New advances in ‘marine-based’ biotechnology involving algae, crabs and prawns could help tackle the global plastic crisis, according to a major EU study.

A detailed report released today by a consortium of leading European scientists shows that biodegradable biopolymers created from the sea have the potential to compete with traditional plastics - while crucially offering a more environmentally friendly alternative.

Latest estimates warn that many coastal cities, towns, villages and resorts in mainland Portugal are likely to become increasingly vulnerable to flooding or total destruction by sea levels that are rising far faster than expected.

The latest evaluation of data on rising sea levels has tripled previous estimates of vulnerability in coastal areas around the world.

Combined wind, wave and solar arrays will transform the marine renewable energy market driving ‘higher capacity’ and ‘seasonally consistent’ energy, a Portugal conference heard.
Delegates at the ‘Marine Renewable Energy and Offshore Aquaculture’ seminar in Lisbon, Portugal, heard about a series of advances involving deep water floating wind, wave energy, hydrogen production, offshore aquaculture and seaweed cultivation.

A bit more than a decade ago, Rita Margalhães and Sérgio Correira started cultivating a plot of land close to Alvalade in Alentejo. In the beginning, they didn’t know anything about farming. Today, they are feeding eleven families in the area every week. “About eighty percent of the food we eat comes from the garden”, says Rita, as she is making lunch for the volunteers.

This experimental operation will deploy around forty shepherds for 5 years. Paid 25 euros for each hectare cleaned, the return of the shepherds in the Portuguese hills makes it possible to repopulate regions strongly affected by the recent fires. The problem is that it is now more difficult for the government to find shepherds than grants to finance the project.

Two of the world’s leading powers in marine renewable energy are joining forces to share in-depth expertise at a special event in Lisbon, Portugal.
Portugal’s leading marine renewable energy firm WavEC Offshore Renewables is teaming up with the Norwegian Embassy and Innovation Norway to host an international seminar on December 04 and 05, at Museu do Oriente in Lisbon.

A TERRA TREME, an earthquake risk awareness exercise, will take place on Friday 15th November 2019 at 11.15 hrs, throughout the country.

This is a national exercise organised by the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), which involves the community, for the purpose of creating awareness of the earthquake risk here in Portugal and importantly simple measures people can take, in case an earthquake strikes, which may save lives.

Last Friday October 18^th, Vilamoura International School was awarded 1st place in the Eco-Trails competition (together with the Escola Básica 2, 3 from Celeirós, Braga) at the Eco-Schools Awards: Green Flags Day 2019.

The Eco-Schools Green Flag is an internationally recognised award for excellence in environmental action and learning.