It has some relatives, that in part look similar. The rose chafer can be identified by its V-shaped “scutellum”. In contrast to other beetles, they fly with their wing cases down. They can fly very fast. The larvae, e.g. live and develop in rotten wood of tree stumps. They are very common in Middle-Europe. Some people say they would do harm to their gardens, e.g. by eating the blossoms of roses, the fruits of strawberries, or the leaves of apple-, cherry- and birch trees.

Pinus cembra (german: Zirbelkiefer, Arve, Zirbel) is a slow growing tree species. In Europe it naturally grows in high altitudes, e.g. in the southern Alps up to 2.700 m. Under good environmental conditions it can grow up to a height of more than 25 m and can reach 1,5 m in diameter. It can get more than 400 years old; some say more than 1.000 years. Its seed cones contain rather big edible seeds. They are eaten and dispersed, for instance by the Eurasian nutcracker (Nucifaga caryocatactes, german: Tannenhäher), Woodpeckers and Squirrels. The needles are 5-12 cm long and grow in fascicles of five. This tree species is rather resistant to cold temperatures, but it is sensitive to late frost (in spring) and to drought stress mainly in lower altitudes. The wood is rather light and soft with a strong aromatic odor. It is mainly used for furniture and interior. For more information, please refer for example to the following links:

Lady bugs belong to the family of Mary beetles (Coccinellidae). The name derives from Lady Mary. Lady bugs are very useful, because as larvae and beetles they eat a lot of scale insects, mites and aphids of different kind. The photo shows two Seven-point Mary beetles (Coccinella septempunctata). Lady bugs and their relatives hibernate in angles, outdoor, in the wilderness or in buildings. In early spring they can be seen in sunny places. In our region there are more than seventy species. Because they prefer aphids and scale insects as nourishment, they can be used for biological pest control. One Lady bug larva can suck 50 aphids daily, a beetle a bit less. This kind of beetles get more than one year old. In spring the females lay their eggs in hundreds on the lower side of leaves. After one week the larvae get out. 1 to 2 months later, they pupate. After 6 to 9 days the young beetles (Imagines) emerge, the new generation. The family of Lady bugs are very productive. Here are some links to the topic, e.g. ...